Restoration and Blessing

This morning I am reading from the Book of Nehemiah, and came across some interesting facts.

Nehemiah 7:70-72 NIV
[70] "Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. [71] Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. [72] The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests."

What I find interesting about the amount of money that was donated, is that they were coming out of a place of exile, from Babylon. When they were carried away, they didn't bring family wealth with them. They had been in Babylon for 70+ years, which is not much time, yet were bearing significant wealth. In today's value the Gold and Silver given by the people would have been greater than 550 million dollars, figured by weight. I haven't been able to find a good valuation of these numbers in that day, but suffice it to say that it was a bunch, enough to pay the wages of thousands for years.

I remembered God's command to the people who were being went into exile - as written in Jeremiah 29:4-7, 10 NIV:

[4] "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: [5] “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. [6] Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. [7] Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

[10] This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place."

And the promises of God to restore them, one which is found in Jeremiah 32:42-44 NIV:

[42] “This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them. [43] Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ [44] Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”

I was just thinking about the merciful heart of God. He sends the Jewish people into exile, but rather than punish them with harsh treatment, He decides to bless them, and prosper them, even in the land of their exile. That is the character of God always choosing to bless, always choosing to prosper his people, always choosing to restore, often times more than was taken away or lost. God will be faithful to His promises, even when it seems like there is no way possible for Him to bring them to fulfillment.

He sent the Jews into exile as slaves, and when He brings them back to Jerusalem 70+ years later, they bring with them vast amounts of wealth. He plundered Egypt when He set them free from their slavery there. He means to bless and prosper us always, regardless of how bad our situation seems. If we embrace God wherever we find ourselves, seeking Him, letting Him lead and guide us, His blessing will be poured out on us, for that is His nature, His character, shown over and over again.

My encouragement this morning is to entrust myself to God, regardless of my circumstances. He will be true to His nature because He is faithful! He will pour forth blessing, mercy, grace and forgiveness!

Amen!