I nearly entitled this Lesson “Stealing from God!”
That’s precisely what King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had done decades earlier, when he sacked and burned Jerusalem, destroying its Temple in the process.
Second Chronicles 36:7 tells us: “Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.” And 2 Kings 24:13 succinctly adds: “And he (Nebuchadnezzar) carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD.”
Did Achan do any less, when he “stole” those few items at the conquest of Jericho? (His confession: “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.” Joshua 7:21) By the way, a crime for which Achan paid with his life!
Did the Philistines do any less when they “took” the Ark of God in battle that day long ago? Placing that Holy Thing into the defiled house of their polluted god Dagon, even! No wonder God gave them such severe punishment! “And it was so, that, after they had carried it (the Ark of the Lord) about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had EMERODS in their secret parts.” 1 Samuel 5:19, tumors!
So, I am assuming, one of the reasons for Nebuchadnezzar’s ignominious death (preceded by lunacy) was his blatant stealing of God’s Holy Property! And the fact that none of his heritage reigned very long, nor rose to prominence in any way … due to the same reason!
Wow!
Lesson today … do not take that which is God’s! (Do member this as well … “And all the tithe … is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD.” Leviticus 27:30)
Wow again!
But now to the Text this morning.
Something King Cyrus (conqueror of Babylon, and all that Nebuchadnezzar “mess”) did, soon as he set the Jews free … to return to Jerusalem. “Also Cyrus the king BROUGHT FORTH the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods; even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. ALL THESE did Sheshbazzar BRING UP with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon UNTO JERUSALEM.” Ezra 1:7-11, read it entirely please.
Cyrus restored that which Nebuchadnezzar had confiscated!
And God so highly valued these items that He put right in to Scripture an inventory of what was involved!
Sounds like God blessed a man here (King Cyrus) who practiced the Bible principle of “restitution!” Paying back that which was stolen!
Yes, God takes good care of His Property!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell