King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 5 notes
1Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
2Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
Strange, a pagan king supposedly, was now a believer. We are not told the circumstances that led to such strong belief in GOD so as to hear the word of the LORD and to do it.
But he did do it and fulfilled the law of GOD to him.
3Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.
4And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.
5Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
6And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered.
They knew what it took and what was required to set up a system for God.
Riches and honour as well as sacrifices.
Riches is strength. So they strengthened their hands not with spears and swords but with riches. Money indeed is a defence, wisdom is a defence, and indeed is better than weapons of war.
Ecclesiastes 7:12 KJV
For wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Ecclesiastes 9:18 KJV
Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.
7Also 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;
Wow, that was a long time ago, almost a century had passed, maybe say 70 years according to the prophecy of Jeremiah.
And they kept very good records then, just as we do now, so nothing is lost or unaccounted for.
8Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
I am wondering where all these vessels of the house of the LORD are. There is a lot of treasure in secret places in the earth.
All the gold and silver and treasures and precious stones from time immemorial, where are they? Hidden, destroyed, stolen?
GOD knows.
9And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
10Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
11All 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.