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PROVIDENCE, THE CONFIDENCE FOR SERVICE (I)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Nehemiah 7:8-38

Ezra 2:3-35

 

“…the very hairs of your head

are all numbered.”

 

PROVIDENCE, THE CONFIDENCE FOR SERVICE (I)
 
God’s concern for His people is clearly demonstrated in the Scriptures. During the Exodus, the people were numbered twice, with the first taking place in the second year (Num 1) and the second taking place in the thirty-eighth year (Num 26) of the exodus.
 
The children of… (Neh 7:8-38). In Nehemiah 7, the census was done in family units with the term “the children of ” being used. The pattern seems to be similar to the pattern in the census in Numbers with the families counted being introduced with the same phrase (Num 1:20‑43). This phrase occurs more than fifty times in Nehemiah 7, as if it were putting faces to “the children of Israel” whom Nehemiah had interceded for in Nehemiah 1:6, and for whom he had travelled to Jerusalem to seek their welfare (Neh 2:10). The list named the family and the number of persons which was previously given by Ezra in chapter 2. It is a testimony to the faithfulness of God, preserving those who trusted in Him when they relocated to Jerusalem which had been desolate for over seventy years. God not only led them in the journey and brought them safely to Jerusalem, He had kept them through the hardships and challenges. God had indeed been faithful not only to keep the families, but also to increase them. This could be seen in the difference in the numbers as recorded by Ezra from that as recorded by Nehemiah. There were families that though had declined in numbers, were not totally consumed. Eg. the “children of Zattu” (Neh 7:13) at the time of Ezra’s record were 945 (Ezra 2:8), but here in Nehemiah’s record, they were fewer by 100. There were also families that had increased in numbers like “the children of Azgad” (Neh 7:17), who at the time of Ezra’s record were 1,222 (Ezra 2:12), but here in Nehemiah’s record were 2,322. The factors attributed to the decline or increase in the numbers are not made clear to us. What is clear from the lists is that God is concerned about His people. He knows them, He keeps count of them through the years, He leads, preserves and uses them for His glory. These lists bring to light the providential care of God over His own.
 
THOUGHT: (Read Matthew 10:28-31.)

PRAYER: (Use Job 42:1-6.)

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