Helping the Jewish Remnant

 ‘Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’ ”   (Ezra 1:4 NASB)

After Cyrus the Great recognized that God had placed him on the throne of Persia to help the Jewish people return to their homeland and restore the Temple [see the previous post], he gave two instructions:  First, the instruction to the remnant was to return to rebuild the Temple, but only if “God’s Spirit had stirred” within them (v. 5).  Second, the gentile neighbors of those who return were to help pay the bills!  This is the heart of verse 4, “let the men of that place support him.”

In today’s world, God is calling the Jewish people home a second time (Isaiah 11:11).  By the tens of thousands the Jewish population is returning to Israel to live out their lives in the Promised Land.  So, should the Christian population join as the neighbors of these Jews and help pay the bills for their return?  I believe so!

I believe so for several reasons—

• When God worked through the gentile Cyrus, this was the plan of finance that He used.
• the God worked through the gentile Artexerxes and sent Nehemiah back to rebuilt the walls, this is the plan He used.
• God's word compares the second return to the first, thus allowing us to make the connection of the plan of God for the first to the second.
• The Apostle Paul returned to jerusalem to "bring alms to my nation" (Acts 24:17).
• In Luke 7:1-5 Jesus healed a gentile's servant.  Those around Jesus used the argument that “he [the gentile] is worthy for you to grant this to him, for he loves our nation and has built us a synagogue.”  Jesus honored this by healing the servant.
• Corenelius, a gentile, was chosen to receive a special visitation from God.  The reason given is because his almsgiving to the Jewish people had risen as a memorial before God (Acts 10:1-4).

When Cyrus heard the heart of God that the Jewish people were to return, he not only took action himself, but he said, “let the men of that place support” those who return.  The “men of that place” were gentiles.  Now, in these days, God has called His people home a second time.  Those of us who are “the men of that place” should, a second time, financially support that return.

If you are interested in avenues of support, contact me!