God Sends

Series: Hear Me

Psalm 147:15 ESV

As I write this the news is on and today’s headlines are focused on the Middle East. That is certainly not an unusual theme in the news. It seems to me that centuries upon centuries have had the same theme.

Today’s headline news is focused on Iran and Israel, global oil, and the disruption of availability. The focus is on the Strait of Hormuz and rising oil prices disrupting global energy supplies. As a result, U.S. soldiers are being deployed to the Middle East.

The news report says the intention is to stabilize and restore the Middle East.

The key theme of Psalm 147 written sometime between 538 and 432 B.C. is God’s command to restore and rebuild that which has been destroyed in Israel.

Do you see the common theme of conflict? Psalm 147 was written approximately in the 5th Century before Christ came and we are in year 2026 after Christ.

Yet the theme remains.

As to the specific historical event in scripture, the Hebrew men have returned from Babylon where they have been held captive for 70 years. They return to Jerusalem to restore and rebuild the capital city of Jerusalem. The primary focus would have been to rebuild the wall.

We remember the Babylonian Captivity would have started in 597 BCE when King Nebuchadnezzar captured the capital city of Jerusalem.  The Babylonians were ordered by their king to capture the Hebrew craftsmen and priests and deport them to Babylon. The Babylonian focus was to relocate the Hebrew elite men and approximately 10,000 to 18,000 craftsmen and priests were found. According to 2 Kings the total number of exiles was around 50,000.

Following the deportation the Temple that Solomon built was destroyed.

In 538 BCE Cyrus the Great of Persia issued an order that permitted the Hebrew men to return to Jerusalem.

Estimates indicate that around 4,000 men returned. We must remember during the 70 year captivity many of the captive Israelites were too old the make the long journey home and they died in Babylon. According to Daniel 9:18-19, Ezra 1:1-3, and Daniel 10:1 Daniel was 90 years old and he remained in Babylon.

Still many men did return to their homeland. Psalm 147 is known as a post ‘exilic’ psalm written to celebrate the return of the Hebrew people (men) to Israel.

While the psalm writer didn’t pen his name it is believed the author was one of the prophets Haggai or Zechariah and it was written as a psalm of praise for the restoration and rebuilding of Jerusalem.

Psalm 147:15 tells us our God, “He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.”

The key focus reminds the reader that God is absolutely sovereign. God is in command.

Upon the return of the hostages who had been living in a foreign land the author reminds his readers that God is not only in control of nature, God is in control of man and his affairs.

The writer wants his readers to remember God did not forget the exiles.

After a period of time, God made a way for the people (men) of Israel to return home.

During the captivity the ‘poor’ farmers, the older men, and the women remained in Israel. The vineyards and fields were tended by them. Common sense tells us their numbers would have also dwindled over the 70 year time period.

The bottom line is that some returned home to Israel and some did not. Even so Israel did rebuilt.

Deborah/acrazyjourney.com