SEMESTER 4
450 – Judah Returns to Their Homeland
BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE
COURSE: BIBLE SURVEY IV LESSON # 50
JUDAH RETURNS TO THEIR HOMELAND
Read Isa. 6:9-13
, Jer. 50:17-20 and Ezra 1:1-11.
INTRODUCTION:
1. The people of Judah are a special segment of the seed of Seth, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
2. They have been brought into captivity for their sin, but their future deliverance has been decreed and revealed.
3. The purpose of that deliverance is that the promised seed might come according to God's plan and revelation.
4. In this lesson we shall consider that restoration to the land of Judah, which God had promised. (Isa. 6:9-13)
I. THE REASON FOR THE RESTORATION
1. There was some measure of, at least surface, repentance in the people of Judah after they went into captivity. (II Chron. 36:20,21)
2. This has been the basic history of Israel through the years.
i. When God blessed, they rebelled and transgressed.
ii. When God judged them they confessed their sin and cried out to Him.
3. Let it not be thought, however, that repentance and conversion in them was the reason for their restoration.
4. Their conduct in Babylon and Persia was as bad as it had been in Egypt or in the land of Canaan.
5. Remember that the Lord said the judgment of Isa. 6:9,10 was still upon them in His earthly lifetime. (Mat. 13:13-15)
II. THE MEANS GOD USED TO RESTORE THEM TO THE LAND
1. When they went into Egyptian captivity, it was through providence in the elements; i.e., famine.
2. They came out with God overriding all the resistance of Pharaoh and his armies. (Ex. 4:21, Ex. 14:17-18)
i. This restoration was different. God moved in the hearts of their captors, so they took the initiative. (Ezra 1:1-4)
3. Not only did they gladly send them to Jerusalem, but they made good provision for their needs. (Ezra 1:5-11)
4. Let us see in this, that the final activities of all men are in the hands of God. (Pro. 21:1, Psa. 76:10)
III. CONDUCT OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS RESTORATION
1. We might, and would surely hope, that by now this people, having seen God’s hand move, would be ready to follow Him faithfully.
2. Human depravity is yet well demonstrated; in that their conduct is just like their forefathers. (Deut. 32:20)
i. Not all who were permitted to, went back to Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:2-4) Many years later, there were still many to return with Nehemiah.
ii. Those who went were unfaithful to God’s ordinances. (Neh. 13:1-31)
iii. They were also lazy about doing the work. (Hag. 1:1-6)
3. We should thus conclude that the restoration was altogether of the Lord, and not an answer to their request.
IV. THE INCOMPLETENESS OF THIS RESTORATION
1. Since God uses human instrumentality, and many promises to men are conditional, it is necessary to find some harmony between divine decree, human failure and final result.
2. There are many cases of conditional promises that were not fulfilled:
i. The promise to Solomon. (II Chron. 7:17,18)
ii. The promise to Israel. (II Chron. 7:14)
iii. The promise to Jeroboam. (I Kings 11:37,39)
3. The promise of this land to Abraham was unconditional, and thus shall ultimately come to pass.
4. All those, such as the restoration after the seventy year captivity, were conditional, thus did not realize total fulfillment.
5. The partial restorations were those which, according to God’s pleasure, were used to preserve the Holy Seed and are used to control the land until the time when He shall give fulfillment to those unconditional promises made to Abraham.