Ezra 1:1-11 KJV
1 Now 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,
2 Thus 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.
3 Who 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.
4 And 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.
5 Then 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.
6 And 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.
7 Also 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;
8 Even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
9 And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives,
10 Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
11 All 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.

We live in a world that all do not fear God, but I know as a believer God can stir the hearts of anyone into obeying his will. What Interesting about King Cyrus it says God stirred his heart, but it did not mean he had faith in God, only that he would build a house for God in the land of Israel, the land where God belonged and anyone that worshipped God could go and help it be established. If we remember when Pharaoh of Egypt was approached by Moses, Pharaoh would not let the people go, but when Jeremiah approach the throne of Persia the king was willing and ready to comply. Had he read the story of Nebuchadnezzar and his introduction to God of Israel. No doubt he had. However this is the journey of going home.

We want to think that the journey home means we are loaded down with treasures that are of gold and silver. To make out like a bandit for preparation of the journey home. As children return as grown adults to their parents home there are items or things treasured by them that are sweet reminders of home, that are often given to their children to remind them of their parents and the home they grew up in. As parents begin to down size for their final stages in life, some of those treasures seem like a victory dance to one child when the other sibling/siblings do not get them. It like a tug of war of who gets what. Yet the treasure of the house of God was returned without a battle and without loss of one item. See the treasures of God's house were his and not Persia, King Nebucanezzar had stolen these items. At the time of Moses God had to send the plagues upon the Pharaoh and all of Egypt in order to set his people free and to teach Egypt a lesson. God when he dealt with Pharaoh heart harden it. Yet when God dealt with King Cyrus heart he open it to do exactly what Jeremiah asked and even to the point of giving the treasures back that were his.

The children in Persia were obedient to the word of God, they were the remnant of Israel. They were not the evil kids that caused the Israelites to go in exile, these were the people of faith in God. Children that Moses lead out of the wilderness had to be circumcised into believing in him, even with the plagues being placed upon Egypt and the Pharaoh. Now both times in Israel's history they came out with provisions, but the second trip they came out with the things of God taken in captivity to Babylon and then to Persia. Do we see a pattern. God had possession that need to be returned to his house and it was his house that was being restored. Job was restored he got all new things. When God restores he claims and gets what is his.

Great is his faithfulness to restore and to take what his rightfully his. As a child of God if you ever been in captivity meaning outside of faith and outside the church, God wants to restore his children not only to the church but to him. Sometimes the relationship to God may feel on the outs, but God is not punishing you to chase you away, only to bring you to your knees of understanding He is God that desires us to not only be faithful to him, but children worthy to sit on his throne with him in glory. We are not God but he makes us princes and princesses. He makes us worthy of our call to be his children. There times we must come out of Egypt in metaphor with provisions of go I can not stand you any longer, or metaphor of let me help and send with you what was taken, as a lost sheep that returns,like the story of the prodigal son, who Father gives even a robe to his son that was lost. A lost sheep has to be picked up and carried and taught who the shepherd is and not to follow anymore wolves. The prodigal son robe was waiting on him as he ran home, because he never lost his place as a son. Job not exiled from God but understood not God's plan found his reward and renewal with understanding God was allowing the enemy to test him. Nothing he lost could be restored, for he could not repent for his family if they did not repent in their heart, but God could restore and give him the desire of his heart of family and wealth. God's house in order for it to be restored physically had to begin with those things that belonged in it. People would come as they were in faith, because they had already been restored in faith before and during being exiled. God provides faith in the storm and hope that the father would receive the son.

If God restores he bring what he owns with him people, and his house. All these things were God's anyway. The believer only looks for the final restoration to our heavenly home. Christ came as the Good Shepherd to go and bring his people back to God with signs and wonders. Christ's return to God with garment of whose child he was as prince of peace, and the word of God, a shining light to all mankind, a well of water that never goes dry, but he returning to a land that folks are just not ready to see his return. We must prepare as children by following in his footsteps and walking the pathway of faith. If we remember Jesus said we are not to know the hour of restoration, but we are to continue to teach, preach and be witness until the time of restoration. He was giving a gift of the Holy Spirit to enable the believers to do his will.

Dear Heavenly restore you children and prepare them for the journey home. Enable them with power and strengthen of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Acts 1:6-9 KJV
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.