[:en]SCRIPTURE: NEHEMIAH 7
“So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return” (Nehemiah 7:5)
“After the wall had been rebuilt, Nehemiah set the doors in place and appointed the gatekeeper, the singers and the Levites. He put his brother Hanani along with Hananiah, the commander of the citadel in charged. The gatekeepers were instructed to shut the door and bar them. It was not to be opened until the sun is hot.
THE LIST OF THE EXILES WHO RETURNED (vs. 4-73)
Nehemiah listed down all the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles in Babylon. They returned to Jerusalem together with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Hehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilsha, Mispereth, Bigval, Nehum and Baanah (v. 6).
The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 7337 menservants and maidservants. They also had 245 men and women singers. There were 736 horses, 245 mules,435 camels and 6720 donkeys.
The record of the original returnees helped Nehemiah to determine who should become citizen of Jerusalem. He did not want any “mixed multitude” to come in and cause trouble. We should also try our best to maintain the purity of faith and fellowship in our Christian life.
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