The passage tells us that the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem β but now they need to repopulate the rest of the city.
The first thing to see is that the leaders are taking the lead! Yes, there would be long-term benefits to living in Jerusalem! But short-term? You are starting all over. Just think about what is going on: Let's start a city from scratch! Who wants to go and create this brand-new community?! You are looking around β wondering, "who all is going to be involved in this project!" What if we don't get along? Well, more like, "What happens when we don't get along?!"
But the leaders took the lead β they set the example β and now the rest of the people have to decide who will join them.
And they do by casting lots, leaving the final decision in the hand of God. But also notice that they blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem. Does that mean that some people lived there willingly, while others were forced to live there by "casting lots"?
Almost assuredly not. Just imagine the picture: you have fifty families gathered in a village to cast lots. The lot falls to five men.
Everyone is looking at you. What will you do? Will you accept the decision of the community? Will you accept the providence of God in how the lot was cast?
One man says, "No, I can't leave my land. My father died last year β and if I move to Jerusalem I will lose everything that he worked so hard to build."
You think about your own father and all his hard work. You know that your cousin will take over the family land β but he's kind of an idiot. The lot falls to you.
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