Bonvoyage…

 

 Bon voyage….

You used to hear of Bon Voyage parities more frequently…a party the sends someone on their way, either to a New house or a long awaited trip…with gifts…old movies included champagne with steamers and confetti, thrown by well wishers toward the departing people…

Fun was had by all…

When the Israelites left Egypt with much “plunder”…which in turn was used to build the tabernacle in the desert…

“And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed. Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians.

Exod.3.21-22

Another pilgrimage was the Israelites leaving Babylon to return  to their promised land…they didn’t plunder the citizens of Babylon…the citizens gave freely…the king even gave freely, items which had been taken earlier…

 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’” 

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings. When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.

Ezra.1.2-6Ezra.2.68-69

 Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 

In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Ezra.1.7,Ezra.1.8,Ezra.1.1

These people were excited and ready to journey an arduous trip back to their homes…homeland…to rebuild the temple, their lives….

Journeys aren’t necessarily easy…going back can be difficult…times aren’t the same, people are not the same…but, if directed by God,,we know that He is with us all the time…through the deserts of time and place…

Thank YOU….

He will restore…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWOitGWciPg&list=RDjWOitGWciPg&start_radio=1