A list of those that returned to Jerusalem is recorded by God. It reminds us of Malachi’s reference to the faithful remnant at a little later date: “a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon His name” (Mal. 3:16). Faithfulness is never overlooked by God. The list is broken up into: the leaders, families, towns, priests, Levites, Nethinim, the children of Solomon’s servants and finally those who could not show by genealogy as to whether they were even of Israel. In all, 42,360 individuals went up with Zerubbabel to Jerusalem.
Being unable to establish one’s genealogy was a serious matter. God’s blessings under the Mosaic Law were intimately connected with the children of Israel. Those who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel were shut out. In this present administration of grace, it is no longer a matter of natural birth, but of new birth — “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). No one outside of the family of God has any place in “the house of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:16). Nevertheless, we find that Christendom has become a great house (2 Tim. 2:21) — enlarged beyond its original design and includes unsaved persons and others that are a dishonor to the house of God. Paul instructs Timothy to purge himself (not the house) from these so that he might be a vessel of honor, sanctified — separated — for the master’s use (2 Tim. 2:21).
Interestingly, neither the Nethinim (meaning the given ones) nor the children of Solomon’s servants are believed to be Israelites; they were probably gentiles. These, however, do not appear to be numbered with those who could not show their genealogy. Though the children of Israel were under law, God has acted in all dispensations in grace towards any that seek after Him. It is not that God presented grace to Israel — very clearly He did not; they were firmly under law; and yet, without grace, they would have all been destroyed. We see, then, that even within the law, provision was made for the stranger to worship amongst them (Ex. 12:43-49; Num. 9:14).
Those priests who were unable to establish their genealogy had to be put away from the priesthood as polluted. There they had to remain until there was a priest with Urim and Thummim (Lights and Perfections; Ex. 28:30) to make a determination as to their position within the family of Aaron. Sadly, it is not clear that there ever was a priest in Israel’s latter history that was recognized as having these mysterious attributes. In our present day, it is only by waiting on the Lord that we can discern the true character of an individual when there is a confused testimony as to their salvation. “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure” (2 Tim. 5:22). Even under grace, or perhaps we should say, more so under grace, God’s holiness is not to be compromised (1 Peter 1:15-16).