Return of The Exiles 8/26/23 AM

Joshua Mowry

Return of the Exiles • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

Ezra 8:15–36

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What happened at the Ahava

Notes

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‌ START IN Ezra 8

Ezra 8:1-36

V1-14 name all those who went with Ezra back to Israel

There were a little over 1700 men that went back to Jerusalem. With women and children there were around 5000 people. This was a much smaller number than the 50,000 people that had previously gone back to Jerusalem 80 years prior under Zerubbabels’s leadership.

Ezra 15-36

Ezra had been commissioned to arouse the people to rebuild their nation and to restore true worship in the temple (1:1–5; 4:12; 6:1–12). The first returnees under Zerubbabel had slipped away from the LORD and were disobeying Gods commandments. They were neglecting the temple and their worship of the LORD. In addition, they had failed to finish rebuilding Jerusalem and its walls. Thus a renewed commitment was desperately needed. It was Ezra’s purpose to stir a genuine revival among the people, a revival that would motivate them to turn back to the LORD and their God-given task of rebuilding their nation.

V15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed (Examined) the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.

The caravan of Jews have been brought together near Ahava- town or district in Babylonia

V16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.

V17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.

V18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;

V19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;

V20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.

-Ezra sent for Eliezer, for Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, Meshullam, who were the chief or head men; also for Joiarib, and Elnathan who were men of discernment.

-Sent these men to Iddo who was the Chief of Casiphia and asked for ministers for the house of God in Jerusalem. V17

-18 And by the good hand of our God upon us - Once again, Ezra recognizes who is in control and who is to get the honor and glory and praise through this whole process.

-When the men went to Iddo, they came back with with over 200 men that were men of prudence, good sense, and understanding and who were appointed to the service of God.

V21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

-Ezra proclaimed a public fast.

-Purpose of the fast: Humble themselves before God and seek him—> Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the LORD require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?

-Putting ourselves in a position of loss for the express purpose of seeking after God.

-Sought after God for direction as to which way to travel and also for their— property, goods, for movable possessions of all kings cattle, flocks, utensils

-This wasnt just done for the adults, but also for the the next generation?

How serious are we taking the next generation?

V22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

In saying “I was ashamed to ask or require of the the king for soldiers,” Ezra was not bragging about his faith, nor was he regretting his earlier statement to the king. He simply was explaining that the king might have misunderstood if he had asked for a military escort. We must admire Ezra for being consistent. Often we do not give God a chance to show his power. As he said to Paul, “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me).

V23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

They went without food, sought after God, and he was moved by their prayers

V24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

V25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellers, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered:

V26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents;

V27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.

V28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers.

V29 Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.

V30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.

The Lords Treasury was divided up among those of the priestly families for the journey. Ezra’s refusal to have an armed guard, and his reminder to the priests of their sacred trust (V28 And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the LORD; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers.), gave them an abrupt initiation into the discipline of faith.

V31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.

The toil and struggle of this long, four-month journey faded into the background after they finally reached Jerusalem. We know nothing about the various trials and tribulations along the way; all we know is that God protected them.

V32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.

-Go protected and brought them

-They rested for 3 days. Of course, some of the three days would have involved greeting old friends and relatives as well as finding places for the 5,000 new immigrants to live. In addition, it would take some time for the priests at the Temple to empty and prepare secure rooms to store all the silver and gold they were receiving from the Persian king.

V33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites;

V34 By number and by weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that time.

They checked everything that was brought with the priestly families for the journey.

V35 Also the children of those that had been carried away, which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats for a sin offering: all this was a burnt offering unto the LORD.

V36 And they delivered the king’s commissions unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and they furthered the people, and the house of God.

“furthered”- lifted them up or helped them in their way, helped them out.

-Prayer and fasting--V21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. V23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.

-Faith--V22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

-Pressing Ahead--V31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.