The People Restored
Notes
Transcript
Primary Passage: Ezra 1-3
Key Features: Typology, Genealogy, Law of Moses, Worship of David, Temple of Solomon, Rebuilding
C.I.T.: The exiles continued worship at a restored temple site as best they could given the circumstances of their diminished return to the promised land.
Principle: Restoration of the house of God is expected despite our limiting circumstances.
Application: Worship of God is the love of my brother as I rebuild and restore his life as a suitable temple for the Spirit of God
After Summary text and explanation of typological reading —> Legitimacy and Continuity are our themes today as we look at the first three chapters of the book of Ezra.
Legitimacy by Prophets
Legitimacy by Prophets
We begin with the moving of God’s spirit, not opportunity or chance, given ultimate credit for the events to follow.
1 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying:
Isaiah 41:2, 41:25, 44:28, 45:1, 45:13, Jeremiah 51
However, because of the catchword העיר (“stir up”) and the explicit reference to Cyrus, he would have expected his readers to interpret the negative prophecy of
Legitimacy by Continuity of Events
Legitimacy by Continuity of Events
The rest of chapter one is framed as a second exodus with the key words of “articles” and “brought up.” Even the plundering of the host nation is repeated. Yet everything is of much smaller scale.
5 Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.
6 All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering.
7 Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods;
8 and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
9 Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates;
10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles.
11 All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
Legitimacy by People
Legitimacy by People
The tribes of the Southern Kingdom return to their inheritance along with all those who have been stirred up to go with them (possible diminished “mixed multitudes” echo of the exodus from Egypt).
5 Then the heads of fathers’ households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem.
59 Now these are those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan and Immer, but they were not able to give evidence of their fathers’ households and their descendants, whether they were of Israel:
60 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, the sons of Nekoda, 652.
61 Of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and he was called by their name.
62 These searched among their ancestral registration, but they could not be located; therefore they were considered unclean and excluded from the priesthood.
63 The governor said to them that they should not eat from the most holy things until a priest stood up with Urim and Thummim.
Legitimacy by Continuity of Worship
Legitimacy by Continuity of Worship
Worship is the expression of our theology. And so, it is no wonder that the author has many points of continuity when it comes to the altar and temple foundations.
The articles belonged to the original temple
The seventh month contains three pilgrimage holidays
Repeated references to the law of Moses/as it is written
Feast of Booths reinforces the exodus typology
The temple materials and craftsmen are paid the same as by Solomon
The second month was when Solomon began construction of the temple
Solomon set the priest and Levites as overseers of the craftsmen of the temple
Temple worship followed the pattern David established
*SKIP* The old men bridge the worship from old to new
9 Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates;
10 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles.
11 All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem.
1 Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.
2 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law of Moses, the man of God.
3 So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, burnt offerings morning and evening.
4 They celebrated the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required;
5 and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons and for all the fixed festivals of the Lord that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the Lord.
6 From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, but the foundation of the temple of the Lord had not been laid.
7 Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food, drink and oil to the Sidonians and to the Tyrians, to bring cedar wood from Lebanon to the sea at Joppa, according to the permission they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
8 Now in the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all who came from the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites from twenty years and older to oversee the work of the house of the Lord.
9 Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers stood united with Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah and the sons of Henadad with their sons and brothers the Levites, to oversee the workmen in the temple of God.
10 Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel.
11 They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, “For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.” And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
What do I do?
What do I do?
If Ezra can frame the exile’s return as a second exodus, I don’t think I am out of line to frame assembled believers as a third temple
11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Find New Testament references of the Church/believer as the dwelling place of God
Find New Testament references of the Church/believer as the dwelling place of God
How do I Rebuild? How do I Restore?
How do I Rebuild? How do I Restore?
4 ‘So everyone who remains, at whatever place he may sojourn, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.’”
12 Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy,
13 so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away.
