Ezra 8

Genealogy of Returnees

Ezra 8:1–14 ESV

1 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: 2 Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattush. 3 Of the sons of Shecaniah, who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, with whom were registered 150 men. 4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men. 5 Of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men. 6 Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men. 7 Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men. 8 Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him 80 men. 9 Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men. 10 Of the sons of Bani, Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men. 11 Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and with him 28 men. 12 Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men. 13 Of the sons of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men. 14 Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

After receiving his commission from the Persian king to return to Jerusalem, Ezra launched a recruitment program to enlist people to return with him. Ezra needed all the laborers he could find. He had been commissioned to arouse the people to rebuild their nation and to restore true worship in the temple. The first returnees under Zerubbabel had slipped away from the LORD and were disobeying His 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. The people needed to serve God faithfully. They needed to worship and witness to the only living and true God. In the present Scripture, a list of family heads who returned is given as well as the number of males who returned with each of the families.

The number given here amounts to 1,754. But this is the register of adult males only, and as there were women and children also, the whole caravan may be considered as comprising between 6,000 and 7,000.

Knowing that he needed help in the recruitment process, Ezra wisely enlisted three family heads or leaders to help him. Because of their influence he chose two priests, one leader from each of the two priestly families. From the priestly family of Phinehas, he recruited a descendant named Gershom; and from the priestly family of Ithamar, he chose a descendant named Daniel. Both Gershom and Daniel would have had tremendous influence in helping Ezra recruit others for the task that lay ahead of them in Jerusalem. Along with these two priests, Ezra reached out to recruit someone from the royal line of David, a man named Hattush, a descendant of the family of Shechaniah.

Ezra and the three special family heads were able to recruit a large number of people from 12 major families . In all there were 1,511 men who made the commitment to return to Jerusalem. Adding in Ezra and the three special family heads brought the total number of men recruited to 1,515. When the women and children were added to the list, there were probably about 5,000 exiles returning with Ezra. This was a much smaller number than the 50,000 who had returned about 80 years earlier under Zerubbabel’s leadership.

Apparently Ezra had instructed those recruited to assemble at the Ahava Canal. There they spent three days making preparations for the journey and checking the list of returnees to make sure everyone was present. But when Ezra checked the list of recruits, he made a sad discovery. Not a single Levite had made a commitment to return to the promised land. There were some priests present, but no Levites. And Levites were needed, for they were the assistants to the priests. They were obviously not willing to leave the comfortable, prosperous, and successful lives they had achieved in Babylon. Also keep in mind that this was a new generation that had never before seen Jerusalem, never had a glimpse of the promised land.

Sent to Iddo

Ezra 8:15–20 ESV

15 I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi. 16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of insight, 17 and sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers and the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God. 18 And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18; 19 also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20; 20 besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.

To solve the problem, Ezra appointed a special delegation to recruit Levites. The delegation included nine leaders and two scholars. After their appointment Ezra sent the delegation to a prominent leader among the Levites, a man named Iddo. This Levite leader lived in the city of Casiphia where there was evidently a worship center or school of Levites located. The delegation was successful in recruiting Levites, and three reasons are given as to why. They were successful …

• due to the LORD’s hand guiding and blessing them

• due to a very capable Levite leader named Sherebiah who personally recruited 18 Levites

• due to two other leading Levites named Hashabiah and Jeshaiah who were able to recruit 10 more Levites

In addition to the Levites, the delegation also recruited 220 temple servants. These servants, a group of temple workers who had first been instituted by David, were assistants to the Levites. After their recruitment, their names were added to the register of returnees who had made the commitment to return to the promised land with Ezra.

Thought 1. Ezra needed laborers, people who would make a solid commitment to the awesome task of rebuilding the Jewish nation and restoring true worship in the temple. We too need laborers who will make a commitment to the LORD and to the awesome task of the church. No greater mission exists than the one assigned to the church, that of taking the gospel of salvation to the world and of meeting the needs of people. People are lost and without hope, for they are separated from God. They do not know that salvation comes only through the Lord Jesus Christ, that no person can approach and become acceptable to God except through His Son (Jn. 14:6). In addition to those who are lost, there are many people who are hurting and in desperate need, suffering all kinds of trials, hardships, and temptations.

Prayer and Fasting

Ezra 8:21–23 ESV

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

Before beginning the long 900 mile trip, Ezra encouraged the people to prepare themselves spiritually. He challenged them to seek the LORD through prayer and fasting. Prayer was urgently needed for three reasons:

The people needed to seek the LORD for a safe journey, for God’s guidance and protection.

The people needed to seek the LORD because the trip was lengthy, demanding, and perilous, especially with children present. The roads of that day were infested with bandits and gangs of marauders. Furthermore, they would be passing through territory that was held by various anti-Semitic groups.

The people needed to seek the LORD because Ezra felt uneasy about asking the king for a military escort . In securing permission to return to the promised land, Ezra had stressed the LORD’s blessing on all who seek Him and His wrath on all who oppose Him. If he now requested a military escort, the king might misunderstand, for Ezra had publicly announced to the king that God would take care of the exiles as they returned to Jerusalem. Such a request would contradict his testimony of faith in God’s protection. Therefore even though Ezra was now sensing the need for a military escort, he felt a greater need to present a consistent testimony to the king. For this reason, he made a deliberate decision not to ask for an escort.

A question naturally arises about the wisdom of Ezra, especially since other believers down through the years have requested armed escorts from civil officials. Nehemiah would later request a military escort when he returned to Jerusalem (Ne. 2:9). And Paul the Apostle requested the Romans to protect him on his journey from Jerusalem to Caesarea (Ac. 23:12–35).

Does this mean that Ezra trusted the LORD more than Nehemiah and Paul and others who have been helped by civil authorities? In thinking about the question, we must keep in mind God’s purpose for us all. His purpose is to teach us to draw closer to Him, to fellowship and commune with Him. Nothing causes us to draw nearer the LORD than trials and hardships. Thus God puts us in situations where we have to cast ourselves totally upon Him, trusting Him to protect and provide for us. Because some of us are more difficult to teach than others, the LORD occasionally has to put us totally on our own without any help from anyone else. There are occasions when we have to be prepared for greater missions. Evidently this was the case with Ezra. The LORD knew that during this season of his life, Ezra needed to cast himself totally upon the LORD, needed to draw near the LORD in fellowship and communion. This dear servant needed to trust the LORD as never before. Thus the LORD worked out the circumstances so it would be unwise for Ezra to request a military escort. His only hope for protection was the LORD Himself.

In response to Ezra’s request, the people fasted and prayed. And their prayer was answered. As will be seen, the LORD protected and returned the exiles safely to the promised land.

As believers, everything we do should be done after we have prayed. Regardless of whether big or small, significant or insignificant, we should seek the wisdom and counsel of God through prayer and fasting. Many of us may have heard the old saying “Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission”, which is completely backwards for us as Christians. If we are concerned enough to pray, God will hear and answer…so I would challenge us to change our outlook on life to “Better to pray for wisdom and guidance, than beg for mercy at the throne of God”.

Stewardship

Ezra 8:24–30 ESV

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them. 25 And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. 26 I weighed out into their hand 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents, and 100 talents of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. 28 And I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. 29 Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.

Ezra also saw in his preparations the need to guard the treasure that had been entrusted into his care by the Persian government. He delegated the responsibility for the treasure to two leading priests, Sherbiah and Hashabiah. These two priests appointed ten other priests to serve with them. After their appointment, Ezra weighed, counted, and recorded the donated treasure. There was a large quantity of wealth being taken to the temple in Jerusalem:

650 talents of silver that amounted to 24 tons

various silver items that weighed 100 talents or 7,500 pounds

gold that weighed 100 talents or 7,500 pounds

20 gold bowls that were equal to 1,000 drachmas or 1,000 gold coins

two bronze items that were as precious as gold

After weighing all these items and wealth, Ezra reminded the guards that both they and the treasure were holy, set apart to God. The treasure had been given as a freewill offering to the LORD. For this reason, they must carefully guard the treasure until it was delivered to Jerusalem and placed in the house of the LORD. The treasure would then be reweighed and counted in Jerusalem before being turned over to the religious and civil leaders at the temple. Briefly stated, Ezra was charging the guards to take special care of the treasure, making sure that nothing was stolen or lost along the way. After giving his charge, Ezra turned the treasure over to the guards.

Ezra has left us with a strong example of faithful stewardship. We too must be faithful stewards of all that God has given us, whether money, abilities, or responsibility. We are to carefully protect and increase what God has given. Nothing is to go unused, be left undeveloped. Rather, we are to use our skills and abilities as a strong witness to further the kingdom of God, to bring Him more glory. So it is with the responsibilities and duties assigned us. We are not to neglect nor fail to carry out any task entrusted to us, whether at work, home, school, or anywhere else. When a responsibility is set before us, we are to tackle and complete the work, giving a strong witness of diligence in serving the LORD.

When it comes to the stewardship of money, we are to guard all that is entrusted in our care. We are not to carelessly handle money, losing it, allowing it to be stolen, or spending it foolishly. Money is a trust from God. In fact, Scripture teaches that we are to invest and increase our money. We are to work hard and make wise investments in order to have enough to give to the needy of this world.

God’s Protection

Ezra 8:31–36 ESV

31 Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. 32 We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. 33 On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded. 35 At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God.

After preparing, Ezra and the other Jewish returnees launched out on their long 900 mile journey. Four months later they safely arrived in Jerusalem, the land that had been promised them by God centuries before. Down through the years, God had always protected a remnant of Jewish believers, men and women who truly trusted and continued to follow the LORD. This present Jewish remnant left the land of their captivity on the twelfth day of the first month, which was the month of Nissan (c. April 19). They traveled about 900 miles and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, as mentioned about four months later (7:9). Interestingly, nothing is said about the journey itself except the fact that God protected them from enemies and bandits along the way. God had clearly answered their prayers. But the people were utterly exhausted from the prolonged voyage, desperately needing to stop. For the first three days after arriving, they did nothing but relax, sleep, and secure the break they so yearned for. On the fourth day, Ezra and the leadership took the treasure into the temple. Each item was inventoried by two priests and two Levites. The two priests were Meremoth and Eleazar, and the two Levites were Jozabad and Noadiah. Each item was also recorded by number and weighed to make sure that nothing had been stolen or lost along the way.

Note the first thing the returning exiles did: they worshipped God, praising and thanking Him for protecting them and bringing them safely to the promised land. For the first time in their lives, this new generation of Jewish believers was worshiping at the temple in the land that had been promised to them by God. Joy beyond measure was bound to be swelling up in the hearts of Ezra and countless others. Approaching God through the substitute sacrifice, the returned exiles sacrificed 12 bulls and 12 male goats. No doubt the number 12 was to represent the 12 tribes of Israel, which indicates that there were most likely returnees from all 12 tribes.

After the worship service, Ezra and the leaders delivered a decree from King Artaxerxes to the local officials. Remember that the decree instructed the local officials to give assistance to the Jewish returnees and to the temple as requested by Ezra (7:21–24). Being careful to follow the orders of the king, the local officials cooperated by supporting both the people and the temple as needed.

God protected and brought the returnees safely to Jerusalem. And just as the LORD looked after the re turning exiles, so He will take care of us. As we walk and travel about day by day, we have the wonderful promise of God’s protection. If we trust the Lord, look to Him as our Protector and Savior, He will look after us. When temptations lure us, or hardships face us or enemies attack us—whatever the trial or suffering—the Lord will protect us and provide whatever strength we need to conquer or walk through the hardship or suffering victoriously.