A Safe Journey Home

1. The People Given 1-20 A. The Lord's Faithfulness 1-14

Ezra begins this section by noting what families returned with him. You will notice if you do a comparison that the book of Ezra divides up in an cyclical pattern.

Ezra 1 and Ezra 7 are decrees from the king

Ezra 2 and Ezra 8 are the genealogies of the people who returned to the land

Ezra 3-6 and Ezra 9-10 are the actions taken and problems resolved by the Lord.

These patterns are not just a literary device but they contain a greater meaning. These patterns actually show the God painting a tapestry of God’s faithfulness that end in Jesus. Jim Hamilton in his commentary in his commentary explains,

“Ezra 1–6 presents a new exodus pattern, and then Ezra 7–10 presents another. Why is the theme repeated? Because these events repeat patterns seen in Abraham’s life when he plundered Pharaoh and entered the land of promise (Gen 12:16–13:3), in the life of the nation of Israel at the exodus from Egypt, and now again in the events narrated from the time of Cyrus and the time of Ezra. Each is in an installment in the pattern, the pattern consisting of a sequence of events crystallized at the exodus from Egypt, foreshadowed by Abraham and others, repeated in Israel’s later history, fulfilled in Jesus.”

Hamilton, Jr., James M.. Exalting Jesus in Ezra-Nehemiah (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) . B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

It is Jesus who is the greater Abraham, Moses, Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. He leads His people forward from captivity of sin and brings them home safely. These patterns we see point us to our Savior who offers a greater hope of escape from foreign enemies, he grants of freedom from sin’s captive state and he leads us home to eternity in Heaven.

Not only is the pattern of these chapters a display of God’s faithfulness, but this genealogy displays it as well. If you compare the genealogies in chapters 2 with chapters 8, you will discover three main commonalities. First, both contain evidence of a priestly line returning to the homeland. In chapter 8, is states sons of Phineas and Ithamar were among those from the priestly line of Aaron who returned. In Chapter 2, that priestly line flows through Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak.

Secondly, in comparison of the two genealogies, we see the lineage of David represented. In chapter two, it with the leader Zerubbabel and with our chapter today, it is seen Hattush, who is a descendent of Zerubabbel, who is in the line of David.

Lastly, the remaining family names of chapter 8 can be diagnosed and in your study you will find that all the same families are also represented in chapter 2. This shows us that God’s faithfulness was on display as he continues to do his work through the same families of returnees. Remember that these families took steps of faith to return to Jerusalem. The temptation was to settle in to a norm under Babylonian rule and eventually Persian ruled lands. It was a difficult 1,000 mile journey from Babylon to Jerusalem that took sacrificing the comforts of living as exiles to the dangers of journey before them. But as Scripture records it,

Ezra 1:5

Ezra 1:5 ESV

5 Then rose up the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem.

So God stirred these same descendents of the first wave of exiles to return, granting them a faith to trust in Him in the adversity of it all and return from exile to their homeland. This courage of the people and the faithfulness of God should inspire us in the church. We should likewise demonstrate such a courage in our faith in God so that our descendants follow in our footsteps of faithfulness to Christ. May we strive to raise up children who understand God’s grace and goodness towards his people so that those who come after us, will likewise be courageous and full of faith in Christ.

B. The Levites Unfaithfulness 15-20

In verses 15-20, we see a contrast to the faithfulness of God and some of the Jews, with unfaithfulness of others. Ezra states that he gathers the Jews outside of Babylon, near the Euphrates river, in a town called Ahava. As a faithful leader who is leading his people on a long journey, he begins to audit the people who will accompany him under his leadership. In his audit, he discovers a sad reality. As the decree from Artaxerxes went out throughout the land for any Jews to return, none of the Levites gathered at Ahava. The sons of Levi were especially called to serve the temple. Remember that Moses and Aaron were from the lineage of Levi. Those from Aaron’s line became priests but Levite men were called to serve the temple.

Surely it was a discouraging sight for Ezra, also a levite, to not see his brothers and kinsmen accept the challenge to return to serve the rebuilt temple. But like a good leader of God’s people, Ezra doesn’t let the failure go without confrontation. Notice in verses 16-17.

Ezra 8:16-17

Ezra 8:16–17 ESV

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.

Notice the promptness that Ezra deals with the problem with specifics. He sends leading men of the Jews to go to a specific place, named Casiphia, to search out Iddo and his brothers to gather the levites and temple servants needed. He commands them with authority, “send us ministers for the house of our God.”

Ezra 8:18-20

Ezra 8:18–20 (ESV)

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.

God blesses the returning group with Sherebiah who is called a man of discretion or insight. Sherebiah will be seen later on in Nehemiah’s ministry, along with Ezra when the Jews are called to repentance from sin and Sherebiah is one of the Levites who will “help the people understand the law… (by reading) the law clearly, and they gave the sense so that the people understood the reading” (Neh. 8:7-8).

In addition a large group of levites and temple servants also are given by the Lord to go back with the returning exiles to serve in the temple. This again is just another example of the Lord providing what was necessary for His people to return home and engage in proper worship of Him in the Temple.

I am reminded how the good Lord’s hand has been upon us to give us faithful leaders in our 7 years at RCC. Early on in 2015, God providentially brought us Adam and Shawna Johnson to serve here. In order to come from a full time ministry to serve, the Lord was going to have to provide some outside income for him to support his family. He gave them more than just an outside income. He opened doors of ministry for Adam to make a huge gospel impact on the campus of TBCH, as well as a home to live in on that campus. Adam joined the elders officially, along with David Wagner and Stuart and soon to be David Johnson and these men were and are still a blessing to this ministry.

2. The Protection Given 21-36

--21-23 A prayer of faith

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 they set off on this journey, Ezra gathers the people to start this journey off on the right foot. Ezra called for a fast on this 3 day encampment in order to humble themselves before God. A fast was implored throughout the biblical record as a way to center the mind and heart, by refraining from foods and instead focusing most intensely on prayer and reading scripture. This intensity is not giving aid to the physical health, like a diet, but instead, a momentary pause from the physical needs to meet a great spiritual need through prayer by faith.

Prayers belong strictly to the worship of God. Fasting is a subordinate aid, which is pleasing to God no farther than as it aids the earnestness and fervency of prayer. We must hold by this rule, that the duties of men are to be judged according as they are directed to a proper and lawful end. We must hold, also, by this distinction, that prayers are a direct worship of God; while fastings are a part of worship only on account of their consequences. -John Calvin

Elliot Ritzema, 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Reformation, Pastorum Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2013).

Ezra had reflected his faith in God before a Persian king and the king responded by acknowledging Ezra as a man who was well acquainted with His God and the words of His God. Ezra was hesitant as a leader from asking the earthly king for a squad of soldiers to protect them along the way, so instead he led the people to trust in God as the ultimate protector and he led the people to pray and fast specifically in this way.

The beauty of this passage is to see how the Lord answers their requests and he grants them a safe journey. Historians note that the road from Babylon to Jerusalem was a 1000 mile, 4 month trip that would have included threats from thieves, severe weather and the wild animals. God granted them safe passage just as He had done previously to Israel in their first exodus. It is likewise a foreshadowing that Jesus also provides his church a protection into his eternal kingdom without threat of evil or obstacle that might keep us from his royal abode.

This does not mean that we will not experience evil or calamity along the way. In Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress, the character Christian faces his fair share of obstacles before making it to the celestial city but He does make to his final destination.

Jesus makes this promise to his followers,

John 14:3 ESV

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

There is no obstacle that can keep a true follower of Jesus from arriving safely into the presence of His creator. This is so because there is no power that exists on heaven or earth, that can snatch God’s people from his hand, nor divert them from the path to which they were called by God’s power unto salvation.

A prioritized assignment vs 24-30

In vs 24-30, we see Ezra again show the reasons that God chose him for this task for his proper care of the people and the responsibilities of getting them and their cargo safely to Jerusalem. Here he creates a security detail over the large amount of resources given for the journey. The task that Ezra gives them will be carried out based on their integrity. He states in verse 28

Ezra 8:28-29

Ezra 8:28–29 ESV

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.”

Ezra is calling them to integrity and accountability as they watch over and deliver all the funds directed for the temple in Jerusalem. This calling is based primarily on their honesty not to skim off the top when no one is looking, like Achan did during Israel’s battle with Ai as he took some of the spoils of war from himself and acted in deception against God and his people. It is no surprise that churches face this sort of deception in the same manner as the secular world. Jim Hamilton, a SBC author and pastor and professor, recounts two shameful moments in SBC history when the evil of greed marked the Southern Baptist Convention life.

He writes,

“In 1926 the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Foreign Mission Board pressed charges against its treasurer, George Saunders, for embezzling $92,000. In 1928 the Home Mission Board of the SBC pressed charges against its treasurer for embezzling $909,000. Both were convicted”

Hamilton, Jr., James M.. Exalting Jesus in Ezra-Nehemiah (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) . B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Ezra sees to it to make the matter theological to these priests for he challenges them to consider their lives as holy to the Lord and these funds likewise are also holy things belonging to God.

A safe journey from the Lord--31-36

Finally, we come to the conclusion of Chapter 8 with a successful journey completed. Once they depart from the encampment of Ahava, they arrive in Jerusalem four months later. We were given the total journey time back in Ezra 7:9

Ezra 7:9 ESV

9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him.

Just like in Ezra 7:9, Ezra attributes the good hand of God as the reason that the 4 month journey back home was a successful one. Now in chapter 8:31, Ezra gives us details as to what types of threats were possible along the way. He states that “ambushes... from the enemy” were the potential threat, especially carrying such large amounts of money with them, but the “the hand of our God was upon us.” The people arrived safely. The collected offerings arrived safely. As they arrived, they made their sacrifices to God to worship Him for his faithfulness to them.

I cannot imagine the experience for these Jews to ascend unto the holy city of Jerusalem for the first time in their lives and see the newly built Temple up on the temple mount for the first time. The temple was what these captives had been taught about by their families and now, they were seeing it with their eyes. It must have been such a glorious experience for them.

Verses 35-36 concludes the voyage at the temple, offering sacrifices and worshipping YHWH. It is a fitting end to the travel for it was the purpose of the trip all along. All the sacrifice of uprooting the family that had settled in as exiles in a foreign land. All the faith it took to face the threats along the way back home. All the faith in God to provide their needs to bring them safely to their destination. Of course, the end would result in worship for God had brought them safely home.

Amazingly, this is just a shadow of what the follower of Jesus will experience when our journey on this earth is complete. This story is a beautiful shadow of our journey as exiles in this foreign land, on a pilgrimage towards home. Every step along our journey must be infused with a faith in God to bring us safely to the land he has promised us.