The Returning Remnant

The Introduction (vv.1-2a)

While we may get bogged down in the details of chapter 2, it is a reminder that God is interested and concerned with details.

How often do we think a matter is too insignificant or too small for God to be concerned with it?

This is a list of real people at a real point in history seeking to obey the real God. Still, most of them died in relative obscurity. The vast majority of them died in relative obscurity.

But, they made the book! What a reminder that in the vastness of God’s plan for salvation history, the great majority of us will die in relative obscurity in terms or worldly fame, and we should be quite alright with that. It is not ours to be known, but to obey and make known our great God and King!

Two names in the list are of particular interest: Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Jeshua is the grandson of the last official preexilic high priest, and he sought to resume religious rites. This, along with Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, exercising political authority, makes it easy to see why messianic expectations were running high.

The People of Israel (vv.2b-35)

There is an intentional link to the pre-exilic people when the remnant is called “the people of Israel.”

This indeed is YHWH’s people returning, a testament once again to His faithfulness.

Whereas vv.3-20 is names according to clans, vs.21 begins with names associated with town designations. The fact that these designations are made by village or city rather than by name has led some to think these were less-wealthy individuals. Regardless, take note of the first city listed: Bethlehem. Yes, the city of David, but also the city of the Messiah, a prophecy that was made 300 years before the exiles returned! Again, this should fuel messianic expectations.

The Priests (vv.36-39)

Only four priestly families are mentioned, but they constitute 10% of the entire returning population. From this point forward, priests began gaining power, reaching a high point in the time of Jesus when “it had become a formidable institution.”

The Levites (vv.40-42)

Interestingly, Levites had no land to return to, no inheritance. They were dependent upon the tithes of the Israelites.

This is a good reminder considering we are a royal priesthood and as such, there is no inheritance in this world for us…the Lord is our portion!

Now what is striking about the return of the Levites is that there are very few of them. Possibilities for this range from taking on prosperous occupations in the exile (coming from a situation where they had no inheritance), to not wanting to return to the rigorous priestly lifestyle.

Singers were ones that were trained to use music in worship…as if you need help understanding that one. Gatekeepers guarded gates to the tent of meeting, doors, gates…took care of other menial tasks, yet Ps.84:10 declares, “For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”

Other Temple Servants (vv.43-58)

The fact that a few of the names appear foreign has lead some scholars to suggest that these were Gibeonites who were little more than slaves performing bottom rung tasks.

According to Num.31:30, whenever Israel conquered a nation, a small portion of the spoils went to the Levites who kept guard over the tabernacle of the LORD. People who were captured and handed over to the Levites were given the lowliest of tasks, and several of the names here appear to be foreign. While the temple servants and sons of Solomon's servants likely performed the lowliest of temple tasks, they were no less devoted to YHWH service, and the number of them returning from exile outnumbered the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers.

Could be appropriate to see the temple servants as ones who are devoted. Their Hebrew name relates to the verb "to give," indicating that they are the "given ones" or "devoted," implying their devotion to serve in the temple.

Let’s pause and just consider our level of commitment to serving the Lord. Do we serve, as Peter reminded the shepherds, willingly or out of compulsion?

Those of Unproven Descent (vv.59-63)

Genealogies were important to establish community and establish true identities. Unconfirmed identity in the case of priestly duties was a serious matter. Num.16:40 prohibited anyone who was not a descendant of Aaron from burning incense before the Lord.

Impurity in the priesthood could result in communal impurity as well. Because their lineage could not be proven, their ceremonial uncleanness prevented them from serving as God's priests. The governor placed a restraint until a priest with sufficient authority, that is the High Priest consulting the Urim and Thummim, could decide the matter.

But, I want to pay attention to this little matter of the Urim and Thummim. The Urim and Thummim were consulted by the High Priest in order to determine the will of God. And, Some interesting rabbinical history concerning the Urim and Thummim: "The rabbis held that 'since the destruction of the first temple the Urim and Thummim ceased" (b. Sotah 13:1). They held that Ezra 2:63 expressed not a historical possibility but an eschatological hope (t. Sotah 48a-b).

What’s in a Name?

Some interesting notes on names that are listed in the previous verses. In some cases, nicknames are listed, such as Hakupha, which means "humpbacked" (v.51), Bakbuk, meaning "bottle or clay vessel," likely suggesting a fat man with a protruding belly (v.51). Then there are names of animals and insects: Immer means "lamb" (v.37), Hagabah means "locust" (v.45), and Parosh means "flea" (v.3). Some names refer to occupations, such as Hassophereth, "the woman scribe," (v.55) -- a rarity indeed, and Pokereth-Hazzebaim, "huntress of the gazelles" (v.57). Finally, some names on the list are theophoric, meaning the contain some reference to God, typically signified by "Ye-" or "-iah" for YHWH. Jeffrey Tigay did a study of hundreds of theophoric names both in Scriptures and extrabiblical sources, and he demonstrates that the overwhelming percentage (more than 90 percent) of theophoric names attest monotheistic allegiance to YHWH. Further, only a small percentage of names even contain the names of foreign gods. Some instances of YHWH-centered names include Jeshua (v.2), which is similar to Joshua and Jesus and means "YHWH is salvation," and Hanan, (v.46) which derives from Hananiah, "God is gracious," or Johanan/John, which means "YHWH is gracious." Derivatives of Hananiah include Hannah, Anna, Ann, Nan, and Nancy.

Final Notes (vv.64-70)

The large number of returning male and female servants indicates quite a bit of wealth returning from exile. The 200 male and female singers adds to this point as these were personal musicians who provided entertainment for the wealthy.

Some made freewill offerings, a reminder that there was a genuine cost to the whole undertaking.

That gives us a little bit of commentary on what’s going on, so let’s make sense of it for our life.

Be faithful even if it means being unknown.

We mentioned that almost every name mentioned here, outside of being named here, is relatively unknown.

Are we willing to serve, and to serve with our absolute best, and to give our absolute all, even if it means never receiving an ounce of recognition for it?

Cling to the messianic overtones.

You have the priest and the royal line coming out of exile. You have the first territory listed: Babylon. Finally, the eschatological hope of Urim and Thummim.

Then, and hopefully we’ll get into this a little more next week, you have Zechariah and Haggai prophesying…there are definite messianic overtones in the book. What a reminder that it all points to Jesus — He is our hope! Are you clinging to Christ.

BTW, hang on to this idea of messianic overtones, because I believe it plays heavily in the overarching purpose of Ezra-Nehemiah.

Rejoice that we live by the Spirit, not the Law or the lot.

Israel is making every effort to live by the letter of the law. It’s commendable, but I question their motives on this. We’ll get in to this when we study chapter 3.

Then, some of the priests can’t prove their lineage, so they’ve come back to nothing…they have no inheritance, no land. And, they can’t resume that role until the Urim and Thummim is consulted. Well as we’ve noted already, that had to do more with eschatological hope than actual expectation.

Finally, the temple will be reconstructed without the benefit of consulting the Urim and Thummim.

But now, we get to the NT, and we live by the Holy Spirit, no longer the Law or the lot. Praise the Lord!