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Ezra Chapter 8
Genealogy of Those Who Returned with
Ezra
During the reigns of Cyrus, Darius and
Artaxerxes the return of the captives was encouraged and rebuilding
of the temple also decreed by these kings. I do wish Persia (Modern
Iran) and Israel would be friends today like they were back then.
Wouldn't that be awesome?
- Ezra 8:2 Of the sons
of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the
sons of David; Hattush.
The Daniel mentioned here is not Daniel the
prophet. The prophet Daniel was in the line of Judah.
- Ezra 8:3 Of the sons of
Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were
reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty.
- 4 Of the sons of
Pahathmoab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two
hundred males.
- 5 Of the sons of
Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred
males.
- 6 Of the sons also
of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.
- 7 And of the sons of
Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.
- 8 And of the sons of
Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore
males.
- 9 Of the sons of
Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and
eighteen males.
- 10 And of the sons
of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and
threescore males.
- 11 And of the sons
of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and
eight males.
- 12 And of the sons
of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred
and ten males.
- 13 And of the last
sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and
Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.
- 14 Of the sons also
of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seventy males.
A total of 1496 males were counted that
came with Ezra out of Babylon. This number did not include the women
and children. So can assume there were many more that came along.
Verse 21 mentions the little ones being with them. Only the heads of
the families were listed.
Ezra Sends for Levites
Ezra was kind of upset that there were
no Levites among them but there were priests.
- Ezra 8:16 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.
- 17 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.
- 18 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;
- 19 And Hashabiah,
and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and
their sons, twenty;
- 20 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 these named above for
they needed men of understanding to minister in the house of God.
What a task he had. Apparently they had settled in Babylon and were
allowed freedoms somewhat and didn't want to move on and start over.
Ezra was very strong in his persuading them to come and help. So
many did as he bade them. The Persian kings decreed that they could
leave and build the house of God, they gave them the choice of
leaving or staying. Some chose to stay.
Fasting and Prayer for Protection
- Ezra 8:21 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.
- 22 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.
- 23 So we fasted and
besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.
After claiming that God was with them,
Ezra was reluctant to ask the king for soldiers to guard them
against adversaries so he stopped everything and took time for
prayer and fasting. God didn't let them down.
This is important for every work of
God. Praying, fervent seeking God's direction, fasting and being
humble before God is the way to start every new endeavor. We just
can't go without direction and God's protection. Trusting in our own
strength for protection is not wise.
Priests to Guard Offerings
- Ezra 8:24 Then I
separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah,
Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
- 25 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
counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had
offered:
One can rightly understand why they
needed protection. Bands of thieves and were always out to take from
innocent people. However no one can stand against God if God is with
any group of people, weak or strong. I have a saying when I get
weighed down with concern when I see those rulers that are powerful
and use their authority for evil; I say that God is greater and at
His word they stand or fall. It is true. They are as grasshoppers in
His sight. The mightiest armies, navies and marines cannot stand
against God. The same God that parted the Red Sea so all Israel
could pass through on dry land, can stand against any that come
against His people.
- Ezra 8:26 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;
- 27 Also twenty
basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine
copper, precious as gold.
- 28 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.
- 29 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.
- 30 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.
- 31 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.
I can just image those that were
probably lying in wait to rob these of all these treasures. Yet we
see that God prevented any robberies. His hand of protection was
upon them.
- Ezra 8:32 And we
came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.
- 33 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;
- 34 By number and by
weight of every one: and all the weight was written at that
time.
They tried hard to
keep a record of all that returned to the promised land.
- 35 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.
- 36 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.
They also began to worship God by
offering bullocks, rams, lambs and goats for a sin offering. There
are many places where the sin offering is offered. Here is just one:
The atonement for sin is why they had
to have offerings for the sins of the people. This pointed to the
final sin offering for the sins of all both Jews and Gentiles. That
offering was why Jesus came the first time. He gave Himself, the
only human male that lived on the earth without sin, as a sin
offering. It only counts though for those that receive Him into
their lives. Sin is then forgiven and washed away, not counted
against them because Jesus paid the price for us. It is the only way
to inherit eternal life and live with God forever. All who reject
Jesus (Yeshua), die in their sins and are lost forever to stand at the judgment and
enter hell for eternity. This can't be a forced religion. We must
come willingly and receive this gift of living water, eternal life
and a new body that can never die.
Jesus Himself said to those that refused to
believe that HE was the one God sent to save them from sin. DC
Ezra Chapter 9
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