Old Testament

INTRODUCTION

It’s been quipped that passages like this have all the whimsy of curling up by the fire to read a phone book. While such passages might be a bit tedious for us, they are inspired words all the same. Thus, we shouldn’t be surprised that the Living Word is profitable for us even unfrequented corners of Scripture.

THE TEXT

Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city […]

Ezra 2:1ff

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Ezra here provides us a detailed register of the returning exiles. An almost identical list will also show up again when we come to Nehemiah 7. In verses 1-2 we’re provided with the list of the eleven principle leaders of this first wave of returning saints, with Zerubbabel, the heir to David, being the principal leader along with the high priest Jeshua. If you know your Biblical symbolism, it is a bit odd to find just eleven leaders; it’s possible that this is meant to be a reminder that Israel has been broken apart. This return is wonderful, but it is incomplete.

Verses 3-35 record the families of not only returning “Judahites” but also other Israelites. Verses 36-39 records the priestly families who returned, then in verses 40-42 we find that the number of returning Levites was considerably few. Verses 43-54 reckons the families of the Nethinim, followed in verses 55-58 by the number of Solomon’s servants, the descendants of Canaanites which David and Solomon had subjugated to be bond-servants of the royal house (1 Ki. 9:20-22).

In verses 59-63, we learn there is a whole group, including some priests that had lost their genealogical pedigree. Thus, they could no longer fulfill their temple service, or receive their share of the offerings. This was not an instance of racial exclusivism. As we’ll see a few other times in Ezra/Nehemiah, the corrupted priesthood was a real moral problem that confronted the returning exiles (Ez. 10:18-44, Neh. 13:23-30).

The total returning remnant was 42,360 (v64), along with 7,337 servants, an additional 200 singers (v65), and considerable numbers of beasts of burden (v66-67). Upon arriving in Jerusalem, several of the chieftains made generous donations, according to their ability, to the project (vv68-69). Exile had, evidently, treated them surprisingly well. As one Bible teacher remarked on this display of wealth, “when the Jews get into business, it’s not easy for them to go back.” The chapter concludes with this remnant beginning the hard work of resettling their towns and villages (v70).

THE REMNANT

This chapter is more than just a rigid recitation of a population record. We see here that despite grievous sins which led to Israel’s exile, God in His mercy always preserves a remnant of the church. Here are some wonderful remarks by Jonathan Edwards on this glorious doctrine: “When the enemies of the church have done their utmost, and seem to have gained their point; when they have overthrown the church, so that its being is scarcely visible, but is like a living root hid under ground; there is in it a secret life that will cause it to flourish again, and to take root downward, and bear fruit upward.” The church is all too often reduced to a small number of faithful saints, but in God’s perfect timing and by means of this faithful remnant great revivals are brought about (2 Ki. 19:30).

Now, there are a few interesting tidbits here regarding this iteration of the remnant. We find that only 123 of those who belong to David’s hometown of Bethlehem returned, which confirms the prophet Micah’s description of Bethlehem as one of the smaller villages of Judah, but from which would come the King of all kings (Cf. Mic. 5:2, Mat. 2:6).

The prophet Jeremiah was from Anathoth of Benjamin (Jer. 1:1, 29:27). Jeremiah had been threatened with death by his own kinsmen for prophesying against Judah and Jerusalem; for this persecution, God promised to bring complete desolation upon the men of Anathoth (Jer. 11:21-23). But in this list we find a small group of exiles who trace their lineage back to Anathoth. How do we reconcile this with God’s promise to not leave a remnant of the men of Anathoth?

It is not mental gymnastics to affirm both that God in His justice wiped out those men of Anathoth entirely, and that God in His mercy spared some. In Adam all die, and yet only sons of Adam will be in heaven. God’s justice will not spare one wicked man, and His mercy will not overlook one of the elect. This is a glorious doctrine of comfort. God will judge the world, and God will save the world. There will ever be a remnant, and one day––in a glorious paradox––the remnant shall be an innumerable host.

SACRIFICIAL GIVING

These returning exiles had not only left the comfort of Babylon, but when they arrived they also contributed generously to the work itself. They weren’t free-loaders. They weren’t idle or lazy. They contributed, as they were able, millions of dollars worth of gold and silver to the project. One of the trademarks of a true revival is this sort of sacrificial courage and generosity. The work of rebuilding is not for the faint of heart. It is not for the stingy. It is not for those who like to keep their furniture clean. There are often charlatans trying to grift off of such generosity. However, we shouldn’t overlook that generous giving to the work of the Lord––in tithes, offerings, supporting faithful ministries and missionaries––is a hallmark of God being at work in His people. Your wealth is God’s. You are to understand your tithes and offerings as a confession of that truth.

POLLUTED PRIESTS AND UNLIKELY SAINTS

Some scholars see Ezra’s vendetta against the impurity of these priests as evidence of a growing racial vain-glory amongst the Jews. That certainly does develop later on as we see in the time of Christ. But that is not what Ezra and Nehemiah are up to. Here is one reason why: amongst these returning Jews are the Nethinim, faithful servants of tabernacle and temple. Think of them as the janitors of the church. If there was a racial vain-glory amongst this remnant it would have been more likely found by excluding these “devoted ones” who were not Hebrews by kinship.

The Nethinims, mentioned here, were more than likely the descendants of the Gibeonites (Jos. 9:27). Saul had persecuted the Gibeonites in a fervor of faux religious zeal (2 Samuel 21:1–6). It was David who discerned that by God’s providence, the Gibeonites had been covenantally joined to house of the Lord, and Saul had grievously wronged them in a hot-headed frenzy. David had restored the Nethinim to their work in temple service (Ezra 8:20). God did not reward the Gibeonites’ shrewd deception with death. He instead showered them with the kindness of being servants in His house.

Another set of unlikely saints found here. Amongst these returning saints are the descendants of the rebel Korah (Ez. 2:42). Korah was discontent with his role in Moses’ Israel. God brought him low, destroying him; but once again we find that some of his descendants who survived were tasked with being porters of the temple. Not only that but some of them composed Psalms which we sing to this day: “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psa 84:10).”

ZEAL FOR GOD’S HOUSE

So then, true zeal is not loss of self-control. It can look like faithful record keeping. It can look like excluding the self-righteous and prideful, and welcoming the humble repentant sinners. Saul thought he could please God with a hot-headed racial purity project. Some of the priests thought it didn’t matter that they had married idolatrous and unbelieving foreign wives. Their lineage was sufficient, they thought. But God desires a faithful people. As God stirs his people to rebuild the House of the Lord, we find Jews and Gentiles working hand in hand. While hot-headed purists and apathetic idolators find themselves put out (Cf. Mt. 8:11-12). This list of saints should put you in mind of two things. First, God raises up faithful saints from unfaithful fathers. Second, God expels unfaithful sons of faithful fathers. The question for you is: is your name listed amongst the faithful?

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INTRODUCTION

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of assembling a piece of IKEA furniture, you know the challenge of making sure you get each piece in the right spot. There’s no room for imagination when it comes to the parts. You would be indignant if someone had purposefully wrongly labeled all the parts. Unbelieving man has imagined that he can infallibly interpret the story of the world, with no regard for how the Author of the story has structured the story. This is like assembling the furniture with all the pieces mislabelled.

THE TEXT

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he  hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. […] Ezra 1:1ff

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

Around 100 years prior to Cyrus’ birth, Isaiah had foretold that a king named Cyrus would bring about the restoration of Jerusalem (Is. 44:28). Ezra begins by rooting his record of the Jews’ restoration to Jerusalem in the prophecy of Jeremiah 29:10. The Lord who stirred up the nations against Jerusalem for her idolatries, now stirs up the spirit of Cyrus to shepherd God’s people back to their inheritance (v1). The Cyrus Cylinder is an artifact, discovered in the late 1800s, which is a proclamation promising support for restoring the temples of the peoples which Persia had conquered. This is a wonderful corroboration of the Biblical record found here in our text. God had given Cyrus the nations, and now God stirs Cyrus to be the means of fulfilling the promised restoration of the Lord’s house (v2). Cyrus welcomes the Jews to commence this project of rebuilding the house of the Lord God of Israel (v3). He also sends out a fundraising letter, particularly to the remnant, to contribute to the project by way of free will offerings of silver, gold, goods, and beasts (v4). There are echoes here of the Hebrews’ plundering of Egypt in Exodus.

In response to this summons from a pagan king, a group of Jewish leaders arise, namely, chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin, along with a few priests and Levites. These families were themselves “stirred up” in their spirit by the Lord (v5). Those willing to pioneer the work back in Jerusalem were strengthened by the support of those who decided to stay put (v6). While we might be tempted to look down on those who remained behind, God was laying the groundwork, even in this, for the construction of His house which would fill all the world (Eph. 2:21).

Cyrus commanded that the temple vessels be taken from the treasuries of the gods, where Nebuchadnezzar had stored them, and give them to this contingent of Jews, led by Sheshbazzar (vv7-11). Ezra is clearly fond for detail, and his thoroughness is on display here in recording all that was recovered. Sheshbazzar is very likely the Babylonian name for Zerubbabel, the heir of David’s throne. We learn in the next chapter that Zerubbabel led this first wave of returning Jews (2:2). Ezra invites us to see that in mysterious ways God is moving.

POTENTATE OF TIME

In that wonderful hymn Crown Him With Many Crowns we find a wonderful title for God: the Potentate of time. Ezra and Nehemiah show us this truth quite clearly. The stage is being set for the NT. The scribal tradition of Ezra brought out the best (Paul) and the worst (Pharisaical pride) in Israel. We also see that those Jews who remained in their various settlements prepared the ground for the seed of the Gospel to be cast by the Apostles. The Magi who brought gifts to the Christ child had learned of the star which would hail the birth of the Messiah King from these exiled Jews. Matthew informs us that Zerubbabel is one of the ancestors of Christ (Mt. 1:13). Isaiah foretold Cyrus’ magnanimous work to rebuild God’s house. Jeremiah too foresaw God’s hand upon the steering wheel of world events.

God really is sovereign over all the movements of humanity. History is not the incoherent ravings of a lunatic. History is the display of God’s purposes continually being brought to pass. This is lesson we persistently forget to our peril. So then, if we are to read our own moment in history rightly it must be by beginning with this fact. God is the potentate of time. He is the Lord of History. He is the emperor over every circumstance. Generations come and go. Each getting a short sentence in this epic story. In our pride we presume we can finish the entire story ourselves. But as CS Lewis pointed out “A story is precisely the sort of thing that cannot be understood till you have heard the whole of it.” To read history rightly requires you to live by faith in the God of history. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Rom. 8:28).

STIRRED UP

In this first wave of rebuilding Jerusalem, we see God stirring up both a pagan king and His own people. God had shaken the entire world through the various conquests of Assyria and Babylon and now the Persians. But because God is governs history, He also governs the men in history. He stirs up men to accomplish his purposes. From our perspective this looks messy. He stirs up great men and small men. He stirs up His people. He raises up kings and brings them low. To us the world is a sea full of billows and waves. From heaven, that sea is calm and clear as crystal. Here on earth wicked men seem to go unchecked, unhindered, unimpeded. The Word, however, assures us that the Lord will avenge His elect speedily. God is at work in history to make all things brilliantly shine with the glory of the Lord Jesus who died to redeem us from the wreckage which sin brought into this world.

THE WORK BEFORE US

Consider the work which God stirred up His people to do. It was hard work. The sieges had left the city in wreckage. The exiles had become rather prosperous in their new home, and uprooting was a significant sacrifice. The poor had been left to suffer in Jerusalem, so the returning exiles would have to labor to care for these impoverished saints. The economy of Jerusalem was in shambles. The culture disorganized. The city itself a crater. The worship of Jehovah was neglected. Every sphere of life in Jerusalem––religious, political, economic––was about as bad as it could get. Yet God had purposed to build His Kingdom of Heaven here on earth, and He would not be thwarted. Thus, God moves in quite unexpected ways to bring His purposes to pass. A pagan king nurtures God’s people and sets them to work building God’s house.

We are at a similar moment. God has been shaking our nation, in order that only that which is unshakable may remain. As God’s people, we must be prepared to follow the mysterious movements of God as He stirs the events of history. This is a summons to be ready to rise up and build. It is a summons to plead with Jehovah to move upon the hearts of our civilization magistrates, from President to Mayor, to defend the Church of Christ. It is a summons to  devote yourself and your family, with sacrificial courage, to build the house of the Lord.

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