CHAPTER 8
These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.
Verses 2-14 are a list of men who traveled with Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem.
2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.
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. Ezra came at the head of a caravan of about 1,500 men, not including their women and children. They made the 4 month journey from Babylon without the benefit of military escort, thereby demonstrating their trust and reliance upon God.
15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.
Ezra rested and took into account all the people that were with him and discovered that there were no Levites in the almost 1500 men who came with him from Babylon.
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.
Ezra sent for men who could follow directions well. I counted 11 in all. This was enough men if counted by Abraham, to save a city that was destroyed because God could not find that many men in Sodom and Gomorrah, who could carry out his orders.
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.
Ezra knew where he should find help in ministry. He told the eleven men where to go specifically and also what to say. We should live a life that others know we can be counted on to carry our messages faithfully. The reputation of a believer should be such as the 11 men that followed Ezra and the 11 men who followed Jesus. Although Jesus had 12 disciples, 11 followed him to the end.
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;
They found another man of understanding and he came along with 18 more men. These men were sons of Levi.
19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;
20 more men found.
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 them to the right people and they returned with the men (Levites) he needed. When we listen and follow the instructions given, God is being glorified or we make God look good!
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.
After the gathering of all the people, Ezra told the people to humble themselves through fasting. (fasting puts everybody in one position; the poor and rich are on the same level. We all love food, we give up what we love.) Ezra wanted all to participate in asking God for the path they should take so that all of the people and all of the things they had would arrive safely to their next destination. We should seek God for the right way for us. Lord, what would you have me to do? God uses different paths for each of us to carry his assignment. Although we have different paths, our behaviors are always the same. Different paths do not mean we have different religions. Some have erred in teaching people there is more than one way to get to God. This is an expensive lie, that has been told by people who hold prestige and power and they do not seek God's Word, and has caused many to be misled.
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.
Ezra stated he needed support and did not want to ask the king for military help in their travel. Ezra shows here that he is a man. He states that he told the king God would provide and he did not want to ask the king to send help after acclaiming that God will and can do what we need. This is a strong test of our faith. To say God will and still have the option to return to Babylon and ask for help. This is faith on trial. We must declare what God says in the midst of thinking it may be another way out.
23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.
So they fasted and prayed and God answered.
24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
Ezra separated 12 men to do the next task.
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:
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.
These men appointed by Ezra were in charge of the money and items of value that were to be carried to the house of God. When dealing with money, we must have more than one person to be accountable for what has been collected by God's people. When you appoint several people to watch over money collected, you demonstrate you care about what is collected from the people and the people who are responsible to manage the wealth. These people who are selected should be carefully considered. They should be men of God. When one person carries the burden of handling money, he is given the opportunity to steal: and often times will. We are to be good stewards of the things of God. Being good stewards means we ignore the opinion of what others may think and do business in a way that accomplishes what is right. Too many churches give the finance to people who have no integrity and it shows.
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.
Ezra and the people arrived in Jerusalem. God protected them from the people who were in hiding to harm them. It did not say those people did not exist, he said clearly God DELIVERED them from the hand of their enemies. There are enemies who want to harm you, but when we are carrying out the will of God, God protects us.
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.
The money was accounted for by the right people once they arrived in Jerusalem. When money is involved, count and name the people present.
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.
When everything was put in place, the people made a burnt offering to the Lord. A burnt offering represents a total offering that is burned on the altar to show that the animal being sacrificed is the person or persons who sinned and should be put to death for the sin committed. The entire offering is burnt and all sins are gone with the offering of the burnt sacrifice.
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.
Ezra made sure what the king said was delivered. Ezra was given instructions from the king of Babylon to speak to those in authority in the realm of Jerusalem. He fully carried out his assignment.
My Song In a Minute
I am on a mission
I got my assignment from God
If I do what He said
All of my needs He will provide
I have a mission and God will
See it through
I’m going all the way with the Lord!
Will I have to fight?
Yes!
Will I have to go without?
Yes!
Will I be afraid?
Yes!
Will I have enemies?
Yes!
I made up my mind
And God’s gonna see me through
I am going all the way with the Lord!
Comments
Post a Comment