Ezra 6
Darius ordered a search. This had to take quite an effort. They began in Babylon since that's where Cyrus stayed after conquering Babylon. They also searched the summer capital and palace of Achmetha. It is there they found the scroll. This official decree reads somewhat like a building permit of the day. This is slighly different than previous decree which was more like a public announcement not including the details.
Darius found the decree of Cyrus and apparently agreed and/or respected it. He in turn issued a decree to Tattenai and the others stating that they were to allow work to continue, pay their expenses and not to allow anyone to change the decree. God certainly had His eye on this. They even provided animals for scrifices. He took the opposition, and in His good time, made them servants of God's purpose. Anyone interfering was to have a beam pull from his house, be lifted up, and impaled on it. This should pretty much end the opposition.
Tattenai and Shthar Boznai served the King's decree. The Jews built and by the prophesying of Haggai and Zecharia the temple was completed. The dedication was included a fairly large sacrifice considering these folks didn't have much. The temple was completed on the 3rd of Adar in the sixth year of Darius. Temple worship was restored.
The language reverted back to Hebrew in verse 19. Passover was celebrated. For most of these people, this was the first time it could be celebrated properly, with the temple worship and in their land. Verse 21 seems to refer to gentiles who had set themselves apart with the Jews; it could mean those Jews who had been in the land all along were now recommitting themselves to worship their God alone.
Ezra 7
The story now moves to 464B.C. when Ezra leads more Jews from captivity to the Promised Land. Ezra's lineage is outlined to show he was a descendant of Aaron. He had prepared his heart for this adventure. The Lord called him to service and he responded. The 'good hand of His God was upon him'; what a great thing to be able to say and recognize. Is the good hand of God upon you?
This letter couldn't have been more favorable if Ezra wrote it himself. Artaxerxes gives full support and supply to Ezra and his effort. He went so far as have Ezra appoint their magistrates and administer justice in the area.
One hundred talents of sivler would have been four tons. A hundred baths was about 607 gallons of both wine and oil. These are extravagant provisions and it was open ended to provide anything else they needed. At least part of Artaxerxes motivation was to avoid God's wrath.
Ezra recognizes God's hand in all this and is blessed.
Ezra 8
Ezra 8:1-14
Before you start chapter eight, you might consider reading the book of Esther. It fits in between the completion of the temple and Ezra leading another group back from exile.
The first list of those returning from exile totaled approx fifty-thousand people. We saw the details of that list in chapter two. The Jews were called by God through the prophets to return, but not all returned imediately; Ezra, Nehemiah, Mordecai and Esther are just a few. In this chapter, we see the details of the second group returning with Ezra. He left with about 2000 men and this was approximately 80 years after the rebuilding under Zerubbabel
Ezra 8:15-20
There are 12 families listed here and they are nearly identical to the 12 familes listed in chapter 2. However, the people list here are different than that of chapter two. As these families were gathered Ezra saw that there were no sons of Levi in this group. He sent men to Iddo in Casphia to inqure there and recruit Levites; priests and temple servants to come with them. Iddo was probably a head priests in this Jewish sancuary of Casiphia. Two hundred and twenty temple servants were added to their list of those returning.
Ezra 8:21-23
Ezra doesn't take this return for granted or approach it lightly, but he prepares the people for it. He proclaimed a fast and called for the people to humble themselves before God.
Ezra 8:24-30
These twelve leaders were charged with caring for the treasure they would take back with them. The Babylonian talent was 75 pounds; so 650 talents was nearely 25 tons. Each received part of this treasure by weight and it would collected again by weight.
Ezra 8:31-36
They left two days before Passover; April 20th of 458BC. This departure uses the word 'nasa' that is the idea of pulling up tent pegs. God watched over them and delivered them on August 4th of the same year. They came to Jerusalem in about fifteen weeks and then stayed there for three days. Then the silver and gold was weigned and put in the temple. Then these exiles did something they had longed for; they worshiped in the temple and sacrificed to their God in Jerusalem.
Ezra 9
The remainder of the book of Ezra deals with intermarriage of the returning exiles to the local population. These folks just returned from exile after God punished them for turning from Him and His ways. Compromise and refusal to 'put sin away' is the culprit that continues to plague them (and all of mankind across the ages). Deuteronomy 7:1-6 prohibits intermarrying with those of the nations around them. The list of nations that the Jews intermarried with includes five of these prohibited nations.
We see examples of intermarriage; Joseph married an Egyptian woman; Ruth was a Moabitess and Solomon married had many foreign wives. The concern doesn't seem to be so much the intermarriage itself but that it leads to idolatry.
Ezra 9:1-4
Ezra finds out from the leaders that some have been intermarrying with the neighboring people. He considered this a mingling of the holy race. At the end of verse two it s noted that the leaders and rulers were leading in this trespass. As the leaders go, so go the people. This wasn't a racist thing since some of the neighboring communities were Semitic. The Moabites were Semitic and this seemed acceptable in the time of Ruth. This was a religious based prohibition; aimed at keeping them from taking the gods of their wife from another nation. In the NT we are told not to be yoked with unbelievers in 2 Corinthians 6:14.
When Ezra heard he was astonished; he mourned their sin and shame. The Jews were to be set apart; holy to the Lord. We see the division among the Jews. Everyone who 'trembled' at God's word assembled with Ezra. The untold part of that is that many didn't assemble because they didn't 'tremble' at God's word.
Ezra 9:5-15
Note that in Ezra's prayer he wasn't accusing anyone and everyone; he included himself by saying 'we have forsaken Your commandments'. This is a great contrast to the other leaders who were looking out for themselves and, in doing so, led others to sin. Ezra stands with the Jews, even in their sin, interceding on their behalf. In doing so, he confesses that no one 'can stand' before God; this is a legal term meaning to be acquitted.
Ezra 10
Those who trembled at God's word had apparently advised that they turn from this sin, put away those wifes and any children born of them. Shechaniah encourages the Jews to adopt this policy. In effect, he's advising those who intermarried to also tremble at God's word and act on it. This was, no doubt, a difficult thing to do; he advises to be of good courage and get it done.
A covenant was made among the leaders to purify themselves and be set apart. The proclamation was made among the people. Those not acting on this proclamation would be set out from the Jews. Their property would be confiscated and they would become as a foreigner. This was too large a task to be done at once so they agreed to do this a tribe at a time over the course of a few months until completed.
©2017 Doug Ford
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