Ezra 8:19-36
EZRA 8:19
And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of
Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;
Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hashub, the son
of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; (Nehemiah 11:15)
EZRA 8:20
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.
The Nethinims were the ones who did all the menial tasks
in the temple by serving the Levites.
There were two hundred and twenty of them and everyone was named
specifically, probably to correspond to their lineage from David.
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.
After the messengers sent to Iddo had returned at the
river Ahava, Ezra proclaimed a fast to afflict or humble themselves before the
LORD. They were seeking
direction from the LORD as to what would be the best way to go to Jerusalem.
No doubt they were seeking the safest route to Jerusalem since there were
many marauders in these lonely places in the desert.
They wanted to make sure that all the children made it safely and also
all the temple vessels would be brought back to Jerusalem safely and intact.
EZRA 8:22
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 did not want to ask the king for an escort of
soldiers to protect them from any enemies along the route.
Ezra had witnessed to the king that the hand of God was upon them for
good to those that seek him. He
told the king that God would protect them on the journey and therefore soldiers
were not needed. Ezra believed
totally that God’s power would protect them and if anyone had attempted to
attack them along the way, God’s power and wrath would come against them and
destroy them.
EZRA 8:23
So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was
intreated of us.
So they fasted and sought the LORD for a safe and
uneventful journey. They intreated
the LORD which means they “implored, beseeched or made request” unto the LORD
for their safe journey.
EZRA 8:24
Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests,
Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
Then Ezra separated twelve of the chief priests for the
purpose of handling the gifts for the temple.
This was the treasure which Ezra had with him coming from Babylon.
Each of the twelve were being charged with the keeping of the treasures
and the temple treasures which they took with them from Babylon.
These were very trustworthy men for Ezra to place in their care the
vessels and treasures dedicated for the house of God.
EZRA 8:25
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 counsellers, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had
offered:
Then Ezra had weighed out the silver, gold, and the
vessels and all the offerings of the house of God.
He had done this so there could be no
accusation against him of any kind of embezzlement of any of the goods.
He did this out of the integrity and faithfulness of his heart toward God
and wanted no false accusations to impede their journey to Jerusalem.
The silver and gold were not coins because the Persians kept the bulk of
them in ingots when in storage.
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;
The six hundred and fifty talents of silver equaled
$313,463. The one hundred talents
of the silver vessels would have value of $48,225.
Then the hundred talents of gold would have a value of $7,926.750.
The high values of these items could cause anyone to be tempted.
EZRA 8:27
Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two
vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.
Then the twenty basons of gold came out to 19 pounds
which would have a value of $401,622.
These items were carefully inventoried and divided among the twelve
priests for safe keeping. The fine
copper was probably Persian or Indian brass which was considered so pure that
when one looks at it, it cannot be distinguished from gold at first glance.
EZRA 8:28
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.
Just as the priests were dedicated and consecrated holy
unto the LORD, the vessels are also holy unto the LORD.
This includes the freewill offerings which were made unto the house of
God and they were not to be used in any other manner than for the use in the
house of God. Just as offerings
made to a church or ministry should be used for the ministry and not for $8,000
gold toilet seats like the fraud Joyce Meyer purchased.
EZRA 8:29
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.
Then these men were entrusted to keep watch over their
assigned portions, to make sure they arrive in the condition when they were
taken from the treasure house and entrusted to Ezra who has now entrusted them
to the twelve priests. When they
arrive at Jerusalem, the vessels and all the gifts will be weighed out before
the priests and the Levites and also those who were the heads of the chief
families in Jerusalem. Their
numbers should be exactly the same as the numbers when they set out from
Babylon.
Then when the weight is confirmed, the items were to be
placed in the chambers and treasuries of the temple.
EZRA 8:30
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.
Then the twelve priests took their portions of the
silver, gold, and vessels and began the journey to Jerusalem from Babylon.
When they arrive, they are to deliver all those sacred items to the house
of God so the accounting can take place and the work of the temple can commence.
EZRA 8:31
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.
Then Ezra and the caravan departed from the river Ahava
to begin their trek to Jerusalem on the twelfth day of the first month which
would be Nisan. God was guiding
them on their journey and there were thieves waiting for them and even some
enemies who thought to intimidate them but God intervened and caused the enemies
to be diverted or made sure they did not attack the caravan.
Ezra’s faith was strong in the keeping power of God and was confident
that God could protect them better than a band of soldiers.
EZRA 8:32
And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.
Then the day finally arrived when they came to Jerusalem
but instead of getting right into the delivering of the treasures, they took a
three day rest after that fatiguing journey.
Just like when Christ was crucified in Jerusalem, the disciples had
waited three days until the news came to them that the Lord Jesus Christ had
risen from the dead.
EZRA 8:33
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;
On the fourth day, all the silver, gold, and vessels were
weighed in the house of God under the eye of the Levites.
They were to record the weight of every piece so it corresponds with the
numbers they left Babylon with.
EZRA 8:34
By number and by weight of every one: and all the
weight was written at that time.
So they recorded every piece and its weight at that time
and then they would compare it to the amount they came out of Babylon with.
When the numbers would match, it would show the integrity and
faithfulness of those who had charge of it from Babylon.
EZRA 8:35
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.
Then all those who were carried away to Babylon and their
children or descendants also came back Ezra with to Jerusalem.
Then because of the joy of them returning back home to Jerusalem, they
began to offer burnt sacrifices in thankfulness.
Twelve bullocks were offered, one for each of the twelve tribes of
Israel. Then there was offered
ninety six rams which would be eight for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.
Then twelve male goats were offered, one for each tribe of Israel.
It must be kept in mind that there were no complete tribes that returned.
The seventy seven lambs which were offered and no association is given as
to why 77 and not 84. Seven is the
number of completeness and eleven is the number of incompleteness such as 11
Apostles. Maybe it has something to
do with the fact that the temple was completed yet it was incomplete because the
Gentiles had not yet been added to the temple of Christ, his body.
I cannot be dogmatic but the possibility exists.
EZRA 8:36
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.