Ezra
Introduction/Chapters 1-2 Introduction Ezra himself is not mentioned in the book that bears his name, yet the internal evidence points to Ezra being the author. This can be seen in such passages as Ezra 7:27-9:15 where the author refers to himself in the first person, and Ezra happens to be the main character in the chapter. In addition, Ezra was qualified for this task, being a priest and a scribe of the Law (7:21). The Book of Ezra is a continuation of Second Chronicles. The author indicates as much by repeating in the first two verses the concluding verses of the earlier book. Jerusalem had fallen to the armies of Babylon in 587-586 B.C. In time the Babylonian Empire will fall to the armies of Cyrus the Persian in 539 B.C. The Book of Ezra opens with the liberation decree issued by Cyrus in 538 B.C. The last event of the book occurred in the first month of the eighth year of King Artaxerxes, 457 B.C. (Ezra 10:17). Thus the book covers a period of eighty-one years. This book has two distinct divisions. In the first section, chapters 1-6, the focus is on events surrounding the first return of the Jews to their homeland, under the leadership of Zerubbabel. The first project after returning was the reconstruction of the altar. Materials immediately were gathered for the rebuilding of the temple. The foundations were laid, but opposition arose and the work ceased for about sixteen years. Due to the preaching efforts of Haggai and Zechariah, the work then resumed. In the sixth year of Darius (516-515 B.C.), the temple project was completed. A time span of fifty-eight years exists between chapters 6-7. The events recorded in the Book of Esther fall within this gap. The second half of Ezra, chapters 7-10, focuses on only one year. In the year 458 B.C., Ezra led a group of Jews back to their homeland. Ezra will find that many of the Jews in Palestine had intermarried with pagans. Before the year was over Ezra will have addressed this issue decisively. In all, there will be three
1
groups of exiles that will return from Babylonian Captivity. The first return was led by Zerubbabel in 538 B.C., the second by Ezra (458), and the third by Nehemiah in 444 B.C. The original readers of this book would have been the exiles who had returned to Palestine. From what we read in Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Malachi, we can conclude that many of the exiles were wavering in their faith. Thus, this book was written to encourage the remnant to be involved in true temple worship and to remind them because of God’s mercy to fulfill their covenant obligations. The following is a chronological chart of the events in this book: Cyrus issued the decree of return (1:2-4): Reconstruction of the temple began (3:8) Opposition to the temple project (4:6) Decree issued to stop the temple construction (4:7-23) Work on the temple resumed (4:24; 6:3-12) The temple completed (6:15) Ezra began his work in Jerusalem (7:8-9) Ezra’s work completed (10:17)
538 B.C. 536 530 522 519 515 458 457
Lessons from the Book The Book of Ezra reveals God’s providential care for His people; even when it looks like they are beyond help. In chapter three, we will learn that the service of God requires a united effort, leadership, obedience to God’s Word, courage in the face of opposition, funds, and an organized division of labor. In chapter four, we learn that doing the work of God brings opposition: in the guise of proffered cooperation from those who do not share our beliefs to complete work we are alone responsible for, dealing with opposition from those who would discourage and intimidate us, from professional counselors who offer misleading advice, from false accusers, and from secular authorities. In Ezra, we will see a man being able to endure all this because of fervent prayer (8:21; 10:1) and humility (7:10, 27-28; 9:3; 10:6).
2
Chapter 1 1:1 Cyrus the Great came to the throne of Persia in 559 B.C. He had joined together the Median and Persian kingdoms by 550. By 539 he had built them into such a powerful force that they marched upon Babylon, killed Belshazzar, and brought the Babylonian Empire to its end (Daniel chapter 5). Cyrus then assumed the throne of Babylon for himself, and became the ruler over a vast empire that would spread itself from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1). It was in the first year of his reign from Babylon, or 538 B.C. that he issued the decree to the Jewish captives, allowing them to return to their homeland, and to rebuild their temple. All of this fulfilled Jeremiah’s prophecy that after seventy years in exile God would bring a remnant of His people back to the land (Jeremiah 29:10). 1:1 “The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus”: How this was done we are not told. Two hundred years earlier the prophet Isaiah had predicted this decree of Cyrus, even calling him by name (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1). “Josephus says that Cyrus had read this prophecy, and thereby learned his role in divine history. This certainly is within the realm of possibility. Daniel the prophet was among the captives, but had obtained a position of great eminence and respect in Babylon by the time Cyrus came to the throne (Daniel 2:46-48)” 1 Any of those who were familiar with Isaiah’s prophecy, of Jeremiah’s predictions of a return to their homeland, would quickly see in Cyrus’ accession a divine hand at work. 1:1-2 The proclamation that Cyrus issued is also found in the Cyrus Cylinder, which was discovered in the 19th century. This stone indicates that what Cyrus did for the Jews, he also did for all peoples who had been deported by the previous empires to return to their native lands. The first deportation of Jews to Babylon was in 605 B.C. Cyrus’ decree in 538 was 67 years later. By the time the people returned to built the altar in 536, 70 years had almost passed. Cyrus realized that God had enabled him to be successful in battle. Clearly, Cyrus recognized the existence of Jehovah and His power. From other secular documents, it appears that Cyrus also worshipped false gods. Even though he worshipped other gods, it appears that he understood that Jehovah was “God of heaven”, that is, superior to all other deities. “Unlike the hardhearted Pharaoh, Cyrus recognized that the God of heaven still ruled in the kingdoms of men” (Winters p. 3). One can be in politics and government and be a righteous ruler. It appears that Cyrus placed seeking God and His righteousness as a priority in his administration. 1
Commentary On Ezra, Nehemiah-Esther, Clayton Winters, p. 2 3
1:2-3 “After seventy years of alienation and anguish, and prayers and longing toward Jerusalem (1 Kings 8:46; Daniel 6:10), the decree gave the Jews the freedom to go home—freedom to rebuild their temple” (Winters p. 4). 1:4 In addition, God saw to it that His people did not leave empty handed (compare with Exodus 11:2-3). The Jewish community in Babylon collected a freewill offering for the temple project. 1:5 Many of the Israelites had fared well in captivity, becoming successful in business and government in the countries to which they had been deported (Esther 2:18-23; Daniel 2:46-49; Nehemiah 2:1). “While it was one thing for the home-loving Israelites to weep and long for Zion (Psalms 37), it was something else for them to actually give up a fairly lucrative lifestyle, uproot their families, and return to a country suffering the aftermath of war and overrun with foreigners (2 Kings 17:24; Nehemiah 1:3)” (Winters p. 5). 1:5 “Even everyone whose spirit God had stirred up to go up”: Those who returned, were people whose minds were on spiritual things. The message from Cyrus pricked their conscience and they knew what they needed to do, even if such a move involved loss of wealth and hardship. The Jews who did not wish to return (who were the majority), provided the necessities for the long journey home, in addition to the gifts for the house of God. Remember, during the captivity God had continued to speak to His people through Jeremiah (29:1-10), Ezekiel (14:21; 33:30), and Daniel (9:1-19). “In these ways, and perhaps by other means, smoking embers of freedom were kept glowing in the Jewish breast; and when Cyrus issued his decree, the embers burst into flame” (Winters p. 5). 1:7-11 Various furnishings which had been plundered from the temple during he Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem were still in existence. In fact, on the night that Babylon fell to Cyrus, Belshazzar was showing contempt for such vessels (Daniel 5:2-4). Cyrus commissioned Mithredath (MITH reh dath) the treasurer to turn these into the hands of the prince of Judah that they might be restored to the house of God. The man named “Sheshbazzar” (shesh BAZ ur) is somewhat of a mystery. Some feel that he and Zerubbabel are one and the same person. Both are said to have laid the foundation of the temple (3:8-10; 5:16). Zerubbabel, which means “begotten in Babel”, was a grandson of Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3:17-19), the Judean king who had been deported to Babylon, and years later was released from prison (2 Kings 25:27-30). Another view is that he was a
4
governor appointed by Cyrus; a third view is that Sheshbazzar was the Shenazzar in 1 Chron. 3:17, and was therefore Zerubbabel’s uncle. In verses 9-10 the articles totaled 2,499, yet in verse 11 the total number of gold and silver items was 5,400. It would seem that Ezra first listed some of the items, perhaps the bigger and more valuable ones and then referred to the total number of items both larger and more valuable and the smaller and less significant.
Chapter 2 The list of those who returned This section of Scripture might seem tedious to the casual reader, but not if these were your descendants and family members! Here are the names of those who felt comfort and ease in the big city and returned to rebuild the temple. Here are the names of those who placed God and His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33). This chapter is an honor roll of those who accepted the challenge to rebuild a desolate land. 2:2 Verse two lists are the names of the leaders. “Jeshua” was the high priest (3:2); his name is also spelled “Joshua” in the Books of Haggai and Zechariah. He was the grandson of Seraiah (1 Chron. 6:14 with Haggai 1:1); a priest whom the Babylonians killed after Jerusalem fell (2 Kings 25:18-21). Because of the time element, the Nehemiah in Ezra 2:2 is not the Nehemiah who returned to Jerusalem more than 90 years later. Nor was the Mordecai named here, Esther’s cousin, who lived in Susa about 60 years after this event. 2:3-35 Ezra then records people by their 18 families and clans, next comes a listing of inhabitants from 21 towns and villages. 2:36-40 The priests and Levites are mentioned. 4,288 priests will return, coming from four different families. The priests formed about a tenth of the total of those who returned. Only four of the twenty-four courses of priests organized by David were represented among those who returned. Note that only 74 Levites chose to return. 2:41-42 The singers, or descendants of Asaph numbered 128. The gatekeepers were the descendants of the men who had the responsibility to lock and unlock the doors of the temple and guard the treasury (1 Chronicles 9:17-29). 2:43-54 The “Nethinim” (NEHTH uh neam), apparently were a group of people from a non-Jewish background who served as Temple servants. They performed such menial tasks as cleaning the Temple, carrying water
5
and wood to the altar, and scrubbing the utensils used in the worship. Some have traced this class back to the Gibeonites who were to be “hewers of wood and drawers of water” for the house of God during the time of Joshua (Joshua 9:23). This group may have been supplemented from time to time by the addition of war captives who were made to serve in the sanctuary. 2:55-58 In these verses we find a group of people who traced their ancestry back to “Solomon’s servants”. “Perhaps their ancestors were among certain servants given to Solomon by one of the many countries with whom he had treaty alliances” 2 Solomon had also pressed the conquered Canaanite population into forced labor (1 Kings 9:20-21); it appears that this group remained a distinct group some 400 years later within Jewish society.
Unconfirmed Claims 2:59-63 A number of those who wished to migrate to Palestine could not verify their lineage or tribal identity. Some of the pilgrims claimed priestly descent but could offer no proof or documentation. The final ruling was that such men should have no part in serving as priests until a high priest would arise who could receive divine revelation on this subject. The inference here seems to be that the Urim and Thummim (Exodus 28:30), were not available at this time. God is a stickler for details. Emotional arguments could have been offered to justify the inclusion of such men, yet such arguments would have neglected God and His standards. 2:64-70 Upon arriving at the old site of the temple, the heads of various family groups made a substantial contribution for the work of reconstruction. They offered 1,100 lbs of gold, three tons of silver, and a hundred priestly garments. God always needs cheerful and generous givers (Exodus 25:4-7; 35:2-9). The returning captives were not only Judean Jews, but people from the northern tribes as well. God’s promise of restoration to the land is seen as being fulfilled in these passages. The quantity of servants, singers, horses, and donkeys tells us something about the economic condition of the people who make the journey back to Judea. Many of them were wealthy.
2
The Books Of History, James E. Smith, p. 675 6