The Book of Ezra (chapters 7-10)
Ezra 7
WE now enter upon the second part of this book. In the
first part, the return of the people from Babylon and the building of the
temple are narrated; and in the second we have the personal mission and the
work of Ezra. It should again be noticed that the signs of the transference of
governmental power in the earth from the Jew to the Gentile are everywhere
apparent. Thus the date of Ezra's mission is given as "in the reign of
Artaxerxes king of Persia," and indeed his commission for his work from the
king is given at length (vv. 11-26), in proof that God's people were at this
time under the authority of the Gentiles, and that God Himself ever recognizes
the powers which have their source in His own sovereign appointment.
It may aid the reader if the structure of chapters 7 and 8 is first briefly
indicated. After Ezra's genealogy (Ezra 7: 15) a short summary is given of the
king's permission for him to go, of his journey up to Jerusalem, and of the
object of his mission. (vv. 6-10) Then follows the king's letter, conferring
upon Ezra authority to act, as well as the necessary powers for the execution
of his work. (vv. 11-26.) This chapter closes with Ezra's ascription of praise
to God for having inclined the heart of the king to Jehovah's temple, and for
having extended mercy to himself before the king, etc. (vv. 27, 28.) In Ezra 8:
1-14 we have a catalogue of those who voluntarily availed themselves of the
royal permission to go up from Babylon with Ezra. All these having been
assembled by "the river that runneth to Ahava," Ezra finding that none of the
sons of Levi were there, took measures to secure "ministers for the house of
our God." (vv. 15-20.) All being thus prepared, two things follow; first,
fasting and supplication before God (vv. 21-23); and secondly, the appointment
of twelve of the chief of the priests to take charge of the silver, the gold,
and the vessels which had been offered for "the house of our God." (vv. 24-30 )
Lastly, we have the journey, and the arrival at Jerusalem, together with the
necessary preparations for the commencement of Ezra's work. (vv. 31-36.)
It will thus be seen that chapters 7 and 8 should be read together,
forming as they do a continuous narrative, of which chapter 7: 1-10 is the
preface or introduction.
The genealogy of Ezra is traced back to
Aaron. (vv. 1-5.) He was one therefore entitled to all the rights and
privileges of the priesthood (see Ezra 2: 62); and, moreover, he was a ready
scribe in the law of his God, and thereby qualified to be the instructor of the
people in the statutes of Jehovah, (See Lev. 10: 8-11; Mal. 2: 4-7.) He became
a priest by birth and consecration; but he only became "a ready scribe in the
law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given," by personal study of the
Word. Inherited office therefore, even with the Jews, could not bestow the
qualifications for its exercise - these could only come from individual
converse with God in the Scriptures; for while by virtue of consecration the
priest was entitled by grace to minister before God, he could only minister
acceptably when all was done in obedience to the Word, and it was impossible
that he could teach unless he himself were acquainted with the mind of God. It
was neglect of this second part of their office that led to the failure and
corruption of the priesthood; for so completely was the word of God forgotten
in the days of Josiah, that the finding of a copy of the law in the temple
became an epoch in his reign.
It is therefore of surpassing interest -
like finding a beautiful flower in the midst of a sandy desert - to discover in
Ezra one who, while he cherished his priestly descent, found his joy and
strength in the law of his God; and in verse 10 the secret of his attainments
is unfolded. He had "prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do
it. "Let the reader ponder this significant and instructive statement - "He had
prepared his heart." So the apostle prayed for the Ephesian believers, that
"the eyes of their heart" (heart is the right reading) might be enlightened,
that they might know what is the hope of His calling, etc. (Eph. 1: 18.) Yes,
it is to the heart that the revelations of God are made, even as it was to the
heart of the Magdalene that the Lord manifested Himself at the sepulchre,
rather than to the intelligence of His disciples. Nor can we attach too much
importance to this truth. Preparation of heart (and this also cometh from the
Lord) is everything, whether for the study of the Word, for prayer, or for
worship. (See 1 Cor. 8: 1-3; Heb. 10: 22; 1 John 3: 20-23.)
There is
yet another thing. If Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, it
was first and foremost that he might do it. It was not therefore to increase
his knowledge, to add to his repute as a teacher; but it was that his heart,
life, and ways might be formed by it - that his own walk might be the
embodiment of the truth, and thus well-pleasing to the Lord. Then followed
teaching, "and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments." This order can never
be neglected with impunity; for where teaching does not flow out of a heart
that is itself subject to the truth, it is not only powerless to influence
others. but it will also harden the heart of the teacher himself. This is the
secret of many a failure in the Church of God. The saints are ever and anon
startled by the sudden departure from the truth, or by the fall, of those who
had occupied the place of teachers; but whenever the state of the heart is
overlooked, and the activity of mind is permitted upon divine things, the soul
is exposed to some of Satan's most subtle temptations. A true teacher should be
able in measure, like Paul, to point to his own example, and to say, as he did
to the Thessalonians, "Ye know what manner of men we were among you for your
sake." (See also Acts 20 and Phil. 3)
It is evident, moreover, that
Ezra was in communion with the mind of God as to His people. His heart was upon
them; for we learn that he had sought permission of the king to go up to
Jerusalem, and that "the king granted him all his request, according to the
hand of the Lord his God upon him." (p. 6.) What he desired, therefore, was the
welfare, the blessing of his people, the people of his God, but being under
subjection to the king, he had to obtain his leave; for the Lord will not have
us, even for His own service, slight the authority under which we are placed.
If, however, the Lord had put the desire to serve Him in the heart of Ezra, He
will influence the king to answer His servant's request.
How good it
is to leave ourselves in His hands! We are tempted oftentimes to overleap the
barriers which man may place in our path, to force open the doors which the
hand of man may have closed; but it is for our comfort and strength to remember
that the Lord can make His way plain before our face whenever He wills, and
that our part is to quietly wait on Him, ready to go forward when He shall
speak the word. The recognition of the hand of God upon him was a
characteristic of this devoted servant (see verse 9; Ezra 8: 18, 22, 31, etc.),
and it was at once the source both of his patience and of his courage.
The details of the journey, of which we have a short account in verses 7-9,
will occupy us in the next chapter; and hence we may pass at once to the king's
letter of authorization to Ezra - a letter which empowered him to act, defined
the object of his mission, and provided, through the king's treasurers beyond
the river, the means for the execution of his service in connection with the
ordering of the house of Jehovah.
First, after the salutation - a
salutation which shows that Ezra was a true witness in the midst of the
Gentiles - the king decrees that "all they of the people of Israel, and of His
priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go
up to Jerusalem, go with thee." (v. 13. ) Cyrus, as seen in Ezra 1, had also
accorded the same privilege; and now, after the lapse of many years, once again
the Spirit of God works, through the king, to deliver His people. But no human
constraint was to be exercised: if any man went up, it must be voluntarily; for
God would have willing servants. If under constraint, it must be only that of
the Holy Spirit. Then, from verses 14-20, the scope and objects of Ezra's
mission are carefully defined even as to its details. He was "sent of the king
and his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according
to the law of thy God which is in thine hand." (v. 14.) He was, further, to
take charge of the silver and. gold which the king and his counsellors had
freely offered to the God of Israel, also of that found in the province of
Babylon, together with the free-will offering of the people, etc.; and this was
to be expended in the purchase of animals, for sacrifice, etc., or as Ezra and
his brethren might decide, "after the will of their God."
The reader
may gather the particulars of Ezra's commission for himself. His attention,
however, may be directed to one or two of its instructive features. It cannot
fail to be observed that this Gentile monarch refers everything to the will of
God, or, to speak more exactly, that he directs that all should be ordered in
subjection to that will. It would almost seem, Gentile though he was, that he
was in full fellowship with the object of Ezra; and from the confession of
Jehovah, as the God of heaven (vv. 21, 23), it is not impossible that grace had
visited his heart. Whether this were so or not, he carefully provides for the
execution of Ezra's mission in every possible way, and at the same time
entrusted Ezra with the government of his people "after the wisdom of God."
Finally, penalties were attached to disobedience to the law of God and to the
law of the king, rising even to death itself. The lesson lies on the surface
that God is sovereign in the choice of His instruments, and that He doeth
according to His will among the inhabitants of the earth as in the army of
heaven, and that none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? An
illustration of this is found in our chapter in that "Artaxerxes, king of
kings," and "Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of God," are yoked together
for the execution of God's thoughts for His people and for His house in
Jerusalem.
Ezra himself is filled with adoration as he contemplates
the wonder-working power of the hand of his God; for having recorded the letter
of the king, he breaks out into an ascription of praise: "Blessed be the Lord
God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to
beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem: and hath extended mercy
unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty
princes." (vv. 27, 28.)
He adds, "And I was strengthened as the hand
of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men
to go up with me." In this he showed himself to be a true man of faith. he
traced everything up to God. He lost sight of himself, and to his soul God was
all and in all. It was thus not his request (v. 6) that induced the king to
act, but it was God who put the thing into the king's heart; it was not Ezra's
influence that commended him to the king and his princes, but it was God that
extended mercy to him in their presence; it was not in his own power that he
assembled the chief men to go up with him, but it was God who strengthened him
with His own hand upon him.
In all this he is a striking example to
every believer; and happy is he who, like Ezra, has learned to live in the
presence of God, to look beyond the actions of men to the power that controls
them all, and to receive all, favour or persecution, aids or hindrances, from
the Lord. That soul has acquired the secret of perfect peace amid the confusion
and turmoil of the world, as well as in the presence of Satan's power.
Ezra 8.
THE close connection between this and the preceding chapter
will be at once perceived. Ezra 7 closed with the words, "And I gathered
together out of Israel chief men to go up with me;" this commences with, "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." This genealogy
reaches to the end of verse 14, and it shows how precious to God were the very
names of those who responded to His call at such a moment. The response itself
is the fruit of His grace; but in the exercise of that same grace He is pleased
to impute to His people that which He Himself had produced in their hearts. It
was a goodly company, numbering over fifteen hundred souls, who were thus
gathered to return to the land of their fathers - the land of all their
traditions, as well as the land of all their hopes.
The first act of
Ezra was to assemble them by "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." (v. 15) There were two, but only two, priests;
viz., Gershom, son of Phinehas, and Daniel, son of Ithamar; but of the
Levitical family, outside the priesthood, there was absolutely not one. Well
might Ezra have been concerned, for it was a sad symptom of the state into
which the people had fallen. The priests alone enjoyed access to the holy place
of the house of their God, and the Levites alone were the appointed ministers
in all that appertained to its service; and yet when the proclamation was made
that they might return and once more resume their privileges, they were
untouched and indifferent. They had found a home in the very place where their
fathers had hung their harps on the willows, and wept when they remembered
Zion. And it is the same with God's people now. The moment they are tempted by
the enemy to "mind earthly things," they become careless of their spiritual
privileges, and, if not aroused from their lethargy, may even become "enemies
of the cross of Christ." No child of God who understands his heavenly calling
could be content to dwell in Babylon.
Nor was Ezra content to leave
the Levites behind. Besides, he knew the needs of the Lord's house, and it
pained this devoted servant to find them caring for their own things rather
than for the courts of Jehovah. He accordingly took measures to reach their
consciences, that they might even yet join him in his mission to Jerusalem. To
this end he sent for some of their chief men, among whom were Joiarib and
Elnathan, "men of understanding." It is well for the people of God when, in
times of decay and corruption, there are still men of understanding to be
found. It is by these that God preserves His saints from sinking into still
deeper depths, and keeps alive what of faith and hope may still remain. Ezra
knew where to put his hand on some of these; and his zeal for the work on which
his heart was set is expressed in the commission with which he entrusted them.
He says, "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." (v. 17.) It is said of the Lord Jesus, or
rather, speaking in spirit, He Himself said, "The zeal of thine house hath
eaten me up" (Psalm 69: 9; John 2: 17); and this was because the glory of the
Father was ever His supreme object. God's name, God's honour, were ever the
delight of His soul. And Ezra also, in his measure, desired Jehovah's honour in
His house, and was therefore in fellowship with the heart of God Himself. This
was the secret of his earnestness in seeking to obtain ministers for the house
of our God."
And God wrought with him, as he himself confesses; for he
says, "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; and Hashablah, and with
him Jeshaiah, of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty; 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." (vv. 18-20.) There were still less than forty Levites, while there were
two hundred and twenty Nethinims. It is another proof that, amid the carnal
ease of Babylon, the national hopes and privileges of the nation had ceased to
exert any practical power upon their minds. By the side of the sloth of the
Levites, it is beautiful to notice the number of the Nethinims (probably of an
alien race) that obeyed the summons of Ezra.
All was now ready, as far
as collecting the people was concerned; but both Ezra as well as the people
needed preparation for the journey which they had undertaken. Hence he says,
"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. 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. So we fasted and besought our God for this; and He was entreated
of us." (vv. 21-23.)
The work of God is never lightly to be entered
upon; and it was with a true discernment both of the character of the work, and
of what was due to His glory who had called him to it, that Ezra proclaimed
this fast, that he and the people might afflict themselves before their God.
The flesh cannot be used, in any shape and form, in the Lord's service; and it
is only when in true separation from all that it might feed upon, and in
humiliation in the presence of God, that our motives, aims, and objects are
tested and become apparent. Thus amongst those that had gathered around Ezra,
some might have been attracted by other things than the welfare of the house of
their God. This is always the case in any action of the Holy Spirit. Ezra,
therefore, would have all searched by the light of God's holy presence, that
they might learn that nothing would avail to protect and guide them in their
journey, and nothing could sustain them by the way or in their after service,
but the good hand of their God. Thus it was that he and they together fasted,
afflicted their souls, and prayed.
And the question may well arise
whether in this day our service for God is not often too easily taken up;
whether it would not conduce to spiritual power and efficacy if, before we
embarked upon anything for God, we were more frequently found in this attitude
of Ezra and his companions. Far be it from us to insinuate for one moment that
the Lord's servants do not thus seek His face before commencing their service.
Our question concerns rather collective waiting upon God, with fasting, before
work is entered upon in which the saints at large have a common interest. It
was understood in the early Church; for we read, "There were in the Church that
was at Antioch prophets. . . . As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the
Holy Ghost said, Separate me now Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I
have called them." (Acts 13: 1, 2.) If there were but a revival of such a
practice in the power of the Holy Ghost (for to imitate it without the power
would be worse than useless), far larger results from service in teaching and
ministry might be confidently anticipated.
Another reason for this
gathering actuated Ezra. He was a man of faith, and he had avowed before the
king his confidence in God for protection during his journey, and he would not
therefore ask for a military escort. And now, in consistency with his
profession, he, together with the people, cast himself on God for guidance, for
a "right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance." As
every believer knows, it is one thing to express trust in God before a
difficulty comes, and another thing to maintain that dependence in the presence
of, and when passing through, the difficulty. Ezra was able to do both, and was
able to rest in the assurance that the hand of his God would be upon all them
that seek Him for good, and that His power and His wrath would be against all
them that forsake Him. All this he doubtless told out before the Lord during
this fast, and indeed he had pledged the faithfulness of God before a Gentile
monarch, so that the name and honour of Jehovah, were concerned in appearing
for His servant. Ezra tells us, "So we fasted and besought our God for this;
and He was entreated of us." Yea, God delights to respond to the confidence of
His people, and to appear for those who testify to what He is for them amid
trials and dangers.
The reader should remark, that it was no imaginary
danger which Ezra had conjured up; for he records afterward to the praise of
his God that "He delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in
wait by the way." (v. 31.) Surely God is the refuge and strength of His people,
and a very present help for them in trouble, and they would know it more fully
if, like Ezra, they did but learn to count upon Him as all-sufficient in all
possible circumstances. When Nehemiah made the same journey some years after,
he was accompanied by captains of the army and horsemen. (Neh. 2: 9.) In him
faith was not in such lively exercise, though he had a true heart for the
Lord's interests. How much better to trust in the Lord than in a visible arm!
and they that wait on Him will, like Ezra, never be ashamed.
In the
next place Ezra "separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah,
Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren," to take charge of the offerings he had
received for the house of their God until they should arrive at Jerusalem. (vv.
24-30.) The ground of the choice was, that they were "holy unto the Lord," as
also were the vessels. (v. 28.) As the prophet said, "Ye must be clean that
bear the vessels of the Lord." And this we know was according to the divine
order; for none but the priests and Levites could touch or carry the holy
vessels or furniture of the house of God. (See Num. 4)
Out of a blind
misconception of this, and of the nature of Christianity, has grown the
ecclesiastical custom of setting apart an order of men, the clergy, for
ministration in the Church. It is quite true that those who minister in any way
from the Lord to His people must needs be set apart for their service; but this
must be accomplished, not by the hands of men, but by the sovereign action in
grace of God through the power of the Holy Ghost. Under law there was a
distinct class of men - the priests and the Levites - but these were divinely
appointed and divinely consecrated; but under grace, while there are still
distinctions of gifts and services (1 Cor. 12), all believers alike are
priests, and as such have an indefeasible title to appear in the holiest in the
immediate presence of God.
It was then to the custody of the priests
that Ezra committed the holy vessels, and the silver and the gold, which had
been given as a free-will offering unto the Lord God of their fathers. And he
enjoined them to watch and keep these things "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." (v. 29.) The expression
"weigh them" contains a principle of importance. It was not that Ezra doubted
the fidelity of the priests he had selected; but even as the apostle of a later
age, he would "provide for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord,
but also in the sight of men." (2 Cor. 8: 21.) The people might have had full
confidence in the integrity both of Ezra and of the priests; but Ezra would
remove all occasion for the enemy's work by having the vessels, and the silver
and the gold, weighed when put into the priest's hands, and again weighed when
delivered. He thus proved his and their fidelity. And surely this is a godly, a
scriptural example to be followed by those who in any way have charge of the
offerings of the Lord's people. Such should be careful to render an account of
their stewardship, and not wait to be pressed to give it.
Many a
difficulty in the Church of God might have been obviated if this practice had
been adopted, It may further be noted that on reaching Jerusalem the weighing
was done by others than Ezra, "and all the weight was written at that time."
(vv. 33, 34.) In modern language, the accounts of Ezra were checked and
audited, and this was done on the fourth day after the completion of their
journey.
In verse 31 we have a short statement (already alluded to)
concerning their journey. It simply records the faithfulness of their God in
answer to their prayers. "Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the
twelfth day of the first month, to go to 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. And we came to Jerusalem." In Ezra 7: 9, it is said that they
began to go up upon the first day of the first month, this being the probable
date of gathering the people to the river Ahava. (Ezra 8: 15.) The actual
journey occupied therefore a little less than four months; and Ezra testifies
that God safely guided them through all its perils and dangers, and shielded
them from all their foes. Truly "the name of the Lord is a strong tower: the
righteous runneth into it, and is safe."
Nor were they unmindful of
the Lord after the difficulties of their journey were over; for "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."
It is
touching in the extreme to see this feeble remnant, as also was the case at the
dedication of the house of God (Ezra 6: 17), embrace in their faith the whole
of Israel. They were but few in number, but they could accept no narrower
ground than that of the twelve tribes, and to this they testified by the number
of their offerings. It is the same now, or should be so, with those who are
gathered out to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ on the ground of the one
body. They also may be few, feeble, and poor; but if they have any intelligence
of the wealthy place into which they have been brought, they will refuse any
narrower ground than that of all the members of the one body; and if they hold
this truth in power, their sacrifices of praise will bear witness to it in the
presence of all. Failing to do so, they degenerate, whatever their profession,
into the narrowest sectarianism, than which nothing is more abhorrent to the
mind of the Lord.
Others may taunt them with their poverty and broken
condition; but if they do but, "with all lowliness and meekness, with
long-suffering, forbearing one another in love," endeavour to keep the unity of
the Spirit in the bond of peace, maintaining before God the sense of oneness
with all the saints, the Lord will abundantly sustain them with His approbation
and blessing.
It will be noticed that there were two kinds of
sacrifices - burnt-offerings and sin-offerings. From the numbers, it would seem
that the twelve he goats, as well as the twelve bullocks, were for all Israel,
and that the other offerings were individual, the spontaneous expression of
grateful hearts for the mercy of Jehovah, towards them, in bringing them in
safety to Jerusalem and to His house.
Having thus put themselves under
the efficacy of the sacrifices, and having established their relationships with
God on the only possible ground, they proceeded to deliver "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." (v. 36.) This
order is as instructive as beautiful. They first placed themselves under the
favour of God, through their offerings, and then they turned to the king's
officers. They gave their God their first thoughts and the first place, and
they owned thereby that all depended on Him. He answered to His people's
confidence by touching the hearts of the lieutenants and governors, and
inclining them to favour His people and the object they had in view.
How blessed it is to be wholly dependent on God, and to look to Him alone to
further His cause!
Ezra 9
WHOEVER seeks the welfare of
God's people must expect a path of trial and sorrow; for, with the affections
of God Himself actuating him, the servant will, in his measure, identify
himself with their state and condition while labouring for the glory of God in
their midst. This was perfectly exemplified in the life of Him who was able to
say, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up;" and also, in no mean degree,
in His servant Paul, who says, in the power of the Holy Ghost, "I endure all
things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is
in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." (2 Tim. 2: 10)
It was the
experience also of Ezra in the opening of this chapter. Filled with a holy
zeal, he had been moved to come up to Jerusalem, that he might "teach in Israel
statutes and judgments;" and he finds at the very outset that many of the
chosen people had already sunk nearly as low as, if not lower than, the
Canaanites, whom God had cast out before them. He says:
"Now when
these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel,
and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people
of the lands, doing according to their abominations, even of the Canaanites,
the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the
Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken of their daughters for
themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves
with the people of those lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath
been chief in this trespass." (vv. 1, 2.)
Such is man! Nay, such are
the people of God when following the inclination of their own hearts, instead
of walking in obedience to His word! Remark, moreover, that when the saints
fall into sin, it is often into worse and grosser forms of sin than those
committed by the people of the world. It is as if Satan, having gained the
advantage over them, would mock at and triumph over them by displaying the most
horrible forms of the flesh. In the case before us, it was not only the
abominations of the Canaanites, etc. (the former inhabitants of the land), but
also those of the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites,
into which the children of the captivity had fallen; i.e., into every possible
form of corruption.
And all this had taken place in so short a time -
within a few years of the completion of the temple. Objects of the special
grace of God in their deliverance from their Babylonish: captivity, they had
turned His grace into lasciviousness.
What forbearance and
long-suffering on the part of Him who had restored them once again to the land
of their fathers, in that He did not instantly deal with them in judgment! But
if His people are ever the same in their backsliding and sins, He is also
unchangeable in His mercy and grace. Hence the gifts and calling of God are
without repentance; and therein, and therein alone, lies the security of His
people.
The special sin here mentioned is, that "the holy seed have
mingled themselves with the people of those lands;" i.e., by inter-marriages.
This had been expressly forbidden. (See Ex. 34: 12-16.) It was therefore in
wilful disobedience that they had contracted these shameful alliances with the
world; for this is what these marriages typify - the besetting sin of God's
people in every age. The apostle James thus says, "Ye adulterers and
adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?
whosoever therefore will be" (is minded to be) "a friend of the world is the
enemy of God" (James 4: 4); and the apostle Paul cries, "Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with
unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord
hath Christ with Belial?" etc. (2 Cor. 6: 14, 15.) For if Jehovah, deigned to
say that He was married to Israel (Isa. 54; Jer. 2), believers now are said to
be married to Christ. (Rom. 7; 2 Cor. 11) Whether for the Jew therefore or for
the Christian to unite himself with the world is both unfaithfulness and sin,
as well as to forget the holy place of separation into which the former had
been, and the Christian is called.
Nor was this sin confined to any
one class of the people. "The hand of the princes and rulers had been chief in
this trespass," and the priests and the Levites, as well as the people, are
distinctly named. It would seem then that the princes and rulers had first set
the example, and that the others had only been too ready to follow. "One sinner
destroyeth much good," especially when that one has a place of position and
influence. As when a standard-bearer fainteth in the day of battle, the
soldiers are often discouraged and so easily defeated, so after Satan has
succeeded in entrapping a leader in the Church of God, he often finds it easy
work to ensnare many who are less conspicuous. On this account the sin of a
ruler or priest under the law needed a larger sacrifice than that of one of the
common people. It is therefore a solemn thing - solemn for himself and for the
consequences entailed - when a "prince" or "ruler" becomes the leader of God's
people into the path of worldliness and idolatry.
Such were the heavy
tidings brought to the ears of Ezra soon after his arrival in Jerusalem; and in
the next verse we have the effect produced upon this pious and devoted soul. He
says, "And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and
plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astonied." (v. 3)
He was thus smitten with a great and unspeakable grief because of the sins of
his people, and the secret of the intensity of his sorrow, expressed in all
these outward signs of humiliation before God was that he felt in his inmost
soul the dishonour done to Jehovah's holy name.
It is comparatively
easy to feel for God's people when they are dishonoured by their sinful conduct
in the eyes of the world; but it is only those who are, through, the power of
the Holy Ghost, in communion with the mind of God, those who share in His
affections for His own, those therefore who first and foremost are filled with
zeal for the maintenance of His glory, that can estimate their sin as it
affects the holy Name by which they are called, can go down, take up, make the
sin their own, and tell it all out before God. Moses, Nehemiah, and Daniel are
examples of this in their several measures, as well as Ezra; but all these,
with others that might be named, are but feeble foreshadowings of Him who so
identified Himself with His people that in confessing their sins He said, "O
God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee." (Ps. 69:
5.)
The grief and humiliation of Ezra were used to reach the
consciences of others, or rather to attract to him all who in any degree had
mourned over the condition of the people; for he tells us, "Then were assembled
unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of
the transgression of those that had been carried away." (v. 4.) "To this man,"
says the Lord, "will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit,
and trembleth at my word;" for trembling at God's word is the evidence of a,
tender conscience, of one walking in the fear of God, and desiring to he found
in His ways. Blessed was it therefore that there were still such among the
children of the captivity, though it would seem their trembling sprang rather
from an apprehension of the consequences of the transgression of their fellows,
than from a gracious fear of offending their God.
However this might
have been, where had they been, and where their testimony before the arrival of
Ezra? But that their hearts were true is shown by their taking their stand at
this critical moment with him; and we learn at the same time that we have no
power to help our brethren until we distinctly and openly take our stand
against the evil by which they have been ensnared. Faithfulness to God is the
first qualification for helping others.
Ezra retained his place in the
dust - borne down by his inexpressible sorrow - until the evening sacrifice. If
on the one hand he was heart-broken on account of the people's sin, on the
other he discerned, in the exercise of faith, the only ground of approach to
God concerning it. In a word, he laid hold of the efficacy of the sacrifice as
the foundation on which he could appear before God to spread out before Him the
iniquities of the children of Israel. (Compare 1 Sam. 7: 9; 1 Kings 18: 36,
etc.) The evening sacrifice was a burnt-offering, all of which, consumed on the
altar, went up as a sweet savour unto the Lord; and when once Ezra was before
Him in the value of this - in all the value typically of what Christ was to God
in His death - the success of his intercession was assured. The Lord Himself
could on this account say, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do,
that the Father may he glorified in the Son." (John 14: 13.) It was then, as
understanding the value of the sacrifice, that Ezra rose up from his heaviness,
and having rent his garment and mantle, he fell upon his knees, and spread out
his hands unto the Lord his God, and confessed the sins of his people. Let us
examine a little these outpourings of his burdened heart.
Remark,
first, how completely he takes the place of the people before God. He says, "O
my God, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, my, God: for our
iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the
heavens." (v. 6.) Not even in spirit does he separate himself from those who
had sinned; he and they - indeed, all the people - are one, corporately one
before God. It was so in the eyes of God Himself; for when Achan transgressed,
He said to Joshua, "Israel hath sinned." Ezra understood this, and was thus
qualified to become an intercessor for the people with God; for unless we
apprehend our oneness with God's people, that their sin and sorrow are our sin
and sorrow, we cannot truly bear them on our hearts before the Lord in the time
of their need.
Having thus taken their place, Ezra confessed that
nothing but sin had marked them from the days of their fathers, and that all
God's judicial dealings with them, in delivering them "into the hand of the
kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to
confusion of face, as it is this day," had been on account of their iniquities.
He justified God in all His past dealings with His people. And then he owned
the grace that had been shown to them from the Lord their God in bringing back
a remnant, "and to give us a nail in His holy place, that our God may lighten
our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage. For," he adds, "we are
[not were, as in our version] bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our
bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia,
to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the
desolations thereof and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. (vv. 8,
9.)
The order of Ezra's confessions is most instructive. Having owned
the sins of his brethren, and justified God in His ways with His people, he in
the next place magnifies the grace which had visited them in their low estate,
and had brought them - a remnant - back to the land, and permitted them once
again to set up the house of their God. But why does he recite this proof of
Jehovah's grace and mercy? It was to show the character of His people's sin;
for he proceeds, "And now, O our God, what shall we say after this, for we have
forsaken thy commandments;" and then he confesses that they had sinned against
both light and grace. He conceals nothing, and extenuates nothing, but spreads
all out before God, whilst he owns that if, after all the mercy they had
received (v. 13), they should again break God's commandments, and "join in
affinity with the people of these abominations," God might well be angry with
them till He had consumed them, "so that there should be no remnant nor
escaping." (v. 14.) He then concludes by once more justifying God, and by
taking His part against himself and the people. He says, "O Lord God of Israel,
thou art righteous, for we remain yet escaped, as it is this day: behold, we
are before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of
this." (v. 15.)
There is much in this inspired confession to commend
to the attention of the Lord's people. Its main features have already been
indicated; but we desire to emphasize the fact that Ezra from first to last
justifies God, and lays bare the iniquities of his people. This in itself is
not only a proof of the work of the Holy Spirit, but also a promise of
blessing. The place of confession is always the place both of restoration and
of spiritual power; and hence it is always a sign of a bad condition when that
place is rarely taken. Let us then for a moment challenge ourselves. We have
more than once pointed out the correspondence between this remnant and that
gathered out to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day. Is there
no correspondence between the sins of the two? Is it not the fact that we have
largely "joined in affinity" with the people of the world? Have we not
submitted ourselves to their habits, ways, and customs? Is not worldliness our
bane? Are not traces of Egypt to be seen everywhere in the assembly? Do we not
think more of riches and, social position than of the fruits of the Spirit?
Moreover, is it not seldom that our sins (we do not mean our
individual sins, but the sins of God's people) are really confessed in our
meetings? Nay, is there not an unwillingness on our parts to hear our sins
spread out before the Lord? If, for example, our departures from the word of
God are owned, our setting aside the authority of Christ, our coldness, our
unfaithfulness to the Lord and His truth, our want of separation - if these
things are told out in our meetings for prayer, is there not often a manifest
impatience, a feeling like that expressed in Malachi, "Wherein have we done
this or that?" But we cannot too soon learn the lesson that the Lord will have
reality; that, if we are blind to it, He sees our condition, and that until we
are brought to own it, like Ezra in this scripture, He must from His very love
to us deal with us in corrections and chastisements.
It should also be
observed that Ezra does not once pray for forgiveness. Nay, with any
intelligence of the mind of God, it was impossible that he should do so. When
there is known evil in our hearts or in the assembly, our first responsibility
is to judge it, not to pray for forgiveness. Thus, when Joshua lay on his face
before the Lord, after the defeat of Israel by the men of Ai, the Lord said,
"Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned,"
etc.
And yet how often does Satan beguile the Lord's people, in a time
of manifested evil, by suggesting through one or another, Let us pray about it.
Confess our sins we surely should, but even then only as seeking grace and
strength to deal with the evil, and to separate ourselves from it; for if Ezra
lay before the Lord in this chapter owning his people's guilt, we shall see him
in the next energetic in dealing with the sin he had confessed, and resting not
until it had been put away.
Ezra 10
THE Lord used the
sorrow of His servant to reach the consciences of His people, who had been
guilty of transgressing His commandments; for, in truth, the sorrow of Ezra was
no common sorrow. Every indication is given of the intensity of his grief. When
he "had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down
before the house of God." By his prayer, his confessions, his tears, and his
prostration before God, he had told out his grief for the sins of Israel; and
he had done so publicly "before the house of God." It became known therefore to
those for whom he had been pleading; and "there assembled unto him out of
Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people
wept very sore." (v. 1.)
It would seem that the tears of the people
proceeded either from contrition, or from fear of the consequences of their
misdeeds. Ezra was armed with authority (see Ezra 7: 25, 26), and his zeal for
his God was manifested; and they therefore knew that he would proceed to
separate them from the evil for which he had humbled himself before God. This
would entail upon many of them the most bitter consequences. Though they had
acted in self-will, in disobedience, their hearts might have been truly upon
the wives they had married, and upon their children. To separate from them
might thus involve the rending of the most affectionate ties, a prospect which
might well cause them to weep. That this is the explanation of their tears
seems plain, from the fact that women and children were found with the
congregation that had gathered about Ezra. Alas! how hard it is to retrace the
steps of unfaithfulness and sin! And how often the bitter fruits of it remain
for the rest of our lives!
There were some, however, who saw the
necessity of proceeding at once to act in the matter, at whatever cost,
knowing, as they must have done, that Jehovah, could not bless them, or prosper
them in the land, as long as they were living in open violation of His
commandments. "Shechaniah the son of Jehiel," we read, "one of the sons of
Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have
taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel
concerning this thing. Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put
away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of
my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be
done according to the law. Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also
will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it." (vv. 2-4.)
Several
points in this address of Shechaniah may with profit be noticed. First, it is
worthy of attention, as noticed in the last chapter, how the Lord uses the
faithful zeal of one to arouse others to the sense of their condition. Before
the advent of Ezra, the consciences of all seem to have been deadened. Not even
Jeshua or Zerubbabel appear to have been troubled because of the prevailing
sin. Ezra was alone, and alone he would be, if necessary, in taking the part of
God against the transgression of the people. But it needed courage and a single
eye, and both these things Ezra, by grace, possessed. And he had God with him
in the part he was taking; and now we see the effect. Shechaniah comes forward
on behalf of the people, owns their sin, and accepts the necessity of
subjection to the Word; and besides him there were those who trembled at the
commandment of God (those alluded to in chap. 9: 4), who had been drawn to the
side of Ezra. In times of evil, the only path of blessing - and even of
success, in its divine sense - is the path of fidelity.
Secondly, it
may be observed, that both wives and those born of them were to be put away.
The wives, not being of Israel, were unclean, and the children, the fruit of
the mixed marriages, were also regarded as unclean. This was under law, - but
now under grace all this is reversed. Not that a Christian is at liberty to
intermarry with the unconverted; but, as the apostle teaches, "the unbelieving
husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by
the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy." (1 Cor.
7: 14.) That is, if either husbands or wives, converted after their marriage,
find themselves linked up with the unconverted, the above instruction applies
to their case.
Under law, as in the scripture before us, the heathen
wife and her children were to be sent away; but under grace the unbelieving
wife is sanctified by her husband, and the children are holy. It will be
readily understood that the sanctification referred to is of an external
character, as well as the holiness of the children. The wives and children were
dismissed under the law because they were unclean, and as such could not be
admitted into the congregation of Israel; but under grace the unconverted wife
is sanctified through the husband, and is thus considered as set apart for God
with His people on the earth. So also the children, they are holy; i.e.,
separated off from the world through the death and resurrection of Christ, and
reckoned therefore on earth as belonging to His people. If this holiness is
purely external, and carries no saving power with it, as it surely does not -
for salvation is ever connected with the personal exercise of faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ - it yet bestows the inestimable privilege of being in the place
of blessing, the sphere where the Holy Spirit dwells and acts.
Grace
could not be confined within the narrow limits of the law, even as our Lord
taught when He said, "No man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new
wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish."
(Luke 5: 37.) And how precious to us to learn that the heart of God is
interested in all who are linked up by natural ties with His people on the
earth!
It may also be pointed out that Shechaniah owns the authority
of the Word. "Let it be done," he says, "according to the law." The restoration
of the authority of the law over the ways, if not over the hearts and
consciences, of the people was the object of Ezra's mission (Ezra 7: 10), and
God had now provided him with a helper in Shechaniah. There is, in truth, no
other way of reformation amongst God's people.
In the course of time,
as may be seen in every dispensation, customs, human maxims, traditions, etc.,
are adopted to the neglect of the written Word (see Matt. 15; 1 Tim. 4 etc.),
all of which are the fruitful cause of corruption, both in heart and life as
well as in the government of God's house. The only remedy therefore in times of
departure is the rigid application. of that Word which is living and powerful,
and sharper than any two-edged sword, and the refusal of all which it condemns.
Thereby also the people themselves are brought into the presence of God and His
claims, and are encouraged to hear what "the Spirit saith unto the churches."
Individual consciences are aroused and enlightened, and, acted upon by
the Spirit of God, all who tremble at the word of the Lord (Ezra 9: 4) are
drawn together in the common desire that the Lord's name may be vindicated and
His supremacy be restored. Shechaniah's counsel was thus of God, and sprang
from a true perception of the cause of Israel's sins, and what was due to Him
whose name had been profaned by the transgressions of His people.
Finally, he urges Ezra forward. "Arise," he said; "for this matter belongeth
unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it." How
grateful these words must have been to the burdened heart of Ezra! And
doubtless he would see in them the interposition of God in answer to his
prayers. He had indeed learned the source of all wisdom and strength; and thus
he turned to the Lord before he sought to rectify the abuses which were
prevalent in the midst of Israel. Hence the Lord went before him, prepared the
way and inclined the people to confess and put away their sin.
It is
an immense thing to learn, as Ezra had done, that nothing can be accomplished
for God by human energy, that it is only as He gives wisdom and strength,
discernment and opportunity, that anything can be accomplished.
Ezra
redeemed the opportunity which the Lord had thus made for him, and he "made the
chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do
according to this word. And they sware." (v. 5.) He thus bound them by a solemn
oath to do what they had promised. One cannot but be struck with the spiritual
power thus exhibited by one man. The secret of it was, that he was in communion
with the mind of God, was standing in faithfulness for God in the midst of
common unfaithfulness; and thus God was, and wrought, with His servant. To the
outward eye, Ezra was almost alone; but the truth is, it was God and Ezra; and
thus it came to pass that the hearts of the people were bowed before him. What
a difference it makes when God is brought in! Many a servant might well be
daunted when he views the opposition and difficulties by which he is
confronted; but the moment he raises his eyes to the Lord, he measures
everything by what He is, and immediately the obstacles he deplored become to
his faith but occasions for the display of His power in whom he was trusting.
Our only concern therefore should be - to see that, like Jonathan, we are
working with God.
The work, however, was not yet done, and the sorrow
of Ezra continued as long as the sin remained; for he felt in his inmost soul
the dishonour done to the name of his God. He then, we read, "rose up from
before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of
Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for
he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away."
(v. 6.) Ezra felt the sin of his people according to God, and it was in this
way God qualified him to separate His people from their sin. When the Lord came
down from the mount, and cast out the demon from the afflicted lad, His
disciples asked, "Why could not we cast him out?" The answer was, "Because of
your unbelief;" and then, after declaring the efficacy of faith to remove
mountains, He added, "Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by prayer and
fasting." And surely we may say that an unclean spirit had entered into Israel
at this time, and it was precisely because Ezra had been before God with prayer
and fasting that he could be used to cast him out. Yea, is it not the secret of
all spiritual power - to be thus alone with God? There is indeed no power
without it, and hence the want of it betrays the fact that we have been so
little like Ezra in this scripture.
Proclamation was thereon made
"throughout Judah and Jerusalem" that all the children of the captivity should
come within three days to Jerusalem, under the penalty for disobedience of the
forfeiture of their substance and excision from the congregation. (vv. 7, 8.)
All came, "all the men of Judah and Benjamin," in the ninth month, on the
twentieth day of the month. It must have been a striking scene, one easily
recalled, as here described - "And all the people sat in the street of the
house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain." Their
bodily discomfort added to the sorrow within.
Ezra rose and addressed
them. First, he charged them with their sin (v. 10), and then urged them to
confess "unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do His pleasure: and separate
yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives." (v. 11)
His first thought therefore was concerning what was due to Jehovah, but if they
confessed to Him they must submit themselves to His will.
Too often
the soul deceives itself even by confession - confession without judging the
sin. Ezra was too well instructed in the word and in the ways of God to permit
this; and hence there must be self-judgment and separation from the evil as
well as its confession. The order of the separation too is most instructive -
"From the people of the land, and from the strange wives." As marrying the
strange wives had been the sin, it might be thought that these would be
mentioned first. But what had led to these marriages? Association with the
people of the land. This was the root of the mischief, and Ezra thus deals
first with it. So in all departures from God, until the root is discovered
nothing is gained, and restoration is impossible.
The Lord Himself has
given a perfect illustration of this in His dealing with Peter. Not until He
had asked him three times, "Lovest thou me?" (once, "Lovest thou me more than
these?" for confidence in his own love to Christ - a love, as he affirmed,
greater than that of the rest - was the cause of his fall) did He effect his
restoration. It was on this same principle that Ezra acted when he demanded
separation, first of all, from the people of the land.
The power of
God was still manifestly with His servant. The people assented to his demands,
for they had been made to feel that "the fierce wrath of their God" was upon
them because of their sins. They answered, "As thou hast said, so must we do."
They only pleaded that the work could not be carried our there and then; for
they said, "The people are many and it is a time of much rain, and we are not
able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are
many that have transgressed in this thing. Let now our rulers of all the
congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our
cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the
judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned
from us." (vv. 12-14.)
The plea and counsel of the people were
accepted, and we have in the next place the names of those who were employed
about the matter. (v. 15) Further we are told that "Ezra the priest, with
certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them
by their names, were separated [i.e., set apart for this work], and sat down in
the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter. And they made an end
with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first
month." Thus in two months the work was completed. Thereafter is given a list
of the names of those who had transgressed, concerning which there are two or
three remarks to be made.
First, the names of the priests who had
fallen into sin are recorded, and these are divided into two classes. In verse
18 there are "the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren;" and in
verses 20-22 other priests. (See Ezra 2: 37-40.) The former were held, it would
seem, to be the more culpable, and with reason; for Jeshua had been associated,
in the grace of God, with Zerubbabel, as the leaders of His people in building
His house. It shows how that all conscience had been lost as to the character
of their sin. "The priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they [the people]
should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of
hosts;" but in this case the priests had corrupted the people by their evil
ways. But now being dealt with "they gave their hands that they would put away
their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their
trespass." This, it will be observed, is only said of the kindred of Jeshua.
The names of the rest, priests, Levites, singers, porters, and Israel are
singly given.
This leads to our second observation - that nothing
escapes the eye of God. By Him all our actions are weighed and recorded, one
day to be produced either to magnify His grace, or (if we include unbelievers)
as the ground of righteous judgment. "We must all," says the apostle, "appear
before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done
in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2
Cor. 5: 10)
Finally, it may be pointed out that while Ezra, as may he
seen from Nehemiah (Neh. 8: 1), continued to labour in the midst of his people,
he no longer appears as the prominent figure - as the leader. Together with
this chapter his special work was done, and he discerns it. For this great
grace is needed. The temptation, when the Lord uses one of His servants for
some particular and public service, is to think that he must continue in a
foremost place. If he yield to the temptation, it brings sorrow to himself, and
failure for the people. The Lord who uses one today, may send another tomorrow;
and blessed is that servant who can recognize, as Ezra did, when his special
mission is ended, and who is willing, like John the Baptist, to be anything or
nothing if so be his Lord may be exalted.