His Righteousness Endures Forever

November 30, 2024November 30, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹⁸Now there were found some of the sons of the priests who had married foreign women: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah, some of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brothers. ¹⁹They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt. ²⁰Of the sons of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah. ²¹Of the sons of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah. ²²Of the sons of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.

²³Of the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer. ²⁴Of the singers: Eliashib. Of the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem, and Uri.

²⁵And of Israel: of the sons of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah. ²⁶Of the sons of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah. ²⁷Of the sons of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza. ²⁸Of the sons of Bebai were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai. ²⁹Of the sons of Bani were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth. ³⁰Of the sons of Pahath-moab: Adna, Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh. ³¹Of the sons of Harim: Eliezer, Isshijah, Malchijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, ³²Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah. ³³Of the sons of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei. ³⁴Of the sons of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, ³⁵Benaiah, Bedeiah, Cheluhi, ³⁶Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, ³⁷Mattaniah, Mattenai, Jaasu. ³⁸Of the sons of Binnui: Shimei, ³⁹Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, ⁴⁰Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai, ⁴¹Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, ⁴²Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph. ⁴³Of the sons of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah. ⁴⁴All these had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne children. – Ezra 10:18-44 ESV

The Book of Ezra ends on a rather down note with what appears to be a comprehensive list of all the priests who violated God’s law by marrying foreign wives. These spiritual leaders of Israel were forced to “put away” or divorce their non-Hebrew wives. Sadly, the children born into these mixed-race marriages became the innocent victims of their fathers’ indiscretions and disobedience to God’s command. Like all children who unwillingly suffer the consequences of a divorce for which they were not responsible, these boys and girls found their lives upended and their futures destroyed.

This sad state of affairs had begun among the community’s spiritual leaders. Ezra lists the names of 111 men who served as priests, Levites, and Temple servants and “had married foreign women, and some of the women had even borne children” (Ezra 10:44 ESV). These members of Judah’s spiritual elite had failed to observe one of God’s cardinal commands. Yahweh had set them apart from the rest of the nation of Israel and designated them as His servants. They were to be holy in all their actions and serve as role models for the people of God. But these descendants of Aaron had dropped the ball and set a dangerous precedence that influenced and infected the flock under their care. God would later issue a stinging indictment to His flawed and unfaithful priests.

“Listen, you priests—this command is for you! Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart. I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile. Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin.

“The words of a priest’s lips should preserve knowledge of God, and people should go to him for instruction, for the priest is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. But you priests have left God’s paths. Your instructions have caused many to stumble into sin. You have corrupted the covenant I made with the Levites,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “So I have made you despised and humiliated in the eyes of all the people. For you have not obeyed me but have shown favoritism in the way you carry out my instructions.” – Malachi 2:1-9 NLT

As God’s hand-picked servants, these men were held to a higher standard. Yahweh had commissioned them to serve and protect His chosen people. As His undershepherds, they were obligated to feed and care for His flock. But, instead, they abandoned God’s law and sought to place their selfish desires above those of the people. The priests of Judah had unwittingly followed in the footsteps of their counterparts in the northern kingdom of Israel. God expressed His divine outrage with those unfaithful shepherds in the Book of Hosea.

“My people are being destroyed
    because they don’t know me.
Since you priests refuse to know me,
    I refuse to recognize you as my priests.
Since you have forgotten the laws of your God,
    I will forget to bless your children.
The more priests there are,
    the more they sin against me.
They have exchanged the glory of God
    for the shame of idols.” – Hosea 4:6-7 NLT

God went on to summarize the devastating impact of their failure to serve as spiritual role models for the people.

“‘…what the priests do, the people also do.’
So now I will punish both priests and people
for their wicked deeds.” – Hosea 4:9 NLT

This was the case in Judah as Ezra chronicled the names of the guilty. His list was a who’s who of Judah’s spiritual leadership, containing the names of more than 100 men who, as the sons of Levitical priests, were responsible for the nation’s spiritual well-being. But Ezra was forced to begin his purging of the ranks by dealing with the very men who should have prevented any of this from happening in the first place.

Ezra provides no details as to how the dissolution of these marriages took place. But it is safe to assume that this was a very dark day in the lives of all those involved. Husbands and wives were permanently separated. Family units were broken up. Women and children walked away facing bleak and uncertain futures. It was anything but a happy occasion.

Ezra spares his audience from having to read the dismal details of the nationwide purging that Judah had to endure. Once the religious leaders put away their pagan wives and children, the rest of the people had to follow suit. There is no way of knowing how long this process took but its impact on the nation would have been profound and long-lasting.

Thirteen years will pass before Ezra’s name is mentioned again in the pages of Scripture. He appears in the latter portion of the Book of Nehemiah after the reconstruction of the city’s walls is complete. In celebration of this momentous occasion, Nehemiah assembled the people together and called on Ezra to read the Mosaic Law out loud.

…all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.

So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand. He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. – Nehemiah 8:1-4 NLT

As Ezra stood up to read, he was surrounded by a host of priests and Levites who spread out among the people to ensure that everything he said was understood.

They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage. – Nehemiah 8:8 NLT

The people were emotionally overwhelmed as they considered the many ways in which they had violated God’s law. Their tears flowed as their guilt consumed them. But the priests encouraged them to express joy rather than sadness.

“Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” – Nehemiah 8:9 NLT

“Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” – Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

“Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” – Nehemiah 8:11 NLT

This was a day of joy because the Temple had been restored, the city had been rebuilt, and the walls had been completed. But even more significant than that, the law had been declared, explained, and understood.

So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them. – Nehemiah 8:12 NLT

Despite their disobedience and apostasy, God had kept His promises. Though they had repeatedly violated His law, He faithfully fulfilled His covenant commitments. Even as Ezra and the people of Judah suffered through the aftermath of the breakup of so many marriages and families, God was not done with them. Their work would continue. The repopulation of Judah would carry on and the rebuilding of the city of David would one day be complete.

But what about all those recently abandoned women and children? What became of them? While Ezra gave no details, the Scriptures provide a powerful clue. Throughout God’s Word, He is portrayed as the champion of the downcast and downtrodden.

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—
this is God, whose dwelling is holy.
God places the lonely in families;
he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. – Psalm 68:5-6 NLT

“For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed. He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing.” – Deuteronomy 10:17-18 NLT

The story of Hagar and Ishmael provides a powerful reminder of God’s compassion for the defenseless and disenfranchised. The Book of Genesis records the plight of this Egyptian slave who served as the handmaid to Abraham’s wife Sarah. Frustrated by her ongoing infertility, Sarah convinced Abraham to take Hagar as a wife and bear a son through her. When her plan proved successful, Sarah became jealous of Hagar. Then, when God opened Sarah’s womb and she bore Isaac, she demanded that Abraham cast out Hagar and Ishmael.

“Get rid of that slave woman and her son. He is not going to share the inheritance with my son, Isaac. I won’t have it!” – Genesis 21:10 NLT

While Abraham was grieved by his wife’s demands, he was given an assurance from God that all would go well with Ishmael.

“Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted. But I will also make a nation of the descendants of Hagar’s son because he is your son, too.” – Genesis 21:12-13 NLT

The story takes a dark turn when Abraham fulfills his wife’s demands and casts out Hagar and his son. Abandoned and alone, Hagar wanders around the wilderness until she runs out of water and prepares to watch her son die in front of her eyes. But God had something else in store for her and Ishmael. He sent an angel to encourage her.

“Hagar, what’s wrong? Do not be afraid! God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants.”

Then God opened Hagar’s eyes, and she saw a well full of water. She quickly filled her water container and gave the boy a drink.

And God was with the boy as he grew up in the wilderness. He became a skillful archer, and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt. – Genesis 21:17-21 NLT

Abraham and Sarah had tried to take matters into their own hands, attempting to solve the problem of her barrenness through a plan that was unsanctioned by God. Their sin resulted in Ishmael’s birth, which produced in Sarah a hatred for Hagar and the boy she thought would be their hope. But God was not going to let Sarah’s anger produce further suffering for the innocent and undeserving. He stepped in and rescued Hagar and her child, assuring her that He could and would provide for them both – for years to come.

We are not told what happened to the women and children who were cast out of Judah but it is safe to say that God’s love for the widow and orphan did not diminish because of the sins of the men of Judah. Their selfish actions had produced sin that resulted in devastating consequences for their wives and children. But their unfaithfulness could not alter God’s care and concern for the defenseless. Man’s wickedness cannot diminish God’s goodness. His character remains unchanged even when men prove unfaithful. “His righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 112:3 ESV).

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Drastic Measures Required

November 29, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. ²And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: “We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. ³Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. ⁴Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it.” ⁵Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath.

⁶Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles. ⁷And a proclamation was made throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at Jerusalem, ⁸and that if anyone did not come within three days, by order of the officials and the elders all his property should be forfeited, and he himself banned from the congregation of the exiles.

⁹Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem within the three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month. And all the people sat in the open square before the house of God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain. ¹⁰And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. ¹¹Now then make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives.” ¹²Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice, “It is so; we must do as you have said. ¹³But the people are many, and it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a task for one day or for two, for we have greatly transgressed in this matter. ¹⁴Let our officials stand for the whole assembly. Let all in our cities who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and with them the elders and judges of every city, until the fierce wrath of our God over this matter is turned away from us.” ¹⁵Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite supported them.

¹⁶Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers’ houses, according to their fathers’ houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter; ¹⁷and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women. – Ezra 10:1-17 ESV

Shortly after his return to Judah, Ezra discovered that the first wave of returned exiles were guilty of violating God’s law. For the last 80 years, they had been compromising their set-apart status as God’s chosen people by intermarrying with the land’s foreign occupants.

“The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands.” – Ezra 9:1-2 ESV

Ezra was shaken to the core by this disturbing news and driven to his knees before Yahweh. He knew the people’s behavior was deserving of judgment because they had violated God’s long-standing prohibition against marriage with outsiders. As a scribe and an expert in the Mosaic Law, Ezra was highly familiar with the details of this divine decree and recited it back to God as part of his prayer.

“The land you are entering to possess is totally defiled by the detestable practices of the people living there. From one end to the other, the land is filled with corruption. Don’t let your daughters marry their sons! Don’t take their daughters as wives for your sons. Don’t ever promote the peace and prosperity of those nations.” – Ezra 9:11-12 NLT

This law was not a statement about interracial marriage but a call to holiness and moral purity. The nations that inhabited the land of Canaan were not followers of Yahweh. They had their own gods and utilized a range of “detestable” rites and rituals to worship these false deities. Chapter 18 of the Book of Leviticus contains a list of practices that were off-limits to the people of God. It includes such sins as incest, child sacrifice, homosexuality, and bestiality. And God made it clear that these sins were

“Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, for the people I am driving out before you have defiled themselves in all these ways. Because the entire land has become defiled, I am punishing the people who live there.” – Leviticus 18:24-25 NLT

“You must not commit any of these detestable sins.” – Leviticus 18:26 NLT

“So obey my instructions, and do not defile yourselves by committing any of these detestable practices that were committed by the people who lived in the land before you. I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 18:30 NLT

God was not condemning the Canaanites as an inferior race; He was warning against the threat of religious compromise that accompanies cohabitation with non-Yahweh followers. Marriage involves the comingling of the lives of a man and a woman as they become “one flesh.” They share everything in common, including their sexual desires and spiritual beliefs and practices. That is why God warned the people of Israel to abstain from intermarriage.

“You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods.” – Deuteronomy 7:3-4 NLT

It was always about spiritual fidelity and faithfulness. That is why Paul provided the believers in Corinth with a powerful warning about the risk of spiritual compromise that happens when believers become “unequally yoked” with unbelievers.

Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. – 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 NLT

Ezra was faced with a dilemma. He confessed the people’s guilt but knew that God would be just and right if He decided to pour out His wrath.

“O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.” – Ezra 9:15 ESV

It’s important to note that Ezra became aware of the people’s transgression after offering sacrifices to God at the Temple.

Then the exiles who had come out of captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel. They presented twelve bulls for all the people of Israel, as well as ninety-six rams and seventy-seven male lambs. They also offered twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was given as a burnt offering to the Lord. – Ezra 8:35 NLT

The sin offers had been meant to provide atonement for the sins of the people. But now Ezra knew that the people were unrepentant and unwilling to give up their unsanctioned marriages and unholy alliances with their false gods. Despite all the sacrifices offered in His name, God could not overlook their blatant disregard for His Law.

As Ezra prayed, wept, and mourned the sorry state of affairs in Judah, he was joined by a large group of men, women, and children. They had heard Ezra’s confession of guilt and were convicted of their guilt and their need for repentance.

“We have been unfaithful to our God, for we have married these pagan women of the land. But in spite of this there is hope for Israel. Let us now make a covenant with our God to divorce our pagan wives and to send them away with their children. We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law of God.” – Ezra 10:2-3 NLT

They knew that confession was not enough. God required a change in their behavior. So, to appease God, they came up with a plan that required drastic measures and a corporate commitment on the part of the people. Every single marriage that was in violation of God’s Law was to be annulled. All foreign wives and their children were to be “put away,” an act of permanent separation that was intended to restore the purity of the people of God.

“This proposal is harsh in the light of modern Christian conceptions. Why should innocent children be punished? We must remember that the religious influence of the mothers on their children was regarded as the stumbling block. To keep the religion of the Lord pure was the one and only aim of Ezra and the returned exiles. As a small minority group, the repatriates lived in the Holy Land among a large population of influential people who were followers of various polytheistic religions. Against such larger numbers they had to defend themselves and their religious identity. Thus the drastic measures are understandable.” – F. Charles Fensham, The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. New International Commentary on the Old Testament series

Ezra gave his approval to the plan and ordered its immediate ratification by “the leaders of the priests and the Levites and all the people of Israel” (Ezra 10:5 NLT). He then spent the night praying and fasting to prepare himself for the difficult days that lie ahead. He knew this was going to be a formidable undertaking for the people of Judah. Their sin was grievous and the corrective measures were going to be painful and gut-wrenching for all involved. Husbands and wives would be permanently separated. Fathers would never see their children again. Ezra found no joy in issuing the order to break up these homes but he knew it was necessary. The next morning, he addressed the people of Judah, ordering them to carry out the covenant they had made.

“You have committed a terrible sin. By marrying pagan women, you have increased Israel’s guilt. So now confess your sin to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do what he demands. Separate yourselves from the people of the land and from these pagan women.” – Ezra 10:10-11 NLT

Despite the devastating consequences of Ezra’s command, the people agreed to obey it. But they begged for time to carry it out. Their request for additional time points to the magnitude and scope of the problem. This was a widespread problem that stretched to the far corners of the land of Judah, so they begged Ezra for more time to fulfill their commitment.

“This isn’t something that can be done in a day or two, for many of us are involved in this extremely sinful affair. And this is the rainy season, so we cannot stay out here much longer.” – Ezra 10:13 NLT

To dissolve these marriages would require a certificate of divorce and authorization by the priesthood. This would take time. So, a plan was established to set up local courts throughout Judah where the people could come to have their marriages legally annulled. But as will become clear in the closing verses of this chapter, the priests and leaders of Judah had set the precedence for this debacle. They had paved the way for the people’s transgression by validating intermarriage through their own lives. It had started at the top and trickled down to those below. The shepherds had failed the sheep and God was not pleased.

The High Cost of Compromise

November 28, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. ²For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” ³As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled. ⁴Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice. ⁵And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God, ⁶saying:

“O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. ⁷From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. ⁸But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. ⁹For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.

¹⁰“And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, ¹¹which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. ¹²Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’ ¹³And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, ¹⁴shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? ¹⁵O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.” – Ezra 9:1-15 ESV

It had been 80 years since the first wave of Israelites returned to the land of Judah under the aegis of King Cyrus of Persia. These former exiles had been given permission to return to their homeland so that they might restore the city of Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple of Solomon. This generation of Israelites had been born in Babylon during the 70 years of exile that God had ordained as punishment for their parents’ failure to keep their covenant commitment to Him.

Sixty-six years before the Babylonians invaded Judah and captured the city of Jerusalem, God foretold of the coming destruction. He spoke through His prophet Jeremiah, who delivered His warning of pending judgment to the stubbornly rebellious people of Judah.

“But you would not listen to me,” says the Lord. “You made me furious by worshiping idols you made with your own hands, bringing on yourselves all the disasters you now suffer. And now the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Because you have not listened to me, I will gather together all the armies of the north under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, whom I have appointed as my deputy. I will bring them all against this land and its people and against the surrounding nations. I will completely destroy you and make you an object of horror and contempt and a ruin forever. I will take away your happy singing and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will no longer be heard. Your millstones will fall silent, and the lights in your homes will go out. This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.” – Jeremiah 25:7-11 NLT

Everything happened just as God said it would. In 539 B.C., the Babylonians ended a years-long siege, breaching the walls of Jerusalem and wreaking destruction upon the city and its citizens. Those who did not die by the sword were taken captive and transported to Babylon. But God had also placed a time limit on their season of suffering. Long before the Babylonians invaded Judah, God declared that their subjugation of His people would last seven decades.

“Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord. “I will make the country of the Babylonians a wasteland forever.” – Jeremiah 25:12 NLT

Once the Babylonian conquest of Judah had taken place and the exiles were trying to acclimate to their new surroundings in a foreign land, God sent another message through His prophet Jeremiah.

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.” – Jeremiah 29:10-14 NLT

God kept His word. When 70 years had passed, He motivated King Cyrus to issue a decree authorizing the release and repatriation of the people of Judah. A remnant of Jews returned to Judah under the leadership of Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel. Upon their arrival, they began the formidable task of rebuilding the Temple and were immediately met with stiff opposition from the local inhabitants. During the 70 years of exile, the once-vacant cities and homes of the Judahites had been taken over by foreigners. The king of Assyria had relocated some of his foreign captives to Judah, authorizing them to claim the land as their own. In time, these immigrants intermarried with the Israelites who had been left behind after the Babylonian invasion. These mixed-race occupants of the land became known as Samaritans.

By the time Ezra arrived some 80 years later, he discovered that the Babylonians exiles who returned under Zerubbabel’s leadership had also been intermarrying with the locals.

“…the Jewish leaders came to me and said, “Many of the people of Israel, and even some of the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the other peoples living in the land. They have taken up the detestable practices of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites. For the men of Israel have married women from these people and have taken them as wives for their sons.” – Ezra 9:1-2 NLT

Ezra’s whole purpose for returning to Judah was to instruct the people in the laws of God. He had brought a contingent of Levitical priests to assist him in his efforts. But he soon discovered that he had his work cut out for him. The people of Judah were living in direct violation of one of God’s primary prohibitions. Centuries earlier, God had forbidden His chosen people from intermarrying with the nations living in Canaan.

“When the Lord your God hands these nations over to you and you conquer them, you must completely destroy them. Make no treaties with them and show them no mercy. You must not intermarry with them. Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods. Then the anger of the Lord will burn against you, and he will quickly destroy you.” – Deuteronomy 7:2-4 NLT

For hundreds of years, God’s people had violated His laws. This is the reason He sent the Babylonians to defeat and enslave them. But even after 70 years of forced exile, the people of Judah had failed to learn their lesson. They repeated the sins of their forefathers and intermarried with the idolatrous nations that had occupied the land in their absence. The returned people of God grew complacent about their faith and compromised their convictions.

Ezra was appalled by what he heard.

“…the holy race has become polluted by these mixed marriages. Worse yet, the leaders and officials have led the way in this outrage.” – Ezra 9:2 NLT

Those who knew better had promoted this behavior. The leaders of Judah, including the Levites and priests, were responsible for this sad spiritual state of affairs.

Ezra’s reaction reveals a lot about his character. He immediately went into mourning over the news of the people’s apostasy. Then he took the matter to Yahweh. Personally ashamed of their conduct, Ezra took it upon himself to confess the corporate sins of the people, declaring himself to be complicit in their act of rebellion.

“O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to you. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens.” – Ezra 9:6 NLT

As a scribe and an expert in the Mosaic law, Ezra knew that what they were doing was in direct violation of God’s commands and that God would not take their disobedience lightly. It shocked Ezra that the people would behave in this way despite God’s amazing grace and mercy. God had shown them favor by allowing a remnant of them to return to the land, rebuild the Temple, and restore the city of Jerusalem. He had not forsaken them but had fulfilled His promise to end their 70 years of captivity and send them home.

The people of God had not earned or deserved God’s gracious treatment of them. Even their time living as slaves in Babylon had been marked by continued rebellion against God. They had regularly worshiped false gods and rejected and rebelled against the one true God. Yet, He had kept His word and fulfilled His promise.

Ezra did not take God’s grace lightly. He was shocked that the people could so easily snub their noses at God and blatantly live in open rebellion to His commands. Their lives were marked by compromise. Rather than separate themselves from the other nations that had taken up residence in the land during their absence, they gladly coexisted with them, marrying off their sons and daughters to them. Not only that, they compromised their allegiance to God by taking on the false gods of their neighbors, diluting their faith, and offending the very One who had rescued them from captivity.

This parallels the experience of so many of us as believers. God has redeemed us from slavery to sin. He has made it possible for us to be restored to a right relationship with Him. Yet we find ourselves comingling with the world around us. Rather than remaining separate and set apart, we determine to blend in and, in the process, end up compromising our convictions. Many of us, having been set free by God, find ourselves enslaved to the world. We seek our self-worth and satisfaction from what the world offers. We long to be accepted by the world. So, we seek to blend in and slowly, steadily, we begin to make compromises and concessions. We rationalize our behavior and excuse our actions. We refuse to accept Jesus’ warning that the world will hate us just as it hated Him.

Instead of living as strangers and sojourners in this land and recognizing that we are citizens of another kingdom, we choose to get too cozy and comfortable with this world. We gladly adopt their ways and accept their standards as our own. The convictions of the culture around us slowly begin to influence and infect us, and we begin to lose our distinctiveness. Chosen and set apart by God, we find ourselves looking more and more like the world around us. Our distinction as Christians becomes more a label than a lifestyle. That was the problem Ezra encountered when he arrived in Judah. The saints had lost their saltiness. The intensity of their light had diminished and they were close to being overwhelmed by the surrounding darkness.

And yet, God still showed them favor. He continued to extend mercy. It was He who sent Ezra back with the sole task of reestablishing His law in the land. God had allowed them to rebuild the temple and He would eventually send back Nehemiah with another wave of exiles to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. God was not done and He is not done today. Despite all we see happening around us and the feeling that the darkness is overwhelming, God remains on His throne. He is still in charge. But He is looking for a remnant of His people who will boldly stand apart from the crowd and speak up for the truth. He is calling His people to come back to Him, reject the ways of this world, and renew their commitment to live in holiness.

For the believer, compromise is deadly, and the temptation to do so is greater than it has ever been before. The world wants to silence our voices, stifle our faith, compromise our convictions, and distract us from our devotion to God. But we must never forget that God has redeemed us from the world. We can live in it and yet not become part of it. We have been called to make a difference, not blend in. We have been saved so that we might tell others of the truth regarding man’s sin and God’s plan of salvation. Some of us have compromised our faith. Others of us have allowed ourselves to succumb to defeat and despair. We live as if all hope is lost and the enemy is winning. But our God reigns. He wins in the end. His victory is assured. We must live like we believe it. All is not lost. But it is time for the called out to stand up and to live out their faith.

Back to the Future

November 27, 2024November 27, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

²⁴Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them. ²⁵And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. ²⁶I weighed out into their hand 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents, and 100 talents of gold, ²⁷20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. ²⁸And I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. ²⁹Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord.” ³⁰So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.

³¹Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. ³²We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. ³³On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. ³⁴The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.

³⁵At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. ³⁶They also delivered the king’s commissions to the king’s satraps and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God. – Ezra 8:24-36 ESV

Having successfully recruited the additional Levitical priests and temple servants he required, Ezra led the returning exiles in a time of fasting and prayer (vs 21-23). This brief worship service was intended to seek God’s protection and provision for their journey and remind all involved of the holiness of their mission. They were on a divinely ordained assignment from Yahweh to return the sacred vessels to the Temple in Jerusalem. Among the returning exiles was a sizeable contingent of Levitical priests to assist Ezra in teaching God’s Law to the people of Judah. The journey ahead would be long and fraught with danger. It didn’t help that they would carry vast amounts of silver and gold and the priceless sacred vessels stored in the Babylonian treasury for 80 years.

In a display of wise leadership, Ezra delegated responsibility for the treasure to 12 hand-picked priests. It has been estimated that the total weight of the silver and gold was as much as 28 tons. The value of this precious cargo was inestimable but not just because of its financial worth. The gold and silver represented the offerings of Artaxerxes and the people of Judah who remained behind in Babylon. These donations were gifts to Yahweh and were to be considered holy. As Ezra distributed the treasure among the priestly leaders, he conveyed to them the seriousness of their assignment and the sacredness of their cargo.

“You and these treasures have been set apart as holy to the Lord. This silver and gold is a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. Guard these treasures well until you present them to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel, who will weigh them at the storerooms of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem.” – Ezra 8:28-29 NLT

Ezra wanted these men to know they were “holy” (qōḏeš). As Levitical priests, they had been consecrated to God and served at His pleasure. They belonged to Him. Even though they had spent their lives living in exile in Babylon, nothing had changed their set-apart status as God’s servants. Now they were returning to Jerusalem and would be reinstated to their role as the caretakers of the Temple and the mediators between Yahweh and the people. Ezra wanted them to embrace their priestly responsibilities and take seriously the consecrated nature of their heritage. As Levites, they were descendants of Aaron the first high priest, and were expected to carry on the legacy of spiritual leadership that God had graciously bestowed on their tribe.

Centuries earlier, God had chosen the Levites as His own, setting them apart as His servants, the caretakers of His house, and the teachers of His Law.

“Of all the people of Israel, the Levites are reserved for me. I have claimed them for myself in place of all the firstborn sons of the Israelites; I have taken the Levites as their substitutes. For all the firstborn males among the people of Israel are mine, both of people and of animals. I set them apart for myself on the day I struck down all the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. Yes, I have claimed the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons of Israel. And of all the Israelites, I have assigned the Levites to Aaron and his sons. They will serve in the Tabernacle on behalf of the Israelites and make sacrifices to purify the people so no plague will strike them when they approach the sanctuary.” – Num ber 8:16-19 NLT

After a lengthy trip, Ezra and his entourage arrived safely in Jerusalem. Their request for God’s protection had been answered and Ezra gratefully acknowledged Yahweh’s providential role behind it all.

…the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way. – Ezra 8:31 NLT

No travelers were lost, no gold or silver was stolen, and no Temple treasures were misplaced or missing.

Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was officially recorded. – Ezra 8:34 NLT

After four days of rest, the people gathered at the Temple for a sacred assembly at which they offered sacrifices to Yahweh. This must have been an emotional occasion for these recently returned exiled. Most, if not all of them, were too young to remember the former glory of Jerusalem and the Temple that Solomon had built. These people had been born and raised in Babylon, the descendants of those who had been taken captive by Nebuchadnezzar decades earlier. This was a new generation of Judahites who received a crash course in the worship of Yahweh and the intricacies of the sacrificial system. It must have been a sensory overload as they witnessed the sacrifices of 12 bulls, 96 rams, 77 male lambs, and 12 male goats. They would have never experienced anything like this during their days in Babylon.

As the people watched, their unblemished bulls, rams, lambs, and goats were ceremoniously sacrificed by the Levitical priests and offered as atonement for their sins. There was deep and meaningful symbolism behind every action. The blood of the animals was spilled and sprinkled on the altar.

“If the animal you present as a burnt offering is from the herd, it must be a male with no defects. Bring it to the entrance of the Tabernacle so you may be accepted by the Lord. Lay your hand on the animal’s head, and the Lord will accept its death in your place to purify you, making you right with him. Then slaughter the young bull in the Lord’s presence, and Aaron’s sons, the priests, will present the animal’s blood by splattering it against all sides of the altar that stands at the entrance to the Tabernacle. Then skin the animal and cut it into pieces. The sons of Aaron the priest will build a wood fire on the altar. They will arrange the pieces of the offering, including the head and fat, on the wood burning on the altar. But the internal organs and the legs must first be washed with water. Then the priest will burn the entire sacrifice on the altar as a burnt offering. It is a special gift, a pleasing aroma to the Lord.” – Leviticus 1:3-9 NLT

This was a participatory event. No spectators or uninvolved observers were permitted. This religious ritual was intended to remind God’s people of their sinfulness and their need for atonement. The author of Hebrews points out the significance of the sacrificial system when he writes, “…according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT).

Centuries earlier, God had told the people of Israel, “…the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible” (Leviticus 17:11 NLT). As the recently returned remnant looked on, copious amounts of blood flowed as hundreds of innocent animals were slaughtered by the priests. This gruesome spectacle must have been difficult to watch and even harder to reconcile. They had no precedent for understanding what they were observing. None of them had ever offered a sacrifice at the Temple before. This was a new experience for each of them and it’s likely that Ezra, as an expert in the Mosaic Law, had to explain all that was taking place. Even the Levitical priests found themselves in the difficult spot of having to perform sacred duties with which they were totally unfamiliar. This entire event was literally a baptism by fire as the participants rekindled their devotion to Yahweh and received unmerited atonement for their sins.

They were back in the land and because of their sacrifices, they were back in right standing with Yahweh. Their sacrifices had been accepted and their sins atoned for. Now the real work would begin as Ezra attempted to teach the people the code of conduct God had ordained for them. He and his priestly assistants face the formidable task of instructing the people about God’s expectations of them.

Despite their 70-year exile in Babylon, God’s view of the Israelites had not changed. He still held them to a higher standard. When He delivered them out of their captivity in Egypt, God had declared His non-negotiable requirements as His chosen people.

“For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

“The Lord did not set his heart on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other nations, for you were the smallest of all nations! Rather, it was simply that the Lord loves you, and he was keeping the oath he had sworn to your ancestors. That is why the Lord rescued you with such a strong hand from your slavery and from the oppressive hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him. Therefore, you must obey all these commands, decrees, and regulations I am giving you today.” – Deuteronomy 7:6-11 NLT

God’s Law had not been altered or amended. His expectations of them had not changed. Their ancestors had disobeyed and been punished. Now it was their turn to hear God’s Laws and decide whether they were willing to keep them. God had proven Himself faithful. But would they?

The Good Hand of Our Great God

November 26, 2024November 26, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹These are the heads of their fathers’ houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: ²Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattush. ³Of the sons of Shecaniah, who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, with whom were registered 150 men. ⁴Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men. ⁵Of the sons of Zattu, Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men. ⁶Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men. ⁷Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men. ⁸Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him 80 men. ⁹Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men. ¹⁰Of the sons of Bani, Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men. ¹¹Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and with him 28 men. ¹²Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men. ¹³Of the sons of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men. ¹⁴Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

¹⁵I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi. ¹⁶Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of insight, ¹⁷and sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers and the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God. ¹⁸And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18; ¹⁹also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20; ²⁰besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.

²¹Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. ²²For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” ²³So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty. – Ezra 8:1-23 ESV

The opening verses of chapter 8 provide a more detailed account of the summary in chapter 7, verses 7-9. In this chapter, Ezra recounts his preparations to lead a second wave of exiles back to the promised land. It had been nearly 80 years since King Cyrus had issued his decree authorizing the return of Judah’s captured citizens and underwriting their rebuilding of Jerusalem and its Temple. Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin and a descendant of King David, led a relatively small contingent of Judahites who could prove they were the rightful claimants to the land of their forefathers. Upon their return, this initial group of repatriated citizens found the atmosphere in Jerusalem to be anything but welcoming. They were met with opposition and faced with the formidable task of rebuilding a city that had been decimated by the Babylonians 70 years earlier. The long-abandoned city had become a home to squatters who occupied any still-standing structures. The walls lay in ruins and the once-magnificent Temple had been reduced to rubble. But over the next eight decades, despite relentless opposition and oppressive conditions, the people labored to rebuild, restore, and reclaim the City of David as their own.

A series of kings had ruled the vast Persian Empire with Artaxerxes being the latest. He had authorized Ezra’s request to return to Judah with a contingent of exiles comprised of “priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple servants” (Ezra 7:7 NLT). These men would assist Ezra in his quest to reeducate the people of Judah in the ways of Yahweh. Nearly 150 years had passed since the nation of Judah had fallen to the Babylonians and during that time, the people had long ago abandoned their worship of Yahweh. Their Temple had been destroyed, leaving them with no sacrificial system or a means of receiving forgiveness or atonement. During their days of exile, the Mosaic Law had become an afterthought. With no Temple in which to perform their priestly duties, the Levites faded into obscurity. Yet, God had given these men explicit orders to teach the people of Israel His laws.

“You must distinguish between what is sacred and what is common, between what is ceremonially unclean and what is clean. And you must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the Lord has given them through Moses.” – Leviticus 10:10-11 NLT

Moses outlined the two main job descriptions of the Levites.

“They teach your regulations to Jacob;
they give your instructions to Israel.
They present incense before you
and offer whole burnt offerings on the altar.” – Deuteronomy 33:10 NLT

Teaching and sacrifice. Those were the two primary responsibilities of the Levites and, though the Temple had been destroyed, their commission to teach the Law to the people had never been revoked.

Chapter Seven revealed that the main focus behind Ezra’s return was to reacquaint God’s people with His Law.

Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel. – Ezra 7:10 NLT

To accomplish this task, Ezra would need the assistance of qualified men, so he set out to recruit worthy candidates from among the remaining exiles. Verses 1-14 of Chapter Eight contain a partial list of those he found. It appears that this list includes the names of the descendants of the priestly and royal families along with those whose relatives had made the trip 80 years earlier.

After assembling all those who had volunteered to make the arduous trip back to Judah, Ezra reviewed his trip manifest and made a disconcerting discovery.

“I went over the lists of the people and the priests who had arrived. I found that not one Levite had volunteered to come along.” – Ezra 8:15 NLT

This news left Ezra with no choice but to delay his departure so he could launch a recruitment effort to find and enlist additional Levites. It is clear from Chapter Six that there was a contingent of Levites already in Jerusalem.

…the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses. – Ezra 6:16-18 ESV

But Ezra knew that he would need additional Levites if he was to accomplish his goal of teaching the Law to the people of Judah. Knowing that his recruitment efforts would be met with resistance, Ezra chose nine qualified leaders to relay his invitation. Two additional men joined the expedition who were known for their discernment and wisdom. With the help of Yahweh (Ezra 8:18), Ezra’s recruitment team proved successful and returned with 38 Levites and 220 temple servants.

With his list completed, Ezra prepared to begin the long trek to Judah. But before starting, he called on Yahweh for divine provision and protection.

“I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled.” – Ezra 8:21 NLT

Ezra knew they would need God’s assistance because it would be a long and potentially dangerous trip. His call for a fast was partially motivated by his knowledge that there would be no royal military escort to accompany them on their way. It seems that King Artaxerxes had offered the services of his troops but Ezra was too embarrassed to make the request. He had boldly told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him” (Ezra 8:22 NLT). This left him with no option but to trust God; a potentially frightening but providential place to be. Ezra confidently states, “we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer” (Ezra 8:23 NLT).

It’s difficult to tell whether this statement reflects Ezra’s faith and confidence at the moment they prayed or if was written in hindsight after Ezra and his fellow travelers arrived in Judah safely. But, either way, Ezra believed in the power and provision of Yahweh. He trusted that his call to return to Judah was of God. He had faith to believe that their trip would be providentially overseen by God. He was confident that their mission to teach the Law of God to the people of God would be successfully carried out by the power of God.

The Law of the Land

November 25, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹¹This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: ¹²“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. And now ¹³I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. ¹⁴For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, ¹⁵and also to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. ¹⁷With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. ¹⁸Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. ¹⁹The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. ²⁰And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king’s treasury.

²¹“And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, ²²up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. ²³Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. ²⁴We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

²⁵“And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach. ²⁶Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”

²⁷Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, ²⁸and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. – Ezra 7:11-28 ESV

God had miraculously arranged for the people to be given a royal decree, allowing them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and restore Jerusalem and ensuring they had the resources necessary to complete the task. They had all the material needed to build and the manpower to do the work. God had even taken care of their constant harassment by their enemies. But one thing was missing. They had plenty of people, gold, silver, wood, and hours in the day to accomplish the work. But God knew that without His Law, they would end up in the same spiritual condition that resulted in their captivity in the first place. So God raised up Ezra, “a scribe who was well-versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel” (Ezra 7:6 NLT).

As a Scribe, Ezra was intimately familiar with the Law God had given through Moses to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. A span of nearly 60 years takes place after the events recorded in chapter six end and Ezra arrives in Jerusalem from Babylon in chapter seven. It has been 80 years since the first wave of exiles returned to Judah. God has been watching and waiting. He has been preparing the right man to bring the one ingredient the nation needed most: His Law. Ezra would not have even been born when the first exiles returned but he was a direct descendant of Aaron, the high priest. He had a spiritual heritage and a godly upbringing that made him perfect for the job God had prepared for him.

The Persian king, Artaxerxes, issued a royal decree commissioning Ezra to go to Jerusalem and conduct an official inquiry into the situation “based on your God’s law, which is in your hand” (Ezra 7:14 NLT). This pagan king officially ordered Ezra to use his knowledge of God’s law to assist the people of Judah in their rebuilding efforts.

“…use the wisdom your God has given you to appoint magistrates and judges who know your God’s laws to given all the people of in the province west of the Euphrates River. Teach the law to anyone who does not know it. Anyone who refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king will be punished immediately, either by death, banishment, confiscation or goods, or imprisonment.” – Ezra 7:26 NLT

As a king, Artaxerxes knew that the rule of law was essential to maintaining peace and security in his kingdom. As a polytheist, he also understood the need to foster obedience to the many gods his people worshiped. The same would be true for the people of Judah and their God, Yahweh. Once again, God sovereignly ordained His will to be done through the power and position of an ungodly king. This monarch effectively gave Ezra the authority to conduct a spiritual revival in the land of Israel.

Knowing he was being sent by God didn’t prevent Ezra from praying for God’s hand of mercy and protection as they made the journey home. He called a fast and ordered the people to humble themselves before God, praying for a safe journey and for God’s protection as they traveled. They carried large amounts of gold and silver and would travel a very long distance through potentially dangerous conditions. Their retinue included women and children, but Ezra refused to request an armed escort from the king, choosing instead to trust God. So after prayerful preparation, they set off. It took four months for them to make the long and arduous trek to Jerusalem, but they arrived unharmed with every ounce of silver and gold accounted for.

Ezra acknowledged that it was God who had protected them along the way. They celebrated their safe arrival with sacrifices. Then the real work began. The law of God had to be given and then applied. It was not going to be easy, but it was necessary.

God had graciously provided all that the people of Judah needed to rebuild and restore Jerusalem. But there was one missing ingredient: His holy Law. The Mosaic Law, God’s written code of conduct, was an essential ingredient for the people’s success. Without it, they would fail to understand His holy standards and end up violating His will for their lives. The Law provided non-negotiable guidelines that were designed to set the people of Judah apart from the surrounding nations. Obedience to God’s laws was the key to experiencing God’s blessings, and ignorance of His laws was not an excuse. So, God sovereignly arranged for Ezra to receive a royal appointment and an all-expenses-paid trip back to Judah with full authority to teach the Mosaic Law to his people.

It is amazing how often we leave out the key ingredient for our own success. We take on responsibilities and tackle all kinds of tasks without consulting God’s Word or asking about His will in the matter. The people of Judah had been doing the will of God but had neglected the law of God. During their 70 years in captivity, the people of Judah had neglected God’s Law and allowed it to fall out of favor. Without the sacrificial system to provide atonement and forgiveness for breaking the Law, the people of Israel became lax in their obedience to God’s commands.

Now that they were back in the land of promise and had successfully completed the reconstruction of God’s house, they would be tempted to believe they had earned God’s favor. But without a knowledge of the Law, they would never live up to His righteous requirements. As a result, they were attempting to do God-ordained tasks while living in open disobedience to His Law. They had a recently completed Temple and had reinstituted the sacrificial system and the annual feasts, but they were ignorant of God’s Laws. But God knew what they needed and arranged for a pagan Persian king to pass a law that ensured the Law of God was once again the law of the land of Judah.

The Book of Nehemiah records what happened when Ezra reached the land of Judah and began to teach God’s Law to God’s people. It was a momentous and life-changing day in the history of the people of Judah.

Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.

Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—then instructed the people in the Law while everyone remained in their places. They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. – Nehemiah 8:5-9 NLT

They were convicted by what they heard because they understood their disobedience. But Nehemiah told them, “Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10 NLT). The Law was simply doing what it was meant to do, exposing their disobedience and sin. But awareness of sin led to confession and, ultimately, atonement. Forgiveness was available through the sacrificial system. That is why the Levites quieted the people by saying, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day” (Nehemiah 8:11 NLT).

God had given the people of Judah His Law but over the decades they had allowed it to pass from their collective conscience. Now He had arranged to have their knowledge of the Law restored so their joy could be renewed.

So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them. – Nehemiah 8:12 NLT

The Good Hand of God

November 24, 2024November 25, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, ²son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, ³son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, ⁴son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, ⁵son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest— ⁶this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

⁷And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants. ⁸And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. ⁹For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him. ¹⁰For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. – Ezra 7:1-10 ESV

In the New Living Translation, verse 1 reads, “Many years later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, there was a man named Ezra.” Roughly 60 years span the gap between the events recorded in chapter 6 and those found in chapter 7. The first six chapters of the Book of Ezra cover the years from 538-515 B.C. During this time, the following kings reigned over the Persian Empire: Cyrus, Cambyses, Smerdis, Darius I, and Xerxes (Ahasuerus). Xerxes is the king whose life is chronicled in the Book of Esther. The second half of the Book of Ezra covers the reign of Artaxerxes, who ruled from 464-424 B.C. This would put Ezra’s arrival in Judah sometime around 458 B.C.

Though this book bears his name, Ezra was a late arrival to Judah. He was not part of the original remnant of Jews who returned during the reign of Cyrus. It was not until the completion of the Temple and the reign of Artaxerxes, that Ezra would lead another wave of Israelites on the 900-mile, four-month-long journey from the land of Babylon to Jerusalem. This scribe and descendant of Aaron the first high priest knew God was behind this endeavor because he had seen God bring it all about. King Artaxerxes had decreed that Ezra would lead a group of Jews back to the land of promise and provided funding for the trip. Ezra’s response was, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the kings mighty officers” (Ezra 7:27-28 ESV).

Ezra was encouraged by what he had seen God do. He knew the hand of God was on him, so he gathered the people together and planned the trip that God had ordained. It would be hard, long, and dangerous. So he called the people to fast and pray, seeking God’s divine protection and “a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods” (Ezra 8:21 ESV). God heard their prayers and He answered. Four months after leaving Babylon, they arrived in Jerusalem, tired but thankful to God for His hand in making their trip possible.

The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way… – Ezra 8:31-32 ESV

But not everyone made the trip. Not every Jew was willing to leave the safety of Babylon to make the long, arduous trip back to Jerusalem. Many had grown comfortable with their lifestyle in captivity. A great many of the Jews had been born in Babylon and had never set foot in the land of Judah. So they were reluctant to make the trip. Ezra even had a difficult time finding enough Levites to return with him. This was the tribe God had appointed to serve in the Temple. They were the spiritual leaders of the people of Israel and, yet, when Ezra gathered all the people to prepare for the trip to Jerusalem, he said, “I found there none of the sons of Levi” (Ezra 8:15 ESV). Not everyone shared Ezra’s enthusiasm and optimism for returning to the land, even though it was in direct fulfillment of God’s promises.

God was orchestrating all the events so that His divine will would be fulfilled just as He had planned. He once again used a pagan king to accomplish His will. King Artaxerxes’ fear of divine retribution motivated him to send the people of God back to the land. Artaxerxes would write, “Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons” (Ezra 7:23 ESV).

This powerful king feared God and his actions were motivated by self-protection. We don’t know how God communicated His divine will to Artaxerxes, but it is clear that this man was not willing to anger God through disobedience. Yet, there would be countless Jews who would refuse to return to the land. They would choose to remain in captivity, even though God was providing them with a miraculous opportunity to return to the land He had given them many years earlier. God was faithfully keeping His promise to return them to the land, but many of them would refuse to go. The people of God would reject His offer of divine protection, provision, and peace. After decades in captivity, He offered them the chance to experience His rest and peace, but they refused.

Yet Ezra and his small band of faithful followers made the trip. They took God up on His offer and walked the 900 miles back to Jerusalem. They were willing to suffer the dangers and difficulties all along the way, with their kids in tow, the treasures given to them by King Artaxerxes hidden among them, and their sights set on their final destination. The writer of Hebrews addresses another group of God’s people, the believing Jews who were living out their faith during difficult days, facing intense opposition and surrounded by enemies. These Christian Jews found it difficult to remain faithful to God’s call on their lives. They were being tempted to give up and give in to the pressures to compromise their faith. So the author provided them with a word of encouragement.

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. – Hebrews 4:1-2 ESV

He uses the history of their own people to remind them of the need to remain true to their calling. Their ancestors, who had made the trip from Egypt to the land of promise under the direction of Moses, had failed to enter the land the first time. When they arrived at the edge of the land, they discovered it was filled with “giants.” So rather than trust God and enter, they gave in to their fears and turned away. That entire generation of Jews died off in the wilderness as they wandered for the next 40 years. The author uses this historic event as a warning.

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. – Hebrews 4:6-7 ESV

He strongly encouraged them to remain obedient and faithful, and to “strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience” (Hebrews 11:11 ESV).

The rest spoken of in this passage is a future rest. It has to do with the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promises of eternal life. He is speaking of our final inheritance, set aside for us by God, and made available to us by our relationship with Jesus Christ. Peter reminds us of the nature of this inheritance.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. – 1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT

In this life, we are to live with our hopes set on what is to come. This world is not our home. The things of this earth are a mere shadow of what is to come. Our expectations of greater things to come should motivate us to remain faithful in this life – regardless of the difficulties we may face along the way. Peter goes on to say:

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. – 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT

Like Ezra and his fellow travelers, we must keep our eyes on the prize. They had a long journey ahead of them, but they knew that Jerusalem was their final destination and the thought of seeing the Temple of God was all the motivation they needed. Even as they journeyed, they could find strength in the hope of their future rest. One day, we too will enter the rest that awaits us. But in the meantime, we must stay focused and faithful. We must keep walking and continue to trust in the promises of God.

Sovereign Over All

November 23, 2024November 23, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹³Then, according to the word sent by Darius the king, Tattenai, the governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates did with all diligence what Darius the king had ordered. ¹⁴And the elders of the Jews built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia; ¹⁵and this house was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.

¹⁶And the people of Israel, the priests and the Levites, and the rest of the returned exiles, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy. ¹⁷They offered at the dedication of this house of God 100 bulls, 200 rams, 400 lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel 12 male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁸And they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their divisions, for the service of God at Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

¹⁹On the fourteenth day of the first month, the returned exiles kept the Passover. ²⁰For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves. ²¹It was eaten by the people of Israel who had returned from exile, and also by every one who had joined them and separated himself from the uncleanness of the peoples of the land to worship the Lord, the God of Israel. ²²And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel. – Ezra 6:13-22 ESV

When reading a story like this, it is easy to see the machinations of men as they plot and scheme their way to a chosen outcome. Local governors and high officials pose questions, cast dispersions, and sow seeds of doubt. Disgruntled citizens write letters of protest containing a list of their grievances and demanding immediate redress. Kings examine royal records, deliberate with learned men, and issue binding and irrevocable decrees. But behind all men’s intrigues and self-interested strategies lies God’s sovereignty. He controls the narrative and orchestrates events so that His will is accomplished.

It was God who moved Cyrus to issue the original decree giving the people of Judah permission to return to Judah and rebuild their capital city and its once-glorious Temple.

In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom… – Ezra 1:1 NLT

This pagan king of the Persian Empire made the fateful decision to end the 70-year exile of the people of Judah and allow them to return home. But he also acknowledged that Yahweh, the God of the Jews, had commissioned him with the task of rebuilding the Temple.

“The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you!” – Ezra 1:2-3 NLT

His decision and ultimate decree were the result of God’s leading. He would not have done what he did had God not intervened and moved his idolatrous heart to fulfill a divine decree issued 70 years earlier. God had orchestrated Judah’s fall to Babylon but had also promised their eventual return.

“This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and her neighboring lands will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.

“Then, after the seventy years of captivity are over, I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sins,” says the Lord.” – Jeremiah 25:11-12 NLT

“You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:10-11 NLT

God had raised up Cyrus and the Persian Empire to defeat the Babylonians. This fulfilled God’s promise of judgment against the Babylonians for their role in Judah’s demise. But it also set the stage for the next phase of God’s plan: the return of His people to the land of their inheritance. He had promised they would return and was providentially ensuring that it happened on time and in keeping with His will.

Yet, the remnant who returned to Jerusalem found a city in disarray and a Temple that was nothing but a pile of rubble. The city’s walls had been destroyed and many of the surrounding towns and villages had been claimed by displaced immigrants sent to Judah by the king of Assyria. In the intervening decades, these foreigners had intermarried with the Jews who had been left behind, creating a new mixed-race people group that came to be known as Samaritans. Having settled in the land that once belonged to Judah, the Samaritans were not thrilled with the arrival of the returning Jews. They opposed the plans to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple. They plotted against the Jews and tried to curtail all construction efforts through verbal attacks and acts of subterfuge. At times, their strategies proved to be effective. As despair set in, the people of Judah set aside their trowels and shovels. They lost sight of God’s plan and gave up hope of seeing their work completed.

But God was not done. He used three different Persian kings to ensure His plan was carried out. Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes each played a significant role in fulfilling God’s will for His chosen people. These pagan and idolatrous kings were instruments in the hands of Yahweh, motivated by His Spirit and obedient to His divine will – each in their own way and at just the right time. And as God moved in the lives of these Persian potentates, He also spoke to and through His prophets; men like Haggai and Zechariah who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, penned His messages to the people of Judah. It was Haggai who wrote a letter to Zerubbabel and Jehozadak the high priest, commanding that the people restart construction on the Temple.

When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!” – Haggai 1:12-13 NLT

Regardless of their circumstances or the efforts of their enemies, God was with them and He always had been. The promises God had made to Zechariah would be fulfilled.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” – Zechariah 8:4-6 NLT

God had plans for them but He also had the power to bring those plans about. What seemed impossible to them was no problem for Yahweh. He could and would accomplish all that He had promised to do. But the people needed to remain firm in their faith and determined to carry out God’s will, even in the face of opposition. That is exactly the message God delivered to His dispirited people through Zechariah.

“Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.

“But now I will not treat the remnant of my people as I treated them before, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings. Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!” – Zechariah 8:9-13 NLT

Ezra reveals that the people heeded the words of God’s prophets and accomplished the task at hand.

…the Jewish elders continued their work, and they were greatly encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo. The Temple was finally finished, as had been commanded by the God of Israel and decreed by Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the kings of Persia. – Ezra 6:14 NLT

The Temple was completed on March 12, during the sixth year of King Darius’s reign. This momentous occasion was accompanied by feasting and sacrifices. The work was done and the worship began. The Levites renewed their role as God’s priests, offering sacrifices on behalf of the people and atoning for the sins of the nation through the shedding of the innocent blood of an unblemished lamb. Forgiveness was made available and a right standing with God was made possible – for the first time in a very long time. This is an important point because, during their 70 years in exile, the Israelites had no Temple in which to offer sacrifices. No atonement was available because there was no Holy of Holies or Mercy Seat. In fact, even after the newly constructed Temple was finished, the Holy of Holies remained empty because the Ark of the Covenant had been pillaged by the Babylonians, never to be returned. It was once a year on the Day of Atonement that the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the atoning blood on the Mercy Seat located on the top of the Ark of the Covenant. The Temple was restored, but things would never be quite the same.

Just over a month later, the people celebrated the Passover together. This ancient annual festival was a celebration and commemoration of God’s miraculous deliverance of His chosen people when the death angel passed over the nation of Egypt. All firstborn males living in the homes where the blood of the Passover lamb was sprinkled on the doorpost and lintel were spared (Exodus 12). This night of divine deliverance was to be celebrated every year without fail for perpetuity. There is no indication that the Jews were able to keep the Passover during their seven decades in captivity. So, this day was especially significant for the remnant who returned. It was a reminder of God’s deliverance of Israel from their captivity in Egypt and a celebration of His more recent deliverance from captivity in Babylon.

The final celebration was the seven-day-long Feast of Unleavened Bread which followed Passover. Leaven, which symbolized sin and impurity, was to be avoided during this week-long celebration. The people of Israel were to set aside all leaven, thus setting themselves apart as holy to God. This symbolic act was meant to illustrate their unique status as God’s chosen people. They had been set apart by God and provided with a distinctive relationship with Him based on a covenant and marked by a one-of-a-kind standard of conduct.

“Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.” – Exodus 19:5-6 NLT

They were back in the land. The Temple had been rebuilt. Atonement had been made. Forgiveness had been given. Now it was time for them to live up to their original calling as God’s chosen people. This was a joyous occasion marked by relief and a sense of hope for the future. But while the people could rejoice over the work they had accomplished, there was more to be done. Something was missing. During their 70 years of captivity, the people had lost their knowledge of God. They could reinstitute the sacrificial system and keep the annual feasts and festivals, but none of it would matter if they failed to know and understand the One behind it all: The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Out of Sight But Never Out of Control

November 22, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in Babylonia, in the house of the archives where the documents were stored. ²And in Ecbatana, the citadel that is in the province of Media, a scroll was found on which this was written: “A record. ³In the first year of Cyrus the king, Cyrus the king issued a decree: Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the house be rebuilt, the place where sacrifices were offered, and let its foundations be retained. Its height shall be sixty cubits and its breadth sixty cubits, ⁴with three layers of great stones and one layer of timber. Let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. ⁵And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that is in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought back to the temple that is in Jerusalem, each to its place. You shall put them in the house of God.”

⁶“Now therefore, Tattenai, governor of the province Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your associates the governors who are in the province Beyond the River, keep away. ⁷Let the work on this house of God alone. Let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews rebuild this house of God on its site. ⁸Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River. ⁹And whatever is needed—bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail, ¹⁰that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons. ¹¹Also I make a decree that if anyone alters this edict, a beam shall be pulled out of his house, and he shall be impaled on it, and his house shall be made a dunghill. ¹²May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who shall put out a hand to alter this, or to destroy this house of God that is in Jerusalem. I Darius make a decree; let it be done with all diligence.” – Ezra 6:1-12 ESV

The letter was sent and received, prompting King Darius to order a search of the royal archives for any record of a decree issued by his predecessor, King Cyrus. Much to the surprise of Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai, a scroll was found in Ecbatana, the citadel that is in the province of Media. This long-forgotten document contained the following statement from King Cyrus:

“In the first year of King Cyrus’s reign, a decree was sent out concerning the Temple of God at Jerusalem.

“Let the Temple be rebuilt on the site where Jews used to offer their sacrifices, using the original foundations. Its height will be ninety feet, and its width will be ninety feet. Every three layers of specially prepared stones will be topped by a layer of timber. All expenses will be paid by the royal treasury. Furthermore, the gold and silver cups, which were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, must be returned to Jerusalem and put back where they belong. Let them be taken back to the Temple of God.” – Ezra 6:3-5 NLT

Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai had assumed that the Jews’ claim of having an official edict from King Cyrus was a figment of their imagination. They believed that the Jews had fabricated this official decree to justify their return to the land and their rebuilding efforts. But there it was in black and white, written on an official document and stored in the royal archives. The Jews had not been lying.

The discovery of Cyrus’ decree left King Darius with no choice but to ensure its enforcement. He was obligated by what was known as “the law of the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 6:8 ESV). This ancient law code stated that edicts authorized by the king were irrevocable and unchangeable. Not even a future king had the authority to countermand a previous edict. In their estimation, the king was the law, and the law could not contradict itself. Darius himself had fallen prey to the binding nature of this legal code when he passed a law that prohibited the worship of anyone or anything but himself for a period of 30 days. His high officials and straps had given him the idea and convinced him to carry it out.

“Long live King Darius! We are all in agreement—we administrators, officials, high officers, advisers, and governors—that the king should make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give orders that for the next thirty days any person who prays to anyone, divine or human—except to you, Your Majesty—will be thrown into the den of lions. And now, Your Majesty, issue and sign this law so it cannot be changed, an official law of the Medes and Persians that cannot be revoked.” – Daniel 6:6-8 NLT

In signing his name to the document, Darius made the law official and irrevocable, which proved to be a problem when he discovered the intentions of his royal counselors. Their motives had been self-serving and designed to entrap another of the king’s royal counselors. Daniel was a young Jewish boy who had been taken captive when the Babylonians invaded Judah and destroyed Jerusalem. Through a series of divinely-orchestrated events, Daniel had risen to prominence in the administration of King Nebuchadnezzar. Now, he served as a high official in the court of King Darius. But his fellow administrative companions were jealous of his success and less than enthusiastic about his worship of the Hebrew God. So, they devised a trap which the king inadvertently signed into law. When Daniel violated the king’s edict, he was forced to face the consequences. He was thrown to the lions and there was nothing Darius could do to save him. But God intervened and Daniel was miraculously spared.

When this very same Darius discovered the edict of Cyrus, he knew he was obligated to enforce it, which he did. He even added a word of warning to Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and all the local administrative officials in Judah.

“…stay away from there! Do not disturb the construction of the Temple of God. Let it be rebuilt on its original site, and do not hinder the governor of Judah and the elders of the Jews in their work.” – Ezra 6:6-7 NLT

The very same men who had sent the letter to King Darius were given an order to cease and desist. They were to avoid any and all contact with the Jews, allowing them to carry out the decree of Cyrus with no interference or harassment. He also ordered them to use the royal treasury to fund the construction work and the king’s herds to supply animals for their sacrifices. The governor and his companions must have been stunned by this unexpected turn of events. This was not what they had expected. But they were not alone. Even the Jews must have stood by in wide-eyed wonder as they heard the content of the king’s letter.

Ever since their return to Judah, they had faced ongoing opposition, leaving them to wonder if God was really with them. There are times when it appears as if God is not around. Because of our circumstances, we assume that He must be busy somewhere else or is simply unaware of what is happening in our lives. But that is not the God of the Bible. He is never distracted, disinterested, or distant. He is always there, always watching, and always completely aware of what is going on – every moment of every day.

The people of God who returned to build the Temple and restore Jerusalem would learn that truth from personal experience. Things had not gone well for them upon their return. They faced opposition and constant threats. At one point they were forced to halt construction because of a royal edict. When they started back up again, their enemies relaunched their attacks and did everything in their power to demotivate and distract God’s people from their task.

It would have been easy for them to assume that God was unaware of their plight or disinterested. But nothing could have been further from the truth. We can’t judge the faithfulness or nearness of God based on our circumstances. We read in verse five that “their God was watching over them.” He had not taken His eyes off of them. He had not removed His hand of protection from them. From their limited perspective, it looked as if God had abandoned them. But He was there and He cared. He was still in control. And despite the attempts of their enemies to stir up trouble, God had other plans.

When Tattenai and Shethar-bozenai wrote their letter to King Darius, they had expected a royal decree commanding the Jews to cease and desist in their rebuilding efforts. But to their shock and surprise, the message from Darius contained an official edict to “let the Temple be rebuilt” (Ezra 6:3). Not only that, the very men who had attempted to thwart the efforts of the Jews to rebuild the Temple and reconstruct the walls of Jerusalem, were commanded to provide assistance.

What a God we serve. He was not only aware of what was going on, but He used the plans of the enemies of Israel to accomplish His will. He turned what they meant for evil into good. The Jews received unexpected funding and assistance from an unlikely source, the very people who had been trying to put a stop to their efforts.

It would have been natural for them to take a look at their circumstances and assume that God had abandoned them, or that He was somehow punishing them. But they would have been wrong. God was working behind the scenes in ways they could never have imagined. Assuming God’s absence or indifference is a dangerous thing to do. When we do, we doubt the faithfulness of God and reject the promises found in His Word. God is constantly faithful and ever-present. His love endures forever. We must judge God based on His Word and His character, not our circumstances. What is visible is not always an accurate indicator of what is going on. God’s efforts are not always visible to our eyes or apparent to our senses, but that doesn’t mean He is attentive or active. Our God is always watching out for us and working on behalf of us, whether we see it or believe it. No matter what difficulty we face, He is always there and He is always working on our behalf.

The Constant Danger of Unbelief

November 21, 2024November 22, 2024 / kdmiller55 / Leave a comment

¹Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. ²Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

³At the same time Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and their associates came to them and spoke to them thus: “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?” ⁴They also asked them this: “What are the names of the men who are building this building?” ⁵But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not stop them until the report should reach Darius and then an answer be returned by letter concerning it.

⁶This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the province Beyond the River and Shethar-bozenai and his associates, the governors who were in the province Beyond the River, sent to Darius the king. ⁷They sent him a report, in which was written as follows: “To Darius the king, all peace. ⁸Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands. ⁹Then we asked those elders and spoke to them thus: ‘Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this structure?’ ¹⁰We also asked them their names, for your information, that we might write down the names of their leaders. ¹¹And this was their reply to us: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the house that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished. ¹²But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia. ¹³However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree that this house of God should be rebuilt. ¹⁴And the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, these Cyrus the king took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made governor; ¹⁵and he said to him, “Take these vessels, go and put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its site.” ¹⁶Then this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been in building, and it is not yet finished.’ ¹⁷Therefore, if it seems good to the king, let search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see whether a decree was issued by Cyrus the king for the rebuilding of this house of God in Jerusalem. And let the king send us his pleasure in this matter.” – Ezra 5:1-17 ESV

Unbelief is a constant reality – even for the believer. But how can you be a believer and yet not believe? It’s simple. Belief is a state of mind that must always be accompanied by action. In other words, belief must be visibly tied to faith. During the days of Ezra, the returned exiles were attempting to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, according to the decree issued by Cyrus the Persian king. But because of local opposition, the Jews abandoned their efforts “all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia” (Ezra 4:5 ESV. For 16 years, all construction activity on the Temple stopped, even though God had miraculously arranged their return to the land and even prompted King Cyrus to fund their efforts.

What happened? The people stopped believing. Rather than stepping out in faith and trusting that God would protect them, they simply gave in and shut down all construction until the prophets of God intervened. God prompted Haggai and Zechariah to write letters to the Jews in Judah encouraging them to stop fearing and take action.

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.” – Haggai 1:7-9 NLT

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other.

“But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!” – Zechariah 1:9-10, 12 NLT

These words of encouragement had a powerful impact on the defeated and disillusioned remnant in Judah.

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!” – Haggai 1:12-13 NLT

Under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the grandson of King Jehoiachin, the people put their faith in action and began to build once again, despite the opposition. Yet, they were immediately confronted by their enemies who questioned where they had received the authority to restart the construction. Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates tried to frighten the Jews but, rather than giving in to the pressure, the workers continued to believe and build.

Unhappy with the renewed building efforts, the local authorities sent a letter to the king requesting that he search the royal archives for evidence of any past decrees authorizing the construction of the Temple. Their letter opened with a first-hand description of the revitalized and energetic actions of the returned exiles.

“The king should know that we went to the construction site of the Temple of the great God in the province of Judah. It is being rebuilt with specially prepared stones, and timber is being laid in its walls. The work is going forward with great energy and success.” – Ezra 5:8 NLT

The letter also outlined the interrogation of Judah’s leadership, who explained their actions as being ordained by God and authorized by King Cyrus.

“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the Temple that was built here many years ago by a great king of Israel.” – Ezra 5:11 NLT

“King Cyrus of Babylon, during the first year of his reign, issued a decree that the Temple of God should be rebuilt.” – Ezra 5:13 NLT

Tattenai, the Persian-appointed governor of the province was unconvinced that the Jews were telling the truth, which prompted the letter to the king. He was hoping that the Jews would be proven to be liars and that the king would take action against them.

But in the meantime, the people of God needed to believe in their God. He had told them to rebuild and provided everything they needed to make it happen, including the assistance of a pagan king. The problem came when the people started facing opposition. Doubt began to creep in and doubt almost always leads to disbelief. Then disbelief leads to disobedience. And disobedience inevitably results in a lack of God’s rest.

Throughout the history of the Hebrew nation, God kept trying to prove to His people just how trustworthy He was. He bailed them out time and time again. He provided miracle after miracle. He defeated their enemies for them. He clothed and fed them. He made them a mighty nation. But they continually struggled with unbelief. They lacked faith. They could claim to believe in God, but their actions proved otherwise. And yet, God still wanted to prove His trustworthiness to them.

When Haggai and Zechariah encouraged the people to keep on building and they obeyed, despite the opposition, it was an act of faith. They had no idea how the king would respond to the letter. They had no guarantee that the king would act favorably. But faith doesn’t dwell on possibilities. It focuses on the God of the impossible. Jesus said of His Heavenly Father, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 ESV). When faced with a test of his faith, Moses was reminded by God, “Is the LORD’s hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not” (Numbers 11:23 ESV). The prophet Isaiah told the people of Israel, “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear” (Isaiah 59:1 ESV).

God is the God of the impossible, but we must not only believe it cognitively; we must put shoe leather to our belief and act on it in faith.

Devotionary

The Bible Made Accessible and Applicable

The Book of Ezra