Verses 15-20, “Now I gathered them by the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there three days. And I looked among the people and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there. Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leaders; also for Joiarib and Elnathan, men of understanding. And I gave them a command for Iddo the chief man at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say to Iddo and his brethren the Nethinim at the place Casiphia—that they should bring us servants for the house of our God. Then, by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, with his sons and brothers, eighteen men; and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty men; also of the Nethinim, whom David and the leaders had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim. All of them were designated by name.”
In this chapter, Ezra gives us a list of all those who went with him from Babylon, during the reign on King Artaxerxes. All together the males totaled nearly 1,500 with additional women and children; however, there was a noticeable absence of Levites from among this group. For whatever reason, the Levites needed additional encouragement to join Ezra and fulfill their calling by performing the necessary work of the temple. Sometimes we need a push from our spiritual leaders to do the right thing as well. If our hearts are soft, we will receive the prompting and do what we know we should be doing. However, if our hearts are hard, our response is defensive and even combative toward the one trying to encourage us. Knowing that rebellion is like witchcraft (1 Sam.15:23), you should not practice it any more than you would divination.
Hebrews 13:17, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” Spiritual leaders must watch out for us, because they are accountable to God. If we resist the work that God is doing through them in our lives, it is to our detriment. Especially when we know that not doing what we know is right, is sin. James 4:17, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” When spiritual leaders ignore the sins of the people in the church, we are all in trouble. Therefore, submit to God by submitting to those who have spiritual authority over you.
Verses 21-30, “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, 'The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.' So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. And I separated twelve of the leaders of the priests—Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them— and weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes, and all Israel who were present, had offered. I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, silver articles weighing one hundred talents, one hundred talents of gold, twenty gold basins worth a thousand drachmas, and two vessels of fine polished bronze, precious as gold. And I said to them, 'You are holy to the Lord; the articles are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers. Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leaders of the priests and the Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.' So the priests and the Levites received the silver and the gold and the articles by weight, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.”
On the journey back to Jerusalem, Ezra proclaimed a fast by the river Ahava, in order to seek God for wisdom in the way they should go, and to ask for protection. Carrying their possessions and the articles for the temple, not to mention their wives and children, made them vulnerable to attacks while they traveled. They needed the hand of God protecting them, because Ezra did not request an escort of soldiers from the king after speaking of his trust in God. When you proclaim your faith to others, do not be surprised if you are then tested. It is one thing to say you trust in God, but entirely another to act like you do in times of trouble. The same is true with the Word of God. It is not enough to know it...you must obey it. Romans 2:13, “...for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.” You must demonstrate your faith to others, or else your faith is useless.
Verses 31-36, “Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. And the hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road. So we came to Jerusalem, and stayed there three days. Now on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the articles were weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui, with the number and weight of everything. All the weight was written down at that time. The children of those who had been carried away captive, who had come from the captivity, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. And they delivered the king’s orders to the king’s satraps and the governors in the region beyond the River. So they gave support to the people and the house of God.”
Just because the Jews prayed and fasted, did not mean that there would be no attacks from their enemies. People who get saved sometimes think they will live in a protective bubble. As soon as that bubble gets burst, they quickly abandon their faith. Matthew 13:20-21, “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.” God was with His people through the attack and delivered them from the ambush of their enemies; and He will do the same for us. He doesn't promise us freedom from trials, but we will have His presence through the trials, along with His peace. The Jews arrived in Jerusalem unharmed, and were able to offer the precious articles to the Lord, along with making the sacrificial burnt offerings. When we reach the other side of our trials, we too can offer a sacrifice of praise to God for His faithfulness!
Comments
Post a Comment