Bible in one year 7/12/2022 Ezra Chapter 2 - 3 Census return people & foundation begun
By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music;
Pastoral ministry & Counseling
Ezra Chapter 2 the
census of the people
Leaders - Now these are the people of the province who
came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his
own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah,
Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah. (vv.1-2). Jeshua (v.2). The high priest(3:2). Nehemiah. Not the famous governor who
went eighty years later. Mordecai. Not the one in the book of Esther who
remained in Persia. Verses 3-19 these are apparently names of families, some
members of which returned with Zerubbabel in 536 and others later with Ezra.
Families - the list of the men
of the people of Israel: The descendants of Parosh 2,172.of Shephatiah 372, of
Arah 775, of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab)2812…(vv.3-20).
Cities – the men of Bethlehem
123 of Netophan 56, of Anathoth 128, of Azmaveth 42, of Kiriath Jearim,
Kephirah and Beeroth 743, of remah and Geba 621, of Micmash 122…(vv.21-35).
Priests- the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family
of Jeshua) 973, of Immer 1,052, of Pashhur 1,247, of Harim1,017...(vv.36-39).
Levites- the descendants of
Jeshua and Kadmiel Ithrough the line of Hodaviah) 74.(v.40). Only seventy –four Levites had chosen
to return, in contrast with 4,289 priests (vv.36-39)
The singers: the descendants of
Asaph 128. (v.41).
The gatekeepers of the temple: the
descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 139.(vv.40-42)
The Temple servants: the descendants of Zhia,
Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Siaha, Padon, Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, Hagab,
Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel…(vv.43-54).
Solomon’s servants: The descendants of the
servants of Solomon: The descendants of Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda, Jaala,
Darkon, Giddel, Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami.(vv.55-58).
Uncertain genealogies: The following came up
from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could
not show that their families were descended from Israel: The descendants fo
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652 and from among the priests: the descendants of
Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai.(vv.59-61).
Totals: The whole company numbered 42,360,
besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and
women singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.
When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of
the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God
on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work
61,000 drachmas of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments. The
priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled
in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the
Israelites settled in their towns.(vv.64-70).
Ezra Chapter 3 the
construction of the Temple begun
When the seventh
month came and the Israelites hadsettled in their towns, the people assembled
as one man in Jerusalem. Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the
Law of Moses the man of God. Despite their fear of the peoples around them,
they built the altar on its foundation
and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to
the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. Then in accordance with
what is written , they celebrated the
Feast of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed
for each day. After that, they presented
the regular burnt offerings, the New
Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices
for all the appointed sacred feasts of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. On the first day of the seventh
month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of
the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.(vv.1-6).
The altar was
erected on the first day of the seventh month(v.6), which was the beginning of
the Feast of Trumpets (Num.29:1-6), an interesting foreshadowing of Israel’s
final regathering (Lev.23:24). The Feast of tabernacles. Lasting from the 15th
to the 22d of the seventh month (Sept-Oct.(Lev.23:34-43).
Foundation begun- This patern followed that of the building of
Solomon’s Temple (1Kings5:7-12). The details of Cyrus’ decree are recorded in
6:3-5. The foundation was laid in
the spring of 535, bringing to a close the seventy years of captivity, which
had begun in 605.
Then they gave money to the masons and
carpenters, and gave food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so
that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by
Cyrus king of Persia. In the second month of the second year after their
arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua
son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers (the priests and the Levites and
all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem)began the work, appointing
Levites twenty years of age and older to supervise the building of the house of
the Lord. (vv.7-8). Jeshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons
and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers all Levites joined together
in supervising those working on the house of God. (v.9). When the builders laid the
foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with
trumpets and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to
praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. With praise and
thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He
is good; His love to Israel endures forever.” (vv.10-11).
All the people gave a great shout of praise to the
Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the
older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple,
wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many
others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy
from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound
was heard far away.(vv.11-13).
Many old men who remembered the grandeur of
Solomon’s Temple (destroyed about fifty years before) wept because this Temple
was smaller and less magnificent. The same reaction occurred fifteen years
later when construction was renewed.(Hag.2:3).
Bibliography,
Ryrie, Charles
C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible
Institute, 1986
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