Bible in one year 7/14/2022 Ezra Chapter 7-10 By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 Bible in one year 7/14/2022 Ezra Chapter 7-10

By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce                                                                                                          

Christian Arts Ministries : Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

Chapter 7 The return under Ezra, the letter of Artaxerxes

 The leader, Ezra –Ezra’s abbreviated genealogy if traced back to Aaron. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh years of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decres and laws in Israel.(v.6,8-10).

The letter of Artaxerxes

 This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:                

   “ To Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings. Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who wish to go to Jerusalem with you, may go (v.13)…Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and of his sons? You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God(vv.23-24)…whoever  does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.(v.26).”

 Praise be to the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. (vv.27-28).

            Artaxerxes’s letter (through v.26) extended generous support to the Jews, a small price to to pay for peace in that part of his empire. Verse 24, expressed that all those who ministered in the Temple were now exemted from taxation.

Chapter 8 Ezra’s journey

            This chapter Ezra expressed his journey, and these are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with him from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes, the total (vv.3-14) is 1,496. Casiphia (v.17). Unidentifiable, though a colony of Levites and Nethinim (Temple servants) must have been there. Thirty-eight Levites and 220 servants responded to Ezra’s call to enlist (vv.18-22).Ezra showed complete trust in the Lord by not asking for military escort (though this would not necessarily have been wrong; Neh.2:9).

 “ There, by the Ahave Canal, I proclaimed a fast so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him of a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “ The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but His great anger is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.”(vv.21-23).

            Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers. And I weighed out to them the offering of silver and old and the articles that the king,his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, 20 bowls of gold valued at 1000 darices, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.(vv.24-27).

 I said to them, “ You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. Guard them careful until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and scared articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.(vv.28-30). Ezra expected the twenty-four men (v.24) among whom the treasure was divided to give an accounting when they reached Jerusalem. The equivalent value of the gold and silver today would be around $20 million.

Chapter 9 The revival of  Jerusalem

Ezra had been in Jerusalem about four and a half months when the officials brought the problem of mixed marriages to his attention (Deut.7:3-4). The sin had plagued Israel before (Judg.3:5-6) and would again later, in the time of Nehemiah and Malachi(Neh.13:23-28; Mal.2:11).Ezra inflicted signs of mourning and indignation on himself (Lev.10:6; Isa.50:6; Neh.13:25), fully realizing the gravity of the situation. 

“After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “ The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perzzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leader and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.” (vv.1-2). When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice. (vv.3-4).

The confession of Erza

 “ O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.(vv.6-7). But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God ahs been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. Though we are slaves, our God has not deserted us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia; He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.(vv.8-9). But now, O our God, what can we say after this? For we have disregarded the commands you gave through your servants the prophets when you said, “ The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.” (vv.10-12).“ What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this. Shall we again break your commands and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would you not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? O Lord, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.”

Verses 5-15  Similar to the prayers in Dan.9 and Neh.9, this is also one of the great prayers of confession in the Bible. Only in verse 6 does Ezra use singular pronouns (I, my); In the remainder of the prayer, though he is personally guiltless, Ezra associates himself with the guilt of his people. He acknowledges past sins(v.7), present deliverance (vv.8-9); the Temple was the firm place that supported the whole nation), present sins(vv.10-12), deserved punishment (vv.13-14), and the righteousness of God (v.15).

Chapter 10 The covenant of the people

While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites men, women and children gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “ We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope of Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” (vv.1-4).

So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles. (vv.5-6).

A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.(vv.7-8).

Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “ You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. Now make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers, and do this will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.” (vv.9-11).

The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “ You are right! We must do as you say. But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of is a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” (vv.12-14).

So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division and all of them designated by name. The names of 113 individuals are listed in these verses (seventeen priests, ten Levites, and eighty-six others). The presence of children in some families made the separations more complicated. For the moment the nation was purifies, though the sin returned twelve years later (Neh.10:30), and again thirty years later(Neh.13:23).  

  

Bibliography,

 Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV).Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986