Day 131: Ezra 1-3

(The Book of Ezra was the tenth of the twelve books that made up the historical section of the Old Testament. Actually, this book and the next book were considered by the Jews and early Christians to be one book in two parts. The main focus of the first part was Ezra's account of the rebuilding of the temple. The main focus of the second part was Nehemiah's account of the rebuilding of the walls and the city. Since, the temple was more important than the walls and the city, Ezra's account came first. Also, the events in Ezra's account preceded the events in Nehemiah's account by more than seventy years. Once the books were separated, the order was maintained.)

Ezra 1
¹ Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,
² Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
³ Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem.
⁴ And whosoever is left, in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.

(This book began with "Now" because it was a continuation of the Book of 2 Chronicles, which was also written by Ezra. In the first year of Cyrus, God stirred up Cyrus' spirit to make a proclamation to build a temple in Jerusalem, which was a restatement of the last two verses of the previous book: 2 Chronicles 36:22-23. The timeline had been maintained. Notice, Cyrus acknowledged Jehovah as the true God. A "heathen" king was leading Israel as a "believing" king. This decree occurred around 536 BC.)

⁵ Then rose up the heads of fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem.

(The chief fathers of Judah and Benjamin, the priests and Levites went to Jerusalem to build the temple.)

⁶ And all they that were round about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered.
⁷ Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods;

(Cyrus restored the vessels that Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon. Was the Ark still there?)

⁸ even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah.
⁹ And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, nine and twenty knives,
¹⁰ thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand.
¹¹ All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.

(Sheshbazzar meant "Oh sun God, protect the son." It was the Chaldean name for Zerubbabel who was in Matthew's lineage of Christ. He was made governor of Judah over the returned exiles.)




Ezra 2
¹ Now these are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and that returned unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city;

(This chapter covered the people who were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar and could prove their family genealogy in order to return to Jerusalem.)

² who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, Baanah. The number of the men of the people of Israel:

(These people returned with Zerubbabel. Realize Mordecai (from the Book of Esther) was mentioned. Nehemiah was mentioned, however, this was not the Nehemiah who wrote the ensuing book of the Old Testament. Also, Jeshua was the high priest. Notice, Ezra was not with this group of returned exiles. Ezra was not in the first group. Zerubbabel was the leader of this first group.)

(Verses 3-35: a list of the families that were returning to Judah and Jerusalem.)

³ The children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred seventy and two.
⁴ The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.
⁵ The children of Arah, seven hundred seventy and five.
⁶ The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand eight hundred and twelve.
⁷ The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
⁸ The children of Zattu, nine hundred forty and five.
⁹ The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.
¹⁰ The children of Bani, six hundred forty and two.
¹¹ The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and three.
¹² The children of Azgad, a thousand two hundred twenty and two.
¹³ The children of Adonikam, six hundred sixty and six.
¹⁴ The children of Bigvai, two thousand fifty and six.
¹⁵ The children of Adin, four hundred fifty and four.
¹⁶ The children of Ater, of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.
¹⁷ The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and three.
¹⁸ The children of Jorah, a hundred and twelve.
¹⁹ The children of Hashum, two hundred twenty and three.
²⁰ The children of Gibbar, ninety and five.
²¹ The children of Beth-lehem, a hundred twenty and three.

(The children of Bethlehem were 123. The Messianic line was preserved by these 123 people.)

²² The men of Netophah, fifty and six.
²³ The men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty and eight.
²⁴ The children of Azmaveth, forty and two.
²⁵ The children of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred and forty and three.
²⁶ The children of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.
²⁷ The men of Michmas, a hundred twenty and two.
²⁸ The men of Beth-el and Ai, two hundred twenty and three.

(Beth-el was where Jacob had his dream of the ladder going up to heaven (Genesis 28) and Ai was the second city the Israelites took upon entering the Promised Land according to Joshua 7.)

²⁹ The children of Nebo, fifty and two.
³⁰ The children of Magbish, a hundred fifty and six.
³¹ The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.
³² The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.
³³ The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five.
³⁴ The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.

(Jericho was the first city the Israelites took upon entering the Promised Land according to Joshua 1-6.)

³⁵ The children of Senaah, three thousand and six hundred and thirty.

(Verses 36-57: the priests, Levites, and temple workers that returned.)

(The priests...)

³⁶ The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.
³⁷ The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.
³⁸ The children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.
³⁹ The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

(The Levites...)

⁴⁰ The Levites: the children of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the children of Hodaviah, seventy and four.
⁴¹ The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred twenty and eight.
⁴² The children of the porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, in all a hundred thirty and nine.

(The Nethinim, who were the temple workers...)

⁴³ The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,
⁴⁴ the children of Keros, the children of Siaha, the children of Padon,
⁴⁵ the children of Lebanah, the children of Hagabah, the children of Akkub,
⁴⁶ the children of Hagab, the children of Shamlai, the children of Hanan,
⁴⁷ the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar, the children of Reaiah,
⁴⁸ the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda, the children of Gazzam,
⁴⁹ the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah, the children of Besai,
⁵⁰ the children of Asnah, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephisim,
⁵¹ the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,
⁵² the children of Bazluth, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,
⁵³ the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Temah,
⁵⁴ the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.
⁵⁵ The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Hassophereth, the children of Peruda,
⁵⁶ the children of Jaalah, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,
⁵⁷ the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth-hazzebaim, the children of Ami.
⁵⁸ All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants, were three hundred ninety and two.

(Verses 59-63: the people who could not prove their connection to Israel, which showed the importance of genealogy.)

⁵⁹ And these were they that went up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not show their fathers' houses, and their seed, whether they were of Israel:
⁶⁰ the children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two.
⁶¹ And of the children of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Hakkoz, the children of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name.
⁶² These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they deemed polluted and put from the priesthood.

(It was thought here that Barzillai preferred the name of his own family and thought it a greater distinction to be connected with his family, than to be of the house of Levi. But by this distinction, he forfeited the priesthood.)

⁶³ And the governor said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
⁶⁴ The whole assembly together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,
⁶⁵ besides their men-servants and their maid-servants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred singing men and singing women.

(The whole congregation that returned with Zerubbabel (the governor) was 49,897.)

⁶⁶ Their horses were seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;
⁶⁷ their camels, four hundred thirty and five; their asses, six thousand seven hundred and twenty.
⁶⁸ And some of the heads of fathers' houses, when they came to the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem, offered willingly for the house of God to set it up in its place:
⁶⁹ they gave after their ability into the treasury of the work threescore and one thousand darics of gold, and five thousand pounds of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.
⁷⁰ So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, dwelt in their cities, and all Israel in their cities.

(The phrase "all Israel in their cities" proved the Jews that returned were representative of the whole nation, people from every tribe. Basically, the twelve tribes of Israel were reunited under a "heathen" king.)




Ezra 3
¹ And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
² Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt-offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

(This seventh month would be our October when the feast of Tabernacles was observed. The returned exiles had the Law.)

³ And they set the altar upon its base; for fear was upon them because of the peoples of the countries: and they offered burnt-offerings thereon unto Jehovah, even burnt-offerings morning and evening.
⁴ And they kept the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt-offerings by number, according to the ordinance, as the duty of every day required;
⁵ and afterward the continual burnt-offering, and the offerings of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of Jehovah that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill-offering unto Jehovah.

(Worship was restored to Israel along with all of the feasts of the Lord being kept.)

⁶ From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt-offerings unto Jehovah: but the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was not yet laid.

(They worshipped God at the constructed altar because the foundation of the temple had not been laid yet.)

⁷ They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and food, and drink, and oil, unto them of Sidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar-trees from Lebanon to the sea, unto Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.
⁸ Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem, and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of the house of Jehovah.

(In the second year, they began working on the temple.)

⁹ Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to have the oversight of the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.
¹⁰ And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of Jehovah, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise Jehovah, after the order of David king of Israel.
¹¹ And they sang one to another in praising and giving thanks unto Jehovah, saying, For he is good, for his lovingkindness endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised Jehovah, because the foundation of the house of Jehovah was laid.

(All the people praised God because the foundation was laid.)

¹² But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers' houses, the old men that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy:

(Many of the old men that had seen the first temple (Solomon's) wept and shouted. It was possible some of the men wept for joy and some for sadness: for joy because there was a temple again; for sadness because this temple was not as excellent as the first.)

¹³ so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people; for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

(The noises could not be discerned because it was so loud. Everything seemed to be going perfectly...)

(This post covered the return of exiles to Israel and the laying of the foundation of the temple.)

Day 132