Ezra 8 – Study

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Ezra 8:15-20

15 I assembled them at the canal that flows towards Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there. 16 So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, 17 and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God. 18 Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all; 19 and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 men in all. 20 They also brought 220 of the temple servants – a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.

A. Find Out:

1. Who was missing first of all? v.15
2. How many men were sent looking? v.16
3. Who were they to bring? v.17
4. Why were they successful? v.18
5. How many did they find from Levi? v.18,19
6. How many registered servants did they bring? v.20

B. Think:

1. Why do you think Ezra considered it important to have Levites with  them?
2. Why do you think he sent so many men looking for them?
3. What does it say about their life in captivity that they were able to find the right men?

C. Comment:

    Our tendency might be to ignore this apparently insignificant passage but it is very important! Remember, ALL Scripture is useful for teaching ( 2 Tim 3:16 )

    Ezra, who knows all about the Law of God, realises that there are special men for special jobs in God’s economy – and no one else will do! The Levites were appointed by God to look after the Temple, so Levites must be found in the ordered society of the captivity. The picture in the Old Testament is a foreshadowing of what was to come in the church in the New Testament. It is God who gifts and calls people to specific tasks (Rom 12:6, Eph 2:10).

    We also see the importance Ezra (note in passing the pronoun ‘me’ in 8:1 – it is now him writing) places on the task of finding Levites as he sends a large team of leaders looking. Others must also realise how important it is that they come. Then we see specific names mentioned. Individuals are important in God’s eyes. We should thank God that we are important to Him and He has specific tasks for us as individuals to do in the life of the kingdom of God .

D. Application:

1. God has gifted me for service. Am I using my gifting?
2. I’m not called to do other people’s work, just my own.

Passage: Ezra 8:21-36

21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. 22 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.’ 23 So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, 25 and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisors, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. 26 I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, 27 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

28 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 ancestors. 29 Guard them carefully 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.’ 30 Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.

33 On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

A. Find Out:

1. What did they do before they left? v.21
2. Why hadn’t they soldiers for protection? v.22
3. What did Ezra do next? v.24-30
4. How did the journey go? v.31
5. What did they do after they had rested? v.33-34
6. What did the people then do? v.35
7. What final thing did they do? v.36

B. Think:

1. What was their overall fear as they travelled?
2. As well as having prayed and fasted, how did Ezra deal with that problem?
3. How does the order of things they did in Jerusalem show their order of priorities?

C. Comment:

     We see Ezra first of all having to live with the consequences of his faith. Having told the king boldly in testimony that God will look after them, he’s now going to have to live with that. His big fear is for the gold and silver they have been given to take back to Jerusalem . Probably it is widely known that they have been given it and anyone could attack to steal it. His way of dealing with this fear?

     First he calls them all to fast and pray. They place their reliance fully upon God. Do we do that? Second, after seeking God’s help, they divide the wealth up between the priests who are sacred and so few people would consider attacking them. Not only that, if they are attacked, the wealth is spread over a number of people and is less likely to be lost. When they arrive in Jerusalem it is all safely weighed out into the Temple with no loss. They then restore their relationships with God through the sacrifices. That is the most important thing to them, to be at peace with God, doing what he has instructed. Then can come establishing life for society. So too for us?

D. Application:

1. Faith means we rely upon God. Do we do that?
2. For practical matters faith needs to come with wisdom!