As the Jews returned from captivity each man or woman apparently had to prove his or her ancestry. Especially this was so of the leaders. (Remember, priests could only serve IF they were of the Tribe of Levi and of the family of Aaron, one of his descendants.)

And not everyone was able to do this …

Ezra 2:59-63 … “And these were they which went up from Telmelah, Telharsa, Cherub, Addan, and Immer: BUT THEY COULD NOT SHEW THEIR FATHER’S HOUSE, AND THEIR SEED, WHETHER THEY WERE OF ISRAEL: the children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred fifty and two. And of THE CHILDREN OF THE PRIESTS: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai; which took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called after their name: THESE SOUGHT THEIR REGISTER AMONG THOSE THAT WERE RECKONED BY GENEAOLOGY, BUT THEY WERE NOT FOUND: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things.”

Wow!

The Book of Ezra nearly “majors” on the idea of purity, of separation. We shall notice that fact again and again as we journey through the Book.

Who are these so denied?

Folks who let their identity “slip.”

Folks whose “heritage” was not worth recording, preserving.

And probably folks who figured they would be admitted to Jewish privileges … no questions asked!

So really Ezra chapter 2 is “inclusive,” for the most part, listing the heads of nearly 50,000 Israelites who “came home” at that first opportunity. But the chapter is “exclusive” as well … as our Text today clearly reveals.

But … how do we apply this fact … this tragedy … to our everyday lives?

As professing Believers in Jesus, we too are warned about “making sure” of our birthright!

Paul, for example: “EXAMINE YOURSELVES, whether ye be in the faith; PROVE YOUR OWN SELVES. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be REPROBATES?” 2nd Corinthians 13:5

Are you sure you’re written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?

“And there shall in no wise enter into it (New Jerusalem, Heaven) any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:27

Be part of the “in” crowd!

And if you’re not, here’s an invitation right now. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37, sinner friend … YOU are God’s gift to His Son Jesus … come to Him today! He will gladly receive any broken-hearted, repenting soul!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Merry Christmas!

We love you all in the Lord.

Jesus, in Psalm 40:7, said … “LO, I COME!”

And indeed He did!

 

As I noted yesterday, Ezra chapter 2 is the longest in the Book.

Yet (I noticed earlier this morning) it begins and ends with the same note, probably a clue to one of the facts the Holy Spirit is therein emphasizing.

Let me show you. I will capitalize the phrase in focus …

Ezra 2:1 … “Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one UNTO HIS CITY.” Which could also include the suburban area, countryside, around those cities.

Now Ezra 2:70 … “So the priests, and the Levites, and some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, dwelt IN THEIR CITIES, and all Israel IN THEIR CITIES.”

Wow!

Cities!

Let me remind you, there has been a decades-long gap between the time these Jews last lived in Israel … and the time of their (Ezra 2) return to that dear homeland of theirs!

Technically, seventy years!

Jeremiah 25:11 … “And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon SEVENTY YEARS.”

Read the next verse too. “And it shall come to pass, when SEVENTY YEARS ARE ACCOMPLISHED, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” Wow! As God predicted, Babylon fell and the Persians took over!

But best of all, Jeremiah 29:10 … “For thus saith the LORD, That AFTER SEVENTY YEARS be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in CAUSING YOU TO RETURN to this place.”

That’s what is happening now in Ezra 2, the “RETURN!”

But my “point” today …

I deeply admire how these Jews instilled a love in the hearts of their children (a word used 99 times in Ezra 2, “children”) … a love for their former cities, a love for the Holy Land, the Promised Land, the country (real estate) of Judah!

Few of these returnees were even alive when they originally left Judah, as captives … being marched northward … in front of the pointed swords of cruel Babylonian soldiers!

But the old folks taught the new generation what they land meant!

Talk about passing along values to one’s children!

Talk about being old-fashioned!

Talk about following the old paths!

I so admire their tenacity and loyalty and (frankly) obedience to Almighty God!

Are WE doing that good a job teaching our children, grandchildren, future generations?

Think about it.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Ezra chapter two, the longest chapter in the whole Book (by far) with 70 verses, is basically a list of names! Essentially so, names and titles!

Here’s the opening line: “Now these are the children (all Jews) of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon (70 years earlier), and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city ….” Verse 1, after which come 69 verses of people and their possessions!

The “returnees” from Babylon!

I listened to a sermon driving last night in which the Preacher called these who returned the “chaff” of Israel, and the remaining crowds (the majority, who at first stayed behind in Babylon) were the “wheat! (That line of reasoning then would place Ezra and his group and Nehemiah and his among the “cream of the crop!”) He said that (at least, I think so) because this first group lived such worldly lives once they arrived back “home.”) Let me be clear, this is a subjective “opinion,” not soundly based on any one verse of Scripture.

Now let me say … whatever they were (quality-wise) they DID come home at the first opportunity! And for that they have my admiration!

Anyway, and the “point” of today’s Lesson … nearly numberless names, no telling how many “life-stories,” but each Proper Noun used here TIES THIS CHAPTER (EZRA 2) TO HISTORY! Shows us we are NOT dealing with fable, myth or parable, nothing merely symbolic … but literal history!

And in Ezra’s day … provable too!

In fact, the Bible is a remarkably reliable Book, even in the area of history! (Archaeology too, for that matter, as well as astronomy and mathematics and … the list goes on.)

In fact, I believe the Bible is inerrant! (Meaning “no mistakes!”)

Readers, here this morning … do not read the “name lists” of Scripture as unimportant, even including the numerous genealogies.

They lend our Bible more authenticity that we often realize!

Plus this, often embedded in these “names” one will find little pure-gold “nuggets” of truth, spiritual food to help us grow in the Grace of our Lord!

The Jabez Prayer in the middle of a “names-list,” 1st Chronicles 4, is a prime example! (We would have never known of that godly man and his prayer life had it not been for those historical genealogies!)

So … in the next day or so … I will be looking at our chapter, again Ezra 2, for such “finds!”

The Bible, an accurate Book in every way!

Praise the Lord!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

His name is foreign.

Although he is a Jew.

“Sheshbazzar” literally means “worshipper of fire.” A Babylonian derivation, looks like to me.

Some believe he is identical to Zerubbabel, but based on Ezra 5:11 I do not think that is the case.

And who is he?

Almost the “hero” (from a Jewish perspective) of Ezra chapter 1. King Cyrus is NOT Jewish, of course, a Gentile to the core.

All the Temple utensils and vessels (given back to the Jews by King Cyrus) were entrusted to this Sheshbazzar, who is identified as a “prince of Judah.” Delivered to him for transport to Jerusalem!

“Even those (vessels) did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto SHESHBAZZAR, the prince of Judah.” Ezra 1:8, wish we knew his Hebrew name!

And was this good man successful?

“All these (thousands of pieces, tools, implements) did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.” Yes, according to Ezra 1:11 here.

He “did bring them up” to Jerusalem!

(Note: although Jerusalem is south of Babylon … it is spoken up as being “up” from Babylon! “… brought UP from Babylon unto Jerusalem.” In the Bible … Jerusalem is ALWAYS spoken of as being upward! Not just because it’s in the mountains, either! It is God’s High City!)

The point of today’s Lesson is simple.

After Sheshbazzar’s initial act here in chapter 1 … he fades from the scene and is replaced by Zerubbabel and then by Ezra and ultimately Nehemiah!

HE DOES HIS JOB!

THEN YIELDS TO (PERHAPS) MORE TALENTED, DOMINANT LEADERS!

WITHOUT GRUMBLING!

WITH A SWEET SPIRIT!

NO DOUBT EVENTUALLY HEARING IN HEAVEN, “WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!”

Oh, for more leaders like him.

For more of us to be humble-minded.

Realizing that no one is irreplaceable in God’s Work!

All striving for the “Cause” of Christ Jesus our Lord … not self acclaim!

Thank God for Sheshbazzar!

And the millions of other virtually unknown (humanly speaking) servants of the Lord who have come and gone through Church history!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I nearly entitled this Lesson “Stealing from God!”

That’s precisely what King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had done decades earlier, when he sacked and burned Jerusalem, destroying its Temple in the process.

Second Chronicles 36:7 tells us: “Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.” And 2 Kings 24:13 succinctly adds: “And he (Nebuchadnezzar) carried out thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD.”

Did Achan do any less, when he “stole” those few items at the conquest of Jericho? (His confession: “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.” Joshua 7:21) By the way, a crime for which Achan paid with his life!

Did the Philistines do any less when they “took” the Ark of God in battle that day long ago? Placing that Holy Thing into the defiled house of their polluted god Dagon, even! No wonder God gave them such severe punishment! “And it was so, that, after they had carried it (the Ark of the Lord) about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had EMERODS in their secret parts.” 1 Samuel 5:19, tumors!

So, I am assuming, one of the reasons for Nebuchadnezzar’s ignominious death (preceded by lunacy) was his blatant stealing of God’s Holy Property! And the fact that none of his heritage reigned very long, nor rose to prominence in any way … due to the same reason!

Wow!

Lesson today … do not take that which is God’s! (Do member this as well … “And all the tithe …  is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD.” Leviticus 27:30)

Wow again!

But now to the Text this morning.

Something King Cyrus (conqueror of Babylon, and all that Nebuchadnezzar “mess”) did, soon as he set the Jews free … to return to Jerusalem. “Also Cyrus the king BROUGHT FORTH the vessels of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods; 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. And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. ALL THESE did Sheshbazzar BRING UP with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon UNTO JERUSALEM.” Ezra 1:7-11, read it entirely please.

Cyrus restored that which Nebuchadnezzar had confiscated!

And God so highly valued these items that He put right in to Scripture an inventory of what was involved!

Sounds like God blessed a man here (King Cyrus) who practiced the Bible principle of “restitution!” Paying back that which was stolen!

Yes, God takes good care of His Property!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell