Today, after 35 Lessons, we finally meet the man named Ezra! Likely the man who wrote this 10 chapter Old Testament Book, in a way … his namesake.

And we must also remember that he is a PRIEST, as well as a Scribe, a student of the Law of Moses.

“Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, EZRA the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of AARON THE CHIEF PRIEST ….” Ezra 7:1-5

I realize this Text is not a complete sentence. Really it is a genealogy. Tracing the heritage of this godly man Ezra. But it is a notable genealogy! Look how far back the “line” goes … all the way to Aaron, the original High Priest of Israel!

Other great Preachers of the Old Testament were also priests. (And yes, Ezra was a Preacher, par excellence!) Ezekiel for example … as attests Ezekiel 1:3. “The word of the LORD came expressly unto EZEKIEL THE PRIEST, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.”

Jeremiah as well! “The words of JEREMIAH the son of Hilkiah, OF THE PRIESTS that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin: to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.” Jeremiah 1:1-2

But with Ezra, as with the two other examples I’ve cited, their MAIN WORK, MAJOR MINISTRY, seems to have been preaching the Word of God!

Yet Ezra did maintain his identity as Priest in Israel, based on a document from King Artaxerxes to the Jewish Leader himself … “Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto EZRA THE PRIEST, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.” Ezra 7:11

But what does a Priest do, back in Old Testament days anyway?

Primarily he would have represented the people … in the (spiritual) presence of Almighty God! He would talk to God on behalf of the Jewish congregation!

Furthermore, Priests also could speak to the people for God! According to Malachi 2:7 anyway. “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for HE IS THE MESSENGER of the LORD of hosts.”

Wow!

But, and here is the good news for today, the “point” (at least indirectly) of the whole Lesson this Friday morning … today, after Jesus’ Death and Burial and Resurrection and Ascension … we no longer need priests to be “go-betweens” in the presence of God! To be a “link” in the God-man continuum.

Why?

Jesus has become our Priest!

“For there is one God, and one MEDIATOR between God and men, the man CHRIST JESUS; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6

Hallelujah!

Or Hebrews 4:14 … “Seeing then that we have a GREAT HIGH PRIEST, that is passed into the heavens, JESUS THE SON OF GOD, let us hold fast our profession.”

Now, through Jesus, I can speak to God anytime! “Let us therefore COME BOLDLY unto the THRONE OF GRACE, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Thank God for Ezra the priest.

But even more so praise and worship and delight in God … for JESUS our great High Priest!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

One more Jesus our Priest verse please … “Wherefore HE (Jesus) is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing HE EVER LIVETH TO MAKE INTERCESSION FOR THEM.” Hebrews 7:25

Which Truth calls for one more … “Hallelujah!”

 

The word I’d like to emphasize or illustrate today is “intertextuality!”

It’s not particularly a spiritual term, having a vast secular use as well. The dictionary defines it as: “the interrelationship between texts, especially works of literature; the way that similar or related texts influence, reflect, or differ from each other,” directly quoted from an online source.

Today I’d like to use part of Ezra 6:22 to reveal the Bible’s beautiful (and ingenious) way of utilizing intertextuality, to great advantage, as an aid to our learning God’s Word. As a help in our growing spiritually too!

“… for the LORD had … turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”

The King of Assyria is a merely code name for the current King of Persia, who also ruled what was once Israel’s arch-enemy, Assyria. By the way, that Persian King was Darius.

He helped (strengthened) Israel?

His very words: “Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered. And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail: that they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.” Ezra 6:8-10, what a list, what provision!

But WHY did the King do all this?

Other than wanting and needing prayer for himself and his sons?

“THE LORD HAD TURNED HIS HEART!” From Ezra 6:22, a direct quote!

The verb “turned” (in Hebrew “sabab”) means “to turn around.” Or “to beset, to encompass!” Plus the verb is “causative” in Hebrew, suggesting that God Himself had a good reason for doing this, that being “the welfare of Israel, of Judah!”

Now, surely with none of you readers doubting this historical fact … I proceed to show you a prime instance of intertextuality.

Proverbs 21:1, written in Solomon’s day, teaches: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Wow! (Israel had this great Truth around 400 years prior to God’s once again enacting it with the gracious King of Persia!)

Though in Proverbs a different verb is used (in Hebrew) for “turned,” the meaning is essentially the same. “Natah” means “to stretch, to wrest, to pitch,” as well as the 16 times it is translated “to turn.”

Ezra 6:22 echoes Proverbs 21:1.

So here we have one Text utilizing another Text in the same Book, in the Bible, God’s inspired Word!

This phenomenon occurs thousands upon thousands of times in Scripture!

So that one can learn a lot … by comparing Scripture with Scripture!

Paul, in First Corinthians 2:13 says: “the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

Wow!

One book, the Bible, really a Library!

Yet 66 separate Books within it’s covers!

Written over a period of 1600 years!

By 40 different men!

Yet, inter-textually, bearing the same message!

What a Miracle!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

I stand amazed!

 

We often reserve that phrase for the great Book of Nehemiah, “the joy of the Lord.” (Nehemiah 8:10 … “For the joy of the LORD is your strength.” So true!)

Yet that’s exactly what I have titled today’s Lesson, “the joy of the Lord.”

But based on an Ezra Text, written at the Feast of Passover, the very week the (newly completed) Temple was dedicated! “And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity … did eat (the Passover lamb), and kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days WITH JOY: for THE LORD HAD MADE THEM JOYFUL.”

Wow, Ezra 6:21-22.

God had given them “gladness,” the idea behind the Hebrew word “simchah” used here. It is actually translated “joy” 44 times in the Old Testament, King James Version.

Here’s my point today … at this event, this celebratory Passover, it’s 100% joy, apparently! Everyone participates in the delight! In fact, our Text says GOD HIMSELF “made them joyful!”

Now, go back just a few years, when the foundation of this same Temple was being laid … many “wept,” instead of singing! “But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient (old) men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, WEPT with a loud voice.” Ezra 3:12

What?

Yet, even the very beginning of the Temple construction there was joy … at least for many in Judah! Back to Ezra 3:12 … “and many shouted aloud for joy.”

Here’s what I am saying, when the Temple rebuilding first began … some shouted and some cried, the pessimists thinking this new Temple was ‘insignificant,” certainly when compared with the former Temple, Solomon’s!

Joy, but only partial joy among the Israelites.

But about 20 years later, when the Temple was complete and the first Passover instituted … the joy has now become universal, 100% so among the Jews!

God has quieted the crying, the weeping!

And instead has given, to even the most dejected, shouts of praise and gladness and thanksgiving and joy!

Hallelujah!

Reminds me of Psalm 30:5 … “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” That’s the way it is, most often, with the Lord!

Looks like between start and finish of the Temple … God wiped away some tears! (He shall do so again, yet in the future! “And GOD SHALL WIPE AWAY ALL TEARS FROM THEIR EYES; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4)

Yes, HE can still do so!

Take away tears and give, instead, joy!

Yes, God plans yet again … “to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Isaiah 61:3

Praise His Name!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

And what kind of joy is this? Well, according to Simon Peter … “joy unspeakable and full of glory.” See 1st Peter 1:8 for the full quote.

 

Yes, the Temple has been completed!

And as God would have it, the time of the year the Building’s dedication coincided with Passover month!

“And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month. For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.” Ezra 6:19-20, yes from the Book of Ezra!

When the original Temple (built by Solomon) was dedicated, it was NOT at Passover time! (The Jews were expected, really required, to follow certain celebrations or Holy Days each year … as prescribed by God in the Law, Leviticus 23 to be precise. They could not enjoy Passover at any time they pleased.)

Oh, how appropriate, this Passover at this time!

Appropriate because Passover reflects on God’s Mighty Power to “deliver” His people from bondage! (Originally, from Egyptian slavery!)

And now, in Ezra chapters 1-6, they’ve (again) just come out of bondage, Babylonian captivity this time. (Under the chastening Hand of God … due to their sins.)

But I have noticed one difference in today’s Text, difference between this current Celebration and the original One in Moses’ Day.

Way back then, with Moses … Exodus 12 … each Dad or each Father (each head of a household) killed the little lamb! The lamb’s blood was then to be applied to the doorposts, remember? With Dad in charge!

But now … with this later Passover (Ezra’s time) … “the priests and the Levites killed the passover for all the children of the captivity.”

A change indeed!

No longer each man of the house.

But now the Priests and Levites will do the work of slaying the many, many lambs!

Why?

One verse explains it, I think.

From the Passover celebration during the days of godly King Hezekiah … “For there were many in the congregation that were NOT SANCTIFIED: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 30:17

“Not sanctified,” still riddled with sin!

Unconfessed sin!

Therefore disqualified to slay the lamb!

So … the Levites took over the job!

What I am saying today … the Levites are serving as executioners in Ezra’s day … because the “rank and file” Jewish Dads were just NOT QUALIFIED to slay those little innocent animals … each father for his wife and children!

These men still had sins with which to dead!

And if I am right … this situation illustrates (clearly) that sin inhibits one’s serving God, at least in some capacity, to some degree!

Here are men who could not set a proper example for their families … because of something “blocking” their intimate communion with the Lord!

What a handicap!

And oh, one more example of the terribly high price of sin!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

One verse today, just before we reach the great “Passover” event in Ezra chapter 6, at chapter’s end.

In review …

The altar of worship has now been built.

The Temple completed as well.

And a resultant time of celebration enjoyed!

But now, the workers in the sanctuary (spiritual ministers) must be once again “organized!”

So … “They set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.” Ezra 6:18

The priests in their “divisions.”

And the Levites in their “courses.”

For the “service” (meaning “work, manual labor” even) of God!

Let’s talk about these numerous “workers” for a while today.

King David during his reign arranged the priests and Levites into orderly groups. 1st Chronicles chapters 23 and 24 describe that effort. (The Levites in chapter 23 and then the priests in chapter 24.)

With the “new” Temple now functioning many such men would be needed. (Preparation of animals for sacrifice, maintaining the Temple furniture, grounds, etc. As well as the actual officiating at the worship events themselves!)

But our Text (Ezra 6:8) does not mention David’s so dividing these men into groups! It mentions “the Book of Moses,” the Pentateuch one assumes (Genesis through Deuteronomy).

So (surprisingly) we must now look to Scripture written earlier than David! Passages like Exodus 29 (the Priests’ ordination ceremony) and Leviticus 8 (ordination again) and Numbers 3 (the many varied duties of the Levites, then a census of their ranks) and Numbers 8 (the consecration of the Levites), etc.

This new Temple, Zerubbabel’s, and its daily “operation” must have been on a much larger scale that we first imagined! Worshipping God with all one’s heart is that important! And must be laced with obedience to His Word, to the Bible!  

By the way (the practical part of today’s lesson) … let’s thank God for the multiple (thousands upon thousands, worldwide) of Pastors, Evangelists and Missionaries (plus a host of others types of ministers) who exist in the Kingdom of God today!

For God’s “call” upon their lives.

For their dedication to Him.

For the way the Holy Spirit orchestrates all God’s work into one beautiful “goal!”

For the benefit they bring to us, members of the Body of Christ!

The Family of God … a big complicated Outfit!

But one that, generally speaking, functions harmoniously!

Praise His Name!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell