In Ezra 8:1-15 … after listing all those names (a rather large group of returning Jews, upwards of 7,000 I have read), a trait (name listing) with which both the books of Ezra and Nehemiah are heavy, Ezra “pauses” for a brief time.

Hence today’s Text … “And I (Ezra the leader) gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I VIEWED the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.” Ezra 8:15

I plan to call this (nearly) half-week “break” a time of rest and thoughtfulness … just before the long four month journey (back to Jerusalem) begins. (Do remember, even God Himself “rested” on the seventh day of creation!)

Plus … the command “to rest” is built right into the middle of the Mosaic legislation. One day in seven! (Exodus 20:8-11, the longest commandment! “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it THOU SHALT NOT DO ANY WORK, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and RESTED the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” One of the Ten Commandments.)

Ezra had his thousands of followers “rest.”

Why?

Here … apparently a time of inactivity … to “view” the people.

To “take inventory” of the situation!

To, as Paul would have said it … “Examine yourselves!” See 2 Corinthians 13:5 in the New Testament for the whole verse.

Wow!

How often do WE do this?

Paul again, 1 Corinthians 11:31 … “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged (of God).” Folks … God wouldn’t have to judge us (at least not as often) … if we more frequently “judged ourselves!”

Now here’s David, praying virtually the same idea: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23

Maybe even Daniel 5:27 would “work” here! “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” Daniel 5:27

Anyway, this is the general idea!

“And I (Ezra) gathered them (the Jews returning to Jerusalem) together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed (“biyn” meaning “discerned, analyzed, considered”) the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.” Ezra 8:15

Wow!

By so taking time to stop and “look at themselves” … the people here averted a major mistake! (As in: “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.” 2nd John verse 8)

Look, astoundingly … “We found none of the sons of Levi!”  We are still our Text today … Ezra 8:15, its last clause.

Someone was missing.

A whole Tribe of Jews, the sons of Levi, not a single one was present!

Priests, yes (of the sons of Aaron).

But technically no Levites, servants of the House of God!

(Half of solving a problem can be detecting that problem!)

So Ezra takes action!

And resolves the issue!

God work will NOT be impoverished, after all!

“Then sent I (still Ezra) for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding. And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims (servants of the Temple of God), at the place Casiphia, THAT THEY SHOULD BRING US MINISTERS FOR THE HOUSE OF OUR GOD. And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of LEVI, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen; and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty; also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims (a lot): all of them were expressed by name.” Ezra 8:16-20

Levites were found.

And Levites enlisted!

And a problem solved!

BECAUSE … of a three day rest and time of introspection!

Wow!

I “rest” my case! (Pun intended!)

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Jesus DID SAY to his disciples one day … “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and REST A WHILE: for there were many (people) coming and going, and they (the disciples) had no leisure so much as to eat.” Mark 6:31

Amen.