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

 

Once King Cyrus (of Persia) had given the Jews their “release” from the 70 years of captivity (foretold by Jeremiah the Prophet) … he further made possible their trip back home by helping finance such a difficult endeavor!

Yes, the King ordered his citizenry to help the Jews: “Let the (Persian) men of his (any Jew’s) place (neighborhood) HELP HIM (the Jew who was leaving Persia) with SILVER, and with GOLD, and with GOODS, and with BEASTS.” Ezra 1:4

Did they obey?

“Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. And all they that were about them (those neighbors) STRENGTHENED THEIR HANDS with vessels of SILVER, with GOLD, with GOODS, and with BEASTS, and with PRECIOUS THINGS, beside all that was willingly offered.” Ezra 1:5-6

Wow!

The Jews would now be leaving Babylon well-supplied!

Via the goodness of a heathen king!

Volunteer gifts galore!

An old Preacher used to often say: “Where God GUIDES, He PROVIDES!”

Paul the Apostle agreed: “But my God SHALL SUPPLY all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Now … let your mind wonder back through Scripture to the Exodus, when the Israelites were leaving Egypt.

Here’s Moses record of that former event: “And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they BORROWED of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they LENT unto them such things as they required. And they SPOILED the Egyptians.” Exodus 12:35-36, provision then too!

But … see the difference?

In the original exodus the Jews “asked” for goods!

In the Ezra exodus … God “freely provided” them goods!

Here then one historical account (Ezra’s) corresponds to the other (Moses’s) … but becomes better and sweeter and less adamant!

(Often with the Lord things get “better and better and better” with the passing of time. Jesus usually saves “the best wine until last!” As in Jesus’ first miracle: “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” John 2:10)

Note: several incidents in the Ezra-Nehemiah memoirs match (are parallel) to the Exodus story as written by Moses! Almost as if God viewed the “home-going” from Babylon/Persia as a second exodus! As a similar event as the “home-going” from Egypt!

Either way … GOD TAKES CARE OF HIS OWN!

Can any faithful Christian reading here today remember a time God provided (unusually so) for YOU in a particular situation?

I sure can!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Psalm 34:10 … “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” Amen!