Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. Sermons
I. HE AUTHENTICATES HIMSELF AS THE LEADER OF THIS EXODUS. 1. He evinces his social qualification. (1) He announces himself as "the son of Seraiah." This was the high priest who was killed by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 25:18, 21). Ezra was not immediately his son, for even supposing him to have been born the year of Seraiah's death, that would make him now 122 years of age! The immediate son of Seraiah who went into captivity was Jehozadak (1 Chronicles 6:14, 15). Ezra, therefore, was probably the grandson or great-grandson of Jehozadak, and nephew or grand-nephew to Jeshua, the high priest who accompanied Zerubbabel. By calling himself "the son of Seraiah" he seems to have claimed now to be in some sort his representative. Jeshua was probably deceased. This stepping over intermediate generations has other examples in this list (vers. 1-5), for it only reckons sixteen from Seraiah to Aaron, whereas, according to 1 Chronicles 6., there are twenty-two. (2) Lineage is not without religious as well as civil advantages. Sons of Aaron only could officiate as priests. It was of substantial advantage to have descent from Abraham when temporal blessings of the covenant were limited to his seed, for these were not without their relation to the spiritual, though these are limited to the children of his faith. Children of godly persons are generally those who keep up the succession of the Church both in its membership and ministry (see Isaiah 65:23). 2. He evinces his moral qualifications. "He was a ready scribe," etc. (1) This law is distinguished as that "which the Lord God of Israel had given." The solemnities of Sinai and the miracles of the first exodus are here called to mind. Such a glorious authentication can be pleaded in favour of no other system of religion. Buddhism? Hinduism? Confucianism? Mahommedanism? (2) This is the law, therefore, to be studied. Its author, God. Its matter, truth the most sublime. Its spirit, holiness. Its end, heaven. (3) A ready scribe (not a skilful penman only, but an able expounder also) of such a law has the noblest qualifications to be a leader of men. 3. He evinces his political qualification. (1) He had the commission of the king. "The king granted him all his request." There was great advantage in this, viz., to influence the Jews to muster, to influence the heathen to aid them. (2) This he had "according to the good hand of the Lord his God upon him." By God's blessing he had wisdom to influence the king. That blessing also disposed the king to listen (Ezra 6:22). Note - God is in everything good; it is our duty to discern this. II. HE RELATES THE SUCCESS OF HIS UNDERTAKING. 1. In the muster. (1) He had "some of the children of Israel." Those who came to his standard were volunteers (see ver. 13). They numbered 1773 adult males, which with a proportionate number of women and children would make 9000 persons. (2) Amongst these were persons of influence. There were "priests and Levites." Of these last some were of the families of the "singers" and of the "porters." (3) There were also Nethinims, descendants of those "whom David and the princes bad appointed for the service of the Levites" (Ezra 8:20). The limitation of particular functions to families tends to perfect efficiency. The service of God in all its departments should be the most efficient. 2. In the journey. (1) Incidents are scantily given. The time occupied was four months (ver. 9). It appears to have been, at least for the able-bodied, a march; for whence could carriages be procured for the transport of 9000 persons? Amongst the requisites they were provided with they had tents for their encampment (Ezra 8:15). During their pilgrimage their hearts would be in Zion. So the Christian pilgrim on this earth, etc. (2) If incidents are not particularly given, the success of the enterprise is, most emphatically. They "went up from Babylon" and "came to Jerusalem" (vers. 6, 8, 9). Far better go up from the mystic Babylon to the mystic Jerusalem than reverse the journey, as too many do. Ezra had not only the skill to plan an exodus, but also the energy to carry it out. Many a good thought perishes for lack of executive ability. Happy is the coincidence of noble thoughts and noble deeds. 3. In the blessing of God. (1) Ezra "sought the law of the Lord." No study more remunerative - more ennobling - more pleasing to God. (2) He sought it in earnest. "Prepared his heart," viz., by raising it above impure prejudices; by seeking the light of the great Inspirer in prayer. (3) He reduced it to practice. He prepared his heart "to do it." Glorious example. His life was therefore righteous, and his influence consequently great - viz., (a) With God. (b) With the king. (c) With the people. (4) And "he taught it to Israel." He taught Israel the "statutes," viz., precepts and "judgments," viz., sanctions (1 Kings 6:12; Ezekiel 11:12). What a degenerate succession from the noble Ezra were the scribes of our Lord's day! Let us emulate his qualities. - J.A.M.
Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart. The book of Ezra contains an interesting record of the dealings of God in His providence towards His visible Church under the Persian Empire. That empire performed important services for the Church — a brief consideration of which as they are recorded in the first seven chapters of Ezra will exhibit wonderful instances of the watchful care of Providence for the Church, and open up the way for the following inferences: I. THE DECREE OF ARTAXERXES WAS RIGHT IN THE JUDGMENT OF GOD AS WELL AS IN THE JUDGMENT OF THE CHURCH. Ezra gives thanks to God for this decree and ascribes the procuring of it to the immediate hand of God. II. THAT IT IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO OBTAIN THE COUNTENANCE AND AID OF THE CIVIL POWER IN FAVOUR OF THE VISIBLE CHURCH IN ALL AGES. It is true God can preserve and increase His Church without the aid and in spite of the opposition of kings and rulers. It multiplied amidst the exterminating persecution in Egypt; and it was not lost during the seventy years' captivity in Babylon; and for three hundred years after Christ the Church was generally persecuted by the civil powers, and yet multiplied exceedingly. But still opposition by the civil powers, and much more persecution, is in itself an evil; and the nursing care of the kings of the earth is s great blessing to the Church. III. IF CIVIL AID AND COUNTENANCE BE SO IMPORTANT TO THE CHURCH, IT IS THE DUTY OF ALL WHO LOVE THE PROSPERITY OF JERUSALEM TO ENDEAVOUR TO OBTAIN IT. Ezra did so (ver. 6), "And the king granted him all his request according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him." IV. WE OUGHT NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED FROM SEEKING THE ADEQUATE SUPPORT OF THE STATE BY THE APPARENT IMPROBABILITY OF OBTAINING IT. "Who art thou, O great mountain?" said the prophet Zechariah, in reference to the usurping Persian king, stirred up by the enemies of the Church, "before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain" (Zechariah 4:6, 7). V. THE FRIENDS OF RELIGION AND THE CHURCH OUGHT NOT TO BE UNDULY CONCERNED WHICH PARTY IS UP OR WHICH IS DOWN. When the friends of the Church are uppermost, give thanks, like Ezra, to God, who putteth it into the heart of the king to beautify His house. When the enemies are uppermost, do as David did, when he encouraged himself in the Lord his God. VI. THE FRIENDS OF THE CHURCH OUGHT NOT TO BE MUCH MOVED EITHER BY THE FLATTERIES OR THE THREATS OF THE ENEMIES. VII. THE CHURCH NEEDS, AND IS ENTITLED TO, THE PRIVATE LIBERALITY OF INDIVIDUALS AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC SUPPORT OF THE NATION. Large and liberal as were the government grants by Darius, Cyrus, and Artaxerxes, yet the voluntary liberality of the private Jews was called into exercise. So it was in the time of Moses and the kings, and so it must be as it has been in the times of the gospel. VIII. THE CHURCH OF GOD OUGHT NOT TO BE TREATED EITHER BY INDIVIDUALS OR NATIONS IN A MEAN AND stingy MANNER. Artaxerxes had not to build the temple — that was done already — but he beautified it; he laid out money on it, as some would say unnecessarily and extravagantly. But Ezra thanks God for putting such a thing as this into the king's heart, to beautify the house of God. IX. AS IT IS THE DUTY OF ALL TO SERVE AND GLORIFY GOD, SO NO ONE IS EXEMPTED FROM THE DUTY OF SUPPORTING HIS TRUE CHURCH. X. WE OUGHT NOT TO REFUSE TO ADD TO THE NUMBER OF MINISTERS AND BUILDINGS IN THE CHURCH UNTIL THE CHURCH IS PERFECTLY REFORMED. XI. THE AID OF GOVERNMENT TO THE EXTENSION OF THE CHURCH IS THE RICH GIVING TO THE POOR. XII. LET US NOT THINK THAT WE SHALL GROW POOR IF WE GIVE MUCH TO GOD. (W. Mackenzie.) 1. Unaffected humility. 2. Sincere piety. 3. Practical religiousness. II. THE GRAND OBJECT OF PRAISE. 1. The Supreme Being. 2. The Supreme Being in covenant relation with His worshippers. 3. The Supreme Being whom our fathers worshipped. III. GOOD REASONS FOR PRAISE. 1. God inspires the worthy purposes of men. 2. He beneficently influences the moral judgments of men. 3. He invigorates the heart and life of His servants. (William Jones.) To beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem One of the desires common to humanity is the desire for what is beautiful. We need not go far for evidence of this universal feeling. It is seen declaring itself in the little flower that lends a nameless grace to the cottage window, in many a simple ornament and picture to be found in the homes of labour and in the preference given to some spot favoured with more than usual sweetness and charm. The desire for beauty and the expressions of it are the creation of the Divine inbreathing. To limit human conduct to what is strictly useful would impoverish existence and rob it of half its interest and grace. If utility were to be the sole standard of human action, the mother would be forbidden to kiss her child and the mourner to shed a tear at the graveside of a friend. According to this, to admire the glowing sunset or to lift our eyes in wonder to the star-spangled sky would be foolishness. The spires and monuments of our cities, the ornamental facings of our buildings, the taste and skill displayed in the laying out of our public parks and gardens, according to this system of appraisement, would be wasteful and worthless. Man desires beauty in the house of God because of its fittingness; we feel it to be in harmony with God's works above and around us to introduce something of the beautiful into the house of prayer and praise. The feeling of hostility in the presence of flagrant abuses of art is now passing away. There is no inevitable alliance between artistic arrangement and idolatrous practices-superstition need never be the offspring of the beautiful; and if good taste is desirable in the home, there is even stronger reason to give it fitting expression in the house of God. We are learners in the school of One who was greater than the temple, One who was altogether lovely, whose loveliness was the loveliness of perfect deeds, and whose beauty was the beauty of holiness. With this beauty we must adorn life's daily temple, taking care that no image of falsehood, uncleanness, or dishonour mars its fairness and grieves the Holy Spirit that would dwell within.(W. Proudfoot, M. A.) So long as our streets are walled with barren brick, and our eyes rest continually, in our daily life, on objects utterly ugly, or of inconsistent and meaningless design, it may be a doubtful question whether the faculties of eye and mind which are capable of perceiving beauty, having been left without food during the whole of our active life, should suddenly be feasted upon entering a place of worship, and colour and music and sculpture should delight the senses and stir the curiosity of men unaccustomed to such appeal, at the moment when they are required to compose themselves for acts of devotion; but it cannot be a question at all, that if once familiarised with beautiful form and colour, we shall desire to see this also in the house of prayer; its absence will disturb instead of assisting devotion; and we shall feel it as vain to ask whether, with our own house full of goodly craftsmanship, we should worship God in a house destitute of it as to ask whether a pilgrim, whose day's journey has led him through fair woods and by sweet waters, must at evening turn aside into some barren place to pray.(J. Ruskin.). People Aaron, Abishua, Ahitub, Amariah, Artaxerxes, Azariah, Bukki, Eleazar, Ezra, Hilkiah, Israelites, Levites, Meraioth, Phinehas, Seraiah, Shallum, Uzzi, Zadok, ZerahiahPlaces Babylonia, Beyond the River, Jerusalem, PersiaTopics Arrived, Fifth, Jerusalem, King's, Month, Rule, SeventhOutline 1. Ezra goes up to Jerusalem11. The gracious commission of Artaxerxes to Ezra 27. Ezra blesses God for this favor Dictionary of Bible Themes Ezra 7:1-21Library Appendix. The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament. 1. The Greek word Apocrypha, hidden, that is, hidden or secret books, was early applied by the fathers of the Christian church to anonymous or spurious books that falsely laid claim to be a part of the inspired word. By some, as Jerome, the term was extended to all the books incorporated by the Alexandrine Jews, in their Greek version, into the proper canon of the Old Testament, a few of which books, though not inspired, are undoubtedly genuine. Another designation of the books in question … E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Reading the Law with Tears and Joy Rome and Ephesus Authorship of the Pentateuch. Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses. Brave Encouragements General Account of Jesus' Teaching. The Section Chap. I. -iii. Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon. Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature The Historical Books. Influences that Gave Rise to the Priestly Laws and Histories Ezra-Nehemiah Links Ezra 7:8 NIVEzra 7:8 NLT Ezra 7:8 ESV Ezra 7:8 NASB Ezra 7:8 KJV Ezra 7:8 Bible Apps Ezra 7:8 Parallel Ezra 7:8 Biblia Paralela Ezra 7:8 Chinese Bible Ezra 7:8 French Bible Ezra 7:8 German Bible Ezra 7:8 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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