Ezra Reads the Scroll of Deuteronomy
Nehemiah 7:73b to 8:12

Ezra reads the scroll of Deuteronomy DIG: What was the occasion for assembling the people on “the first day of the seventh month” (see Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1-6)? And why the public square rather than the Temple for this activity? How do the people first respond to the scroll of Deuteronomy (see verses 3, 5-6 and 9)? Why? What is the make-up of this historic group? Who was helping the people understand the Scriptures that Ezra was reading? Why can’t the people understand the Torah on their own?

REFLECT: How important was the reading of God’s Word when you were saved? How important is it now? Do you have a regular time of Bible study each day? Did you weep and mourn when you were saved? Did you give to the poor or reach out to others on the margins of society? Did you tell anyone? Why? Why not? How do you spread the Word today? After you were saved, when has God’s Word particularly touched you or helped you in a powerful way? Describe a time when you have experienced conviction and grief from a truth you have read in Scripture?

458 BC During the ministry of Ezra (to see link click Bf – The Second Return).
Compiled by: The Chronicler from the Ezra and Nehemiah memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Nehemiah Memoirs).

What happens in the next two chapters of Nehemiah is a work of reformation and revival. ADONAI steps onto the pages of human history and in the space of a few days brings about a renewal of passionate worship and dedicated obedience that Yerushalayim had not seen in two hundred years. Not since the days of Josiah (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Ai – Josiah Ruled For 31 Years from 640 to 609 BC) had the City of David known anything like it. Through the long, dark years of exile, the Holy City had languished almost to the point of extinction, and what worship there was happened in private gatherings with wistful longings for a return of better days.¹⁵²

Following the return of the exiles under Zerubbabel and the rebuilding of the Temple, attempts to restore biblical worship in Tziyon had languished. For the better part of seventy years in Babylon (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule) there was little evidence of genuine worship. But then came Ezra. Every revival has its roots in a deepened study of the Scriptures, and Ezra was an expert in the Scriptures. He had set his heart to seek the Torah of ADONAI, to observe and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Isra’el (Ezra 7:10). The stage was set.

Then the seventh month came and Bnei-Isra’el (the children of Isra’el) were in their towns. Then all the people were brought as a single body into the plaza that was before the Water Gate, the name derived from its proximity to the spring of Gihon, the water of which was carried into the City through this gate on the festival of Sukkot (Nehemiah 7:73b-8:1a).

They said to Ezra the scribe, “Bring out the scroll of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 28:61, 29:20, 30:11 and 31:26) that ADONAI had commanded Isra’el (Nehemiah 8:1b).” When Ezra lifted the scroll and unrolled it to the passage he would read, the people honored the Word of God by standing (Nehemiah 8:7). Ezra the cohen brought the Torah before the assembly, which included men and women and all who could understand what they heard (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ft – The Reading of the Torah). This happened on the first day of Tishri, the seventh month of Tishri (Nehemiah 8:2), two months after arriving (Ezra 7:8). Now, without warning, the people came into the City and gathered in the plaza before the Water Gate. The fact that such a service could occur apart from the Temple illustrates the lesson the children of Abraham had learned from the exile. They did not absolutely need the Temple in order to approach ADONAI.¹⁵³ It was a huge, joyous gathering.

About 45,000 exiles had come home to the Land in the First Return under Zerubbabel, and that was just the men, let alone the women and the children. But almost eighty years had passed since then. Who knows how the population of Judah and Jerusalem had exploded since then? And to that number was added the recent returnees with Ezra in the Second Return. The Court of the Women in the Temple could only hold about 6,000. So, meeting there would have been impossible given the numbers involved. But whose idea was it that they should meet in that way? And why were they there? The answer is . . . the Scriptures! It was the New Year’s Day of the civil calendar, celebrated as Rosh Ha’Shana, or Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6; Psalm 81:3-4; Ezra 3:1-6; Isaiah 27:12-13; Matthew 24:3; First Thessalonians 4:13-18; First Corinthians 15:50-58), with a cessation of labor and a sacred assembly. They were required to assemble for worship by Leviticus 23:24. But even if everyone else had forgotten that, Ezra would not have.

Something extraordinary happened that day. The teacher of Isra’el was ready to teach, and the people were ready to listen to the Torah, which holds out success and life to those who obey its commandments (Joshua 1:7; Deuteronomy 30:15-30).

So, he read from it out loud before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from first light until midday, in the presence of the men and women, and others who could understand, and this continued for a week (Nehemiah 8:7). In the Bible, water for washing is a picture of the Word of God (John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26), while water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit of God (John 7:37-39). When we apply the water of the Word to our lives, then the Spirit can work and bring the help we need. It is refreshing to the soul when you receive the Word and allow the Spirit to teach you.¹⁵⁴ And all the people listened attentively to the scroll of Deuteronomy (Nehemiah 8:3). No sleepy eyes. No glancing at watches. No daydreaming. The audience consisted of men, women and children, all of whom could understood what was read (Nehemiah 8:8). Perhaps the only ones absent were nursing mothers and their babies. There is no hint of youth activities. Everyone was expected to be there. Everyone was expected to listen.¹⁵⁵

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform constructed for this purpose. Standing near him at his right hand were thirteen priests: Mattitiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah and at his left hand were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people for he was above all the people. When he opened it, all the people stood up. The proceedings began with a blessing and a prayer. Ezra blessed ADONAI, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, amen!” as they lifted up their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped ADONAI with their faces to the ground (Nehemiah 8:4-6).

Then the reading of the Deuteronomy followed. The Levites – Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbetai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah – instructed the people while the people were standing in their place. Ezra read from Deuteronomy for a time, then he paused so that the Levites could translate it (into Aramiac, the common language of the day) and give a running commentary as it was read. Thus, everyone understood what was read (Nehemiah 8:7-8).

The Talmud asserts that, “When the Torah was forgotten from Isra’el, Ezra came up from Babylon and established it” (Succ. 20a). The reading of Deuteronomy had a shattering impact upon Ezra’s audience. Just as the reading of the scroll of Deuteronomy triggered a revival under Josiah (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ai – Josiah Ruled For 31 Years from 640 to 609 BC), reading of Deuteronomy triggered the need for everyone to repent. They wept as they confessed their sins (see Bp – The Israelites Confess Their Sins). But then, Ezra, the cohen-scribe (see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah From a Jewish Perspective: This commentary is based on several premises) said to all the people, “Today is kadosh to ADONAI your God. Do not mourn or weep!” For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of Deuteronomy (Nehemiah 8:9), for through the Torah comes awareness of sin (Romans 3:20b). But today, the Torah can’t save us; it can only convince us that we need to be saved and point us to Yeshua Messiah the Savior. Thus, the Torah became our guardian to lead us to Messiah, so that we might be [saved] based on trusting in Him (Galatians 3:24).

It was obvious from their reaction that the spiritual condition of the second generation of the First Return had deteriorated. It had been eighty years since Zerubbabel had brought the Jews back to the Promised Land (see Af – Ezra-Nehemiah Chronology). Even though the Temple had been built and the Levitical system had been implemented, over time, worship had become rote and dull. Their vitality had evaporated and they were merely going through the motions. The Word of God had no impact on their daily lives. But all that changed for them when Ezra rode into town.

Ezra also had an impact on the recent returnees of the Second Return. How much of the Scriptures had they been able to hear during their exile in Babylon? No doubt the priests and Levites engaged in a certain amount of instruction, but it does appear that this occasion proved definitive for them also. Even if the sections of Deuteronomy were known, the sustained reading of those scriptures under the powerful influence of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh turned into an emotional experience for all that were present. It must have felt for them as though they were hearing the Word of God for the very first time. It searched them, tried them, and found them wanting (Dani’el 5:27).

Corporate conviction of sin – a deep awareness and sensitivity to sin – is a mark of revival. As Deuteronomy was read and explained to the people, it was as if ADONAI Himself was speaking to them and reading their hearts. They saw themselves as sinners, more concerned with self than with pleasing God. Guilt – not just the feeling of guilt, but a realization that sin had made them liable to the punishment of Ha’Shem – overtook them. And they began to weep. They wept collectively with sobs of contrition and a sense of worthlessness.¹⁵⁶

But amid the sound of weeping, Ezra intervened to insist that it was not a day for weeping, but a day for rejoicing. This was to be the first Rosh ha’Shanah (see the commentary on Leviticus Ee – Rosh ha’Shanah) after the return from the Babylon captivity. So, he said to them, “Go! Eat choice food, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who have nothing ready. For today is kadosh (Hebrew: holy, to be set apart) to our LORD. Do not grieve, for the joy of ADONAI is your strength.” Here Ezra was telling the people, “Today is holy, today we begin the ten Days of Awe before Yom Kippur, but do not grieve, on the contrary: eat the fat, drink the sweet.” We are meant to rejoice on Rosh ha’Shanah. Then the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Hush! For today is kadosh. Do not grieve.” So, all the people departed to eat and drink, to send portions and to celebrate with great joy, because they came to understand the words that were explained to them (Nehemiah 8:10-12).

The day was set apart because it was the first day of the seventh month (7:73b), and the start of the Jewish religious calendar. The first day of the month was a day of solemn rest comparable to Shabbat rest (Leviticus 23:24). But the day anticipated the Festival of Sukkot – an especially exciting day for children, who must have enjoyed the prospect of camping, sleeping under temporary shelters in memory of the protection afforded their ancestors during their wilderness wanderings. It does appear as though the feast had been forgotten after being celebrated when the people first returned to the Land eighty years earlier (see Aq – Rebuilding the Bronze Altar and the Festival of Sukkot). Sukkot was a family affair, with its ritual of special foods and delicacies. It was definitely not a time to be weeping, but to be giving thanks recalling God’s goodness and faithfulness to Isra’el.

On Yom Kippur a declaration would be made, following the ritual of blood sacrifice, that all the sins of God’s people were fully and permanently forgiven. During the festival, two goats were chosen. One was sacrificed, and the other (the scapegoat), on whose head the sins of the people were symbolically laid, was driven into the wilderness and left. This ritual pointed forward to the Messiah, who died for our sins and set us free. With this in mind, Ezra encouraged the people to be joyful, for ADONAI had come to their aid in grace and mercy. On the Jewish calendar, Sukkot follows Yom Kippur, giving God’s people an entire week of happy celebration. The sequence is important: first conviction, then cleansing, and then celebration. The sinner has no reason for rejoicing and the forgiven child of God has no reason for mourning (Matthew 9:9-17).¹⁵⁷ Peace, joy, and strength – these three are the basis for a fruitful life for all believers. What constitutes a fruitful, successful life for a believer? Not the acquisition of things or the accumulation of a certain economic net worth. Believers may have none of these and still know a profound sense of all happiness and well-being. Why is that? Because in knowing the forgiveness of ADONAI, the certainty of His promises, and the sustaining presence of the Ruach ha-Kodesh, we find these outward things to have no real significance. What matters is peace of conscience and fellowship with Yeshua Messiah, who calls us friends (John 15:15). The relentless pursuit of pleasure apart from the gospel is a dead end, a cul-de-sac of despair. Living for the things of this world – “stuff” that decays (Matthew 6:19). – is ultimately senseless and shortsighted, as those who have found the soul-satisfying life of communion with Yeshua Messiah can testify.¹⁵⁸

Ezra’s Reforms
Ezra 9:1 to 10:44  and Nehemiah 7:73b to 9:37

After the completion and dedication of the Temple in 515 BC, a silence of fifty-seven
years followed. And when the curtain rose again the power was largely in the hands of
the priesthood. Religious energy had become exhausted. Intermarriage with pagans was tolerated and frequent, and the priests were among the chief offenders. The upper class oppressed the poor; the Sabbath was desecrated and the tithes were withheld.

The importance of Ezra’s reforms lay primarily in the removal of the Torah from the exclusive possession of the priests and its becoming the common property of the nation as a whole. Its dissemination put an end to what had become the monopoly of a class. The reading of the Torah of Moses so pierced the heart of the nation that it became a safeguard against idolatry, and set the standard for social life, as well to the Jews of the diaspora as to the Jews in Judea. Ezra’s reforms marked the triumph of Judaism over the decline into paganism.

However, there was a black cloud in the silver lining. When Ezra returned from the Babylonian captivity, he recognized that the Israelites had spent seventy years in exile because they had violated the Torah (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). They had broken the commandments of Moshe, especially in the area of idolatry. So Ezra set up what was known as the School of the Sophim. Sophar is singular for Sophim and means scribe. He gathered the scribes together in one school. They began to go through each of the 613 commandments in the Torah and expound on them. They would discuss each commandment at length, what was involved in keeping it and what was involved in breaking it. The theory was that if they gave the Jewish people a clear understanding of what each commandment was and how to keep it, that they would do so. In that way they hoped to avoid any further discipline from ADONAI like the Babylonian captivity. Therefore, the original intent was very honorable, and if they had stopped there everything would have been well and good. Hosea said that the people are destroyed from lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). So Ezra and the other scribes wanted to eliminate any lack of knowledge. However, the first generation of Sophim passed away.

The second generation of Sophim took their task more seriously. They said it was not merely good enough for them to expound upon the commandments. They used the imagery (or word picture) of building a fence around the Torah (Hebrew se’ag la-Torah) with new rules and regulations because they wanted to protect it. Their thinking was that the Jews might break the new rules and regulations of the outer fence, but that would keep them from breaking one of the original 613 commandments (actually 365 prohibitions and 248 commandments) and bring divine discipline upon the nation of Isra’el again, as in the Babylonian captivity. The rabbis taught that Moshe received [the Oral Law] from Sinai and handed it on to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets and the prophets handed it on to the men of the Great Assembly (Pirke Avot 1:1), or the Great Sanhedrin (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin).

With all the best intentions they began to work on these new rules and regulations. Over a four-hundred year period, this became known as the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law). The Oral Law refers to the Talmud, which is a compilation of rabbinic commentaries on the first five books of Moses, called the Torah. The Talmud, completed around 500 AD, consists of the Mishnah and well as commentary on the Mishnah called Gemara (Mishnah + Gemara = Talmud). The tradition grew to include a further compendium called Midrash until about the 12^th century. The rabbis taught that when the Messiah came, He would not only believe in the Oral Law, but He would participate in the making of new Oral Laws (Gen.R. 98:9; Tanh.Vaychi 10).

When Christ was born, this common belief was in all of Isra’el, both with the priesthood and the common people. Therefore, with the best intentions, they believed that someone not under the authority of the Oral Law could not possibly be the Messiah. And the unintended consequence of their actions was that their traditions were elevated to a position they were never intended to have. As a result, Jesus would have nothing to do with the Oral Law because He knew that He was not the author. It was man-made.¹⁵¹ And because He rejected it, the Great Sanhedrin rejected Him.

Ezra’s Arrival in Jerusalem
Ezra 8:15-36

Ezra’s arrival in Jerusalem DIG: How does Ezra handle the lack of response by the Levites to his planned pilgrimage? Is he “end-running” divine authority? Or pursuing an additional channel for God’s blessing? Why do you think so (What do the numbers in Ezra 2:40 tell you)? How does Ezra show spiritual dependence, political expediency, and common sense in his journey from Ahava to Jerusalem? What do you make of Ezra praying and fasting instead of (not in addition to) the customary escort (see Nehemiah 2:9)? At face value, it seems that Persian kings gave Ezra over 32 tons of silver and gold to underwrite the Temple project. What principles of financial accountability do you see in the way Ezra handled this vast amount of money?

REFLECT: Is God’s hand more directly involved in the lives of those who strip themselves of all visible means of support and protection? Or are God’s “fingerprints” just more “obvious,” or better yet “necessary,” at such times of naked trust? Why do you think so? Ezra fasted before approaching God for direction, as did Yeshua and His disciples (Matthew 4:2, 6:16-18). How might fasting help you know God’s answer for an important decision that you’re facing? Ezra entrusted 24 men with a vast fortune and held them accountable for every last “talent.” For what talents have you been held accountable (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Jx – The Parable of the Bags of Gold)? How and when have you sensed God’s protecting you from your enemies? What enemies (internal or external) might you still need God’s protection from?

During the ministry of Ezra (see Bf – The Second Return).
Compiled by: The Chronicler from the Ezra and Nehemiah memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Ezra Memoirs).

The account of Ezra’s return to Jerusalem, along with the list of exiles who returned with him was given in summary from the beginning of Chapter 7. Since then we have been examining the details of all the returnees who accompanied Ezra on the five-month journey in the heat of the summer. Specifically, we have learned that the total number was around six thousand, representing twelve families.

I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. This was an unknown location where a canal or river flowed into the Euphrates River. This was in Babylon, and Ezra chose it as a place where the returning Jews would pray and make preparations to leave for three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there (Ezra 8:15). Because Ezra’s main reason for returning was to reform worship within the Temple, the need for a sizable and loyal group of Levites was paramount. The Levites were the tribe of Israelites descended from Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. When you think Levites – think Genesis. All priests were to be Levites, according to the Torah, but not all Levites were priests. The priests were a group of qualified men from within the tribe of the Levites who had responsibility over the different aspects of Temple worship. It was a significant amount of work – work that none of them had ever done before. And they would need to perform it flawlessly. Their work was lowly, servant work, and perhaps many had enjoyed more favorable circumstances in Babylon. No wonder that there was some reluctance on their part!

Is ADONAI calling you to do something for which there might be little visible reward or personal glory? Are you not volunteering because you are reluctant to get involved in something for which you will receive no applause? Are you more concerned about your own personal comfort than the cause of the Kingdom of God? Is it asking too much for you to be involved in something, however menial, when the Lord Yeshua Messiah was prepared to become a servant on your behalf? He did not have to reach out for notoriety and glory – it was already His – but He emptied Himself – taking on the form of a slave, becoming the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man. He humbled Himself becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8). What task is too menial for you to do for Him when no task was too menial for Jesus to do for you? John the Immerser thought that untying Yeshua’s sandals was not too low for him. Indeed, he felt unworthy of the honor!¹⁴¹

When the Jews received the Torah of Moses at Mount Sinai, ADONAI gave commands regarding a formal priesthood for Isra’el (see the commentary on Exodus Fv – The Selection of Aaron and His Sons as Priests). The priests would be males from the tribe of Levi. Among these Levitical priests was the high priest. The first high priest was Aaron, the brother of Moses. His sons and their descendants were to serve as the future priests, and high priests of the nation of Isra’el (see the commentary on Exodus Gf – Dedicate Aaron and His Sons So They May Serve Me As Priests). Only the high priest was permitted to enter the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle and Temple, and that only once per year on the Day of Atonement (see the commentary on Leviticus – Yom Kippur). When you think priests – think Exodus.

The priests needed to meet certain physical and age qualifications in order to serve. In addition, they had to remain ceremonially clean to perform their duties before a holy God. The priests served as mediators between the Israelites and YHVH. They were the ones
who performed animal sacrifices on behalf of the people. It was only the priests who were permitted to enter the Holy Place in the Tabernacle and, later, the Temple.¹⁴²

Apparently there were no descendants of Levi who were willing to return to Tziyon with Ezra, although others had previously returned with Zerubbabel on the First Return. Ezra was deeply concerned about this because he had no one qualified to serve in the Temple. The sages teach that there were many Levites in the caravan but none were qualified to officiate. All the Levites had bitten off the fingers of their right hand to escape the obligation put upon them by the Babylonians to play Temple music on their harps (Midrash to Psalm 137).

So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders and carried some weight in the community, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning (men like Ezra himself) and known for their diplomatic skills, and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. Iddo was evidently a man of influence and authority at a place called Kasiphia, where a Jewish settlement flourished at the time. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the Temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God (Ezra 8:16-17).

Again, Ezra gives YHVH the credit for success in acquiring Levites to go to Jerusalem. Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, the eleven man team (with the help of Iddo) succeeded in procuring the services of two independent Levitical families. They brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi (who were responsible for carrying the Tabernacle in Numbers 3:33-37, 4:29-33; First Chronicles 6:19), the son of Isra’el, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all; and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all. Only thirty-eight Levites were willing to join Ezra in the Second Return to Jerusalem. However, this remnant of men whom ADONAI had raised up had understanding and wisdom and recognized that even the mundane tasks in God’s service were of infinitely more value than the most glorified positions in the world. This also helps us to realize the sacrifice that Ezra and Nehemiah made in leaving behind their great Persian positions and return to their homeland.¹⁴³

They also brought 220 of the temple servants – a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name (Ezra 8:18-20). The temple servants (Hebrew: nethinim) were the men who assisted the Levites in performing the humblest jobs connected with the Temple service. According to Numbers 31:30-47, some war captives were given to serve the Levites. They may be identical with the strangers in the Land of Isra’el whom David gathered for the work of building the Temple (First Chronicles 22:2). Gibeonites were also enslaved and set apart for service by Joshua (Joshua 9:21-27). They were, therefore, called the nethinim, the given [to God], or the devoted. They were held in low esteem by the Jews, occupying a social position even lower than the mamzer, or illegitimate offspring. Along with the Jews, they had been taken to Babylon; and like the Levites, had never performed any of their Levitical duties.¹⁴⁴

From Ahava to Jerusalem: Before Ezra led the exiles back to Yerushalayim, he held a fast to pray for Ha’Shem’s protection and appointed priests to carry the gifts for the Temple. There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. It served as the equivalent of tephillath hadderech, “a prayer for a safe journey,” offered by Jewish travelers to this day. The presence of the great gift of the king’s and silver and gold (Ezra 8:25-27 below) only made the caravan a more attractive target for bandits and enemies. Yet, Ezra said: I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had previously told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.” So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer (Ezra 8:21-23).

Ezra refused to ask the king for a military escort back to Jerusalem, for doing so, he reasoned, would be a denial of faith, a shameful request. Nehemiah, on the other hand, was given a military escort for which he gave thanks to ADONAI, seeing the provision as an example of the good hand of God upon him (Nehemiah 2:8b).

Both Ezra and his younger counterpart, Nehemiah, were godly men. Both were committed to discerning the will of the LORD through prayerful study of the Scriptures applied to their particular circumstances. Both were deeply conscious of their role as leaders called by ADONAI to do a significant work for YHVH. Both felt deeply responsible for the people of God and the advancement of the Kingdom. Yet for all that, they came to different conclusions about what faith meant in their respective circumstances. One reasoned that to ask for military protection was a lack of faith; while the other saw it as divine protection. What are we to make of this? Is it possible for two equally godly believers to seek God’s guidance in similar circumstances and come up with different conclusions?

Yes. It is a mark of our freedom in Messiah to show understanding and tolerance when such differences surface over issues that are not threatening to the fundamentals of our faith. In other words, major in the majors . . . don’t major in the minors. Believers in the B’rit Chadashah differed on whether it was right to eat meat that had been offered in a sacrifice at the local pagan temple and later sold at the nearby meat market. Paul urged them not to pass judgment, adding: Don’t let the one who eats disparage the one who does not eat, and don’t let the one who does not eat judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge another man’s servant? Before his own master he stands or falls. Yes, he shall stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand (Romans 14:3-4). Another issue was that people differed on what day of the week they should worship. Once again Paul explains: One person esteems one day over another while another judges every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes that day does so to the Lord (Romans 14:5-6a). The Chronicler made no attempt to favor either Ezra or Nehemiah’s decision in regard to having or not having a military escort. That they reached a different conclusion was as obvious to the author as it is to us, but the matter is left without comment.¹⁴⁵

The treasure entrusted to them was enormous. Artakh’shasta, like his predecessors, marked the occasion with an official gift, and called upon the Jews who were not making the trip to add their share. Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers. And I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the gifts that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Isra’el present there had donated for the house of our God. I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 Persian gold darics (a thick piece of gold having on one side the figure of a king with a bow and javelin, and on the other side an irregular oblong depression)¹⁴⁶, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold (Ezra 8:24-27). These items were gifts for the Temple, donated by Persian officials and by the non-returning Israelites. These were not the vessels from the House of ADONAI that Nebuchadnezzar had brought from Jerusalem. Those had previously been returned fifty-seven years ago by Sheshbazzar (to see link click Aj – The Return to Isra’el Under Sheshbazzar).

Both the gifts and the men in charge were dedicated to ADONAI. I said to them, “You as well as these articles are dedicated to the LORD. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of YHVH in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Isra’el.” Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred gifts that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:28-30). Ezra also made sure that there were sufficient witnesses when the gifts were eventually deposited in the Temple. In addition to the priests and Levites, the heads of families were also present. Evidently Ezra sensed the need for exact records, careful auditing, and doing everything possible to avoid suspicions of wrongdoing with the gifts given to the service of ADONAI. This is an example of faithful, responsible stewardship.¹⁴⁷

The journey and safe arrival: On the twelfth day of the first month of Nisan we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way (Ezra 8:31). Once again, Ezra reminded his readers that Ha’Shem is completely faithful to His promises and His people. The Jews had no need of a military escort in spite of the fact that they were carrying the king’s silver and gold in the caravan. The important fact for us to understand is that the Lord’s hand is always on His children, and He must be the sole source of our security no matter what may come our way.¹⁴⁸

So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days (Ezra 8:32). The journey of nearly a thousand miles is passed over with barely a comment. All that mattered was the destination and the mission to fulfill. From Numbers 3:8, 31, 4:5ff, it is clear that the Levites carried the gifts from Babylon, and the priests handled them once they got to Jerusalem.

The inventory was businesslike, and the implication is that nothing was missing, despite the long and hazardous journey.¹⁴⁹ On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time (Ezra 8:33-34).

These two verses (using the third person) add a few details to supplement Ezra’s own account, which will continue in the next chapter. Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Isra’el (see the commentary on Exodus Fe – The Burnt Offering). Once again there is an emphasis on the number twelve (see Bj – The List of Exiles who Returned with Ezra), which stands for the twelve tribes of Isra’el. Twelve bulls for all Isra’el, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering (see the commentary on Exodus Fc – The Sin Offering), twelve male goats that were offered. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. They also delivered the king’s written orders to the highest officials and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God (Ezra 8:35-36).

They had begun with worship in Babylon, and they ended with worship in Jerusalem. To pause and give thanks was the fitting thing to do. It always is. Their sacrificing of burnt and sin offerings was extremely special because it was the first time the exiles had done so. Those offerings spoke of atonement and the acceptance of God. The burnt offering expresses holding nothing back from Ha’Shem because the whole animal was consumed on the bronze altar and ascended in smoke, a pleasant aroma to the LORD. The people had come to give themselves to the work of YHVH, and for now at least they meant it. They wanted God to have all there was of them. Has ADONAI ever asked everything of you? And are you willing to say yes if He does?¹⁵⁰

The List of Exiles who Returned with Ezra
Ezra 7:28b to 8:14

The list of the exiles who returned with Ezra DIG: What shift in the Chronicler’s viewpoint do you see in Ezra 7:27 and continues here through Ezra 9? What do you make of the first reference to “me”? Why was this particular genealogical record important to Ezra? Compare this list with the one in 2:1-70. Which numbers don’t add up the same? What do you make of the similarities and differences in the names and numbers?

During the ministry of Ezra (to see link click Bf – The Second Return).
Compiled by: The Chronicler from the Ezra and Nehemiah memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Ezra Memoirs).

The list that follows no doubt included those who lived in surrounding areas. The total number of males in this section was 1,496, along with only 38 Levites and 220 Temple servants (Ezra 8:19). If we add the women and children the number of the Second Return could have easily approached 6,000, about one-seventh of the First Return. However, just as with the First Return, many Jews remained behind in Babylon after this group had departed, content with their established and comfortable lifestyle.

And I gathered leading men from Isra’el to go up with me (Ezra 7:28b). There is an unusual concentration on the number twelve in Chapter 8. The register of those returning with Ezra lists twelve families of Israelites after mentioning the priestly families of Phineas and Ithamar, and the royal family of David. Similarly, Ezra commissions twelve priests and twelve Levites (Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen) to bring the gifts for the Temple, donated by Persian officials and by the non-returning Israelites (Ezra 8:24). At the sacrifice of thanksgiving marking the conclusion of the chapter, the number twelve is also conspicuous. Twelve bulls are offered for all Isra’el; ninety six rams (8X12), seventy-two lambs (6X12) and twelve goats were offered as a sin offering (8:35).¹³⁷

Now these are the patriarchal leaders, and the genealogical records of those who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes (Ezra 8:1):

Two priestly families returned: from the sons of Phinehas and Gershom: This was also the name of a son of Moshe and, in a slightly different form, of one of the sons of Levi, and from the sons of Ithamar: the name of the youngest of Aaron’s sons (Exodus 6:23) – Dani’el (Nehemiah 10:7): These, then, were related to Ezra himself, who also traced his lineage to Aaron through Phinehas (Ezra 7:1-5). We can only guess why they had remained in Babylon in the first place. There was little priestly work for them to do in Babylon, with no Temple! But it might be argued in their defense that even those who remained behind needed the help and instruction of the priests, even if they couldn’t participate in the Levitical practices in the Temple the way they were supposed to.

The priests in Ezra 8 are counted after the family of Aaron, whereas in Ezra 2 they follow the family of Zadok. There was apparently a shift in the priority of priestly authority in Babylon between the First Return with Zerubbabel and the Second Return with Ezra;¹³⁸ from the sons of David – Hattush (Ezra 8:2): He was a descendant of David, and Zerubbabel was his great-great grandfather (First Chronicles 3:22). However, he is barely mentioned! The writings of Ezra and Nehemiah lack any explicit hope for a messianic ruler from the house of David. It seems that the most important people were the priests. One indication of their place of honor is that they are listed first among the returning families. Standing in the second rank is the family of David represented by Hattush.¹³⁹

Now follows the names of twelve heads of families who returned with Ezra.

from the sons of Shecaniah, of the sons of Parosh – Zechariah and with him were 150 males were enrolled by genealogy (Ezra 8:3);

from the sons of Pahath-moab – Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and with him were 200 males enrolled by genealogy (Ezra 8:4);

from the sons of Shechaniah (not the same man as the one mentioned in verse 3 – the son of Jahaziel and 300 males with him (Ezra 8:5).

from the sons of Adin – Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 males with him (Ezra 8:6);

from the sons of Elam – Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 males with him (Ezra 8:7);

from the sons of Shephatiah – Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 males with him (Ezra 8:8);

from the sons of Joab – Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 128 males with him (Ezra 8:9);

from the sons of Shelomith – the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him (Ezra 8:10);

from the sons of Bebai – Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 males with him (Ezra 8:11);

from the sons of Azgad – Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him (Ezra 8:12);

from the sons of Adonikam some had joined Zerubbabel in the First Return ( but these came later, and these are their names) – Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah and 60 males with them (Ezra 8:13). This shows that they didn’t all come at the same time, and that the First Return had divided families. Some had gone in obedience to King Cyrus’ decree (see), while others remained in Babylon. Those who had remained had carefully followed the progress (or lack of it) in Yerushalayim. But it would be several generations before another exodus would occur;

from the sons of Bigvai – Uthai and Zaccur and 70 males with him (Ezra 8:14).

Hattush was not one of the leaders of the community and therefore does not appear in the list in Ezra 8:16. But he was there! David’s line, though now darkened and veiled and almost extinguished among the faithful, still continues. And suddenly, in a place where they least expect it, David’s line will emerge again. Matthew and Luke do not include Hattush in their different genealogies (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ai – The Genealogies of Joseph and Mary). But the covenant made with David’s house (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David), a covenant that would eventually yield the Messiah Yeshua, though clouded and almost entirely obliterated as a consequence of the Babylonian exile (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule), still remains. These were dark days, but out of this darkness would come one who would say: I am the light of the world (John 8:12).

The promises of ADONAI can sometimes appear to be almost extinguished. There are dark days in Isra’el’s history. The exile itself was one of the darkest in her history. But the mercy of God endures forever; the Word of the Lord endures forever (First Peter 1:25). His promises will never fail.¹⁴⁰

King Artakh’shasta’s Letter to Ezra
Ezra 7:11-28a

King Artakh’shasta’s  letter to Ezra DIG: What doors of opportunity does this letter of endorsement open up for Ezra and his fellow Jews? Besides the royal letter, what other free will offerings (7:15-22) does Ezra have in hand? How does this bounty compare with what was ordered by Darius (see 6:8-9)? What prompts King Artakh’shasta to be so generous (compare 6:10 with 7:23b and 28a)? How long had it taken so far for the Jewish refugees to return to their homeland (compare 1:1-4 with 7:8ff)? Therefore, what job promotion and higher authority was Ezra given (7:25-26)?

REFLECT: How is the “hand of God” evident in your life? What leadership role does that encourage you to take? What meaning for Jews and Christians do you ascribe to the historic restoration of Isra’el then in 538-430 BC, and now? Why is it important for some people to have their religious leader’s pedigree or ordination related to a great high priest (as in Ezra’s lineage in 7:1-5), or even the High Priest (see Hebrews Chapters 7 and 8). What aspect of praise, gratitude, and healthy self-esteem do you enjoy as a result of your devotion to God’s Word?

458 BC During the ministry of Ezra (to see link click Bf – The Second Return).
Compiled by: The Chronicler from Ezra and Nehemiah memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Ezra Memoirs).

Now we come to the decree of Artakh’shasta. He was the fifth monarch of the First Persian Dynasty (550-330 BC) – the successive Persian kings who followed Cyrus II the Great and the initial phase of the Jews’ return from Babylon. Museums in Philadelphia and London, among others, house hundreds of archaeological artifacts – clay tablets bearing cuneiform texts as well as vases and silver dishes – all attesting to the reign of Artakh’shasta. Many have Jewish inscriptions evidencing commercial transactions, agricultural lending, and tax-collection agencies. Some Jews evidently were bankers and brokers who loaned almost everything for a price, and some Jews worked as officials of the royal court. There appear to have been few social or commercial barriers between Jews and Babylonians, resulting in the wealth of many Jews. Perhaps it explains why some were reluctant to leave and return to Jerusalem.

Soon after Artakh’shasta came to power, two or three years before the events of Ezra 7, the Persian king faced his biggest challenge – an Egyptian revolt. Led by Inarus the Libyan and Amyrtaeus of Sais, the revolt was successful in defeating the Persian governor in Egypt, Achaemenes, a brother of King Ahasuerus, Artakh’shasta’s predecessor. Then Greeks from Athens sailed a fleet of some two-hundred ships to capture the Egyptian city of Memphis only months before the events recorded in this chapter. Two years later, a sizeable army, under the leader of the governor of Syria, recaptured Memphis with great loss of life on both sides. It was some of the fiercest fighting the Persians had ever known.

Given this background, it may not be surprising that a Persian ruler would commission a devout Jew to administer the Torah in Jerusalem. Ezra came to Jerusalem bearing a letter from the king. With the instability in the Egyptian delta, it made perfect sense for a policy of stability and respect for the Torah to be instituted. The last thing Artakh’shasta needed was for the revolutionary spirit in Greece and Egypt to spread to Judea. A very similar policy had been undertaken decades before, during the reign of Darius, when the Egyptian priest Udjahorresnet was sent back to Egypt to restore respect for Persian law.¹³²

This is a copy of the letter that King Artakh’shasta, king of kings, gave to Ezra. The original was usually kept as an official record. This particular letter was addressed to Ezra because it authorized him to carry it and read it to its intended audience. The king gave it to Ezra, the Cohen, the scribe, a teacher of matters pertaining to the mitzvot of ADONAI and His statutes over Isra’el. This was a powerful testimony to both Ezra’s character and his grasp of God’s Word. He had studied and memorized the commandments of YHVH to the point that he had become a teacher of teachers. It is also significant that the king described Ezra’s qualifications rather than his job description.

Ezra 7:12-26 is written in Aramaic, the language that the Persians used in official documents (much like the Roman Empire used Greek).

From: Artakh’shasta, king of kings,

To: Ezra the Cohen, a scribe of the Torah of the God of heaven (Ezra 7:11-12). Just as Joseph, long ago, gained the trust of the pharaoh of Egypt and was enabled to preserve his family and clan, so Ezra won the friendship of the Persian king. It was a friendship that spelled the survival for the Jewish community after the Babylonian captivity.¹³³

I have now issued a decree that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Isra’el – even the cohanim and Levites – who wish to go up to Jerusalem with you may go (Ezra 7:13). Decrees were commonly written as official documents and then reiterated in personal letters that gave the emissary authority in his travels. Ezra would have read this letter to the Jews in Yerushalayim to demonstrate that he had the king’s backing. This was a remarkable decree that showed ADONAI’s sovereign rule as KING of kings (Revelation 19:16) over earthly kings, and His intent to keep the Abrahamic, Davidic and B’rit Chadashah covenants with Isra’el. The letter contained five provisions.

It authorized Ezra (and others with him) to go to Jerusalem to see that the Torah was observed. For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors (this number according to Persian tradition also seen in Esther 1:14) to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Torah of your God, which is in your hand (7:14). Now you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint judges and magistrates who may administer justice to all the people in Trans-Euphrates – all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach those who do not know them (Ezra 7:25). His jurisdiction no doubt included authority over Jews who had remained in Palestine during the exile but who had neglected the Torah and intermarried with non-Jews. The effect of this decree gave a measure of autonomy to the Jews in Judah – exactly what their enemies were striving to avoid. Yet this element of spiritual shepherding was exactly what Ezra had a heart to do. He knew the Jews returning from captivity needed instruction in the Word of God, and this became the focus of his ministry.

It provided a grant to buy sacrifices and Temple vessels. And to bring the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely given to the God of Isra’el, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, together with all the silver and gold that you find in the whole province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and the cohanim for the House of their God in Jerusalem (Ezra 7:15). It is interesting that King Artakh’shasta chose to make a freewill offering to ADONAI, even though he did not worship Him. The King may have been trying to appease the God of Isra’el in hopes of avoiding future trouble from that region of his empire. People during that time thought various gods ruled specific geographical regions. The freewill gifts of God’s people were an important part of the rebuilding effort in Jerusalem, both for the Temple and the walls.¹³⁴

Furthermore, with this silver you should be sure to buy bulls, rams and lambs, along with their grain offerings (Leviticus 2:1 and 13) and their drink offerings (Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:13), and offer them on the altar of the House of your God in Jerusalem (Ezra 7:16). How did Artakh’shasta know what sacrifices were needed? He must have had a Jewish advisor, probably Ezra himself, to help draft the decree. The phrase in Ezra 7:6b, “The king gave Ezra everything he requested,” also suggests that it was Ezra. The Persian kings took seriously the religious rights of their subjects.

The king trusted Ezra to use the money that he sent wisely. You may do whatever seems good to you and your brothers with the remaining silver and gold, according to the will of your God. The vessels originally taken from Solomon’s Temple that are entrusted to you for the service of the House of your God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem. The rest of the needs for the House of your God that you may have occasioned to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury (Ezra 7:17-20). The Persians were careful to support the religious celebrations of the people they ruled.

Knowing about YHVH does not make one a believer. The Adversary and his demons know about Ha’Shem, and one day sh’ol will be thrown into the Lake of Fire for all eternity (Revelation 20:14). Ultimately, their knowledge will do them no good. One must submit to Him as the only God (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Dk – You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me), and accept His free gift of salvation.

It commanded the treasurers in the provinces to give supplies to Ezra. I, King Artakh’shasta, hereby issue a decree to all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates to diligently provide all that Ezra the cohen, scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you – up to 100 talents (or four tons) of silver, 100 cors (624 bushels) of wheat, fine flower used in the grain-offerings (Leviticus 2:1, 13) and drink-offerings (Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:13); 100 baths of wine used in the drink offerings (Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:13), which accompanied other offerings. Oil was used in the continual burnt offering, in the grain offering (Leviticus 2:4 and 15), and in anointing the priest (Exodus 29:21); 100 baths (or 600 gallons) of oil used in the continual burnt offering, in the grain offering (Leviticus 2:4 and 15), and in anointing the priest (Exodus 29:21); and salt without limit (Ezra 7:21-22). Salt was added, especially to the grain offerings. The salt of the covenant is a phrase that appears several times (Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; Second Chronicles 13:5; Mark 9:49), salt being the symbol of covenant relationship.

Everything that the God of heaven has required, let it be done with diligence for the House of the God of heaven (Ezra 7:23a). This reminds us of when ADONAI had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for, so they plundered the Egyptians (Exodus 12:35-36). In this case, part of the purpose for such an amazingly generous decree to the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates may have been to provide supplies for the journey. Thus, Ezra could show this letter to the Persian officials during the four month journey.

For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons (Ezra 7:23b)? In Ezra 6:10 King Darius had asked for prayer for his well-being and that of his sons. Here, Artakh’shasta wanted Ha’Shem’s protection even though he also feared other gods. It was important to him that God’s wrath in the form of catastrophes on Jerusalem were avoided. There had been a revolt in Egypt in 460 BC, and in this same year, 458 BC, a Persian army was sent to Egypt. Nevertheless, it is interesting that the king of one of the greatest empires the world has ever known should care about the God of such a seemingly insignificant people.

It freed all Temple officials from taxation. We also notify you that you have no authority to impose tribute, tax or duty on any of the cohanim, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, sanctuary servants, or attendants at this House of God (Ezra 7:24). This was Persian policy and can be seen in other cases.

It authorized Ezra the ability to set up a judicial system to see that the Jews obeyed the Torah. Let anyone who does not observe the Torah of your God and the law of the king, be punished with due diligence, whether it is death or banishment, confiscation of goods or imprisonment (Ezra 7:26). This may not mean that Ezra could punish in the ways listed here, but the governor and Persian authorities were to back him up with these punishments. Ezra, like Joseph many years earlier, had authority in a foreign government. In the LORD’s providence both were used to fulfill His purposes for His people. But depending of a secular government to enforce biblical principles can be dangerous. God’s commandments give us the blueprint for a healthy society. But at the same time, they are part of the covenant between YHVH and His people (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eo – The Days are Coming, declares the LORD, When I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el).¹³⁵ Ezra’s response to the king’s decree showed what kind of a man he was. He praised YHVH for what He had done, saying: Blessed be ADONAI, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the heart of the king to beautify the House of Adonai in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended lovingkindness (see the commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed) to me before the king and his counselors and all the king’s mighty princes. And I gathered strength, as the hand of ADONAI my God was upon me Ezra 7:9, 8:18, 22 and 31; and Nehemiah 2:8 and 18) (Ezra 7:27-28a). The thanksgiving was not for personal favors but for the national blessing bestowed by the king, under God’s guidance, in enabling the Temple to be built. From here to the end of Chapter 9 (apart from a brief return to the third person in Ezra 8:35-36), Ezra speaks in the first person. Once again, Ezra recognized that the king’s generosity was due to the LORD’s intervention. He was grateful to King Artakh’shasta for his benevolence, but he gave the final glory to ADONAI.

One more question comes to mind, “Where is Yeshua in this passage?” If you listen closely, you can hear His answer, “I am the One who caused this pagan king to write this letter!”

Messiah is also a letter-writing King. The Bible is a letter to us – including this letter from a Persian monarch. Jesus is saying in this chapter, “Do you see, I am in complete control? I am ensuring the end from the beginning. I am determining the future of My people. I am aligning the events of history to ensure that My purpose for the redemption of My people will be accomplished according to My plan.” Isn’t that wonderful?¹³⁶

Ezra Returns from Babylon
Ezra 7: 1-10

Ezra returns from Babylon DIG: “Now after these things” means 60 years later from 516 to 458 BC (Ezra Chapters 6 and 7). What else do these verses mention as to the who, what, how, when, where and why about Ezra? Why was it important to link him to Hilkiah (see Second Kings 22:4)? To Zadok (see Second Samuel 8:17)? To Moshe?

REFLECT: Ezra was skilled in the Torah (7:6 and 10; also see Nehemiah Chapter 8). What subject matter are you skilled in? By comparison, how skilled are you in the Bible? Who instilled in you a love for the Word? What do you do to build upon that?

During the ministry of Ezra (to see link click Bf – The Second Return).
Compiled by: The Chronicler from Ezra and Nehemiah memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah From a Jewish Perspective: The Ezra Memoirs).

Ezra was descended from a long line of priests that dated all the way back to Aaron himself, who was the first high priest of Isra’el (see the commentary on Exodus Fv – The Selection of Aaron and His Sons as Priests). ADONAI had appointed Aaron, Moshe’s brother, to take on that sacred role, and He had stipulated that only men descended from Aaron should ever follow in his steps. In this alone, Ezra would have been a good choice to lead the Jews back to Jerusalem, as it would have indicated that the people were reestablishing the LORD’s ordered worship in the Temple.

However, that was not Ezra’s only qualification as a leader. He also had spent his life studying God’s Word and memorized it – and, more important, he had spent his life obeying it. He had become an expert in the Torah, a teacher of teachers, and a teacher by example as well as by the Word. Ha’Shem had appointed him to take the lead on this important mission because he was well qualified in knowledge and obedience.

Zerubbabel (along with Sheshbazzar) had been the first to lead the Righteous of the TaNaKh from Babylon to Jerusalem. Now, Ezra himself would gather together the next wave to return to the Land in 458 BC (see Af – Ezra-Nehemiah Chronology). As before, the trip would be long and filled with danger, but the king had issued a decree giving his blessing (see Bi – King Artakh’shasta’s Letter to Ezra), and he had loaded the people with silver and gold to fund the work.¹²⁶

Ezra’s Genealogy: The purpose here is to make clear that Ezra, though not himself a high priest, was a member of the priestly line that had provided Isra’el’s high priests in the past. Now after these things (see Ag – The First Return), during the reign of Artakh’shasta king of Persia. Ezra’s genealogy traces his priestly descendants back through Zadok to Aaron. Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar (see the commentary on Numbers Eb – God’s Eternal Covenant with Phinehas), son of Aaron the kohen gadol (Ezra 7:1-5). Ezra’s genealogy traces his descendants back through Zadok to Aaron.

Ezra was a Zadokite priest who was not only highly honored in his own day, but the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Ezra and Zadok, would be honored with a special ministry in the far eschatological future during the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gs – God Shows a Vision of the Millennial Temple). They were the ones who guarded God’s Sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Him. In First Samuel 2:31-36 we read how YHVH through Samuel prophesied that the house of Eli was to be deposed and replaced by a faithful priest. That was finally fulfilled in First Kings 2:26-27. Then in Second Samuel 8:17 we read that Zadok became the high priest under King David and remained loyal to David after Absalom revolted (Second Samuel 15:24-29). Furthermore, Zadok was also loyal to Solomon (First Kings 1:8, 32-39, 2:26-27, 35) and the descendents of Zadok remained faithful during the days of Isra’el’s apostasy. As a result of their past faithfulness they will be given a superior role in the ministry of the Temple during the Kingdom. The Zadokites are to come near to minister before Me; they are to stand before Me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares Adonai ELOHIM (Ezeki’el 44:15-31).

This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe (Hebrew: sophar) skilled in the Torah of Moses that ADONAI the God of Isra’el had given (Ezra 7:6a). Beginning with Ezra, there arose a class of specialists who were teachers of the Torah; scholars who studied, interpreted, and copied the Scriptures (see Bl – Ezra’s Reforms). The sages teach that Ezra could write out the entire five books of Moses from memory.

It is important to recognize that in the First Return led by Zerubbabel, in the Second Return led by Ezra, and in the Third Return led by Nehemiah, it was always the gracious prompting of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh that led the remnant home to Jerusalem. The Second Return will begin with God’s prompting of the Persian king to act compassionately toward Isra’el by granting Ezra everything he requested because the hand of ADONAI his God was upon him (Ezra 7:6b). Similarly, in the Third Return, Nehemiah will again express the conviction that Ha’Shem was responsible for the gracious support of the Persian throne when he stated: The king granted me the request because the good hand of my God was upon me (Nehemiah 2:8b).

Some of the people of Yisrael and some of the cohanim, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the (Hebrew: nethinim) sanctuary servants (see An – Priests, Levites and Temple Servants Who Returned with Zerubbabel) also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:7). The cohanim, or the priests, were descendants of Aaron, the first High Priest. His sons and their descendants were to serve as the future priests, and high priests of the nation of Isra’el (see the commentary on Exodus Gf – Dedicate Aaron and His Sons So They May Serve Me As Priests). Only the high priest was permitted to enter the Most Holy Place in the Tabernacle and Temple, and that only once per year on the Day of Atonement (see the commentary on Leviticus – Yom Kippur). When you think priests – think Exodus; the Levites were descendants of Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. When you think of the Levites, think Genesis. They assisted the priests in different aspects of the Temple. All priests were to be Levites, according to the Torah, but not all Levites were priests.

What compelled them to leave for Jerusalem? The answer for at least one of them – Ezra – seems to have been that he had a burden in his heart and soul for his fellow Jews in Tziyon. Like Nehemiah some twenty years later, he probably heard tales from merchants who came to Persian-dominated Babylon with news that things were not going well in Yerushalayim (Nehemiah 1:1-3). Jewish law concerning marriage had seemingly been neglected. There may have been a Temple in the City of David, but the Jews were in danger of repeating the very sins that had sent them into exile to begin with. Speaking almost a century earlier, Jeremiah had warned them not to treat the Temple as a good-luck charm and change their ways (see the commentary on Jeremiah Cc – False Religion is Worthless).

It seems that the religious life in Jerusalem, from the time of the Temple’s dedication to the time of Ezra’s arrival had taken on an outward conformity to the Temple’s rituals and sacrifices. There was outward conformity and an external compliance. But it was only a public faith, and it did not relate to the people’s private lives. As we will see, one of the issues that Ezra would have to contend with was the flagrant abuse of Isra’el’s commandment regarding marriage (see Bs – Those Guilty of Intermarriage). The people were conforming outwardly, but inwardly they were living to please themselves.¹²⁷ Things were not much better in Ezra’s day. The Jews in the Holy City were neglecting the Scriptures. A new generation, whose grandparents and great-grandparents had built the Second Temple, now occupied the City. Those fifth-century Jews were in need of a preacher, someone who would proclaim the Word of God with personal application and integrity. They were in need of relearning the seriousness of sin, and this they could only do by falling in love with the Torah again. They did not need someone to salve their consciences with smooth words, and lull them to spiritual sleep with the assurance that all was well. They needed a teacher of the Torah, and for that urgent task, ADONAI raised up Ezra.¹²⁸

Ezra the Scribe: Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of King Artakh’shasta’s reign. The second wave of exiles’ four-month journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, covering almost a-thousand miles, started in Nisan (March-April) and ended in Av (July-August). He began his aliyah (immigration to Isra’el) from Babylon on the first day of the first month and entered Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, because the good hand of his God was upon him (this same phrase is repeated in Ezra 7:28, 8:18, 22 and 31; and Nehemiah 2:8 and 18). Because Ezra had set his heart to seek the Torah of ADONAI, to observe and to teach its statues and ordinances in Isra’el (Ezra 7:8-10). Ezra, like David, had a heart after God. His love was for God’s Word and God’s ways, not his own. He did not leave Babylon to go to Jerusalem because he believed there would be a better life for him there. His ambition was not for personal gain or financial improvement; he wanted to see the LORD’s people return to a way of life that gave YHVH honor. His focus was the glory of God.

Before the exile (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule) the priests were the guardian of the Scriptures and the Levites also taught the Torah (Hosea 4:4-6). But after the exile the scribes became more important (Sir 38:34b-39:11). The rabbis teach that Ezra marked that transition and set the pattern for future scribal activity.¹²⁹

The TaNaKh does not look upon the Torah as a heavy weight or something negative, but as a blueprint for living (see the commentary on Exodus Dj – The Ten Commandments). It is truthfully the royal teaching of liberty, a divinely inspired ethical guide. Only a perversion of the Torah lead to the abuses that we find in the gospels. Most of the legal material in the five books of Moses show the application of these ethical principles to specific life situations. It is in the area of ethics where theology most affects everyday life.

Ezra set an example of the process by which a person grows to spiritual maturity and godliness. First, he set his heart, determined to understand the Word of God, probably spending much of his youth in the study and meditation of the Scriptures. The process naturally led to immediate application, as Ezra strove to do what ADONAI’s Word commanded, putting it into practice in his own life first. This, finally, led to a natural role as a teacher of others – for one cannot teach what one has not first practiced. Ezra’s life of obedience enabled YHVH to use him in a mighty way. The good hand of his God was upon him (Ezra 7:9), strengthening and equipping him for that role.¹³⁰

ADONAI’s people always need Torah (Hebrew: teaching). A great percentage of the ministry of the Church is discipling, nurturing, and teaching. More than just imparting facts, this involves training in righteousness and motivating believers to love and obey God. It includes learning what a biblical view signifies for practical life today.¹³¹

Ezra’s Return to Jerusalem
Ezra 7:1 to 8:36

The Chronicler had his own ideas about chronology. For him, the maximum, “first things first” meant organizing the book in order of importance. The building of the Temple must come first with Zerubbabel (to see link click Ag – The First Return); then the purifying of the people by the reading of His Word by Ezra the priest came next (see Bf – The Second Return); then, came the building of the outer walls of the City by Nehemiah would finish the narrative (see Bt – The Third Return). Therefore, Nehemiah 7:73b-9:37, compiled by the Chronicler, but written in the memoirs of Nehemiah, is included here. I am convinced that the Ruach Ha’Kodesh wanted future readers to see the events of Nehemiah 9 as following upon the narrative of Nehemiah 8. The LXX (The Greek translation of the TaNaKh) underlines the continuity between Nehemiah 8 and 9 by adding the words: and Ezra said in Nehemiah 9:6. Therefore, after Ezra returned from Babylon and read the book of the Torah to the Israelites, the people confessed their sin of mixed marriage and took an oath to repent of it.¹²⁵

The Second Return
Ezra 7:1-10:44 and Nehemiah 7:73b-11:36

458-457 BC

Fifty-seven years had elapsed between the completion of the Holy Temple in Chapter 6 and Ezra’s journey to Jerusalem at the beginning of Chapter 7. Like the First Return, it begins with preparation in Babylon and the introduction of characters. No more is heard about the previous leaders such as Zerubbabel, who is said, according to rabbinic tradition, to have returned to the Persian court.

Leader: Ezra

Decree of: Artach’shashta (458 BC)

Company: 1,754/2,000 men

Purpose: Reform the people

Problem: Mixed marriages with unbelievers

Compiled by: The Chronicler from Ezra and Nehemiah memoirs
(to see link click Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Ezra Memoirs).

Ezra was a great student, he was a great statesman, he was a great reformer, and he was a great teacher. But where is he? We are more than half way through the book that bears his name, and there has been no mention of him. There are twenty-five references to him from this point onward, half of them in the book of Nehemiah. Chapter 6 ended with the celebration of the rebuilt Temple, which was completed under the reign of Darius in 515 BC. With the words, now after this, the Chronicler covers fifty-seven years of history and introduces Ezra. But the Chronicler’s purpose is not to give us historical information. He gives us no information about Ezra’s life in Babylon, and he offers no reason as to why Ezra did not come earlier. His focus is on Ezra, the teacher of the Torah.¹²⁴

Queen Esther of Persia

There was a 57 year gap between the First and Second Returns from Exile 537 to 480 BC

During this time Esther became Queen of Persia (see the commentary on Esther, to see link click Am – Esther Elevated to Queen), giving the Jews prestige in the Persian court. Esther saved the Jews from Haman’s holocaust (see the commentary on Esther Au – Haman’s Plan to Annihilate All the Jews), which is celebrated to this day (see the commentary on Esther Bn – The Feast of Purim). Esther’s victory and Mordecai’s position as prime minister (see the commentary on Esther Bh – The King Gave His Signet Ring to Mordecai) effected Ezra’s return and Nehemiah’s position (art by Sarah Beth Baca: see more information on Links and Resources).

The Completion
and Dedication of the Temple
Ezra 6:13-22 and Zechariah 6:9-13

The completion and dedication of the Temple DIG: Who oversees the work on the Temple (6:13-18)? Who else is involved? How so? Whose authority seems to prevail? Who gets credit without being on the scene? How does this Temple dedication service compare with the previous one (6:16-18, also see Second Chronicles 7:1-10)? How do you account for this rather poor showing? Priest, Levites, the exiles, and converts all celebrate the Passover (6:19-22). What must each do participate (see Exodus 12:43-50; Numbers 9:1-14).

REFLECT: What half-done project does God want you to “carry out with all diligence?” Why not get on with it? How does an outsider get to celebrate the sacraments in your messianic synagogue or church? Are you more open, or less open than early Judaism?

April 515 BC During the ministry of Zerubbabel (to see link click Ag – The First Return).
Compiled by the Chronicler from the Ezra memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Ezra Memoirs).

Ezra 4:8 to 6:18 is written in Aramaic, the language the Persians used in official documents (much like the Roman Empire used Greek). With the celebration of the Passover, the language appropriately returns to Hebrew.

The completion and dedication of the Temple: Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with all diligence (Ezra 6:13). The expression with all diligence is a key word in these chapters, expressing the way the builders went about their work (Ezra 5:8), then the urgency of the king’s decree (Ezra 6:8 and 12), and finally the thorough cooperation of the civil government. Tattenai, as provincial governor, had acted responsibly throughout, in making the inquiry, waiting for confirmation (Ezra 5:5), and following through on the decree. He was no Sanballat (Nehemiah 3:33).¹¹⁷

So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Isra’el and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia (Ezra 6:14). The most powerful word on earth at that time was the decree of a Persian king, but silently and mysteriously these kings were being directed by an even more powerful divine word. Workers, prophets, kings and Ha’Shem were all involved. Artakh’shasta had nothing to do with building the Temple; apparently his name was added to round out the account, for he had decreed the building of Jerusalem’s walls (Nehemiah 2:1 and 8). He also helped provide for sacrifices at the Temple (Ezra 7:12-17).

The Temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar (the closing month of the Jewish calendar year, corresponding to February-March), in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius (Ezra 6:15). Since the work resumed in the sixth month of Darius’ second year (Haggai 1:15) it took nearly four and a half years. The foundations had been laid some twenty-one years earlier in 536 BC (to see link click Ar – The Start of the Rebuilding the Temple). This was seventy years after the Temple had been destroyed in 586 BC.

Then the people of Isra’el – the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy (Ezra 6:16). Celebrations have always been vital for the people of God. They are occasions for fellowship, of worship, of glorifying ADONAI. They bind the community together and enable everyone to understand the purpose and history of the community. The term translated dedication is the Hebrew word hanukkah, the name of the Jewish holiday that celebrates a similar rededication of the Temple after its defilement by the Seleucid King Antiochus IV (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Hj – Then Came Hanukkah at Jerusalem and It Was Winter).¹¹⁸

For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Isra’el, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Isra’el (Ezra 6:17). The offerings were costly enough, yet dwarfed by 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep of Solomon’s dedication day (First Kings 8:63). Twelve male goats had been similarly sacrificed as a sin-offering when the altar in the wilderness was dedicated (Numbers 7:87). This precedent of old was evidently followed on the present occasion. The sin offering made in the wilderness was full of deep religious sorrow. The remnant who had returned made a solemn confession of sin in the name of the whole scattered and despised race. They acknowledged the essential unity of Isra’el’s tribes in the consequences of sin, in the possibilities of restoration, and in the renewed dedication to the service of ADONAI.

And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem (see the commentary on the Life of David Ev – The Divisions of Priests), according to what is written in the Book of Moses each officiating for a week in turn (Ezra 6:18). The exile had taught them that God’s people suffer when they do not live up to their covenantal obligations.

The Passover: On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover for the first time in seventy years (Ezra 6:19). Rather appropriately, the language of the story now reverts to Hebrew, only the returning to Aramaic for the letter of Artakh’shasta (see Bi – King Artakh’shasta’s Letter to Ezra). The Temple had been completed on the twelfth month of Adar, and fittingly, Pesach was re-inaugurated the very next month. Whenever the celebration of Pesach is recorded in the TaNaKh, it is in connection with an important landmark in national life (Numbers 9:5; Joshua 5:10; Second Kings 23:21; Second Chronicles 30:1 and 35:1).

The priests and Levites had purified themselves by a mikveh, a ritual washing with water (Exodus 29:4; Numbers 8:7), and were all ceremonially clean. The author of Chronicles emphasized the need for this purification. In fact, Hezekiah’s great Passover celebration was delayed a month because there were not enough ceremonially pure priests (Second Chronicles 30:2-3). The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Isra’el (Ezra 6:20-21). The Jews of the exile were not bitterly exclusive. This second group was probably the Jews who had remained in the Land after the exile and had defiled themselves with Gentile practices, and then repenting, thereby separating themselves. The convert found an open door, as Rahab and Ruth had found out.

This decision involved two basic decisions, one negative and one positive – similar to what believers must make today. First, they separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors. In order to follow Messiah, we must reject the immoral life-style of the world. Biblical faith is an ethical faith. Ha’Shem is holy, and He demands that His children be holy. The second decision is positive: to seek the Lord, the God of Isra’el. This means turning to Him, seeking communion with Him, and seeking to do His will. Time after time the prophets condemned the people and announced God’s judgment because they did not seek His face (Isaiah 9:13, 31:1; Hosea 7:10; Zephaniah 1:6; Jeremiah 10:21).¹¹⁹

After Pesach, they celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for seven days with joy, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria (the Persian Empire included what was once Assyria) so that he assisted them in the work with materials and money on the house of God, the God of Isra’el (Ezra 6:22). Once this eight-day celebration was over, nine-hundred years after the Egyptian Passover (see the commentary on Exodus Bv – The Egyptian Passover), it signaled the end of the exile for the Righteous of the TaNaKh and the nation was once again back in true fellowship with YHVH. Since the Levitical system of worship had been restored, it was important for the people atone for their sins on the bronze altar (see the commentary on Exodus Fa – Build an Altar of Acacia Wood Overlaid with Bronze). The people had seen firsthand how Ha’Shem worked through history, for He had caused pagan kings to issue decrees that let them return to the Promised Land (much as He had caused Egypt’s Pharaoh to release Isra’el). The original readers of Ezra-Nehemiah would rejoice in that fact and would be encouraged to participate fully in Temple worship, which had been reestablished at such great cost.¹²⁰

In Zechariah 6:9-11, following the record of the eight night visions, the prophet depicts the coming of men from Babylon, Jews who had not returned with the others in 538 BC. They bring with them with silver and gold, which is fashioned into a crown fit for a king to wear. Instead of Zerubbabel (the heir apparent), Jeshua (the high priest) receives the crown. Crowning a political figure, such a Zerubbabel, would be viewed as an act of rebellion; crowning a high priest would have appeared odd, to say the least. Not only that, but the crown was placed in the completed Temple as though waiting for the true King-Priest to appear. Even more significant are the words that accompany this account; ADONAI-Tzva’ot says to Jeshua, “Behold, a man whose Name is the Branch will branch out from His place and build the Temple of ADONAI. He will bear splendor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a cohen on His throne. So a counsel of shalom will be between [the offices of King and Priest]” (Zechariah 6:12-13).¹²¹

ADONAI told Jeshua that he would represent or typify the Branch who will rebuild the Millennial Temple (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gs – God Shows a Vision of the Millennial Temple). The crowning had a far eschatological significance pointing to Messiah as the King-Priest, like Melchizedek centuries earlier (see the commentary on Hebrews Be – Melchizedek Was a Type of Christ). The title Branch is a messianic title (Zechariah 3:8).

Since the promise to rebuild the Temple in Zechariah’s day was given to Zerubbabel, any role Jeshua would have had was apparently minor. So the Second Temple stood as a sign of the coming Branch-Messiah, who would build the true temple of God.¹²²

So The temple was completed (Ezra 6:15), but in another sense, the work had barely begun. A new day was coming, a day of the Lord’s power and might. A day when the shadow would give way to the reality because the real Temple is where Jesus is for He is the Temple, the place where YHVH and mankind meet, the place of reconciliation and of the Kingly rule. Yeshua is in heaven, but He makes Himself present among us by His Ruach Ha’Kodesh. Where the Spirit is, there the gospel is being preached and the people of God, both Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14), are brought into fellowship with ADONAI at the true Temple. The Spirit is not confined to one physical or geographical location, which is why modern pilgrimages to “the Holy Land” are a misnomer. The only biblical pilgrimage to the Holy Land is to go to Jesus Christ by faith, for He represents for us the real Mount Zion. The nations are coming to the Temple wherever the gospel is preached and applied to human hearts by the Spirit of Yeshua.¹²³

King Darius
Endorses the Rebuilding of the Temple
Ezra 6: 1-12

King Darius endorses the rebuilding of the Temple DIG: Compare this Aramaic memo of Cyrus’ decree with the Hebrew version in 1:2-4. What additional details do you see here? Why would they have been added? How does Darius’ decree (6:6-12) expand on his earlier memo? What is his “punch line.” Why might this rub Tattenai the wrong way?

REFLECT: When have you invoked God’s authority as your own? Where do you draw the line and dare someone to cross over or defy your authority? What defiance (by your kids, partners, or subordinates) would “trip your trigger” and bring them into conflict with you? What “sacrifices” and prayers are you offering on behalf of those in authority over you (Ezra 6:10, also see First Timothy 2:1ff)? Persian kings made a policy of restoring the religious institutions of native people (6:1-12). What does this show about God’s role in secular or pagan governments? How does that give you hope as you consider current events?

520 BC During the ministry of Zerubbabel (to see link click Ag – The First Return).
Compiled by the Chronicler from the Ezra memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Ezra Memoirs).

Ezra 4:8 to 6:18 is written in Aramaic, the language the Persians used in official documents (much like the Roman Empire used Greek).

Darius the Mede was none other than the Persian king, Cyrys (to see link click Ai – Cyrus Decrees: Rebuild the Temple). It was common for ancient rulers to use different name in various parts of their realms. As a result, Darius may have been a localized name for Cyrus. In the book of Dani’el we read: In the reign of Darius, even in the reign of Cyrus the Persian (Dani’el 6:28). In support of this view, Darius was made king (Dani’el 9:1-2), called king (Dani’el 6:8), and exercised the authority of a king (Dani’el 6:9). He is called king twenty-eight times in Dani’el Chapter 6. Therefore, Cyrus [Darius] was of Median descent and ruled Persia.¹⁰⁹

Almost incidentally, the sequel to Tattenai’s request for an authoritative word concerning the Jerusalem Temple permits us a glimpse of the flurry of activity in the Empire’s corridors of power. Then King Darius took notice of Tattenai’s letter and issued an order and a search was made in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon (6:1). No doubt the rebellious, especially in the west, during his first years made Darius sensitive to these details. Also, like Cyrus, Darius was concerned that his subject peoples be content.¹¹⁰

A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana where Cyrus made his summer home in the province of Media (Ezra 6:2). It was written in Aramaic to the royal treasurer regarding covering the expenses for finishing the Temple in Jerusalem. The use of a scroll for the recording of the edict is no surprise once it is recognized that it was written in Aramaic rather than the Old Persian for which tablets of clay would have been used.¹¹¹ The discovery of this scroll had just as much effect on the future of the Jews as would the record of the reign of King Ahasuerus found late one night about forty-five years later (see the commentary on Esther Be – That Night the King Could Not Sleep).

The private memorandum read: In the first year of Cyrus the king, King Cyrus issued a decree concerning the House of God at Jerusalem (see Ah – Cyrus Decrees: Rebuild the Temple).

Let the House be rebuilt as a place where sacrifices are offered. Let its foundations be laid. Its height is to be sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits with three layers of large stones and one layer of timber following the model of Solomon’s Temple (First Kings 6:36). Let the expenses be paid from the king’s house (Ezra 6:3-4). This Temple, sometimes called the Second Temple, was built on the site of the first. The layers of large stones refer to three stories of chambers, and on these was placed an additional story of wood. During the reign of Herod the Great (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Av – The Visit of the Magi), the Second Temple was completely refurbished, and the original structure was totally overhauled into the large and glorious edifices and facades that were more recognizable during the time of Yeshua.¹¹²

Also, let the gold and silver vessels of the House of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the Temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be restored and brought to the Temple in Jerusalem; you shall deposit them in the House of God (Ezra 6:5). The release of the Temple vessels was recorded in 1:7-11. Jeremiah had prophesied that these vessels would be taken to Babylon and later returned to Jerusalem (see the commentary on Jeremiah Eq – Judah to Serve Nebuchadnezzar: Jeremiah’s Sixth Symbolic Action).

Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, his scribe Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues, officials of Trans-Euphrates, all of you stay away from there. This sounds rather harsh, but is actually the translation of a legal term that means the accusation was rejected. Leave the work of this House of God alone! Let Zerubbabel, the governor of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews rebuild this House of God in its original place (Ezra 6:6-7). One significant difference, however, between Solomon’s Temple and the Second Temple was that there would be no Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place symbolizing the presence of YHVH. It would be waiting, in a sense, for the Lord of the Temple, the messianic messenger of the covenant (Malachi 3:1), to rule and reign for a thousand years (see the commentary on Isaiah Db – The Nine Missing Articles from Messiah’s Coming Temple).

Moreover, I hereby issue a decree as to what you are to do for these elders of the Jews to rebuild this House of God. The complete costs are to be paid to these men from the royal treasury, from the tribute from Trans-Euphrates so that they are not hindered (Ezra 6:8).

Darius was concerned that the Levitical worship be practiced correctly, so he provided the sacrificial animals. From this accurate list of items we can only conclude that Jewish advice was sought in drafting the decree. Whatever is needed – young bulls, rams or lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven or wheat, fine flower used in the grain-offerings (Leviticus 2:1, 13) and drink-offerings (Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:13), salt, wine and oil, as requested by the kohanim in Jerusalem – must be given to them daily without neglect, so that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven. Salt was added, especially to the grain offerings. The salt of the covenant is a phrase that appears several times (Leviticus 2:13; Numbers 18:19; Second Chronicles 13:5; Mark 9:49), salt being the symbol of covenant relationship. Wine was used in the drink offerings (Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:13), which accompanied other offerings. Oil was used in the continual burnt offering, in the grain offering (Leviticus 2:4 and 15), and in anointing the priest (Exodus 29:21).¹¹³ Darius took religious matter seriously. He wanted all his subjects to pray to their gods on behalf of him and his sons (Ezra 6:9-10).

Furthermore, I decree that if anyone changes this edict, a beam is to be pulled out from his house, destroying it, and let him be lifted up and impaled on it (see the commentary on Esther Bf – So They Impaled Haman on the Pole He Had Set Up for Mordecai), and because of this, his house be made a pile of refuse. There was poetic justice intended in making a man’s house his instrument of execution for tampering with God’s House.¹¹⁴ May God, who makes His name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts his hand to cause such change to destroy this House of God in Jerusalem. I Darius have issued a decree; let it be carried out with diligence (Ezra 6:11-12). Darius’ curse on anyone who would destroy the Temple was fulfilled by Antiochus Epiphanes, who desecrated it in 167 BC and died insane three years later; Herod the Great, who added extensively to the Temple to glorify himself, and who had murdered his wives and sons to stay in power, died of gangrene; and the Romans, who destroyed the Temple in 70 AD, lost their Empire to the Barbarians.¹¹⁵

The king’s reply then put Zerubbabel and the rest of the exiles in a far stronger position than before. It gave him all the benefits of state money and protection without any interference.

From the time of Cyrus’ decree in 538 BC, to that of Artakh’shasta, whose reign began in 465 BC, there was official Persian support for the construction projects in Jerusalem – something that will become apparent in the next chapter (see Bi – King Artakh’shasta’s Letter to Ezra). Ezra is writing to an audience in the days of Artakh’shasta, saying that this kind of support had been seen for more than seventy years.

In one sense, this is so typical of ADONAI! In the days of Egyptian bondage, Isra’el knew another similar divine intervention that shook up everything. Following Pharaoh’s decree to kill all the newborn Hebrew boys (see the commentary on Exodus Ak – A Man of the House of Levi Married a Levite Woman), Moshe’s mother, Jochebed, not only received her son back from the Nile River but also managed to do so with an allowance from the Egyptian government to help her raise him! God is able to do far beyond all we ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). It is a truth that we tend to forget, especially when it comes to governing authorities. The truth is there is no authority except from God (Romans 13:1)! YHVH may bring good from the most surprising places.¹¹⁶

The Prophets Restart the Building of the Temple
Ezra 5:3-17 and Haggai 1:1, 14-15

The prophets restart the building of the Temple DIG: In what way do the events of 5:1-2 represent a new start (see Ezra 4:24; Haggai 1:1; Zechariah 1:1)? Why does the Chronicler retrace the building effort to Shealtiel (see 5:2; First Chronicles 3:17-19)? “At that time” (5:2 can be dated to the period from August 29 to December 18 520 BC. How does that help the account for what’s going on in 5:3-5? What about this episode is seen as a blessing from God? Why? How is God’s hand of blessing evident in Tattenai’s letter to Darius (5:6-17)? What human instruments has God evidently been using to bless and discipline his people? What is the status of this rebuilding project to date? Who is being credited (or blamed) for the “rapid progress” (5:8)? For the “unfinished task” (5:16)?

REFLECT: In 536 BC Sheshbazzar presided over laying the Temple foundation (5:14-16), and in 520 BC Zerubbabel presided over laying a second foundation (Haggai 1:14-15). How do you account for those 16-years (Zechariah 4:6-10). In your life, what has taken sixteen plus years to get right? How do you account for the delay? In the work God has given you to do, when is his hand of blessing obvious to you? When something is not progressing according to plan are you likely to conclude that it must not be God’s will? Explain.

520 BC During the ministry of Zerubbabel (to see link click Ag – The First Return).
Compiled by the Chronicler from the Ezra memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Ezra Memoirs).

Ezra 4:8 to 6:18 is written in Aramaic, the language the Persians used in official documents (much like the Roman Empire used Greek).

Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Isra’el, who was over them (Ezra 5:1). In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of ADONAI came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah (Haggai 1:1). Since this was the first day of the month, the day of a new moon, it was probably a holy festival day in Jerusalem. This provided Haggai and Zechariah a ready-made audience to listen to the word of God.

Then ADONAI stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Jeshua son of Jozadak, cohen gadol, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, and they came and resumed the work on the House of ADONAI-Tzva’ot their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius (Haggai 1:14-15). It had been sixteen years since opposition had stopped the work on the Temple (see At – Opposition During the Reign of Cyrus). Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua arose and began to rebuild the House of God in Jerusalem in spite of the Persian king’s decree (see Aw – The Resumption of Work Under King Darius). And the prophets of God were with [the people] supporting them (Ezra 5:2).

Representatives of the Persian government became aware of the Temple-building project and decided to investigate. Coincidentally, at that time, Darius was still attempting to establish himself as ruler after putting down rebellions in the Persian Empire. His officials would have been very concerned about any unusual activity among a subject people. That would be especially true if they heard rumors that the rebuilt Temple was considered to be the center of a nationalistic movement – a movement that would shake all the nations (Haggai 2:7). At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates came to them and asked them, “Who gave you the authority to build this House and to complete this structure?” They also asked them, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building” (Ezra 5:3-4)? The legal and political importance of the list of names compiled when the Jews first arrived in Jerusalem now becomes clear (see Ak – Numbering the Exiles Who Returned Under Zerubbabel).¹⁰⁰

But the watchful eye of their God, and the hand of God’s protection, was upon the elders of the Jews. They would not stop building until a report could go to Darius and a written reply about it be returned (Ezra 5:5).

Tattenai reported to King Darius that the Jews were violating Cyrus’ official decree that was in place. This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, his scribe Shetar-bozenai, and his colleagues, officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius (Ezra 5:6). It would have been Tattenai’s responsibility, on hearing of this building, to investigate it. He was just doing his job as a loyal subject of the king. There is nothing in the text to demand that Tattenai’s inquiry be understood as hostile,¹⁰¹ and thanks to the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, the exiles didn’t view Tattenai as an adversary.

In order to fulfill His purpose, ADONAI used and coordinated the preaching of the prophets, the work of the leaders, the determination of the whole community, and the decisions of pagan government officials. The Jews continued their work even though there was a possibility the king would stop the project and thus nullify all their efforts. This persistence and perseverance indicates the people’s faith that God would continue to keep the door open for the continuing work. It also shows the influence of Haggai and Zechariah.¹⁰²

The report they sent to him was written in Aramaic as follows:

To King Darius. All Shalom!

Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the House of the great God (Ezra 5:8a). That the Persian officials should say the great God may seem strange. But they liked to use the religious language of their subject peoples.¹⁰³ In addition, this did not mean that Tattenai believed that the God of Isra’el was the supreme God. In the Near East there was a highly developed belief in local deities. Most likely he meant that the God to whom the Jews were building the Temple for was the major God of the area.¹⁰⁴ The Temple is being built with large stones and timber is being set in the walls. Now this work is being done diligently and is succeeding in their hands (Ezra 5:8b). An idea of the size of the stones may be obtained from the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. Some of them are twenty-six feet long, six feet high and seven feet wide. It is not clear what stage the building had reached; but since Tattenai took the time to write Darius and wait for the reply without stopping the work, it probably was still in its early stages. The whole transaction of sending this report to Darius, searching for the records, and sending back a reply would have taken four or five months.

Then we questioned those elders, asking them, “Who gave you the authority to build this House and to complete this structure?” We also asked them their names in order to inform you, so that we might write the names of the men who were in charge of them (Ezra 5:9-10). The questions were legitimate. Apparently the Jews were courteous and answered correctly. No doubt their integrity had something to do with Tattenai’s positive attitude.¹⁰⁵

Tattenai’s report then included the Jews’ answers to his questions. It was a model of religious and political diplomacy. The Jews had caught the vision of their great task. They saw themselves continuing a work that had begun centuries ago: We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the House that was built many years ago. Solomon, the great king of Isra’el built and finished it (Ezra 5:11). The Jews gave a good testimony. One the one hand, they did not hide their allegiance to ADONAI. Normally, in the ancient Near East, the god of the subjected nation was considered to be inferior to the god or gods of the conquering nation. So their words bristled with defiance. YHVH was not just a local deity, He governs the whole earth. More than that, He is the God of heaven and earth. The God of tiny little Isra’el, the forty-three thousand or so who had returned – a small fraction of the world’s population at the time – was the only God there is!¹⁰⁶

But because our fathers angered the God of heaven, He gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, the Chaldean. He destroyed this House and carried the people away to Babylon (Ezra 5:12). But on the other hand, there were no excuses here. The exile had happened as a result of generations of disobedience to YHVH. Yet they were not blaming their forefathers in order to exonerate themselves. Rather, the tone of their words shows that they had taken to heart the rebuke of Haggai and Zechariah, and included themselves in the punishment. The recognition of their guilt was the first step in their rediscovery of their true identity as the people of God.¹⁰⁷

Zerubbabel and Jeshua stated that in the first year of Cyrus, king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this House of God (see Ah – Cyrus Decrees: Rebuild the Temple). That was important because they had legal backing, and Cyrus was still honored as the great founder of the Persian Empire. In fact, Darius consciously tried to follow the policies Cyrus had started. The decree certainly existed, but might be hard to find after so many years. Even the gold and silver vessels of the House of God that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and had carried away to the temple of Nabu and Marduk in Babylon were to be returned (Ezra 5:13-14a). However, the fact that they were taken in the first place was regarded as a major catastrophe by the Jews, and the fact that the vessels were placed in the temple of another god was regarded as shameful. The decree of Cyrus that commanded that those vessels be returned to the Jews had been received with much thanksgiving and joy.

Then King Cyrus took those gold and silver vessels from the temple in Babylon and gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor (Ezra 5:14b). So here the rebuilding had been reported to the authorities as the work of Sheshbazzar, whose official responsibility it was, and whose name could be verified from the royal archives. This verse tells us that King Cyrus had appointed Sheshbazzar as governor sixteen years previously (see Aj – The Return to Isra’el Under Sheshbazzar), a position currently held by Zerubbabel. Then he said to him, “Take these vessels and go and deposit them in the Temple in Jerusalem and let the House of God be built in its place” (Ezra 5:15)! So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the House of God in Jerusalem. However, for sixteen years (from that time until now) it has been under sporadic construction, yet it is not yet finished (Ezra 5:16).

Now, if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives there in Babylon, to see if in fact King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this House of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision about this matter (Ezra 5:17). The archives of the Babylonian Empire would have been stored in Babylon, but one would expect those of Cyrus the Persian to be in Susa, his capital. In the next chapter we see they were actually found in the citadel of Ecbatana (Ezra 6:2), Cyrus’ summer capital.

Haggai ends his brief ministry with a final message addressed to Zerubbabel governor of Judah. As the people had needed encouragement to rebuild, perhaps Zerubbabel also needed encouragement to lead the seemingly insignificant group of Jews who resided in a corner of the vast Persian Empire. Then the word of ADONAI came to Haggai. Say to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, “I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, and I will overturn the throne of kingdoms and destroy the strength of the kingdoms and nations. I will overturn the chariot and its rider, so horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother” (Haggai 2:20-22). This is reminiscent of the destruction of the Gentile world powers represented by the great statue in Dani’el 2. There, the worldwide Messianic Kingdom will replace the Gentile Kingdoms (see the commentary on Revelation Ax – The Messianic Kingdom: A Rock Not Cut by Human Hands).

“On that day of future Gentile judgment” – it is a declaration of ADONAI-Tzva’ot – “I will take you Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, My servant” – it is a declaration of ADONAI-Tzva’ot – “and I will set you like a signet ring. For I have chosen you” (Haggai 2:23a). The fact that Zerubbabel is in the line of messianic descent (Matthew 1:12) confirms that he is a representative of the Messiah Himself. The title My servant frequently pointed to the Davidic king (Isaiah 42:1-9, 49:1-13, 50:4-11, 52:13 to 53:12; and also Second Samuel 3:18; First Kings 11:34; and Ezeki’el 34:23-24, 37:24-25). Haggai’s contemporary, Zechariah, used the messianic title Branch to refer to Zerubbabel (Zechariah 3:8, 6:12; also see Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6 and 33:14-16).

The significance of comparing Zerubbabel to a signet ring (a seal of royal authority) is clarified by the imagery of Jeremiah (see the commentary on Jeremiah Dv – The Curse of Jeconiah, Also Known as Jehoiachin or Coniah). ADONAI said that if Jehoiachin (Zerubbabel’s grandfather) were His signet ring, He would pull him off and hand him over to Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore, Haggai was saying that in Zerubbabel, God was reversing the curse pronounced on Jehoiachin.

It is a declaration of ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Haggai 2:23b). Fittingly, the last words in Haggai’s scroll are ADONAI-Tzva’ot, the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies. The sovereign covenant-God is able to bring about all He promised through Haggai. There will be a Messianic Temple where Yeshua Messiah will reign for a thousand years; the final Son of David will rule the earth in peace and righteousness. Therefore, the righteous of the TaNaKh were to be faithful during the days of Zerubbabel to the task to which He had called them.

It is stimulating to know that we are about the Lord’s business. No matter what the threats may amount to, fulfillment and peace can ultimately be found only in knowing that we are engaged in Kingdom work. Those returnees had a moment of spiritual clarity after the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, and for the time being, what mattered most was the worship of God. Worship is the ultimate thing. Yeshua told the Samaritan woman: But an hour is coming – it is here now – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people as His worshipers. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24). The question that we must ask ourselves is this: Are we driven by a concern to worship ADONAI with a singular, determined resolve, no matter what the cost? When the Spirit of God comes, as He did in 520 BC to Yerushalayim, this is His purpose: to equip us with a similar determination and resolve that gripped the righteous of the TaNaKh in Tziyon when confronted by a vastly superior power – a resolve to put God first, second, and last.¹⁰⁸

Timeline for Ezra-Nehemiah

Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective (Ac)

Glossary (Ad)

The Identification of Ezra’s Book of the Torah (Ae)

Ezra-Nehemiah Chronology (Af)

I. First Return in 538-515 BC – Ezra 1:1 to 6:22 (Ag)

A. Cyrus Decrees: Rebuild the Temple – Ezra 1:1-11 (Ah)

1.  The Decree of Cyrus – Ezra 1:1-4 (Ai)

2. The Return to Isra’el Under Sheshbazzar – Ezra 1:5-11 (Aj)

B. Numbering the Exiles Who Returned Under Zerubbabel – Ezra 2:1-70 (Ak)

1.  The Clans Who Returned from Captivity in Babylon – Ezra 2:1-19 (Al)

2.  The Geographical Place-Names who Returned – Ezra 2:20-35 (Am)

3.  Priests, Levites and Temple servants – Ezra 2:36-60 (An)

4.  The Generosity of the People of God – Ezra 2:61-70 (Ao)

C. The Revival of Temple Worship – Ezra 3:1-13 (Ap)

1.  Rebuilding the Bronze Altar and the Festival of Sukkot – Ezra 3:1-6 (Aq)

2.  The Start of Rebuilding the Temple – Ezra 3:7-13 (Ar)

D. Opposition to Rebuilding the Temple – Ezra 4:1-24 (As)

1.  Opposition during the Reign of Cyrus – Ezra 4:1-5 (At)

2.  Opposition during the Reigns of Ahasuerus and Artakh’shasta – Ezra 4:6-24 (Au)

a.  Letters to Ahasuerus and Artakh’shasta – Ezra 4:6-16 (Av)

b.  The Resumption of Work Under King Darius – Ezra 4:17-24 (Aw)

3.  Preaching that Produces Repentance – Ez 5:1-2; Hag 1:1-2:9; Zech 7:1-8:23 (Ax)

a.  Haggai: The Strait Talker – Ezra 5:1-2 and Haggai 1:1 to 2:9 (Ay)

b.  Zechariah: the Visionary – Ezra 5:1-2 and Zechariah 7:1 to 8:23 (Az)

E. The Completion of the Temple – Ezra 5:1 to 6:22 (Ba)

1.  The Prophets Restart the Building of the Temple – Ezra 5:1-17 (Bb)

2.  King Darius Endorses Rebuilding the Temple – Ezra 6:1-12 (Bc)

3.  The Completion and Dedication of the Temple – Ezra 6:13-22 (Bd)

57 year gap between Zerubbabel and Ezra

Esther Queen of Persia (Be)

II. The Second Return in 458-457 BC – Ezra 7:1-10:44 and Neh 7:73b-11:36 (Bf)

A. Ezra’s Return to Jerusalem – Ezra 7:1 to 8:36 (Bg)

1.  Ezra Returns from Babylon – Ezra 7:1-10 (Bh)

2.  King Artakh’shasta’s Letter to Ezra – Ezra 7:11-7:28a (Bi)

3.  The List of Exiles who Returned with Ezra – Ezra 7:28b-8:14 (Bj)

4.  Ezra’s Arrival in Jerusalem – Ezra 8:15-36 (Bk)

B. Ezra’s Reforms – 9:1 to 10:44; Nehemiah 7:73b-9:37 (Bl)

1.  Ezra Reads the Torah Scroll of Moses – Nehemiah 7:73b-8:1-12 (Bm)

2.  The Feast of Sukkot Celebrated – Nehemiah 8:13-18 (Bn)

3.  Ezra’s Prayer about Intermarriage – Ezra 9:1-15 (Bo)

4.  The Israelites Confess Their Sins – Ezra 10:1-6 and Nehemiah 9:1-37 (Bp)

5.  A Binding Agreement – Nehemiah 9:38 to 10:39 (Bq)

6.  The Calling of a Public Assembly – Ezra 10:7-15 (Br)

7.  Those Guilty of Intermarriage – Ezra 10:16-44 (Bs)

12 year gap between Ezra and Nehemiah

III. The Third Return 445-432 BC – Nehemiah 1:1 to 7:73a and 12:1 to 13:31 (Bt)

A. Nehemiah Intercedes for Jerusalem – Nehemiah 1:1-11 (Bu)

B. Favor with King Artakhshasta – Nehemiah 2:1-20 (Bv)

1. The Response of King Artakhshasta – Nehemiah 2:1-10 (Bw)

2. Nehemiah Inspects Jerusalem’s Walls – Nehemiah 2:11-20 (Bx)

C. The List of the Builders of the Wall – Nehemiah 3:1-32 (By)

1. Repairing the Northern and Western Walls – Nehemiah 3:1-15 (Bz)

2. The Construction of the Eastern Wall – Nehemiah 3:16-32 (Ca)

D. Renewed Opposition to the Rebuilding of the Walls – Nehemiah 4:1-23 (Cb)

1. Samaritan Opposition to the Building of the Walls – Nehemiah 4:1-15 (Cc)

2. The Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem – Nehemiah 4:16-23 (Cd)

E. Nehemiah Helps the Poor Israelites– Nehemiah 5:1-19 (Ce)

1. The Complaints of the Poor Israelites – Nehemiah 5:1-13 (Cf)

2. Nehemiah’s Unselfish Leadership – Nehemiah 5:14-19 (Cg)

F. The Completion of the Walls Despite Opposition – Nehemiah 6:1-19 (Ch)

1. Attempts to Snare Nehemiah – Nehemiah 6:1-9 (Ci)

2. The Hiring of False Prophets – Nehemiah 6:10-14 (Cj)

3. The Completion of the Walls – Nehemiah 6:15-19 (Ck)

G. The Dedication of the Walls of Jerusalem – Nehemiah 12:27-47 (Cl)

H. The Inspired List of Ezra 2 and the Human Register of Nehemiah 7 (Cm)

I. Hanani, Hananiah and the Returning Exiles – Nehemiah 7:1-73a (Cn)

J. The New Residents of Jerusalem – Nehemiah 11:1-36 (Co)

K. Identifying the Priests and Levites – Nehemiah 12:1-26 (Cp)

L. Malachi: The Pollution of the Priesthood – Malachi 1:1 to 2:17 (Cq)

M. Nehemiah’s Final Reforms – 13:1-31 (Cr)

400 Years of Silence (The Intertestamental Period)

End Notes (Cs)

Bibliography (Ct)

Zechariah: the Visionary
Ezra 5:1-2 and Zechariah 7:1 to 8:23

DIG: What are some holidays or other observances that today have lost connection to what they were originally intended to celebrate? Why does this happen over time? Why had the Jews observed this cycle of fasting for so many years? What did it represent in their view? What did it represent in God’s view? The Jews asked a fairly straightforward question, but ADONAI’s answer was lengthy and complex. What deeper truth was He trying to find out?

REFLECT: What is the difference between repentance of sin and sorrow over the consequences? How do you distinguish between them? What is the outward result of each? In what sense are religious observances a waste of time? When are they valuable? How do you distinguish between these two situations? What things does God hate? Why does He hate them? How does your own list of “hates” compare with God’s list? What did God mean when He said, “Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “I am exceedingly zealous for Zion, I am burning with jealousy for her” (Zechariah 8:2)? How does God’s zeal for your fellowship compare with yours for His? What are some signs that Yeshua’s return is imminent? How does this affect your daily life? How might your priorities change in the coming week if you took this to heart? Does your daily life reflect true obedience to God’s Word, or do you tend to “go through the motions” of religious observances? What area of obedience might the Lord be calling you to this week?

November-December 518 BC about two years before the Temple was completed.

The name Zechariah means ADONAI remembers. He was the great prophet of the days of the restoration from the Babylonian Captivity (see the commentary on Jeremiah). Zechariah was born in Babylon of a priestly family and, much like the prophet Haggai, traveled back to Judah with the first wave of exiles under the leadership of Zerubbabel (see Ag – The First Return). The rabbis teach that he was also a member of the Great Sanhedrin, a council of 120 men originated by Nehemiah and presided over by Ezra. This council later developed into the ruling elders of the nation (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lg – The Great Sanhedrin). Zechariah is occasionally referred to as the son of his grandfather, with whom he traveled to Judah, so many assume that his father died when he was very young.⁹³

Zechariah was a contemporary of Haggai, and like Haggai, his ministry was to encourage the returned exiles to rebuild the Temple and continue the feasts. He began his ministry two months after Haggai gave his first sermons, but his ministry extended far beyond the life of Haggai. ADONAI used Haggai to begin a revival, and He subsequently used Zechariah to keep it going strong. Following the time of Zechariah, ADONAI would raise up one final prophet named Malachi (see Cq – Malachi: The Pollution of the Priesthood) to rebuke and condemn the exiles for the abuses they committed during the period of Nehemiah’s absence from 445 to 433 BC (see Af – Ezra-Nehemiah Chronolgy). After Malachi, prophecy from YHVH would fall silent for four hundred years, until a man named John arrived on the Judean scene (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Be – John the Baptist Prepares the Way).⁹⁴

Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Isra’el. Here, the prophets functioned as catalysts to finish the rebuilding with their encouraging message (Ezra 6:14). Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the House of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them supporting them (Ezra 5:1-2). Those workers were not on their own, God was over them.

Now that the Temple was being rebuilt, some Jews traveled to Yerushalayim to seek the will of ADONAI about whether they should continue their annual feasts. In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of Adonai came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, in Kislev. Now Bethel sent Sarezer and Regem-melech together with his men to seek the favor of Adonai, and to speak to the cohanim of the House of ADONAI-Tzva’ot and to the prophets saying: Should I mourn and consecrate myself in the fifth month as I have done for so many years (Zechariah 7:1-3)! These men came from Bethel, rather than to Bethel, a town twelve miles north of Tziyon. Since the return from Babylon, the Jews had rebuilt and repopulated that city. Bethel had been the center of apostate worship for the Northern ten tribes of Isra’el (First Kings 12:28-29, 13:1; Amos 7:13). They journeyed to Jerusalem to ask the priests whether they needed to continue to celebrate the yearly schedule of feasts. Their question, however, implied a desire to discontinue the religious observance of fasting.⁹⁵ God gave four responses.

God’s first response: ADONAI asked the people to examine their hearts. What was the real reason for fasting? What was their true motive for fasting and eating for the feasts? Then the word of ADONAI-Tzva’ot came to me saying: Speak to all the people of the land and to the cohanim saying: When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and in the seventh months for the past seventy years, did you really fast for Me? The fast of the fifth month (July-August, the month of Av), commemorated the destruction of the City and the Temple (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC). The fast of the seventh month was not the divinely instituted fast on the annual day of Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:29-31, 23:26-32), which was also on the seventh month, but a fast commemorating the murder of Gedaliah, governor of Judah, during the time of civil unrest after the fall of Yerushalayim (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gg – Gedaliah Assassinated). Were they merely going through the motions of these yearly fasts, or was their heart really in it? Were they really mourning over the destruction of Solomon’s Temple and the assassination of Gedaliah, or were they only putting on a show? When they ate and drank during the other cycle of feasts, who were they thinking of? When you eat and drink, are you not eating and drinking for yourself? If their eating at the yearly cycle of feasts was for their own pleasure, the fasts were also likely to be driven by selfish ambitions. And if that were the case, it had all been a big waste of time.

Are not these the words that ADONAI proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem with its surrounding cities were inhabited and prosperous, when the Negev and the lowland were inhabited (Zechariah 7:4-7)? If the Israelites had just obeyed His word in the first place, there would never have been any call for the fasts. The important matter was not ritual, but obedience. In the past it had been obedience to God’s Word that brought great joy, peace, and prosperity to Isra’el during the time of David and Solomon. If that present generation in Zechariah’s time were to substitute ritual for obedience, they would have the joy, peace, and prosperity that they were enjoying. YHVH wanted them to show their repentance through obedience, not through outward pious religious ritual.

God’s second response: Then the LORD offered some practical examples of the type of obedience He desired. Again, the word of ADONAI came to Zechariah saying: Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot: “Administer true judgment and practice mercy and compassion each to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the outsider or the poor. Furthermore, do not let any of you devise evil against one another in your heart” (Zechariah 7:8-10). Those who looked for every opportunity to advance themselves would only end up planning evil against others, pushing others down, using every underhanded scheme imaginable to get ahead. For them the ends justify the means. ADONAI said to repent of such things, and they would have no need of fasting.⁹⁶

Next, Ha’Shem pointed out that the previous generation had been told the exact same thing. But they refused to pay attention. They stubbornly turned their backs and stopped their ears from hearing. Indeed, they made their hearts as hard as flint preventing them from hearing the Torah or the words that ADONAI-Tzva’ot sent by His Ruach through the former prophets. The implication of this was a warning to the present generation not to make the same mistake. Consequently, great wrath came from ADONAI-Tzva’ot. It came about that just as He called and they did not listen, so when they would call for deliverance, I would not listen, says ADONAI-Tzva’ot. “I scattered them to exile in Babylon with a whirlwind among all the nations they have not known. Thus, the Land was left so desolate behind them that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate” (Zechariah 7:11-14).

God’s third response: Then ADONAI turned His eyes toward the far eschatological future, and contrast Isra’el’s past judgment with her promised future restoration. The word of ADONAI-Tzva’ot came saying: “Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “I am exceedingly zealous for Zion, I am burning with jealousy for her” (Zechariah 8:1-2). Exodus 20:5a says: Do not bow down to [other gods] . . . for I am a jealous God. The reason that idols are not to be worshiped is that ADONAI is a jealous or zealous God, and idolatry is looked upon as spiritual adultery. The Hebrew term qanna’ combines the two concepts of jealousy and zeal (not envy or suspicion). So zeal, or zealousness, meaning a passionate devotion to, would be a better term to use than jealous, which has negative, even petty connotations. So idolatry would cause God’s zeal to burn like a husband’s zealousness would burn against an unfaithful wife (Hosea 2:2-5). Because God and Isra’el are viewed as married, Zion is viewed as the wife of ADONAI (Deuteronomy 5:1-3, 6:10-15, 7:6-11; Isaiah 54:1-8, 62:4-5; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezeki’el 16:8; Hosea 2:14-23). For that very reason, God has a right to be zealous over what is rightfully His.

Thus says ADONAI, “I will return to Zion and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth and the mountain of ADONAI-Tzva’ot will be called the Holy Mountain.” Zion was the mountain on which ancient Jerusalem was built, which became the name of the City. But in the far eschatological future, the Lord Himself will rule the whole earth from the Temple in Jerusalem for a thousand years (see the commentary on Isaiah Db – The Nine Missing Articles in the Messiah’s Coming Temple). Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “Once again old men and old women will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with his staff in his hand because of his age. The streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in its streets” (Zechariah 8:4-5). Zion will be secure and safe for the young and the old alike.

Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “It may seem difficult in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, but will it also be difficult in My eyes?” – it is a declaration of ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Zechariah 8:6). The Jews of Zechariah’s day might have thought these promises sounded hard to believe, but there is nothing too hard for the Lord, He always keeps His promises no matter how hard they are to believe. The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son (Matthew 1:22-23a).

Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west. I will bring them back and they will live in the midst of Jerusalem (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Jp – The Earth Will Mourn When They See the Son of Man Coming on the Clouds). They will be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness” (Zechariah 8:7-8).

God’s fourth response: ADONAI continued to expound on the countess blessings He intends for His people. In the end, the answer to His question in Zechariah 7:3 is simple: obey Me! Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “Let your hands be strong – you who hear these words spoken by the prophets [Haggai and Zechariah] who were there the day the foundation of the House of ADONAI-Tzva’ot was laid – so that the Temple may be rebuilt. Before those days, when the people’s opposition by the Samaritans and their love of ease and comfort created an indifference in them finishing building the Temple, there were no wages for man or animal, nor was there any shalom from adversity for those who came or went because I set every one against his neighbor. But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days” – it is a declaration of ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Zechariah 8:9-11).

For there will be a sowing of shalom: the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things. It will happen that just as you were a curse among the nations, house of Judah and house of Isra’el, so will I save you and you will be a blessing (Zechariah 8:12-13a). These promises of blessings applied in some measure to the Jews of Zechariah’s day, but they also pointed to the far eschatological future and the Messianic Kingdom, when ADONAI will restore Isra’el to full fellowship and restoration.

Fear not! Fear is the enemy of faith and causes a person to doubt that Ha’Shem is in control in the face of overwhelming circumstances. The same truth is critical for all believers in all ages. We are commanded to resist fear through faith in His sovereignty. Let your hands be strong to complete the rebuilding of the Temple (Zechariah 8:13b)!₉₇

For thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “Just as I determined to harm you when your fathers provoked Me to anger,” says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, ‘and I did not relent, so I have again determined in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Fear not! These are the things that you are to do: speak the truth one to another; administer the judgment of truth and shalom in your gates; do not let any of you devise evil in your hearts against your neighbor; and do not love false oaths, for I hate all these things,” – it is a declaration of ADONAI (Zechariah 8:14-17). As always blessings are connected with obedience to YHVH’s righteous standards. As God’s people learn to share His promises, they will grow to hate lies and evil as much as He does.

Again the word of ADONAI-Tzva’ot came saying: Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth month will become joy, gladness and cheerful moadim. Therefore, love truth and shalom” (Zechariah 8:18-19)! But here Zechariah mentions four extra-biblical fasts instituted and observed during the Captivity. On the tenth month of Tevet (December/January) 588 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon marched against Jerusalem and laid siege to the City (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ga – The Fall of Jerusalem). On the ninth day of the fourth month, the walls of Jerusalem were broken through by the Babylonian army. The fast of the fifth month (July-August, the month of Av), commemorated the destruction of the City and the Temple (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC). And the fast of the seventh month commemorated the murder of Gedaliah, governor of Judah (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gg – Gedaliah Assassinated). Zechariah encourages the exiles to be faithful to finish building the Temple as they look forward to the Messianic Kingdom when all their fasts will become times joy and gladness.

Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “Peoples and the inhabitants of many cities will again come. The inhabitants of one city will go to another saying ‘Let us go to entreat the favor of ADONAI and to seek ADONAI-Tzva’ot. I also am going.’ Indeed, many peoples and powerful nations will come to seek ADONAI-Tzva’ot in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of ADONAI” (Zechariah 8:20-22). Isra’el’s restoration in the Messianic Kingdom will be the means of blessing for the entire world. Gentiles from all around the world will travel to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, fulfilling the words of Psalm 122.

Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot, “In those days it will come to pass that ten men from every language of the nations will grasp the corner of the garment of a Jew saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’ (Zechariah 8:23).” The Jews will truly be God’s messengers as originally intended (Genesis 12:3), and will bring untold multitudes to Messiah during His thousand year reign (see the commentary on Isaiah Kq – The Wolf and the Lamb Will Feed Together, and the Lion Will Eat Straw Like the Ox).

Haggai: The Strait Talker
Ezra 5:1-2 and Haggai 1:1 to 2:9

Haggai the strait talker DIG: Why did the Jews stop building the Temple in the first place? How did that gradually grow into complacency over time? God does not dwell in any physical structure, so why was He angry the people had not rebuilt His house? What were the larger issues involved? How did ADONAI get His message across to His people? What circumstances did He use? What people did He use? How does He do similar things today? What does it mean to be strong? What does it mean to not fear? How are these things done voluntarily? Why were the Jews distressed when they saw their new Temple?

REFLECT: What are some comparisons people make when it comes to a home, a car, or success? What traps do people fall into when they compare their situation to the situation of others? What exactly is complacency? What causes it and what are its results? How can you guard against it? What does it mean to set your heart on your ways? How is this done, in practical terms? Why is it so important for you to do? Why do people lose sight of the Lord’s priorities in the midst of their busy lives? How do the demands of daily life crowd out concern about the things of God? How can you guard against this? What priorities and perspectives do you share with Ha’Shem? Which priorities or perspectives are more like those of the world? What will you do this week to renew your mind?

All we know about Haggai, the man, is recorded for us in the prophecy that bears his name. This little book of a minor prophet covers the span of four months, from August 29 to December 18, 520 BC. He most likely had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon with Zerubbabel eighteen years earlier in 538 BC. The name Haggai means festival. At first glance, this name may seem very ironic, given the stark nature of his message from Ha’Shem. However, God had sent His people to Yerushalayim specifically to reinstate true worship and to rebuild His Temple, which should have been a festive occasion. If there was any loss of festive nature, it was because the people had lost His perspective.

Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Isra’el. Here, the prophets functioned as catalysts to finish the rebuilding with their encouraging message (Ezra 6:14). Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the House of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them supporting them (Ezra 5:1-2). Those workers were not on their own, God was over them.

A Call to Build the House of ADONAI

In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of ADONAI came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak (Ezra 3:2), kohen gadol: “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘This people say the time has not come – the time for the House of ADONAI to be rebuilt.’ (Haggai 1:1-2).” The people of God had been procrastinating, saying that the time for building the Temple was not right for them. They were unwilling to build; they were waiting for the right moment when such work could be done. They had been excusing their inactivity. For sixteen years they had convinced themselves of this.

Then the word of ADONAI came through Haggai the prophet. He was not a man to mince his words. His message was to stop making excuses, to make God’s priorities their priorities, and resume the work of rebuilding the Temple. “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this House lies in ruins? Walls and ceilings overlaid with cedar were common in wealthy homes. The Jews had made their own comfort a high priority, while ignoring the LORD’s house. They were building luxury homes, while the Temple was in ruins.⁸⁵

But now,” thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Haggai 1:3-4):

“Set your heart on your ways!
You sowed much but bring in little.
You eat but are never satisfied.
You drink but not enough to get filled.
You put on clothes but no one is warm.
And whoever earns wages works for a bag full of holes.” Haggai rebuked the people for their selfish indifference and negligence. Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot: “Set your heart on your ways (Haggai 1:5-7)! This was the central message of Haggai’s prophecy. He called on God’s people to examine their lives, make sure they were living in obedience to God’s word, and make sure our priorities are His priorities.

Paul warned his readers that this process is we are to understand ADONAI’s will for our lives.

I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice – holy, acceptable to God – which is your spiritual service. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2). As believers in Yeshua, we cannot hope to understand Ha’Shem’s perfect will unless we are constantly renewing our minds by the Word of God. If we forget to set our heart on our ways, we will end up conformed to the world.⁸⁶

Go up to the hills, bring wood and build the House. Three relatively simple steps outline what YHVH required of His people. They were to go to the forest (which had regrown during the exile), bring lumber and start building. By putting the LORD first, they would honor Him in their worship, and they would be blessed in all the other areas of their lives. There was mystery surrounding His will, and the people didn’t lack understanding of what He wanted . . . what they lacked was simple obedience. Then I will delight in it and I will be glorified,” says ADONAI (Haggai 1:8). His delight would not come from the building itself. In fact, the Temple was to be a pitiful structure compared to the magnificent Temple that Solomon built (Second Chronicles Chapters 2-5). Rather, ADONAI would take pleasure in seeing His chosen people worshiping Him in the way He had prescribed, and as a result, His name would be glorified when He would see them doing so.⁸⁷

But instead, the Jews were busy running “here and there,” looking after their own interests, while the House of the LORD lay in ruins. “You have looked for much, but indeed, there is little. What you have brought home, I have blown away. Why is this?” – it is a declaration of ADONAI-Tzva’ot – because My House lies in ruins, while you are running, each to his own house (Haggai 1:9). ADONAI snorted with contempt when He saw His people’s priorities as they strove after things of this world that would not last. Yeshua faced the same problem when He said: Therefore, do now worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For the pagans eagerly pursue all these. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33).

The price of the people’s disobedience came in the form of an economic catastrophe. Therefore, because of you, the sky has withheld dew and the earth has withheld its yield. For I have called for a drought on the land, the hills and the grain, on the new wine, the oil – the primary crops of the Land – on what the ground brings forth, on mankind and beast, as well as all labor of hands because of their disobedience (Haggai 1:10-11). The people had stopped working on the Temple to save riches for themselves, yet ADONAI was disciplining them by sending drought and famine.

The effect of his sermon was dramatic. The people immediately obeyed, turning away from the past and focusing with renewed zeal and dedication to the work at hand. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, Kohen Gadol, and all the remnant of the people heeded the voice of Adonai their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, since ADONAI their God had sent him. So the people revered ADONAI, knowing that God was present (1:12). They renewed their commitment to Him and to seeking His presence. The people’s repentance came less than two weeks after Haggai began preaching.⁸⁸

Then, as soon as the people repented and embraced God’s priorities, ADONAI relented His hand of discipline and began pouring out His blessings once again. Haggai, the messenger of Adonai, spoke to the people with the message of ADONAI, “I am with you!” – it is a declaration of ADONAI (1:13).

God was with them in a new way, and there seemed to be a unity among them that hadn’t been seen since the days they had first arrived back in Yerushalayim.⁸⁹ Then Adonai energized the leaders and the people through His word to carry on the work of rebuilding the Temple. He stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, Cohen Gadol, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, and they came and did work on the House of ADONAI-Tzva’ot their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius (Haggai 1:14-15).

The Promised Glory of this Latter House

The people had once again experienced some opposition and discouragement, and ADONAI sent another prophecy through Haggai, this time concerning events in the far eschatological future, when YHVH would build His most glorious Temple.

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of Adonai came through Haggai the prophet (Haggai 2:1). According to Leviticus 23:39-44, this would be the final day of the feast of Shukkot, in which the people celebrated God’s provision for the Israelites during their forty years of wilderness wanderings and gave thanks for a bountiful harvest. On this occasion, God gave Haggai another message to give to the people.

Ha’Shem said: Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol, and to the remnant of the people and ask them three questions that would expose their unfavorable comparison of Solomon’s Temple to the one they had refused to finish. “Who remains among you who saw this House in its former glory? So how do you see it now? Does it not seem as nothing in comparison in your eyes (Haggai 2:2-3)? The older Jews would have remembered the magnificence and splendor of Solomon’s Temple, but the rebuilt one must have seemed like a shack compared to the original one. Yet ADONAI was not discouraged and He didn’t want His people to be discouraged. He had a far more glorious Temple in mind. The future Millennial Temple will be filled with His Sh’khinah glory because He will rule and reign from the Most Holy Place (see the commentary on Isaiah Db – The Nine Missing Articles in the Messiah’s Coming Temple).

But now, Zerubbabel, chazak!” – it is a declaration of ADONAI – “and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, Cohen Gadol, and all the people of the land, chazak!”- it is a declaration of Adonai – “and work! For I am with you!” – it is a declaration of ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Haggai 2:4). The LORD encouraged the leaders and the people to take strong action since the Ruach was with them. Strength is normally something that you cannot choose – a person is either physically strong or not, according to heredity. However, strength in ADONAI is a matter of choice: the choice to set one’s heart on steadfast obedience regardless of the cost.⁹⁰

“According to the word I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. My Ruach is standing in your midst. Do not fear” (Haggai 2:5)! Closely related to the previous declaration is the command not to fear. The point of the motivation was to call the LORD’s people to work with the motivation of what lay ahead – the unseen rather than what could be seen – much as Paul seemed to be doing when he said: We look not at what can be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal (Second Corinthians 4:18).

For thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot: “In just a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, and I will shake all the nations. The treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this House with His Sh’khinah glory,” says ADONAI-Tzva’ot. “The silver is mine and the gold is mine!” God’s inexhaustible natural resources will be available for constructing a future Millennial Temple – it is a declaration of ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Haggai 2:6-8). The shaking of the cosmic bodies that Haggai referred to here looks to the upheaval in the universe described in Revelation Chapters 6-19, the subjugation of the nations by the Messiah, and the setting up of His Kingdom that will never be destroyed (see the commentary on Hebrews Dc – The Earthly Sinai and the Heavenly Tziyon).

“The glory of this latter House will be greater than the former,” says ADONAI-Tzva’ot. Messianic Temple, the latter House, will vastly surpass anything Zerubbabel and the returnees could build. Then the blessings of the Messianic Kingdom are summed up in one word – shalom. “In this place, [Yerushalayim], I will grant shalom” – it is a declaration of ADONAI-Tzva’ot (Haggai 2:9). The thousand years of shalom will result only from the presence of the Prince of Peace (see the commentary on Isaiah Ck – He Will Be Called the Prince of Peace).⁹¹

We find ourselves in a similar place as the Jews in Haggai’s day. The gospel has been proclaimed, and there are believers around the world. Nevertheless, the world is dominated by wars and rumors of wars. Injustice is the norm, and hunger and poverty are rampant. Yet we, too, can be encouraged by the promise of God that Messiah is going to return to earth and fulfill every one of His promises. We know that He will establish His glorious Kingdom on earth and from that Temple, ADONAI will return shalom and order to the world.⁹²

The Preaching that Produces Repentance
Ezra 5:1-2, Haggai 1:1 to 2:9
and Zechariah 7:1 to 8:23

Ezra 5:1-2 begins with a summary statement of the contribution of Haggai and Zechariah to the construction of the Temple. It is an example of how preaching the word of God produces acts of repentance among the people of ADONAI. The work of rebuilding would last another four years; no sooner will the zeal to rebuild be seen than the Persians will have nervousness of their own, which the rest of Ezra 5 will recount and resolve. For now, the motivation to restart the work that is the focus, to which Haggai and Zechariah contributed substantially. It would be difficult to imagine two more contrasting prophets than Haggai and Zechariah; the one a straight-talker, and the other a visionary. It will be helpful for us to now take some time to reflect on the ministries of these two prophets in the year 520 BC.⁸⁴

The Resumption of Work
Under King Darius
Ezra 4: 17-24

The resumption of work under King Darius DIG: What is the three-pronged appeal of Rehum’s letter? What is this plaintiff more concerned about: City building code violations? Political issues? Advancing his own cause? Revenging himself and his people of Isra’el? Something else? What effect did this letter have on Artaxerxes? On the Jews? What does the chronicler conclude? What happens in the second year of King Darius’ rule (Ezra 4:24; Haggai 1:1-5; Zechariah 1:1-17)?

REFLECT: On the one hand, when one party says they alone are the true worshipers of God, and all others are a mixed breed (or mongrels), then what might one expect in return? How else do you account for the opposition mounted against ancient Isra’el, and Isra’el today? On the other hand, why was Isra’el right to insist on religious exclusivity and spiritual purity? Today, why and when is it valid to make the case that faith in Yeshua Messiah is the only way to the Father and true salvation?

445 BC During the ministry of Nehemiah (to see link click Bt – The Third Return).
Compiled by the Chronicler from the Ezra and Nehemiah memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Nehemiah Memoirs).

Ezra 4:8 to 6:18 is written in Aramaic, the language that the Persians used in official documents (much like the Roman Empire used Greek).

In describing the events in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Chronicler, with the advantage of hindsight, looks back on the historical landscape and refers to the opposition placed in the way of the Jews. When discussing the problems of building the Temple in Ezra 4:1-5, it reminded him of similar problems with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem about ninety years later, and so Ezra 4:6-23 has been inserted, almost parenthetically, before the narrative of the building of the Temple can once again be taken up in Ezra 4:24 (see below). So, here we temporarily flash-forward to 445 BC and the Third Return of Nehemiah.

The king Artakh’shasta replied to the letter sent by Rehum the commander and Shimshai the priest (see Av – Letters to Ahasuerus and Artakh’shasta), and the king appears to have taken the bait entirely. He was evidently more troubled by the thought of lost revenue (Ezra 4:21-22), and has perhaps been even more impressed by the potential of Judah’s rebellion than either Rehum and Shimshai could have hoped for or historically was even possible.

The heading of king Artakh’shasta’s letter read: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates who dwell in Samaria and the others in Trans-Euphrates. The Trans-Euphrates included Egypt – a constant thorn in the side of Eastern empires for centuries – the form of the Jerusalem threat may well be couched in terms of a suggested political marriage of convenience between Egypt and Jerusalem. The king was urged to research Jerusalem’s history to find similar acts of rebellion in the past. In actuality, Judah was militarily weak and could no more organize a military coup than fly to the moon! It was the suggestion alleging a wider alliance including Egypt that disturbed the Persian king’s equanimity. The paid officials of Persia, Rehum and Shimshai, were ordered to immediately spread word that the rebuilding must stop immediately.⁷⁹

The author no doubt had a copy of the letters before him, for the form and expression follow exactly what we know of official royal letters of this time. The reply also shows the surprising efficiency of administration communication in the Persian Empire. Letters could travel between Samaria and the Persian court in about a week.

The actual text of the king’s letter started with: Shalom!

The letter that you sent to us has been translated and read in my presence. Because the king did not understand Aramaic, the letter was translated for him. At my order a search was made and it was found that this city has from earliest times revolted against kings and that rebellion and sedition continually occur in it (see the commentary on Isaiah Go – Hezekiah and the Assyrians). Mighty kings, like those of Assyria, Babylon and Persia, have ruled over Jerusalem governing all the Trans-Euphrates, and tribute, taxes, and duty were paid to them (Ezra 4:17-20).

So now, issue a decree to stop these men – this city is not to be rebuilt until I issue a decree. He was cautious. He left himself the option to make another decision in the light of new circumstances. Nevertheless, he warned Rehum and Shimshai to be careful not to be negligent in this matter. Because of the long distance the king made sure that his order was carried out. Why should damage increase to the detriment of the kings (Ezra 4:21-22)? This was the same king who later (in 445 BC) changed this decree and allowed Nehemiah to return and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. However, the immediate result was a forced cessation of the building activity because the enemies used force to back up a legal document from the Persian king.⁸⁰

The enemies lost no time in complying with the decree of Artakh’shasta. Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from the king was read in the presence of Rehum, Shimshai the scribe and their associates, they hurried off to the Jews in Jerusalem and by force and power compelled them to stop (Ezra 4:23). If some work had been done on the reconstruction of the walls, they may have destroyed it at that time. This could have been the situation reported to Nehemiah in Nehemiah 1:3, “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned with fire.”

It is one of the ironies of Jewish history that the fears aroused in Artakh’shasta by Rehum’s letter were instrumental in his decision to send Nehemiah to Jerusalem (see Bw – The Response of King Artakh’shasta). More specifically, the adversaries condemned themselves out of their own mouths. In making their extreme accusations against the Jews (see Av – Letters to Ahasuerus and Artakh’shasta), those enemies of God proved that they had no true heritage in Isra’el. Nehemiah, however, was known for his loyalty to Persia; therefore, the effects of his commission ended up being exactly opposite of those who shared the concerns of Rehum and Shimshai, who seem to have forgotten the proverb: The heart of man plans his course, but ADONAI directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9). Little did Artakh’shasta realize his own role in the re-establishment of the people from whom, in time, a true King would appear.⁸¹

As the lines of Ezra 4 draw to a close in verse 23, we now flash-back to the First Return and the narrative of rebuilding the Temple is once again taken up.

536 BC during the ministry of Zerubbabel (see Ag – The First Return).
Compiled by the Chronicler from the Ezra memoirs
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah From a Jewish Perspective: The Ezra Memoirs).

Then the work on the House of God in Jerusalem ceased. It remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia (see Bc – King Darius Endorses the Rebuilding of the Temple). Here the Chronicler picks up the thread of Ezra 4:5 which was dropped for the long parenthesis of 4:6-23. The time was again that of Zerubbabel, finishing with the same phrase as in Ezra 4:5, the reign of Darius king of Persia (Ezra 4:24); but now we are told what the earlier statement stopped short of saying: first, that the work of building the Temple was not only hindered but halted, and secondly, in what year of Darius king of Persia the deadlock was broken (see Ba – The Completion of the Temple).⁸²

It was as if the Chronicler, looking back on Jewish history, was saying to his first audience, “You see the trouble you are facing right now? Well, it has been like this for the past hundred years. Time and time again, your forefathers experienced trial after trail. It has never been easy for the people of God.” There are four lessons, then, that we can learn from over a century of Jewish opposition.

First, you can almost hear Paul, reporting back to the church in Antioch after his first missionary journey, saying: It is through many persecutions that we must enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22b). The health and wealth doctrine so popular today is a far cry from the teaching of our Lord when He said: Foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head (Matthew 8:20). We can’t compare our lives to the supposed blessings that other believers have known. Most of us experience trials and suffering. Knowing this should prevent us from distorting our expectations or getting frustrated when they are not fulfilled.

Second, like the first readers of Ezra-Nehemiah, we need to learn that relatively long periods of time may pass without the benefit of divine intervention in either good leadership or spiritual renewal. Chapter 4 covers a period from the time of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, leaders in the rebuilding of the Temple (537-515 BC), to the rise of Ezra the reformer some sixty years later (458 BC), to the emergence of Nehemiah over a decade later (445 BC). Intervals of time (in some cases generations) pass by in which relatively happens that we might call spectacular; no great leadership or no outpourings of spiritual revival. Just as is true of God’s work in the lives of individuals, so it is in the work of the body of Christ – growth is hardly ever uniform and uninterrupted. Instead we see periods of spiritual dryness and lethargy. Such times it is easy to exaggerate the blessings of the past and grow cynical toward the present. We may not be living in times when extraordinary things are happening, days when the likes of Martin Luther, John Calvin, George Whitfield, or Jonathan Edwards were ministering, but we are not to despise the time in which the Lord has placed us.

Third, a period of trials can make us lose sight of Ha’Shem. By the time of Nehemiah’s arrival in 445 BC the people had long abandoned the project of rebuilding the City and, in the process, lost sight of the reason God had allowed them to return to the Promised Land in the first place. Trails had discouraged them about the promises of ADONAI and their own resources looked woefully small to undertake such a task. Sixty years had passed since the first Passover and Feast of Sukkot were celebrated, yet things had not significantly changed. The returnees were spiritually bankrupt, having the form but not the power of faith. They had lost sight of YHVH, as the absence of any reference to prayer makes all too clear. This is a lesson we can learn from today.

Fourth, and this is a very difficult lesson, trials can sometimes be the result of sin. It is important to note that upon hearing the state of Jerusalem, Nehemiah made a confession of not only his own sins but also those of his fellow Jews (Nehemiah 1:6-7). This is a delicate matter, for not every trial is the result of sin, as the story of Job teaches us. Yet the Bible does teach that sometimes suffering is divine chastisement for wrongdoing on our part (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). The problem with discipline is that it can lead to weariness and bitterness: See to it that no bitter root springs up and causes trouble, and by it many are defiled (Hebrews 12:15). It can also cause hands to droop and the knees to grow weak and feeble. This, or so it seems, is what occurred following Ezra’s visit to Jerusalem. Often times, spiritual depression is the likely response to painful and difficult trials. Yes, trails can be depressing, but without faith in Messiah they cannot help us see what the author of Hebrews is keen to emphasize – that trials can be evidence of our adoption (Ephesians 1:4-5; John 1:12; Galatians 3:26-29). Without this perspective, trials merely condemn. They lack that quality that drives us to see our need to cry to God for help. They discourage us without showing the way out of despair. This is why the author of Hebrews encourages weary believers bowed down under the weight of trials to run with endurance the race set before us, focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1b-2a). Trials, then, are God’s school in which we are trained in the ways of righteousness.

The point that Ezra-Nehemiah stresses is this: Learn from your trials! Learn to see them as the instruments that call you back to ADONAI. Learn to see them as God’s burs placed in your bed to keep you watchful and awake. Learn to view them as part of the promise of your gracious Lord in this world, making you long for the world to come (see the commentary on Revelation Fu – The New Jerusalem had a Great, High Wall with Twelve Gates).⁸³

Letters to Ahasuerus and Artakh’shasta
Ezra 4: 6-16

Letters to Ahasuerus and Artakh’shasta DIG: Artakh’shasta reigned from 486 to 465 BC. How does the opposition under their reigns compare to the opposition under King Cyrus (4:1-6). How do you account for the perseverance and intensification of this conflict over such a span of years? Ashurbanipal squelched a major revolt in Babylonia (652-648? BC), destroyed the town of Susa in the process, and deported the rebels (4:10). What irony do you see in what Rehum (and the other descendants of those rebels) are doing two centuries later? What was their letter designed to do (4:11-16). How is that related to what transpired one century earlier (under the reign of King Cyrus)?

REFLECT: Rehum’s complaints against Isra’el remind us that our past sometimes lives on to haunt us. Where do you see that today in national or international affairs? In churches? In messianic synagogues? In denominations? In your personal and family life?

445 BC During the ministry of Nehemiah (see Bt – The Third Return).
Compiled by the Chronicler from the Ezra and Nehemiah memoirs.
(see Ac – Ezra-Nehemiah from a Jewish Perspective: The Nehemiah Memoirs).

In describing the events in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the Chronicler, with the advantage of hindsight, looks back on the historical landscape and refers to the opposition placed in the way of the Jews. When discussing the problems of building the Temple in Ezra 4:1-5, it reminded him of similar problems with the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem about ninety years later, and so Ezra 4:6-23 has been inserted, almost parenthetically, before the narrative of the building of the Temple can once again be taken up in Ezra 4:24. So, here we temporarily flash-forward to 445 BC and the Third Return of Nehemiah.

Opposition during the reign of Ahasuerus: During the reign of Ahasuerus at the beginning of his reign (see the commentary on Esther Ac – The Book of Esther From a Jewish Perspective: King Ahasuerus), they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem (Ezra 4:6). The beginning of his reign is an Aramaic technical term translated into Hebrew. It refers to the time of the actual assumption of power and not the year in which the king ascended to the throne. The latter year is usually counted as the last year of the previous king. The beginning of the reign of Ahasuerus, therefore, refers to 485 BC. It seems that the complaint had not been heeded because Ahasuerus had put down a revolt in Egypt.⁷⁰ Troubling a new ruler eager to assume a formidable reputation was, of course, a good strategy on the part of Jerusalem’s enemies. The attempt seems to have come to nothing, however, and the story moves on.

Opposition during the reign of Artakh’shasta: More than twenty years later, following the assassination of Ahasuerus by Artabanus, the commander of the royal bodyguard, his brother Artakh’shasta ascended to the throne in 465 BC. A letter to the new Persian king accused the Jews of tax avoidance (among other things). The letter itself comes across as a mixture of flattery, innuendo, and political ingenuity.

It is estimated that the Persians collected between $145 and $255 million worth of taxes, of which around $5 million came from Judah. The Persians took gold and silver coins, melted them down, and stored them as bullion. Very little of these taxes returned to the provinces, either by way of expenditure of infrastructure or in social benefit. Though the total amount of income from the Jewish province amounted to less than 5 percent of the total revenue, the Persians would not have tolerated any signs of rebellion on the part of Judah. The threat of the loss of revenue (Ezra 4:13), and, more importantly, political control – you will no longer have any possession in Trans-Euphrates (Ezra 4:16) – no doubt was designed to strike a chord deep within the distant king’s heart.⁷³

Also during the days of Artakh’shasta king of Persia, a letter was written by Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates to the king of Persia. The letter was written in Aramaic and translated (Ezra 4:7). Aramaic was the official language of diplomacy between the local provinces and the Persian court. The true colors of the adversaries of the Jews appear in this letter. Here their tactics had changed. Now the adversaries (although a new generation of them) were addressing the seat of the empire rather than to the exiles themselves. Their concern, from stressing their similarities, was to show how different they were. They did this by presenting themselves as good and loyal imperial subjects.⁷⁴

Ezra 4:8 to 6:18 is written in Aramaic, the language the Persians used in official documents (much like the Roman Empire used Greek). This shift gives us the feel that the actual sources are being quoted.

Verses 8 to 11 serve as the introduction to the letter quoted in verses 12 to 16. Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter concerning Jerusalem to King Artakh’shasta as follows (Ezra 4:8). Here the author explained that this was a letter of accusation from the officials in Samaria against the Jews who were attempting to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

The letter was from Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates – the judges and the officials, the magistrates, and governors over the Erechtites, the Babylonians, the people of Susa (that is, the Elamites) and the rest of the peoples whom the great and noble Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and the rest of Trans-Euphrates (Ezra 4:9-10). Rehum and Shimshai were probably Persian officials who were bribed to write the letter for the Jews in Palestine. In their introduction they tried to point out to Artakh’shasta that the people who opposed the building of the walls of Yerushalayim were from various parts of the Persian Empire. (Now this is a copy of the letter they sent to him). To Artakh’shasta the king, from your servants, the men of Trans-Euphrates (Ezra 4:11).

Sometime before Nehemiah had succeeded with his request (see Bw – The Response of King Artakh’shasta), the Jews started building the wall and the ruins of Jerusalem. Rehum and his associates thwarted that effort. Now let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding the rebellious and wicked city. They are completing the walls and repairing the foundations (Ezra 4:12). This refers to the Jews who migrated to Palestine before Nehemiah (see Bt – The Third Return). They arrived in the City without walls and consequently they were easy prey for robbers. It was understandable that they decided to rebuild the wall to protect themselves and their property. But they had not received permission from the Persian government.⁷⁵

Furthermore, let it be known to the king, that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, no more tribute, taxes or duty will be paid and the royal revenue will suffer (Ezra 4:13). After the costly campaign against the Greeks, the Persian Empire could not afford to lose any revenue and the conspirators played upon the fears of the king. The early years of Artakh’shasta’s reign had been difficult, and there were a number of rebellions in the west; so even though those supposed dangers were exaggerated in this letter, they would arouse concern in the king, causing him to take notice and act.

Now since we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king so that a search may be made in the book of records of your fathers and you will discover in the records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting internal revolts from ancient times (Ezra 4:14-15a). Salt was often used to seal covenants; thus it implies loyalty (Leviticus 18:19; Second Chronicles 13:5). So eating the salt of became an idiomatic expression for being “in the service of.” A pretense of loyalty and concern for the king’s honor on the part of Rehum and Shimshai is used with no mention of his true motive of personal gain.

That is why this city was destroyed (Ezra 4:15b). The Persian kings considered themselves the successors of the Babylonian kings, who are referred to here as your fathers. The officials knew that records were kept from former administrations. In fact, kings in the ancient world kept records known as the royal chronicles (see the commentary on Esther Be – That Night the King Could Not Sleep). There is some irony in the statement: That is why this city was destroyed. While that was the Babylonian motivation, the real reason was the judgment of God (Second Chronicles 36:15-19). The Chronicler was certainly aware that the plans of ADONAI supersede human intentions (Ezra 1:1 and 5:12).⁷⁶

The made-up nature of the accusations in the letter are revealed not only by the use of such incendiary terms as rebellious (verses 12 and 15), wicked (verse 12), harmful (verse 15), and revolts (verse 15, or by pandering to the fiscal concerns of the crown (verse 13), but also to the exaggerated and impossible claim of the effects such a rebellion by Jerusalem would have: We are informing the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls completed, you will no longer have any possession in Trans-Euphrates (Ezra 4:16).⁷⁷ Their opposition was obviously not against rebuilding the Temple, for it had been completed in 515 BC (see Af – Ezra-Nehemiah Chronology). The opposition was against an attempt to begin rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The letter added that if Tziyon was fortified then the Jews would be able to take back all the territory they had previously occupied, then Artakh’shasta would have no more territory (and taxes) left there.

Although the Jews had often been rebellious under the Assyrian and Babylonian kings, certainly this little band of Jews could not pose a serious threat to Artakh’shasta. However, because of prior troubles in the west (Syria-Palestine-Egypt), Artakh’shasta would have been sensitive to any signs of unrest. But, in reality, this was an exaggerated and impossible claim. Nevertheless, as we shall see next, the king’s prompt, thorough, and positive response attested to the effectiveness of Rehum’s letter.

The work of ADONAI in all ages has known the pressures and persecutions of those who would seek to frustrate its advance. The gross distortions of the charges brought against the Jews in this passage and the apparent unnecessary display of force at its conclusion are no more stranger to the Church than to Isra’el. Indeed, the misinterpretation of a spiritual stance as being political was never more clearly seen than in the trial of Yeshua Himself. He, therefore, must provide the pattern for our response as believers; a relentless hatred for sin and a willingness to fight it where it shows itself, coupled at the same time with an unqualified love for the sinners who may be in the grip of forces quite beyond their understanding. These two can only be held together when we recognize that the weapons of our warfare are spiritual (Ephesians 6:10-17), and that the victory of the cross was won by love and sacrifice rather than by confrontation. Thus, when we face opposition, we dare not ignore these verses to the threat that so persistently confronts us.⁷⁸