Gifts For The Temple

                                                                 Sunday School Lesson
                                            

Lesson: Ezra 8:24-30
                                                                                              
Golden Text: “And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the Lord; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the Lord God of your fathers” (Ezra 8:28).

INTRODUCTION.  About eighty years after the first exiles returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the altar and the temple, another group of exiled Israelites left Babylon for Jerusalem.  This was the same group we discussed last week.  As noted in last week’s lesson, “Fasting and Praying,” this group of returning Jews was led by Ezra, a Levite priest who would later write the book of the Bible that bears his name.  God was the moving factor behind the entire journey resulting in the group making the nine hundred mile journey in safety and peace.  These exiles carried with them the vessels needed for proper temple worship as well as a great amount of wealth and possessions.  All of this was heavy and very costly.  Ezra was given the responsibility of making sure that it all arrived in Jerusalem safely.  Since this was a large responsibility, Ezra appointed twenty-four men to be responsible for all these items.  Their qualifications and the task given to them can be instructive to us and our churches.
II. ASSIGNING RESPONSIBILITY (Ezra 8:24-27).  Background for the Lesson:  Under king Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians invaded Jerusalem on three occasions, looting the temple each time (see II Kings 24:10-13; 25:8-15; II Chronicles 36:7, 18-21).  The temple was stripped of all its silver and gold articles before it was destroyed, and Nebuchadnezzar put the golden and silver vessels in the treasure house of his god.  However, Jeremiah had prophesied that these precious articles would be returned to the Jerusalem (see Jeremiah 27:19-22).  After the Persians defeated the Babylonians, under Cyrus, king of Persia, the Jews were allowed to return to their homeland, but the king provided precious materials for rebuilding the temple.  Among these materials were the same vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken away (see Ezra 1:7-11).  When the first group of exiles, headed by Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem, some of the Jewish heads of families also contributed large amounts of gold and silver to help in the rebuilding of the temple (see Ezra 2:68-69).  When Ezra led this second group of exiles back to Jerusalem, Artaxerxes who was now the king of Persia, gave more wealth to be used in the temple worship and also to buy supplies needed for continuous worship (see Ezra 7:11-20).  Our printed text actually falls between verses 23 and 31 from last week’s lesson entitled “Fasting and Praying.”
A. The men chosen (Ezra 8:24).  Our text begins with Ezra writing “Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them.”  Realizing that being responsible for safely delivering all the wealth he was given for the temple in Jerusalem, Ezra “separated” or chose men he trusted to guard the treasures.  He divided the responsibility among “twelve of the chief of the priests” and also “Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them.”  At first glance it appears that Ezra only chose twelve men, two who are named and ten who are not named.  However, in Ezra 8:18-19, the two men that Ezra named, “Sherebiah, Hashabiah” are listed as Levites not priests.  Remember, all priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests.  Therefore, we should understand that Ezra chose twenty-four men, twelve prominent priests (none of them are named here) and twelve Levites who were “Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them.”  Note:  Ezra, having studied the law thoroughly, knew that it commanded that the priests were to handle the sacred objects of the temple and the Levites were to carry them (see Numbers chapters 3&4).  No doubt Ezra wanted to apply the law to this situation as closely as possible considering that disobedience to God’s law had led to Israel’s captivity in the first place.  
B.  The riches distributed (Ezra 8:25-27). 
1.  (vs. 25).  Continuing from the previous verse, Ezra writes “And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered.”  After choosing the twenty-four men to guard the wealth they carried with them, Ezra “weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels.”  In Ezra’s time, wealth was measured by weight not by coins or paper notes.  Ezra noted three categories of wealth (1) “the silver” (2) “the gold” and (3) “the vessels.”  The “vessels” or utensils used in temple worship were made of gold and silver, but they were finished products.  The “silver, and the gold” were raw materials to be used as a form of exchange for goods.  Included in this wealth was an “offering” given to the house of God by “the king, and his counsellors, and his lords.”  This is a reference to the king of Persia and his advisors and royal officials.  In addition, Ezra said included in the riches that he weighed out was what “all Israel there present, had offered.”  This refers to all the Jews who were still living in exile, particularly in Babylon (see Ezra 7:16).  Note:  Freewill giving had been practiced since the beginning of Jewish history. Freewill sacrifices were brought to the tabernacle and temple along with the prescribed offerings (see Leviticus 22:18-19, 21; Deuteronomy 12:6; I Chronicles 31:4). These freewill gifts also provided much of the money needed to rebuild the temple (see Ezra 1:4-6).
2. (vs. 26).  In this verse Ezra writes “I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents.”  Here Ezra tells us the amount of riches He weighed.  He said he “weighed unto their hand” meaning he gave to the twenty-four men he had chosen, first “six hundred and fifty talents of silver.”  The “talent” was the largest unit of weight and is equal to between seventy-five and one hundred pounds.  Therefore “six hundred and fifty talents” of silver weighed about twenty-five tons.  The weight of the “silver vessels” was “an hundred talents” or about three and three-quarter tons, and the “gold an hundred talents” or about the same as the silver vessels.  So, as we can see, they had much to carry and it was an extremely heavy load.
3. (vs. 27).  This verse says Ezra also weighed “twenty basons (or bowls) of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.”  We are not sure of  what the Hebrew word for “drams” is, but many accept it to refer to Persian coins called darics which was first minted by king Darius of Persia.  These were pure gold oval coins with the king’s face on one side. The “twenty basons (or bowls) of gold” weighed “a thousand drams,” or about nineteen pounds.  And finally, there were “two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.”  The term “copper” comes from a verb meaning “to gleam” or “to shine.”  This would suggest that these “two vessels of fine copper” may have been an alloy or mixture of bronze and copper polished to an unusually bright appearance.  Apparently they were so bright that they looked like gold.  We are not told what these “two vessels of fine copper” weighed, but it had to be worth plenty.    
III. GIVING A CHARGE (Ezra 8:28-29) 
A.  The basis for the charge (Ezra 8:28).  In this verse Ezra writes “And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the Lord; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the Lord God of your fathers.”  Ezra here gives the reason why the twenty-four men were chosen to protect and guard the riches.  He said “Ye are holy unto the Lord; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the Lord God of your fathers.”  Not only were these men holy, but so were the objects they carried for the Lord.  Ezra reminded them that they were among those in Israel who had been set apart to serve the Lord.  Their stewardship over the wealth was part of their service.  The word “holy” means “to separate or set apart for God’s use.”  Because God is holy, He is totally separate from anything unclean or imperfect (see Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8).  Therefore anything or anyone set apart for God’s use is also considered holy.  This applied to the tabernacle and its furnishings (see Exodus 40:9), as well as the temple (see Psalms 65:4), and the holy city of Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 11:1).  The priests were holy (see Leviticus 21:6, 8) as were the Levites (see II Chronicles 35:3) and also the vessels used in worship (see II Chronicles 5:5).  Note:  In the Christian church, or the body of Christ, there are no separate classes of people set apart to God who are holier than others.  Even though we respect the clergy for their ministry of the Word, Scripture teaches us that everyone who has been redeemed by Christ’s blood are holy before Him (see I Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:5-6).  Therefore, everything we are, do, or have should be considered sanctified or holy unto the Lord.  The way we handle our wealth should also be considered a holy activity.  God has entrusted us who are holy with wealth, regardless of the amount thus making us stewards and responsible for handling it with care.  As a result, we should give generously to God’s work and to the needs of others (see II Corinthians 9:7; I Timothy 6:17-18; Hebrews 13:16).
B. The nature of the charge (Ezra 8:29).  In this verse, Ezra continues to say to the chosen twenty-four men, “Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.”  Regarding the riches they were carrying, Ezra urged them to “Watch ye, and keep them.”  The word “watch” has the idea of staying alert.  They were to constantly be aware of their surroundings.  The term “keep” means to “carefully guard” something.  These men were expected to be alert and carefully guard the wealth they were now responsible for.  They had to make sure it was not stolen by attacking bandits or dishonest persons travelling with them.  They were to do this “until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.”  These twenty-four priests and Levites were to protect the riches until they reached Jerusalem.  But before they could deliver all of it to the leaders in the temple at Jerusalem, it all had to be weighed again when the journey was completed.  At that time the two weights, the one from when they left Babylon and the one when they arrived at Jerusalem could be compared to confirm that the guards had delivered exactly what had been originally entrusted to them.  The fact that the riches would be weighed “before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem” indicates that Ezra wanted to have plenty of witnesses when these gifts were weighed “in the chambers of the house of the Lord.”  The phrase “chief of the fathers of Israel” refers to the heads of Jewish households.  In verse 33 which is not part of our text, the names of two priest and two Levites who did the final weighing are given.
IV. FULFILLING THE TASK (Ezra 8:30).  Our final verse says “So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.”  This tells us that the mission was finally completed.  The twenty-four associates Ezra chose accepted their responsibilities and took “the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels.”  In other words, they accepted these riches whose values had been determined by weight.  They willingly submitted to Ezra’s charge that they be responsible for these gifts.  We must understand that the mission was not complete just by reaching Jerusalem.  Since these precious metals were all dedicated for sacred use in the temple, the mission was not complete until it all was delivered to the temple.Note:This lesson presents a wonderful example of men who had a clear sense of stewardship over the material goods that had been entrusted to them.Ezra set the pattern with godly leadership.He had the wisdom to delegate responsibility to others and to inspire them with a sense of holy mission.But godly leaders must also have godly and loyal followers.Ezra’s mission was successful because the chosen priests and Levites willingly carried out his instructions.They shared his zeal and submitted to his authority.They also demonstrated integrity and honesty.They showed courage in protecting what was entrusted to them.However, most of all, they understood that they and the riches they guarded were holy, belonging exclusively to God.  For sure, that kind of dedication is still needed to further the work of Jesus’ church today.                    
V. Conclusion.  The Lord had orchestrated the return of Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity.  The temple had been rebuilt and now He was sending a second group of people back to carry the precious metals to be used in the temple so that worship could once again continue.  Through Ezra’s leadership, honest men were chosen to guard the material goods being taken back to Jerusalem for use in the temple.  Holy people carry God’s treasure for the Holy God.  Only He determines what it is, who must carry it, and where it must go.
                                          

Fasting and Praying

                        
                                                              Sunday School Lesson                                          

Lesson: Ezra 8:21-23, 31-32                                                                                          
Golden Text:“So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us” (Ezra 8:23).

INTRODUCTION.  Our lesson this week is about an incident in which fasting and prayer worked out well.  It’s the account of Ezra calling Israel to fast and seek the Lord for His guidance and protection.  It was a call to get serious about obeying God’s command, which in this case meant making the long and hazardous journey on foot from Babylon to Jerusalem.  It was also about putting faith into action as a demonstration of God’s power. 

II. THE FAST BY THE RIVER OF AHAVA (Ezra 8:21-23).  Lesson Background: This week’s lesson takes place in 458 B.C. in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia.  The temple had been dedicated in 516 B.C. during the reign of Darius by the first group of returnees.  This first group returned during the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia and was lead by Jeshua and Zerubbabbel in 538 B.C.  Now some fifty-eight years later, a second group of Jews led by a devout priest named Ezra, returned from exile to their homeland.  They left Babylon on the first day of the first month of Nisan, and arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of Ab for a total of four months of travel.  This journey covered about 900 miles.  Ezra obtained permission from Artaxerxes to lead a group back to Jerusalem (see Ezra 7:6-7) with a copy of the king’s decree giving Ezra authority in his homeland of Israel.  The king gave permission to anyone who wanted to return with Ezra to do so (see Ezra 7:13).  The king also gave Ezra the authority to ask about the affairs in Judah and to take wealth with him to support worship at Jerusalem (see Ezra 7:14-20).  Ezra was also authorized to collect taxes from the western provinces to be used for temple worship, and was allowed to exempt the temple ministers from being taxed (see Ezra 7:21-24).  Amazingly, he was also authorized to establish government in Israel based on the laws of God, teaching those who were ignorant of the law and to punish those who refused to obey it (see Ezra 7:25-26).  Certainly, the hand of God was on Ezra!  Note: Ezra was a descendent of Aaron through Eleazar (see Ezra 7:1-5).  He is called “a ready scribe in the law of Moses” (see Ezra 7:6) meaning that he was a learned man, skilled in knowledge of the Law and was able to teach it to others (see Ezra 7:25).  Ezra had a firm determination to master God’s law, to practice it as a way of life, and to teach it to all Israel so they could learn to please God (see Ezra 7:10).

A. The proclamation of the fast (Ezra 8:21).  Our text begins with Ezra saying “Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.”   After travelling for about nine days, they came to the “river that runneth to Ahava” (see Ezra 8:15) here called the “river of Ahava” where they pitched tents and stayed there for three days (see Ezra 8:15).  Note: This three day delay appears to have been caused by Ezra’s discovery that there were no Levites in the group of returnees (see Ezra 8:15)God had called the Levites to a special service in the temple, but few volunteered when their services were needed.However, their service was so important that Ezra decided to recruit some Levites before going on with the journey (see Ezra 8:16-20).As a result, thirty-eight Levites and two hundred and twenty other temple workers joined the group of returnees.  Ezra then tells us that before they continued on their way, “I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava.”  Ezra called for a “fast” indicating that the reason for it was “that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us.”  The word “afflict” means to humble oneself before God and was accompanied by earnest prayer.  The phrase “a right way” literally means “a straight way.”  In other words, they prayed that God would give them a safe journey.  Ezra said this prayer for travelling mercies included “us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.”  The term “little ones” refers to persons under twenty, but could include all those who couldn’t protect themselves.  They also prayed for “all our substance” which referred to their household possessions, livestock and any food they may have brought with them.  It also included the wealth that they had collected to help support the temple worship in Jerusalem.  This would be a long journey, so it was imperative that they commit their way to the Lord as they travelled.

B. The reason for the fast (Ezra 8:22).  Ezra continued to say “For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.”  Ezra says that he called for fasting and prayer for God’s protection because he “was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way.”  The word “ashamed” means “embarrassed.”  Ezra was embarrassed to ask king Artaxerxes for military protection because he had “spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.”  In other words, Ezra had already boasted to the king about God’s care for His own.  He had told the king that God’s hand rested favorably on anyone who looked to Him, but His “power and wrath” was “against all them that forsake him” or turned their backs on Him.  Of course this thought was deeply revealed in the Jewish Scriptures (see Psalms 33:18-19; 34:15-18) and Ezra boldly declared it to the king.  But since he had done this, he was afraid that any request for a military escort would weaken his testimony, causing the king to question the goodness and power of God since the Lord was supposed to be protecting them.  Ezra had to have faith in his own testimony about God’s protection.  He had put God’s reputation on the line.  Therefore, in order to protect the Lord’s reputation, Ezra refused to ask for the king’s protection.  Note: Ezra provides us with a great example of faith.  The psalmist put it this way, “some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (see Psalms 20:7).  When we boldly proclaim the truth that God watches over His children and provides for their needs, do we still complain about our future, or rush to solve our problems while depriving God of the opportunity to work for us?  Do the people around us see in us the evidence that an all-wise and loving God exists?

C. The result of the fast (Ezra 8:23).   In this verse Ezra writes “So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.”  What we should understand about fasting for Ezra and those with him was that it was not just a ritual.  They were able to go without food because they were so sincere in prayer that they didn’t even miss it.  The term “besought” means that they petitioned or asked God to grant them their request which in this case was safety as they travelled (see Ezra 8:21).  They would travel along rough roads with bandits just waiting for unsuspecting travelers.  After fasting and praying, Ezra says that God “was intreated of us.”  This means that God answered their prayers (see I Chronicles 5:20; II Chronicles 33:13; Isaiah 19:22).
III. THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM (Ezra 8:31-32).  Verses 24-30 are not covered in this week’s lesson but will be discussed next week.  However, in these verses we are told that Ezra used wisdom and took measures to guarantee that the wealth they carried with them was kept safe.  He placed all the wealth in the hands of the priests and Levites to guard until they reached Jerusalem.
A.  The protection of God (Ezra 8:31).  Ezra here writes “Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.”  After spending three days at “the river of Ahava,” they departed from there “on the twelfth day of the first month” which was Nisan, headed for Jerusalem.  Note: Ezra and his group left Babylon on the first day of the first month Nisan (see Ezra 7:9), stopping at the river of Ahava for three days (see Ezra 8:15).  They departed from there on the twelfth day of Nisan which means they had travelled nine days before reaching the river of Ahava where they spent three days.  After leaving the river of Ahava, they would arrive in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month (see Ezra 7:9) which means the rest of the journey took four months.   The last part of this verse says “and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.”  When Ezra wrote this, he was looking back on how God had protected them from all enemies, and anyone who waited along the way to attack them.  The phrase “the hand of our God” refers to God’s favor and was used by Ezra before.  He used this phrase when speaking of the favor shown to them by the king of Persia (see Ezra 7:6, 28); when speaking of the completion of their journey (see Ezra 7:9); when God provided Levites to serve (see Ezra 8:18); when speaking about those who seek the Lord (see Ezra 8:22) and of course here in this verse when speaking of God having delivered them from danger.  The phrase “he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way” does not necessarily mean that these Jews faced no danger at all on their journey.  It most likely means that God either kept them from being attacked, or that He gave them the ability to resist any attacks.  Note: Whatever means the Lord used to protect His people had amazing results.  Ezra led a group of more than four thousand people including women and children through nine hundred miles of dangerous territory and no one was harmed.  Some of them may have had weapons, but certainly not enough to fight off attackers. Only the “hand of God” upon them in response to sincere prayer can account for their safety.
B. The arrival in Jerusalem (Ezra 8:32).  In our final verse, Ezra wrote “And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.”  Ezra doesn’t give any details about the journey; he simply says “we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.”  The only thing that was important was that the hand of God, or more specifically His grace was upon His people which provided them with travelling mercies to reach Jerusalem safely.  The fact that they “abode there (in Jerusalem) three days” indicates that they used those days to rest from the long journey. We are told that on the fourth day they began to carry the silver and gold into the house of God (see Ezra 8:33).
                     
IV. Conclusion.  Ezra was a remarkable man.  He had great ability and influence that led to him being entrusted with a difficult task by the Persian king.  He was a learned man, educated in Israel’s laws and able to teach them to others (see II Timothy 2:2).  Above all, he was a man of faith; a godly man who knew he was doing God’s will and trusted Him to help him carry it out.  May we follow the example of Ezra and walk with the Lord so that we may be assured that the hand of God will be upon us for good.
                                                                                                              
    



                                                        

Celebrating with Joy

                                                                     Sunday School Lesson                                        

Lesson: Ezra 6:13-22                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy” (Ezra 6:16)

I.  INTRODUCTION.  In this week’s lesson we see God’s hand at work in unfolding His divine plan for mankind.  Through the prophets, God had given His prophecy that the children of Israel would go into captivity for seventy years because of their sin (see Jeremiah 25:4-11).  In our lesson we see God having moved on the hearts of pagan rulers as well as His own people to get them out of captivity and back to the Promised Land.  Once back home, the Israelites were to rebuild the temple and re-establish the prescribed worship at Jerusalem.  Out of the chaos of defeat and captivity, God was restoring worship and great joy to His people.

II. THE TEMPLE FINISHED (Ezra 6:13-15).  Background for the Lesson: During the reign of the Persian King Cyrus the foundation of the temple was laid (about 536 B.C.), but work stopped on the temple until the second year of King Darius which was about 520 B.C. about 16 years later.  There was both outside and inside opposition that caused this delay.  The opposition from outside came from Judah’s enemies who’s request to help in the building project was denied (see Ezra 4:1-5).  The delay in completing the temple also had opposition from within Israel as the people put their own interests first and became lax in finishing the work (see Haggai 1:2-11).  Because of this, the Lord sent a famine throughout Judah draining the people of their resources.  When the building project was resumed some sixteen years after the foundation was finished (see Ezra 5:2; Haggai 1:12-15), the Persian officials placed in Israel wanted to know who gave the returning captives the authority to rebuild the temple.  They sent to King Darius and asked him to investigate this (see Ezra 5:3-17) and when he did he found the decree that King Cyrus had made authorizing the rebuilding project along with the specific instructions for rebuilding the temple (see Ezra 6:1-5).  Then King Darius issued his own decree commanding his officials in Israel to stop hindering the work (see Ezra 6:6-7).  In addition he also ordered them to use tax money for building supplies as well as for sacrifices (see Ezra 6:8-10).  Darius even issued a decree of capital punishment for anyone who changed his decree and hindered the work (see Ezra 6:11-12).

A. Cooperation by the Persian officials (Ezra 8:13).  This verse says “Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.”  After receiving the decree from King Darius, the Persian officials described as “Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions” carried out Darius’ orders as quick as possible.  The phrase “governor on this side the river” means that Tatnai was the lead Persian official in Judah, west of the Euphrates River.  These officials were directed by the King to allow the project to continue without delay.  No matter how they felt about the Jews, they had no choice but to obey.  Besides, “the law of the Medes and Persians” referred to in verse 8 (not a part of our text), was known for not being able to be changed, therefore the decree that Cyrus made years earlier allowing the rebuilding of the temple was still in effect and was now being obeyed.

B. Other encouragements to rebuild the temple (Ezra 6:14-15).
1. (vs. 14).  Here we are told “And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.”  Now with the support of the Persian officials, the Jewish elders continued to build.The phrase “and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo” means that the people were encouraged by the preaching of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.After being encouraged, they “builded, and finished” the temple primarily“according to the commandment of the God of Israel.”Although we are told that the people also completed the temple“according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia,” it was by the power of God that those kings issued their decrees to get the temple completed. Although men ruled, God overruled to bring about His will.
2. (vs. 15).  In this verse Ezra writes “And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.”  The month “Adar” was the twelfth month on the Hebrew religious calendar.  It coincides with our mid-February to mid-March.  “The sixth year of the reign of Darius the king” was about 516 B.C.  This was twenty years after they began the construction on the temple, and almost seventy years after the first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. 
III. THE TEMPLE DEDICATED (Ezra 6:16-18)
A.  The joyous celebration (Ezra 6:16-17). 
1. (vs. 16).  This verse says “And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.”  The phrase “the children of Israel” is the name applied to the twelve tribes of Israel.  Even though most of the returning captives were from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, worship was restored on behalf of all the tribes.  There was no longer a Northern Kingdom and a Southern Kingdom that had once divided the nation for so long.  The groups that made up “the children of Israel” were the “priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity” or the rest of those who returned from the captivity.  The priests and Levites served the Lord constantly in worship activities.  The rest of the people were the worshippers.  These groups were the only ones authorized to rebuild the temple (see Ezra 1:3), and they were the only ones involved in dedicating it.  None of the surrounding peoples who were brought in after the Assyrian invasion were allowed to take part (see Ezra 4:1-3; II Kings 17:26-34).  Ezra went on to write that the returning captives “kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.”  They dedicated the second temple with great joy.  The older men who wept when the foundation was laid were now dead, and the younger generation celebrated the finished temple with pure joy.  The worship that identified Israel as God’s people could now be restored completely.
2. (vs. 17).  Here Ezra continues to write that the people “offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.”   At the dedication of the temple, they offered as sacrifices to God “an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs.”  The priests also offered “for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats.”  The “sin offering” of “twelve he goats” was given for the whole nation which is the meaning of “according to the number of the tribes of Israel.”  All twelve tribes were represented by the twelve goats even though all twelve tribes were not present.  The sin offering was probably included because it was Israel’s sin that led to the destruction of the first temple and the end of worship during the seventy years of captivity.  The sin offering demonstrated the people’s recommitment to God and godly worship.It may appear that the number of animals offered at the dedication of this second temple was quite large, but the number was small compared to what Solomon offered at the dedication of the first temple.  He offered more than 200 times as many cattle and sheep (see I King 8:63).  This smaller number of animals offered at this dedication was probably because the people didn’t have many resources at this time. 
B. The assignments of priests and Levites (Ezra 6:18).  This verse says “And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.”   Now that the temple was restored, the leaders, Jeshua and Zerubbabel “set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses” to carry on the service of the Lord “as it is written in the book of Moses.”  King David had set up the system of divisions and courses, or times to serve, for the priests and Levites after the ark was brought to Jerusalem (see I Chronicles chapters 23 and 24).  This was a structure of responsibilities and duties for the priests and Levites.  However, Ezra’s emphasis was not on David’s instructions, but “as it is written in the book of Moses.”  Moses was the one who gave the original instructions for priestly and Levitical duties (see Exodus 29; Leviticus 8; Numbers 3 and Numbers 8:5-26).  “The book of Moses” probably refers to the Book of Leviticus.  These returning captives and their leaders knew that it was necessary to be obedient to the directions in the Mosaic Law.  They realized that what had happened to their forefathers who took the Law lightly could also happen to them.
IV. THE PASSOVER OBSERVED (Ezra 6:19-22)
A. Preparation by the priests and Levites (Ezra 6:19-20). 
1. (vs. 19).  Here Ezra writes “And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.”  After the returning captives dedicated the rebuilt temple during the twelfth month of Adar, they “kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.” The first month on the Hebrew religious calendar was Abib or Nisan.  It correlates with our mid-March through mid-April.  The Feast of Passover, according to the Law was to be followed directly by the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the fifteenth day of Nisan and lasted seven days.  These two feasts were often celebrated as one.  Note: God instituted the Feast of Passover while Israel was in bondage in Egypt (see Exodus 12:1-11).  After a series of plagues failed to convince Pharaoh to free the Hebrews, God said that He would send the destroying angel to kill the firstborn in every household.  However, the angel would “pass over” every home that had blood from an unblemished male lamb placed on the top and doorframes of the homes (see Exodus 12:12-30).  In New Testament times, Passover became a pilgrim festival.  Large numbers of Jews gathered in Jerusalem to observe this annual celebration.  Jesus was crucified during one of these Passover celebrations and instituted the Lord’s Supper while He ate the Passover meal with His disciples on the eve of His death (see Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:1-20).  Like the blood which saved the Hebrew people from destruction in Egypt, Jesus’ blood as the ultimate and final Passover sacrifice, redeems us from the power of sin and death (see I Corinthians 5:6-7; I Peter 1:18-19).
2. (vs. 20).  This verse continues to say “For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.”   These returning captives were able to celebrate the Passover at the proper time because “the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure.”  In order to perform their duties, the priests and Levites had to be purified or cleansed from ceremonial uncleanness (see Exodus 29:4; Numbers 8:5-8).  The purification of the priests and Levites was so important that during King Hezekiah’s reign, the Passover was put off until the second month because they had not been properly cleansed (see II Chronicles 30:1-3).  One of the duties of the Levites after they went through the ceremonial cleansing was that they “killed the Passover.”  This refers to the Passover lamb that was killed.  The Levites killed lambs for “all the children of the captivity” which refers to all the returning exiles.  The Levites also killed lambs for their brothers here referred to as “their brethren the priests.”  Finally, the Levites offered lambs “for themselves.”  Therefore, everyone was covered by the sacrifices.  Note:  At the very first Passover in Egypt, each family had to kill a lamb and place its blood over the doorposts to insure their deliverance from death.   The family then ate the meat (see Exodus 12:1-10).  The head of each household was responsible for killing the lamb.  At the Passover that was celebrated under Hezekiah one month later than the Law directed, the Levites killed the animals because many heads of families had not cleansed or sanctified themselves (see II Chronicles 30:15-19).  Also at the Passover celebrated by King Josiah it appears that the Levites killed the animals as a normal part of their duties (see II Chronicles 35:1-6, 10-11).  Since the priests and Levites were purified, the Levites killed and skinned the animals and the priests sprinkled the blood.  Therefore there was no chance of an unclean person offering the sacrifice.  
B. The celebration by the people (Ezra 6:21-22). 
1. (vs. 21).  Here Ezra continued to write “And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat.”  We are told that everyone who returned to Israel from captivity “did eat” the Passover meal.  Ezra also says that they were joined by “such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel.”  These persons may have been Gentiles who had settled in the land and had taken on the Jewish faith by turning to the God of Israel.  However, it is more likely that Ezra was referring to Jews who were already living in the land and had taken on the heathen practices of their Gentile neighbors. However, now they had separated themselves, or turned away, from those heathen practices such as idol worship, in order to “seek the Lord God of Israel.”  Thus the Passover celebration brought about the reuniting of Israelites from the various tribes.
2. (vs. 22).  Our final verse says that everyone mentioned in the previous verse “kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”  As noted earlier, the day after Passover was the Feast of Unleavened Bread which lasted seven days.  Ezra writes that the people “kept (or observed) the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy.”  They all shared in both the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread joyfully (see Exodus 12:14-20).  They were especially joyful that God had “turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.”  Even though they were allowed to return home to rebuild their temple, the Jews were still under Persian control.  However, the Lord had moved on King Darius I (see Ezra 6:1-12) to show favor to the returning exiles, and he also gave them all that was needed to finish the temple.  This is what is meant by the phrase “to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God.”     
                      
V. Conclusion.  There’s not much joy in going through the motions of what we might call worship.  If joyful worship is to be restored, it must begin with the restoration of God’s people to a right relationship and fellowship with Him.  This involves the confessing and forsaking of sins.  It also means we have to seek Him in order to know the true worship of owning Him as our Creator and Sustainer.  We must seek Him because He is the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, the supreme Judge of all the earth.  We must seek Him because He alone is worthy of praise and obedience.  We must also leave the joy and blessings up to Him since He knows us and how best to manage our lives.                                                                                                               
 

The Temple Restored

   
                                                     Sunday School Lesson

                                            

Lesson: Ezra 3:8-13;                                                                                                 
Golden Text:   “And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid” (Ezra 3:11)

 INTRODUCTION.  At the time of our lesson, the remnant from the captivity had been back in the Promised Land for a little over a year.  Now it was time to begin the real reason for their return to the land: rebuilding the temple and restoring the worship of Almighty God, the God of the Jews.  At Sinai, God gave the Israelites instructions for the tabernacle which would represent His presence among them (see Exodus 25:8-9; 33:7).  When the tabernacle was dedicated, the Lord’s glory filled it.  This first tabernacle was a tent that followed Israel as they headed to the Promised Land from Egypt.  David wanted badly to build a permanent dwelling for the Lord.  However, it was not until Solomon’s reign that this became a reality.  The temple then became the centerpiece of Israel’s identity.  We can’t begin to imagine the grief Israel experienced when foreigners ravaged the temple taking all its sacred objects and eventually destroying it.  But now they had an opportunity to rebuild it and it was a time of great joy.  
II. THE BUILDING BEGUN (Ezra 3:8-9) 
A. The leaders in restoring the temple (Ezra 3:8).  Our lesson begins with “Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord.”  After being in their land for about a year, we are told that “in the second month” the people began restoring the “house of the Lord” or the temple which had been looted, sacked and destroyed by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar (see II Kings 25:8-9, 13-17). The Hebrew month of Zif (also called Ziv) is the second month of the Hebrew religious calendar corresponding to our mid-April through mid-May.  As with almost any work that is to be done,
leaders must be appointed and recognized. This rebuilding effort was led by the appointed leaders “Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel” who was recognized as Israel’s political leader who served as governor (see Haggai 1:1).  He was the grandson of Johoiachin, the captive king of Judah (see I Chronicles 3:17-19).  The religious leader of the rebuilding effort was “Jeshua the son of Jozadak” who served as high priest (see Haggai 1:1).  In Zechariah 3:1-9 and 6-11 he is called Joshua.  These leaders were joined by others identified as “the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem.”  Note: God usually leads His people through men and women he appoints for His own reasons.  It is not necessary that we know or approve of His reasons, but we must acknowledge His right to establish our leaders.  However, it is important that we know those who God sends to lead us whether we know His reasons for choosing them or not (see I Thessalonians 5:12).  The phrase “remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites” refers to descendents of the priests and the Levites who returned to Jerusalem after the captivity.  The “remnant” also included the remaining Jews to “come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem.”  The leaders of the restoration project also “appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the Lord.”  In other words, Levites twenty years and older were appointed to supervise the work of restoring the temple.

B. The supervisors in restoring the temple (Ezra 3:9).  This verse goes on to say, “Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites.”  This “Jeshua” who stood up with “his sons and his brethren” is not the high priest Jeshua mentioned in verse 8.  He was a Levite but not a priest who had the same name (see Ezra 2:36-40).  Jeshua and his male family members joined with “Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, with the “sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren” all of them being Levites.  The word “together” meaning “united as one” indicates that as one person they all “set forward” or provided supervision for the workers in the rebuilding of the temple of God.

III. THE FOUNDATION OF THE TEMPLE DEDICATED (Ezra 3:10-13)
A.  Praising the Lord for the success granted and the work begun (Ezra 3:10-11). 
1. (vs. 10).  This verse says “And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.”  After “the builders” or those appointed to do the work completed the foundation of the temple, a great worship ceremony followed.  The leaders, Zerubbabel and Jeshua “set the priests in their apparel with trumpets.”  According to the Law, all the priests wore special coats, belts, and headgear (see Exodus 28:40), but the high priest’s clothing was the most elaborate (see Exodus chapter 28:1-39).The trumpets the priests used were not ram’s horns (or shofars), but were narrow silver instruments with a flared end.  The Lord had instructed Moses on how to make and use these instruments (see Numbers 10:1-10).  They were always blown by the priests for calling assemblies, setting out on the wilderness journeys, gathering troops for war, and celebrating monthly and annual feasts. “The Levites the sons of Asaph” also took part in this dedication celebration playing “cymbals.”  These Levites were descendents of “Asaph” who oversaw worship music during the reigns of both David and Solomon (see I Chronicles 16:4-5; 25:1; II Chronicles 5:12).  Those involved in this celebration did so “to praise the Lord, after the ordinance of David king of Israel.”  In other words, they followed the directives of King David.  David was a musician himself and he appointed skilled men to provide music for the tabernacle worship (see I Chronicles 6:31; 25:1).  These returning exiles followed all the practices that David had prescribed.
2. (vs. 11).  The musical instruments provided accompaniment for singing as this verse says “And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the Lord; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.”  The phrase “And they sang together by course” indicates that they sang antiphonally or responsively, apparently using Psalms 118:1-2.  In other words, one group would sing “give thanks unto the Lord; because He is good,” and the other group would respond singing “for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel.”  The words they sang were also sang when David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (see I Chronicles 16:1, 34) and when the ark was placed in the temple (see II Chronicles 5:2-5,13).  So at this dedication of the second temple’s foundation, the Levitical singers joined together to praise and thank the Lord through song, exalting the Lord for His goodness and rejoicing that His mercy to Israel would endure forever.The last part of this verse says “And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.”  These Jews didn’t wait until the temple was completed before dedicating it.  The completion of the foundation alone was sufficient reason for rejoicing and praising God.  They not only “praised the Lord” with a shout, it was “with a great shout.”  They realized that even though God had chastised the nation for her sins as the prophets had foretold, He had not forsaken them.
B. Perspective on the progress of the work (Ezra 3:12-13).
1. (vs. 12).  Although most of the people rejoiced at the completion of the foundation of the second temple, there was also another prospective from the elderly exiles.  This verse says “But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy.”  When  the temple foundation was completed there was a mixed response among the people.  The phrase “But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men” refers to the older returning captives.  They “had seen the first house” built by Solomon before they were taken into Babylonian Captivity.  It was a glorious temple, one of the great wonders of its time.  These older men, having seen it in all of its grandeur, carried the image of the temple in their minds.  They couldn’t help comparing what they thought the new building would look like with the old one.These older captives who remembered the first temple and seeing the foundation completed “wept with a loud voice” which was the custom in the Near East (see I Samuel 30:4; II Samuel 3:31-34; 19:4: Mark 5:38). But on the other hand “many shouted aloud for joy.”These were probably the younger people who had grown up in captivity and were not old enough to remember the first temple.  For them there were no good old days; the best days were still to come. 
2. (vs. 13).In our final verse we are told that the shouts of joy were so loud “that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people:for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.”The two sounds,weeping and joy, representing two outlooks, were mingled together so that anyone listening “could not discern(or distinguish)the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people.”The noise that was created was so loud that it was “heard afar off” meaning far away.The surrounding Gentile peoples could tell that something of great importance was happening among the returning Jewish exiles.Of course this caused these surrounding peoples to be concerned and some of them attempted to join the Jews in the rebuilding project.When their help was refused, they conspired to stop the work (see Ezra 4:1-6).Ezra 4:6-23 summarizes the entire story of the opposition by the surrounding peoples to stop the building of the temple.           
                 
IV. Conclusion.  There should be no doubt in the mind of any Christian that there is a need to revive the proper worship of God and respect for His Word.  We need to rebuild the foundation and restore proper worship of the Lord both personally and corporately.  However, it must begin in His time and in His way.