Ezra 6

Ezra 6:1-10

XXII EZRA AND HIS GREAT Ezra 6-10 In the previous chapter we considered the history on this period up to the time the Temple was rebuilt and dedicated and the first Passover after the return was celebrated. This event occurred about 516 B.C. In this chapter we make a leap of nearly sixty years. This is ascertained by comparing the dates in Persia. The first verse of the seventh chapter begins thus: “After these things” and goes on to record the events which occurred about 458 B.C. In the meantime the work had lagged. The people had become lax. Numbers of foreign marriages had been contracted; many moral delinquencies had crept in.

In Persia several events of importance had transpired. Xerxes had become king (488-465 B.C.) . Esther had become queen, the incidents of Mordecai and Haman had taken place and Artaxerxes Longimanus (465-425 B.C.) had succeeded Xerxes on the throne. So we are now to consider the events in Judah during the reign of Artaxerxes of Persia, to whom Nehemiah was cupbearer.

First, we will consider the person and character of Ezra, 7:1-10. We have the record of his genealogy from Ezra himself. He traces his lineage back directly to Aaron, the brother of Moses. He is thus of genuinely priestly blood. His business was that of a scribe: a writer, a recorder, a codifier of the laws. He was an expert in Jewish law.

He was doubtless a teacher and a man of high personal character and scholarship. There had been no revival during this period of nearly sixty years among the colonists in Judah and Jerusalem, and when God would stir up a revival among them, he began by arousing a man in faraway Babylon. He impressed upon this man the importance of the work, and stirred him up to lead the people into the complete adoption of the law of Moses among the Jews in Judah. They had no great leaders there. Ezra was among the exiles in Babylon and as a result of long and profound study of the matter, determined that the complete law of Moses must be made effective in Judah and Jerusalem, which was over eight hundred miles away and required about four months for the journey.

Next comes the decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:11-26). Ezra must have been a man of great reputation and influence, highly respected by the king and nobility, for in some manner, we know not how, he secured from Artaxerxes the king this remarkable decree. He granted Ezra his whole request. We find two kinds of provisions in this decree, viz: the temporary and the more permanent ones. The following were the temporary provisions:

1. Like Cyrus, his predecessor, he made it a matter of choice to every one as to whether he would return or not.

2. He was to carry the silver and the gold which the king had freely offered for the establishment of the Law.

3. He was to buy with this money all the animals which he required for the performing of the sacrifices and ceremonies.

4. The money not required for this they were at liberty to use as they thought best.

5. The vessels were given them to be brought back to Jerusalem.

6. What other money was required Ezra was at liberty to draw upon the king’s treasure house.

7. All the treasurers who are beyond the rivers are commanded to give Ezra whatever he may require of them, with no restrictions as to the amount of salt he should need.

The following constitute the permanent provisions:

1. Priests and Levites and Temple officers were excused from taxation.

2. Ezra was empowered to appoint magistrates and judges to enforce the law of God, and to teach those who might not know it.

3. Whoever refused to obey this law might be punished by death or banishment or the confiscation of his goods or imprisonment.

The date of this decree Isaiah 457 B.C. and it is the most liberal decree yet. No wonder that Ezra breaks forth into that matchless song of thanksgiving! What marvelous powers had been granted to him by the great king of Persia! He blessed God that he had put such things into the king’s heart.

In Ezra 8:1-14 we have the genealogy of those who returned with Ezra. This account is taken from the personal memoirs of Ezra himself. Here he uses the first personal pronoun. Comparing this list with Zerubbabel’s list we find 17,073 males, making in all, perhaps 9,000 people; fewer families, though three new ones added, instead of eleven chiefs, or heads of families, we find eighteen, and there appears one remarkable name, “Hattush,” a descendant of David and the great-great-grandson of Zerubbabel.

In Ezra 8:15-36, Ezra describes how he himself gathered the caravan together on the banks of a certain river, how he found no Levites among them, how he found certain Levites at a place called Casiphia and thus adds to his company a considerable number of Levites and singers. He proclaims a fast of three days at this camping place, and doubtless the fast was accompanied by earnest prayer. There was a long and dangerous journey before him, and he fully realized it. Ezra knew that a considerable portion of that desert would be infested by roving bands of robbers who would watch for just such caravans as his. He had a large amount of money with him and might have asked for a band of soldiers to accompany them, but he says, “I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against enemies in the way, because we had spoken to the king saying, The hand of our God is upon all those who serve him.” Such faith could not fail, and the journey was safely made, requiring about four months. It was in 458 B.C. The first thing they did was to turn over the money; the next thing was to offer sacrifices, and the third thing was to deliver the king’s commission.

At this time a considerable amount of laxity prevailed among the priestly families of Judah and Jerusalem. Many of the princes and the chiefs and priests had married daughters of the alien tribes that settled in and around Judah. The law of the priesthood was that they should marry only among the priestly families, and they were violating the law openly and flagrantly. For such a state of affairs to continue would mean the entire dissolution of the race and the obliteration of their religion. The princes, the civil heads, made the complaint because the priests and Levites were guilty. Ezra was dumbfounded.

His actions are described in Ezra 9:3 where he says, “I rent my garments and my mantle and plucked out the hair of my head and beard and sat down astounded.” In this attitude he attracted a great deal of attention. And in spite of the crowd that collected about him, he remained in this position until the time of the evening oblation.

That hour arriving, it was time for prayer. He stretched forth his hands in an earnest confession. That confession gives a glimpse into the heart of the man. It shows us his whole intense honesty and integrity of purpose. It shows how he identified himself with the people, for in his confession of the sins of the people he included himself with the others. He realized that if this state of affairs continued, the race would deteriorate, the religion of Jehovah would be lost among the foreign elements; that it would be practically impossible for him to impress the law of Moses upon the community; that the nation would justly die, for God would drive them into exile again.

As might be expected, a great awe-stricken crowd gathered about the man so humiliated and grieved. They knew full well the cause.

One young man, named Shecaniah, speaks. He thinks there is hope for Israel concerning this thing; that all that is necessary is for these men to put away their wives and the children born of such wives; only let it be done in a legal fashion, according to the law of Moses. Ezra revived. He roused himself up and issued a proclamation, calling an assembly of the people to consider the matter. He commands that they make confession of their guilt and separate themselves from the strange women, whom they have married. A divorce court is appointed whose duty it is to carry into effect this command. Two men refuse to obey (Ezra 9:15) and the same verse tells us that they had their friends. The work is completed.

Homes are broken up. Wives are torn from their husbands and sent back to their homes. Children were torn from their fathers; husbands sat in the gloom of their homes, childless. It is difficult for us to even imagine the full results of such a rigid decree. According to the law of Moses it was the only thing that he could do to save the race and the law of God. The list of those who were guilty of this sin was formidable, but this radical measure was necessary to preserve Israel for her mission in giving the religion of Jehovah to the world.

1. What was the time period between the events of Ezra 6-7, how ascertained and what changes occurred during this period?

2. Who was Ezra, what did he do for Jerusalem and how long on the journey?

3. What was the nature of the decree of Artaxerxes concerning Ezra, what was the temporary provisions, what was the more permanent provisions, what date and how does this decree compare with the two preceding ones?

4. What of Ezra’s exultation in Ezra 7:27-28?

5. Compare the list of those who returned with Ezra with Zerubbabel’s list as to number, as to families, as to the chiefs, and as to the remarkable names.

6. What was the course of Ezra’s journey and what were the incidents and details of the journey?

7. Upon their arrival at Jerusalem what were the first things they did?

8. What immoral condition did Ezra find in Israel when he arrived in Jerusalem, who made the complaint and why, how did it affect Ezra, and how did he manifest his grief?

9. What course did he pursue and what are the striking features of his prayer?

10. How did God answer his prayer and what measures recom

11. How then did they proceed and what was the details of the work?

12. What do you think of the list of those who were guilty of this

13. What was the ground of justification for this radical measure by Ezra?