YESTERDAY ONCE MORE (EZRA 1)
The old Scot calls his son in London the day before Christmas Eve and says, “I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.”
“Dad, what are you talking about?’ the son gasps.
“We can’t stand the sight of each other any longer” the father says.” We’re sick of each other, and I’m sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Leeds and tell her.”
In panic the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. “Over my dead body they’re getting divorced!” she shouts. “I’ll take care of this!”
She calls Scotland immediately, and admonishes her father. “You are NOT getting divorced,” she says. “Don’t do a single thing until I get there. I’m calling my brother back, and we’ll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don’t do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?” and hangs up.
The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. “Sorted! They’re coming for Christmas – and they’re paying their own way.”
The Lord has a way of turning people, things and circumstances around, a specialty and skill peculiar only to Him, of which the Jewish exile was one of the most inconceivable and most incomprehensible of all historical events.
The Jewish exile or diaspora is different from most exiles or deportation. For example, many Poles have chosen – or been forced – to go into exile, forming large diasporas (known as Polonia), especially in France and the United States. The entire population of Crimean Tatars (200,000) that remained in their homeland Crimea was exiled on 18 May 1944 to Central Asia. Since the Cuban Revolution over one million Cubans have left Cuba. One of the most well-known instances of this is the Polish government-in-exile that commanded Polish armed forces operating outside Poland after German occupation during World War II. (Wikipedia)
What does God want us to learn when we are helpless and things seem hopeless? How does God work in the lives of those who belong to Him and believe in Him? Why is dependence on to God and deference to Him the only way to overcome adversity and affliction in life?
Let Us Rewind: Reflect on God’s Promise
1 In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: (Ezra 1:1)
A man goes to his pastor and tells him how much he needs more patience and asks that the pastor pray for him in this matter. The pastor agrees and suggests they have prayer right there. As he prays, he prays that this man would have trials come into his life and have many struggles. Right in the middle of the prayer, the man stops his pastor. “That’s not what I asked for.”
“Sure it is,” his pastor replied, “the way to patience is through just such trials. Paul himself told us that tribulations work patience.”
If that’s the case,” the man answered, “I’ll be glad to wait a little longer to get it.”
Seventy years is a long wait no matter how you look at it. It is as long as retirement, pension and death.
God’s promise is not negated by man’s untrustworthiness, undependability and unpredictability because God is faithful (1 Cor 1:9, 10:13, 1 Thess 5:24, 2 Thess 3:3). He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), faithful even if we believe not because he cannot deny himself (2 Tim 2:13).
The Ezra text is a clear continuation of the last book of 2 Chronicles 36. Seventy years (2 Chron 36:21) was a long nightmare suffered in the last chapter of 2 Chronicles 36, which ended in misery, mayhem and madness. The unfaithful king, all the leaders of the priests and the people had worshipped Gentile idols, defiled the temple, mocked God’s messengers, despised His words and mocked His prophets until God’s anger was provoked and there was no remedy, resulting in the Babylonian invasion and captivity (2 Chron 36:14-17). The land, however, enjoyed seventy years of Sabbath rest (2 Chron 36:21).
The point of the text is God’s faithfulness in fulfilling prophecy to move Cyrus to release the Israelites and to return temple articles. The verb “move” (v 1) is translated as “stir up” (Deut 32:11, “eagles stirreth up her nest”), awake (Judg 5:12, “Awake, awake, Deborah”), lift up (2 Sam 23:18, “lift up his spear”). This is the same verb previously for the Lord’s work to before the exile “stir up” the spirit of the kings of Assyria to carry the northern Israel kingdom into captivity (1 Chron 5:26) and “aroused” the Philistines, the Arabians and the Ethiopians against Jehoram the southern king and carried away all the king's goods, sons and wives (2 Chron 21:16-17). The turnaround and transformation happened in Ezra’s time. Shockingly this time the Lord moved the spirit of a Gentile king to do unmerited and unbelievable things for two remaining southern tribes after the ten northern tribes vanished.
The proclamation (v 1) was different than most in that it was made in word and in writing. Proclamation is oratory, but writing is official, so it was official, universal and authoritative. The phrase “all the kingdoms of the earth” is not a proud boasting from Cyrus, but another confirmation of the Lord’s prophesy that the Israelites refusal to ear the Lord's word will result in them being removed to into “all the kingdoms of the earth” (Deut 28:15, 25). The phrase “Lord God of heaven” at the start of a book is similar to Nehemiah’s stylistic device of Nehemiah (Neh 1:5) and is a phrase popularized after the exile (2 Chron 36:23, Ezra 1:2, Neh 1:5). It conveys His sovereignty and supremacy over Jews and Gentiles, people and nations.
Let Us Return: Rebuild with God’s People
2 “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “’The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. 3 Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. (Ezra 1:2-3)
One of the things I have failed is to return immediately to Asia after my seminary training in USA. It was a belated 21 years but it was better late than never. Returning is never easy. My father died and my siblings were offered USA permanent residents. Local friends are now scattered worldwide. By 2015 I have lived one more year outside of my 27 years in my Kuala Lumpur. I remember vividly the first time I took my Hong Kong wife to Penang, where I studied for Bible College. After the ferry reached the mainland, she took a U-turn to take the same ferry back to the island because it was so hot and humid. Even my taste buds have changed. I went to a yum cha place in my hometown and the chicken feet was so skinny and sad. I do not even know the so-called local food they are trying to hawk to tourists nowadays, such as white coffee. What white coffee? I am so out that I do not know the name of one of the highest tower in the world that is based in Malaysia.
The last three verses of 2 Chronicles 36 and the first three verses of Ezra 1:1-3 are almost identical with one notable exception. The last verb in 2 Chronicles 36 ends with “let him go up” but Ezra resumes with “let him go up AND build the house of the Lord God” (v 3), which is the theme of Ezra. (“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “’The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up, and may the Lord their God be with them.’” (2 Chron 36:22-23)
More than any book of the Bible, the first two postexilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah focused on builders and building. The verb “build” (v 2) is also found in the book of Nehemiah except that Ezra is infused with a “TO build” purpose clause whereas it is the self-initiated “LET US build” invitation (Neh 2:17, 18) in Nehemiah (Neh 2:5, Neh 2:17). If there is a stark difference between Ezra and Nehemiah is the determination, drive and direction in Ezra “to build” the house of the Lord, as expressed by the phrase “TO build” which occurs seven times (Ezra 1:2, 5, 4:3, 5:2, 3, 9, 13) versus once negatively is Nehemiah as “not able to build” (Neh 4:10).
There are two challenges in the verse 3: “let him go up” and “let him build,” both in third person singular. The two phrases are invitations, not imperatives in Hebrew. The people had a concern, a choice, and a challenge, but it requires a conviction, a commitment and a course. They were settled in Babylon for 7o years. A lot had changed in the old country. The difficulties include the cultural factors, the financial concerns, the physical landscape, the social network, and the local factor. In Persia families were started and friendships were forged. People were prospering, jobs were plenty, and houses were purchased. Uprooting and relocating were challenges for the industrious, involved and idealistic, not for the informed, indecisive and integrated.
Let Us Render: Respond to God’s Provision
4 And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’” 5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 6 All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings. 7 Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. 8 Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. 9 This was the inventory:
gold dishes 30, silver dishes 1,000, silver pans 29, 10 gold bowls 30, matching silver bowls 410, other articles 1,000, 11 In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:4-11)
A little fellow in the ghetto was teased by one who said, “If God loves you, why doesn't he take care of you? Why doesn't God tell someone to bring you shoes and a warm coat and better food?” The little lad thought for a moment then with tears starting in his eyes, said, “I guess He does tell somebody, but somebody forgets.”
As Beecher said, “No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich or poor according to what he is, not according to what he has.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 599)
The verb “provide” (v 4) is translated as bear (Gen 4:13), lift (Gen 13:10), spare (Gen 18:24), carry (Gen 44:1) and load (Gen 42:26). It is more than giving; it is to uplift, elevate and hoist. The attitude was more important than the act of giving. It is literally from the upward direction of “lifting,” but with a significant difference. This verb is an intensive “piel” stem, meaning it should be translated as “surely lift,” which reminds me of the lyrics to the song “You Raise Me Up”:
You raise me up so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be
It was not about money as much as it was about motivation. It was more about encouragement than expenses, the cause than the cash. There were no two ways about it: you were either going or giving, you were parting or providing, you were engaging or encouraging, frontline or back-up – there was no hiding or haggling.
Was there a beeline to Judah? Probably not, but the right people were there. Why were they there in the first place? To raise an army? To restore the land? To construct houses? No, they were there to build the house of God. Those without conviction and concern were not recruited. I like this motivation as guiding principle.
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were different right from the start because of the verb clumsily-translated as “PREPARED to go up” (v 3), which should be correctly translated as “rose up…to go and build.” The folks were not cautiously preparing, but conclusively participating, not desiring to do but decided to go, not analyzing but acting. In Nehemiah’s case in contrast, he alone “arose” (Neh 2:12) before he challenged them to “rise” (Neh 2:18) before the Jews agreed to “rise (Neh 1:20).
The verb “assist/strengthen” (v 6) is also in the intensive piel stem, revealing their will, the willpower, and strength of will. Willpower was as important as manpower. The verb is translated as laid hold (Gen 19:16), prevail (Gen 47:20), caught (Ex 4:4), strengthen (Gen 48:2), urgent (Ex 12:33), courageous (Josh 23:6), retain (Judg 7:8), repair (2 Kings 12:6), and maintain (1 Chron 26:27), constant (1 Chron 28:7), fortify (2 Chron 11:11) and way mighty (2 Chron 13:21). There is no timidity, double-mindedness.
A lot of resources were needed. Do you notice silver and gold (vv 4, 6, 9, 10, 11) are mentioned more times than goods and livestock (vv 4, 6), gifts and even articles/vessels (vv 6, 7, 10, 11)? There was a lot to be done, a lot of needs and neglects to look into.
The articles of the temple or the vessels of the house of the Lord were mentioned three times in the last chapter of 2 Chronicles 36.
“Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon” (2 Chron 36:7)
“And when the year was expired, king Nebuchadnezzar sent, and brought him to Babylon, with the goodly vessels of the house of the Lord” (2 Chron 36:10)
“And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon” (2 Chron 36:18). By the grace and mercies of the Lord, the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king and his princes (2 Chron 36:18) were not returned, but the vessels were intact.
The noun “exiles” (v 11) specifically refers to the exile (1 Chron 5:22). It made its debut when Nebuchadnezzar took from Jerusalem all the princes, ten thousand captives, seven thousand mighty men, and one thousand craftsmen and smiths: leaving behind the poorest sort of the people of the land (2 Kings 24:14).
Conclusion: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Do you trust in God’s promises? Do you have perseverance, patience and participation? Do you share in rebuilding or are you just a taker? Are you weary in doing good?
Victor Yap
Bible.ryl.hk (Grammar Bible)
Preachchrist.com (sermons)
