EZRA 7 AND 8
The going up of Ezra was greatly to the advantage of the returned remnant, for he was a “teaching priest”, and “a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Jehovah the God of Israel had given” (verse 6). He had “directed his heart to seek the law of Jehovah and to do it, and to teach in Israel the statutes and the ordinances” (verse 10). He had priestly intelligence as to what was required “to beautify the house of Jehovah” (verse 27). His service was not to build, but to beautify, and he made request to the king as having this in mind, “according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him”. He came up invested with authority, and furnished with silver and gold, and, in addition to what he brought with him, he had unlimited permission to draw on “the king’s treasure house” for “whatever more shall be needful”. Provision was made for everything requisite for the beautifying and maintenance of the house and its service. All this was in the will of God, as following upon the building of the house and its dedication. The service of Ezra was needed as well as that of Joshua and Zerubbabel. And it has been so in our day.
Ezra represents a ministry which brings out from Scripture increased light as to the service of God, a ministry which has in view that the house shall be spiritually beautified. This requires attention to detail. Priestly sensibilities will lead to particular attention being given to “the law”, which, for us, includes the whole of Scripture. Ezra was “an accomplished scribe of the law of the God of the heavens” (verse 12); he had an accurate acquaintance with the law, and would be able to bring the law to bear on every detail of the service. “The law”, for us, includes all that God has made known as His will. An “accomplished scribe” can bring it out, and call attention to features which will beautify the house. When saints first began to break bread apart from any sectarian position, there was much yet to learn as to the assembly as the house of God, and its holy service. But saints in separation from human systems were in a position where they could learn, and as they were prepared to receive light it was given to them. Wherever there is faithfulness to light that has been given, God vouchsafes further light as to His will. The last century has witnessed a continual accession of spiritual light. Attention has been called to one thing after another which needed adjustment. God has not failed to provide a ministry which has brought out His mind with increasing clearness and fulness. He has given much help as to details connected with His service, and He will no doubt continue to do so. All the positive ministry which makes God better known, and which exalts His beloved Son, and which [p. 238] brings out the thoughts of divine love in regard to His saints, has brought with it increased precious material for holy service. Much spiritual wealth, answering to the silver and gold brought up by Ezra, has been brought up to enrich the service.
No thoughtful person can consider what has been furnished in ministry, even in our own time, without being impressed by the fact that it has tended to ‘beautify’ the house of God, and to enhance His service. Even conflicts which have arisen, and difficulties which have had to be met, have been the means of bringing out further light and giving increased knowledge of God, and this beautifies the house and helps its service. Sorrowful as conflicts are — and particularly when they result in saints missing their way — they are enriching when we see that something that is precious to God is at stake. This must be the case if there is any spiritual element at all in a conflict. It is in looking out for spiritual gain, and for what makes more of divine Persons, that we shall find safety and enlargement. Who can measure the gain that has come to saints through light being given as to eternal life and the Lord’s sonship in manhood? Yet these great realities were not established in the faith and affections of saints without conflict. Enrichment lies in the positive ministry which God gives, and this is the thing to look out for. We must, in principle, keep near to Ezra and his companions; we must hold to that ministry which brings out the mind of God, and which adds to the beauty of His house and the richness of its service.
It is touching to see God putting an earnest care for His house and its service into the hearts of many at a time when even those whom He had delivered from captivity had proved unfaithful, as we learn from chapter 9. The great provision of silver and gold and vessels which Ezra brought to Jerusalem was certainly not because the remnant at Jerusalem was in a good condition. It was far otherwise. The whole matter was the fruit of God’s mercy and grace; it was a fresh movement of revival at a time when sad defection had taken place at Jerusalem. If God did not renew His work of revival from time to time it would most certainly die down, and He generally revives His work by bringing in some spiritual element that was not there before. I have no doubt that in the corrective epistles to Galatia and Corinth, and the protective epistle to Colosse, much was brought in that was in addition to what the saints had known before. And in the recovery of the truth it [p. 239] has not all been brought out at once. In the days we are speaking of, when God recovered His people, or a remnant of them, from Babylonish captivity, it was first Zerubbabel, then Ezra, then Nehemiah. Each one brought in something that was not there before. We may confidently expect that God will continue His reviving work in these last days until the moment comes for the saints to be translated. It is for us to seek divine strengthening such as Ezra got: “And I was strengthened, as the hand of Jehovah my God was upon me; and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me”, chapter 7: 28.
God does not work merely by truth or principles, but by persons in whom the truth abides. So we find a goodly number of persons in chapter 8 who were prepared to move with Ezra. We are thankful for all ministry of the truth, but truth is very ineffective unless persons move with it in a practical way. Ezra surveyed the company gathered together (chapter 8: 15) “and found none of the sons of Levi there”. It is sad to think that, when God is moving so graciously to revive His work, there should be a lack of levites. I think it touches a weak spot even today. Ezra expects the “chief men” and the “men of understanding” to move in the matter. There must be “ministers for the house of our God” (verse 17). It was a matter for exercise and movement. When the Lord said, “the workmen are few”. He told His disciples to “supplicate therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth workmen unto his harvest”. I suppose we are all conscious of the fewness of the labourers. Let us pray that “by the good hand of our God upon us” (verse 18) more may be furnished. Nethinim are also needed as well as levites. They have a subordinate, but very necessary, place as helping the levitical service. It is a comfort to know that there is room for service that is, perhaps, not so highly thought of as the public ministry of the word, but which helps that ministry in a somewhat lower grade of service. Not one who engages in such service is overlooked: “all of them were expressed by name”. If we cannot exactly take the place of being levites, let us by all means be Nethinim, and help the levites!
The exercise about “a right way” in verses 21 - 23 is very touching. The fact that God’s good hand had been upon Ezra in a remarkable way did not diminish his exercise as to the path before him. “And I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of [p. 240] him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance”. This is a beautiful spirit in which to be found in regard of all the circumstances which beset God’s testimony today. Ezra had spoken so confidently to the king about the hand of God being upon all them for good that seek Him that he was ashamed to ask for a band of soldiers. Do we not know something of such an exercise as this? We say things, perhaps really in faith, but when we come to face the actual difficulties and dangers that confront us we find the necessity of being cast upon God in fasting and prayer that our confidence may not be found to be a vain thing. Our faith is not in vain, but we are tested as to its reality. God will never fail a humble and exercised heart. “And we fasted, and besought our God for this; and he was entreated of us”.
The silver and the gold and the vessels were put into the care of priests. Only holy persons could be entrusted with holy things (verse 28). All was weighed into their hands at the beginning of the journey, and weighed again at the end in the house of God: “the whole by number and by weight; and all the weight was written down at that time” (verse 34). Faithful servants of God are very much concerned that not one item of what is precious as contributing to the service should be lost, or suffer in weight, in our hands. It is to be feared that things often do lose weight; we retain things in form and word when their true spiritual weight is no longer held in our souls. May God preserve in our hearts true priestly exercise as to this! The closing verses of chapter 8 are a beautiful example of offering service in remnant times. Both burnt-offerings and sin-offerings are for all Israel. In bringing the preciousness of Christ before God we have the joy of knowing that it is in His mind for all saints. The worship of the assembly is always in the light of what Christ is for acceptance and propitiation for all who are of the assembly. There is great spiritual expansion in this.