What is ordinary until it isn’t any longer? It is this book of Ezra. As we dig deeper, I’m personally struck by its depth and beauty; it continues to amaze me. We have noticed in our introduction to this book that the opening chapters are so uninviting.
As the Jewish people returned to Israel to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, we learn that they brought with them 435 camels, 736 horses, 6720 donkeys and they carried many pots for use at the Temple; 30 golden ones and 410 silver ones. This is all in chapter 1, then in chapter 2, we have name after name of returnees, and so many of them. Why is this so important to read?
Let us begin with the names. They fill up 60 verses of chapter 2 but as one reads them, a few powerful points emerge. First, the people mentioned here, each one, from the leaders to the servants, represent the very best of Israel. This is why a significant portion of Scripture is devoted to them. They are the wheat among the chaff. the finest of the nation.
These are the ones who answered God’s call and left the comfort of their homes in Babylon. They were doing well over there, yet they traveled to Israel, a forsaken land at this time, in order to restore and rebuild it.
They were only about 50,000 while the greater majority stayed back. Another group of about 2000 came later with Ezra, with a total of perhaps 55 thousand who returned. There were most likely, a few million who stayed in Babylon. Second, looking at all these names, something beautiful surfaces; the name of God is in many of them and together they project faith and hope.
There is also another important aspect that comes out of this list; who gave the names to these people? Their parents did. These names translate the faith of these fathers and mothers and that is so significant, especially when we realize that these parents, or the greater majority of them were taken away captive by the Babylonians some 50 years earlier. Most of them must have experienced the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the first Temple, however by the names they gave their children, one can see that they never lost faith. They still trusted in God despite seeing and being part of so much evil. And the Lord paid special attention to each of them, even by naming them.
Consider for example, the numbers of people given for each leader; these numbers are not rounded up or down ; they are very precise ones. We read numbers as in vs.3, 2,172. vs.4, 372, vs.7, 1254. We do not read rounded numbers such as 1250, or 1300, but instead 1254, exact numbers, for the Lord did not miss any one. This is our great God.
Let us begin with vs.2; it opens up with the names Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah. Mordecai. Through these six names we can perceive a story of faith.
- Zerubbabel means, from Babylon.
- Jeshuah means salvation came from Jehovah
- Nehemiah means Jehovah comforts
- Seraiah means Jehovah rules
- Reelaiah means who fears Jehovah
And for the name Mordecai, the word myrrh is believed to be at the root of this word, myrrh being a symbol of sacrifice, with the Aramaic word דכי dechay, meaning to press and purify. So, while these were all born in Babylon, they kept their faith and found comfort in Jehovah who is the true King of this world and this brought them all to be a Mordecai, purified and led by God for this great task they were to accomplish in Israel. The Nehemiah and Mordecai which we read here are not the same persons as those we know from other parts of the Bible. We would rightly assume that one has to know some prophecies to call their child: the Lord has risen and judged. Only the Word of God will tell you these things.
- Then in Ezra 8:4, we have Eliehoenai, meaning to Jehovah are my eyes.
- In Nehemiah 3:6 we meet Besodeiah, meaning the counsel of Jehovah.
- We also read in Ezra 8:8 of Michael meaning who is like God.
- In Nehemiah 12:22 we read of Jonathan meaning Jehovah has given.
- In Ezra 10:6 we meet with Eliashib meaning may God return.
Again, this powerfully points to the parents of those who came, who were people of faith transmitting this to their children. These people here in Ezra did not just appear from above. They are the fruits of a very strong foundation given by their parents.
Furthermore, God’s actions were evident in the fulfillment of many prophecies at this time of Ezra, which must have served as a strong beacon of light for the believers of that time who read and trusted in their Scriptures. The first prophecy we have seen is listed in vs.1 of chapter 1, the whole movement was triggered in order to fulfill the Word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah. So they knew it was time to act.
Second, they must have been so touched to find out, as we read in vs.7, King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem. This was also specifically prophesied by Jeremiah who said that this is what this king will do. This is what the Lord said some 50 years earlier in Jeremiah 27:21-22, “Yes, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the Lord … ‘They will be carried to Babylon and they will be there until the day I visit them,’ declares the Lord. And so it was! They were living the fulfilment of this prophecy and this must have been a driving force for them.
But there is another prophecy we can see in this list of names. Among them are listed 21 cities but see vs.23 for there we read of the men of Anathoth. There is a very strong promise attached to this small Levitical town. Fifty or so years previous, the very same year the Babylonians destroyed the Temple and Jerusalem in 586 BC., Jeremiah had a vision.
There the Lord told him that his cousin would come and offer to sell him his portion of land in Anathoth. And as he was receiving the Word of God, his cousin knocked at his door asking him to buy that land.It was surely not the time to buy land because the Babylonian invasion had begun, and the people were looking hungry and scared. However, the Lord told Jeremiah: Buy this land for yourself. Why did He say that? The reason is given in Jeremiah 32: 15,“For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.” And so it was by the time of Ezra. This prophecy must have been a great comfort and confirmation of God’s presence. Jeremiah’s prophecy is still in our Bibles; and one can say that it’s complete fulfillment is yet to come. At the time, only 128 priests came back from this city of Anathoth. Today it is an Arab town called Anata, 10km north of Jerusalem.
Click Here for the Video : Ezra – Part 1 – Ordinary Until it Wasn’t