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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>E Z R A</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. VIII.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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This chapter gives us a more particular narrative of Ezra's journey to
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Jerusalem, of which we had a general account in the foregoing chapter
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I. The company that went up with him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:1-20">ver. 1-20</A>.
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II. The solemn fast which he kept with his company, to implore God's
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presence with them in this journey,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:21-23">ver. 21-23</A>.
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III. The care he took of the treasure he had with him, and the charge
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he gave concerning it to the priests, to whose custody he committed it,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:24-30">ver. 24-30</A>.
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IV. The care God took of him and his company in the way,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:31">ver. 31</A>.
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V. Their safe arrival at Jerusalem, where they delivered their treasure
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to the priests
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:32-34">ver. 32-34</A>),
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their commissions to the kings lieutenants
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:36">ver. 36</A>),
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offered sacrifices to God
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:35">ver. 35</A>),
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and then applied to their business.</P>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Journey of Ezra and Others.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 457.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 These <I>are</I> now the chief of their fathers, and <I>this is</I> the
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genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign
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of Artaxerxes the king.
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2 Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar;
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Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.
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3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah:
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and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males a hundred
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and fifty.
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4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and
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with him two hundred males.
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5 Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him
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three hundred males.
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6 Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with
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him fifty males.
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7 And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and
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with him seventy males.
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8 And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael,
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and with him fourscore males.
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9 Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him
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two hundred and eighteen males.
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10 And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with
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him a hundred and threescore males.
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11 And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and
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with him twenty and eight males.
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12 And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and
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with him a hundred and ten males.
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13 And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names <I>are</I> these,
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Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.
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14 Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them
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seventy males.
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15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to
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Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the
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people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of
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Levi.
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16 Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for
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Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and
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for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib,
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and for Elnathan, men of understanding.
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17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the
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place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo,
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<I>and</I> to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that
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they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.
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18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a
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man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the
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son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren,
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eighteen;
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19 And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari,
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his brethren and their sons, twenty;
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20 Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had
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appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty
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Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Ezra, having received his commission from the king, beats up for
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volunteers, as it were, sets up an ensign to assemble the outcasts of
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Israel and the dispersed of Judah,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+11:12">Isa. xi. 12</A>.
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"Whoever of the sons of Sion, that <I>swell with the daughters of
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Babylon,</I> is disposed to go to Jerusalem, now that the temple there
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is finished and the temple-service set a-going, now is their time." Now
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one would think that under such a leader, with such encouragements, all
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the Jews should at length have <I>shaken themselves from their
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dust,</I> and <I>loosed the bands of their neck,</I> according to that
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call,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+52:1,2">Isa. lii. 1, 2</A>,
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&c.
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I wonder how any of them could read that chapter and yet stay behind.
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But multitudes did. They loved their ease better than their religion,
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thought themselves well off where they were, and either believed not
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that Jerusalem would better their condition or durst not go thither
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through any difficulties. But here we are told,</P>
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<P>
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I. That some offered themselves willingly to go with Ezra. The heads of
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the several families are here named, for their honour, and the numbers
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of the males that each brought in, amounting in all to 1496. Two
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priests are named
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>)
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and one of the sons of David; but, it should seem, they came without
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their families, probably intending to see how they liked Jerusalem and
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then either to send for their families or return to them as they saw
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cause. Several of their families, or clans, here named, we had before,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+2:3-20"><I>ch.</I> ii.</A>
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Some went up from them at that time, more went up now, as God inclined
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their hearts; some were called into the vineyard at the third hour,
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others not till the eleventh, yet even those were not rejected. But
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here we read of <I>the last sons of Adonikam</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:13"><I>v.</I> 13</A>),
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which some understand to their dispraise, that they were the last that
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enlisted themselves under Ezra; I rather understand it to their honour,
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that now all the sons of that family returned and none staid
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behind.</P>
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<P>
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II. That the Levites who went in this company were in a manner pressed
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into the service. Ezra appointed a general rendezvous of all his
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company at a certain place upon new-year's day, the first day of the
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first month.
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+7:9"><I>ch.</I> vii. 9</A>.
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Then and there he took a view of them, and mustered them, and (which
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was strange) <I>found there none of the sons of Levi,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:15"><I>v.</I> 15</A>.
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Some priests there were, but no others that were Levites. Where was the
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spirit of that sacred tribe? Ezra, a priest, like Moses proclaims,
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<I>Who is on the Lord's side?</I> They, unlike to Levi, shrink, and
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desire to <I>abide among the sheep-folds to hear the bleatings of the
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flock.</I> Synagogues we suppose they had in Babylon, in which they
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prayed, and preached, and kept sabbaths (and, when they could not have
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better, they had reason to be thankful for them); but now that the
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temple at Jerusalem was opened, to the service of which they were
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ordained, they ought to have preferred the gates of Zion before all
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those synagogues. It is upon record here, to their reproach; but
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<I>tell it not in Gath.</I> Ezra, when he observed that he had no
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Levites in his retinue, was much at a loss. He had money enough for the
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service of the temple, but wanted men. The king and princes had more
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than done their part, but the sons of Levi had not half done theirs.
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Eleven men, chief men, and men of understanding, he chooses out of his
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company, to be employed for the filling up of this lamentable vacancy;
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and here we are informed,
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1. Of their being sent. Ezra sent them to a proper place, where there
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as a college of Levites, <I>the place Casiphia,</I> probably a street
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or square in Babylon allowed for that purpose--<I>Silver Street</I> one
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may call it, for <I>ceseph</I> signifies <I>silver.</I> He sent them to
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a proper person, to Iddo, the chief president of the college, not to
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urge him to come himself (we will suppose him to be old and unfit for
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such a remove), but to send some of the juniors, <I>ministers for the
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house of our God,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:17"><I>v.</I> 17</A>.
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The furnishing of God's house with good ministers is a good work, which
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will redound to the comfort and credit of all that have a hand in it.
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2. Of their success. They did not return without their errand, but,
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though the warning was short, they brought about forty Levites to
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attend Ezra, Sherebiah, noted as a very intelligent man, and eighteen
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with him
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:18"><I>v.</I> 18</A>).
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Hashabiah, and Jeshaiah, and twenty with them,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:19"><I>v.</I> 19</A>.
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By this it appears that they were not averse to go, but were slothful
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and inattentive, and only wanted to be called upon and excited to go.
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What a pity it is that good men should omit a good work, merely for
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want of being spoken to! What a pity that they should need it, but, if
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they do, what a pity that they should be left without it! Of the
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Nethinim, the servitors of the sacred college, the <I>species
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infima--the lowest order</I> of the temple ministers, more appeared
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forward to go than of the Levites themselves. Of them 220, upon this
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hasty summons, enlisted themselves, and had the honour to be expressed
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by name in Ezra's muster-roll,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:20"><I>v.</I> 20</A>.
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"Thus," says Ezra, "were we furnished with Levites, <I>by the good hand
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of our God upon us.</I>" If, where ministers have been wanting, the
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vacancies are well supplied, let God have the glory, and his good hand
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be acknowledged as qualifying them for the service, inclining them to
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it, and then opening a door of opportunity for them.</P>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_21"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_22"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_23"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Ezra's Fast.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 457.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that
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we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right
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way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
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22 For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers
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and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we
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had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God <I>is</I> upon
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all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath <I>is</I>
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against all them that forsake him.
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23 So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was
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intreated of us.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Ezra has procured Levites to go along with him; but what will that
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avail, unless he have God with him? That is therefore his chief care.
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In all our ways we must acknowledge God, and in those particularly
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wherein we are endeavouring to serve the interest of his kingdom among
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men. Ezra does so here. Observe,</P>
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<P>
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I. The stedfast confidence he had in God and in his gracious
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protection. He told the king
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:22"><I>v.</I> 22</A>)
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what principles he went upon, that those who seek God are safe under
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the shadow of his wings, even in their greatest dangers, but that those
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who forsake him are continually exposed, even when they are most
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secure. God's servants have his power engaged for them; his enemies
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have it engaged against them. This Ezra believed with his heart, and
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with his mouth made confession of it before the king; and therefore he
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was ashamed to ask of the king a convoy, lest thereby he should give
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occasion to the king, and those about him, to suspect either God's
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power to help his people or Ezra's confidence in that power. Those that
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trust in God, and triumph in him, will be ashamed of seeking to the
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creature for protection, especially of using any sorry shifts for their
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own safety, because thereby they contradict themselves and their own
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confidence. Not but that those who depend upon God must use proper
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means for their preservation, and they need not be ashamed to do so;
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but, when the honour of God is concerned, one would rather expose
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one's-self than do any thing to the prejudice of that, which ought to
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be dearer to us than our lives.</P>
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<P>
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II. The solemn application he made to God in that confidence: He
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<I>proclaimed a fast,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:21"><I>v.</I> 21</A>.
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No doubt he had himself begged of God direction in this affair from the
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first time he had it in his thoughts; but for public mercies public
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prayers must be made, that all who are to share in the comfort of them
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may join in the request for them. Their fasting was,
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1. To express their humiliation. This he declares to be the intent and
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meaning of it. "<I>that we might afflict ourselves before our God</I>
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for our sins, and so be qualified for the pardon of them." When we are
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entering upon any new condition of life our care should be to bring
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none of the guilt of the sins of our former condition into it. When we
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are in any imminent peril let us be sure to make our peace with God,
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and then we are safe: nothing can do us any real hurt.
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2. To excite their supplications. Prayer was always joined with
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religious fasting. Their errand to the throne of grace was <I>to seek
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of God the right way,</I> that is, to commit themselves to the guidance
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of the divine Providence, to put themselves under the divine
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protection, and to beg of God to guide and keep them in their journey
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and bring them safely to their journey's end. They were strangers in
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the road, were to march through their enemies' countries, and had not a
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pillar of cloud and fire to lead them, as their fathers had; but they
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believed that the power and favour of God, and the ministration of his
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angels, would be to them instead of that, and hoped by prayer to obtain
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divine assistance. Note, All our concerns about ourselves, our
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families, and our estates, it is our wisdom and duty by prayer to
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commit to God, and leave the care of with him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Php+4:6">Phil. iv. 6</A>.</P>
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<P>
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III. The good success of their doing so
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:23"><I>v.</I> 23</A>):
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<I>We besought our God</I> by joint-prayer, <I>and he was entreated of
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us.</I> They had some comfortable assurance in their own minds that
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their prayers were answered, and the event declared it; for never any
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that sought God in earnest sought him in vain.</P>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_24"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_25"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_26"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_27"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_28"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_29"> </A>
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<A NAME="Ezr8_30"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec3"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Ezra's Care of the Temple Treasure.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 457.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests,
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Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
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25 And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the
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vessels, <I>even</I> the offering of the house of our God, which the
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king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel <I>there</I>
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|
present, had offered:
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26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents
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of silver, and silver vessels a hundred talents, <I>and</I> of gold
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a hundred talents;
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27 Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two
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vessels of fine copper, precious as gold.
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28 And I said unto them, Ye <I>are</I> holy unto the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>; the
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vessels <I>are</I> holy also; and the silver and the gold <I>are</I> a
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freewill offering unto the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> God of your fathers.
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29 Watch ye, and keep <I>them,</I> until ye weigh <I>them</I> before the
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chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of
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|
Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
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30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the
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silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring <I>them</I> to
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Jerusalem unto the house of our God.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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We have here an account of the particular care which Ezra took of the
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treasure he had with him, that belonged to God's sanctuary, Observe,
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|
|
|
1. Having committed the keeping of it to God, he committed the keeping
|
|
of it to proper men, whose business it was to watch it, though without
|
|
God they would have waked in vain. Note, Our prayers must always be
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|
seconded with our endeavours; the care of Christ's gospel, his church,
|
|
and ordinances, must not be so left with him but that it must also be
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|
<I>committed to faithful men,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ti+2:2">2 Tim. ii. 2</A>.
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|
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2. Having prayed to God to preserve all the substance they had with
|
|
them, he shows himself especially solicitous for that part of it which
|
|
belonged to the house of God and was an offering to him. Do we expect
|
|
that God should, by his providence, keep that which belongs to us? Let
|
|
us, by his grace, keep that which belongs to him. Let God's honour and
|
|
interest be our care; and then we may expect that our lives and
|
|
comforts will be his. Observe,
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|
|
(1.) The persons to whom he delivered the offerings of the house of
|
|
God. Twelve chief priests, and as many Levites, he appointed to this
|
|
trust
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:24,30"><I>v.</I> 24, 30</A>),
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|
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|
who were bound by their office to take care of the things of God, and
|
|
were in a particular manner to have the benefit of these sacred
|
|
treasures. Ezra tells them why he put those things into their hands
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:28"><I>v.</I> 28</A>):
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|
|
|
<I>You are holy unto the Lord, the vessels are holy also;</I> and who
|
|
so fit to take care of holy things as holy persons? Those that have the
|
|
dignity and honour of the priesthood must take along with them the
|
|
trust and duty of it. The prophet is foretelling the return of God's
|
|
people and ministers out of Babylon, when he gives the solemn charge
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Isa+52:11">Isa. lii. 11</A>),
|
|
|
|
<I>Be you clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.</I>
|
|
|
|
(2.) The great exactness with which he lodged this trust in their
|
|
hands: He <I>weighed to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels</I>
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:25"><I>v.</I> 25</A>),
|
|
|
|
because he expected to have it from them again by weight. In all trust,
|
|
but especially sacred ones, we ought to be punctual, and preserve a
|
|
right understanding on both sides. In Zerubbabel's time the vessels
|
|
were delivered by number, here by weight, that all might be
|
|
forth-coming and it might easily appear if any were missing, to
|
|
intimate that such as are entrusted with holy things (as all the
|
|
stewards of the mysteries of God are) are concerned to remember, both
|
|
in receiving their trust and in discharging it, that they must shortly
|
|
give a very particular account of it, that they may be faithful to it
|
|
and so give up their account with joy.
|
|
|
|
(3.) The charge he have them with these treasures
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:29"><I>v.</I> 29</A>):
|
|
|
|
"<I>Watch you, and keep them,</I> that they be not lost, nor embezzled,
|
|
nor mingled with the other articles. Keep them together; keep them by
|
|
themselves; keep them safely, till you weigh them in the temple, before
|
|
the great men there," hereby intimating how much it was their concern
|
|
to be careful and faithful and how much it would be their honour to be
|
|
found so. Thus when Paul charges Timothy with the gospel treasure he
|
|
bids him keep it <I>until the appearing of Jesus Christ,</I> and his
|
|
appearing before him to give account of his trust, when his fidelity
|
|
would be his crown.</P>
|
|
|
|
<A NAME="Ezr8_31"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Ezr8_32"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Ezr8_33"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Ezr8_34"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Ezr8_35"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Ezr8_36"> </A>
|
|
|
|
<A NAME="Sec4"> </A>
|
|
<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
|
|
<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Ezra's Arrival at Jerusalem.</I></FONT></TD>
|
|
<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 457.</TD></TR>
|
|
<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
|
|
</TABLE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<FONT SIZE=+1>31 Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth
|
|
<I>day</I> 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.
|
|
32 And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.
|
|
33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the
|
|
vessels weighed in the house of our God by the hand of Meremoth
|
|
the son of Uriah the priest; and with him <I>was</I> Eleazar the son
|
|
of Phinehas; and with them <I>was</I> Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and
|
|
Noadiah the son of Binnui, Levites;
|
|
34 By number <I>and</I> by weight of every one: and all the weight
|
|
was written at that time.
|
|
35 <I>Also</I> the children of those that had been carried away,
|
|
which were come out of the captivity, offered burnt offerings
|
|
unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety
|
|
and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he goats <I>for</I> a
|
|
sin offering: all <I>this was</I> a burnt offering unto the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
|
|
36 And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's
|
|
lieutenants, and to the governors on this side the river: and
|
|
they furthered the people, and the house of God.
|
|
</FONT></P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
We are now to attend Ezra to Jerusalem, a journey of about four months
|
|
in all; but his multitude made his marches slow and his stages short.
|
|
Now here we are told,</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
I. That his God was good, and he acknowledged his goodness: <I>The hand
|
|
of our God was upon us,</I> to animate us for our undertaking. To him
|
|
they owed it,
|
|
|
|
1. That they were preserved in their journey, and not all cut off; for
|
|
there were enemies that <I>laid wait for them by the way</I> to do them
|
|
a mischief, or at least, like Amalek, to <I>smite the hindmost of
|
|
them,</I> but God protected them,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:31"><I>v.</I> 31</A>.
|
|
|
|
Even the common perils of journeys are such as oblige us to sanctify
|
|
our going out with prayer and our returns in peace with praise and
|
|
thanksgiving; much more ought God to be thus eyed in such a dangerous
|
|
expedition as this was.
|
|
|
|
2. That they were brought in safety to their journey's end,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:32"><I>v.</I> 32</A>.
|
|
|
|
Let those that have stedfastly set their faces towards the new
|
|
Jerusalem proceed and persevere to the end <I>till they appear before
|
|
God in Zion,</I> and they shall find that he <I>who has begun the good
|
|
work will perform it.</I></P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
II. That his treasurers were faithful. When they had come to Jerusalem
|
|
they were impatient to be discharged of their trust, and therefore
|
|
applied to the great men of the temple, who received it from them and
|
|
gave them an acquittance in full,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:33,34">v. 33, 34</A>.
|
|
|
|
It is a great ease to one's mind to be discharged from a trust, and a
|
|
great honour to one's name to be able to make it appear that it has
|
|
been faithfully discharged.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
III. That his companions were devout. As soon as they came to be near
|
|
the altar they thought themselves obliged to offer sacrifice, whatever
|
|
they had done in Babylon,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:35"><I>v.</I> 35</A>.
|
|
|
|
That will be dispensed with when we want opportunity which when the
|
|
door is opened again will be expected from us. It is observable,
|
|
|
|
1. That among their sacrifices they had a sin-offering; for it is the
|
|
atonement that sweetens and secures every mercy to us, which will not
|
|
be truly comfortable unless <I>iniquity be taken away</I> and our peace
|
|
made with God.
|
|
|
|
2. That the number of their offerings related to the number of the
|
|
tribes, twelve bullocks, twelve he-goats, and ninety-six rams (that is,
|
|
eight times twelve), intimating the union of the two kingdoms,
|
|
according to what was foretold,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eze+37:22">Ezek. xxxvii. 22</A>.
|
|
|
|
They did not any longer go two tribes one way and ten another, but all
|
|
the twelve met by their representatives at the same altar.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
IV. That even the enemies of the Jews became their friends, bowed to
|
|
Ezra's commission, and, instead of hindering the people of God,
|
|
furthered them
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ezr+8:36"><I>v.</I> 36</A>),
|
|
|
|
purely in complaisance to the king: when he appeared moderate they all
|
|
coveted to appear so too. <I>Then had the churches rest.</I></P>
|
|
|
|
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