November 13, 2023

When God's call is uncomfortable or inconvenient . . .

Ezra 1-2

Rachel Fagan
Monday's Devo

November 13, 2023

Monday's Devo

November 13, 2023

Big Idea

Ezra set his heart to study, do, and teach the law.

Key Verse | Ezra 1:3-4

"Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem."

Ezra 1-2

The Proclamation of Cyrus

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.”

Then rose up the heads of the fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem. And all who were about them aided them with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, with beasts, and with costly wares, besides all that was freely offered. Cyrus the king also brought out the vessels of the house of the LORD that Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and placed in the house of his gods. Cyrus king of Persia brought these out in the charge of Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah. And this was the number of them: 30 basins of gold, 1,000 basins of silver, 29 censers, 10 30 bowls of gold, 410 bowls of silver, and 1,000 other vessels; 11 all the vessels of gold and of silver were 5,400. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up, when the exiles were brought up from Babylonia to Jerusalem.

The Exiles Return

Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.

The number of the men of the people of Israel: the sons of Parosh, 2,172. The sons of Shephatiah, 372. The sons of Arah, 775. The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812. The sons of Elam, 1,254. The sons of Zattu, 945. The sons of Zaccai, 760. 10 The sons of Bani, 642. 11 The sons of Bebai, 623. 12 The sons of Azgad, 1,222. 13 The sons of Adonikam, 666. 14 The sons of Bigvai, 2,056. 15 The sons of Adin, 454. 16 The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98. 17 The sons of Bezai, 323. 18 The sons of Jorah, 112. 19 The sons of Hashum, 223. 20 The sons of Gibbar, 95. 21 The sons of Bethlehem, 123. 22 The men of Netophah, 56. 23 The men of Anathoth, 128. 24 The sons of Azmaveth, 42. 25 The sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743. 26 The sons of Ramah and Geba, 621. 27 The men of Michmas, 122. 28 The men of Bethel and Ai, 223. 29 The sons of Nebo, 52. 30 The sons of Magbish, 156. 31 The sons of the other Elam, 1,254. 32 The sons of Harim, 320. 33 The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725. 34 The sons of Jericho, 345. 35 The sons of Senaah, 3,630.

36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973. 37 The sons of Immer, 1,052. 38 The sons of Pashhur, 1,247. 39 The sons of Harim, 1,017.

40 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74. 41 The singers: the sons of Asaph, 128. 42 The sons of the gatekeepers: the sons of Shallum, the sons of Ater, the sons of Talmon, the sons of Akkub, the sons of Hatita, and the sons of Shobai, in all 139.

43 The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth, 44 the sons of Keros, the sons of Siaha, the sons of Padon, 45 the sons of Lebanah, the sons of Hagabah, the sons of Akkub, 46 the sons of Hagab, the sons of Shamlai, the sons of Hanan, 47 the sons of Giddel, the sons of Gahar, the sons of Reaiah, 48 the sons of Rezin, the sons of Nekoda, the sons of Gazzam, 49 the sons of Uzza, the sons of Paseah, the sons of Besai, 50 the sons of Asnah, the sons of Meunim, the sons of Nephisim, 51 the sons of Bakbuk, the sons of Hakupha, the sons of Harhur, 52 the sons of Bazluth, the sons of Mehida, the sons of Harsha, 53 the sons of Barkos, the sons of Sisera, the sons of Temah, 54 the sons of Neziah, and the sons of Hatipha.

55 The sons of Solomon's servants: the sons of Sotai, the sons of Hassophereth, the sons of Peruda, 56 the sons of Jaalah, the sons of Darkon, the sons of Giddel, 57 the sons of Shephatiah, the sons of Hattil, the sons of Pochereth-hazzebaim, and the sons of Ami.

58 All the temple servants and the sons of Solomon's servants were 392.

59 The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, though they could not prove their fathers' houses or their descent, whether they belonged to Israel: 60 the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of Nekoda, 652. 61 Also, of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, and the sons of Barzillai (who had taken a wife from the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name). 62 These sought their registration among those enrolled in the genealogies, but they were not found there, and so they were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. 63 The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food, until there should be a priest to consult Urim and Thummim.

64 The whole assembly together was 42,360, 65 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337, and they had 200 male and female singers. 66 Their horses were 736, their mules were 245, 67 their camels were 435, and their donkeys were 6,720.

68 Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its site. 69 According to their ability they gave to the treasury of the work 61,000 darics 1 2:69 A daric was a coin weighing about 1/4 ounce or 8.5 grams of gold, 5,000 minas 2 2:69 A mina was about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kilogram of silver, and 100 priests' garments.

70 Now the priests, the Levites, some of the people, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants lived in their towns, and all the rest of Israel 3 2:70 Hebrew all Israel in their towns.

Footnotes

[1] 2:69 A daric was a coin weighing about 1/4 ounce or 8.5 grams
[2] 2:69 A mina was about 1 1/4 pounds or 0.6 kilogram
[3] 2:70 Hebrew all Israel

S2:221 Ezra 1-2

Listen Now

Dive Deeper | Ezra 1-2

As often as I can, I stop and ask, "What was I once praying for that I am now enjoying (or taking for granted)?" There are so many answered prayers to reflect on: safe travels, accomplished goals, so much provision, the air continuing to enter and exit my lungs. These answered prayers remind me of God's character, and they remind me to have hope. King Cyrus' proclamation in this first chapter of Ezra is the fulfillment of the hope God promised in Jeremiah 29:11. 

To understand the mission of those returning to Jerusalem, we can look back at David's plan for the temple (1 Chronicles 17), as well as the magnitude and intricacies of the completed temple (1 Kings 6). We can even revisit the destruction of the temple in a single verse (2 Chronicles 36:19). After 70 years of waiting in exile, the faithful remnant may have experienced mixed emotions at Cyrus' proclamation: awe, gratitude, and relief, but also concerned anticipation about the daunting work of rebuilding. Remembering that the Lord commanded them to build lives in Babylon while waiting, many could have abandoned hope and given in to despair. But still, they gathered the provided materials and headed home. Why?

I love that God doesn't simply command the release of those in exile, leaving them to go back to Jerusalem and the disobedience that led to its destruction. He sends them home with purpose and provision (Ezra 1:3-4), even restoring some of the original temple vessels. Given the mission to restore the place that was once filled with the glory of the Lord, the people on the journey back to Jerusalem, I imagine, were driven by hope to abide with the Lord again.

As Christians living after the resurrection, we ourselves are living temples of the Holy Spirit. We get to abide with the Lord in our own bodies. We can look to the instructions for the temple as we each steward our own dwelling place. While we wait for current prayers to be answered, we can rest in the provision of Jesus and the gift of hope for our eternity with Him.

This month's memory verse

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Discussion Questions

1. Has God ever answered one of your prayers? Take a moment to write down any prayers that God has answered. Reflect on what your hope looked like before the prayer was answered. What did your prayer sound like then? What does life look like now? Thank the Lord for His provision and care. Share an answered prayer with someone in need of hope today!

2. What kind of home are you making for Jesus in your temple of the Holy Spirit? Have you been maintaining it intentionally? Have you neglected some areas? Has there been destruction? 

3. The Israelites were faithful to return and rebuild. Where can you take a step of faithfulness, knowing God is worthy of your hope in Him?

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GJ

Greg Jones

Good morning Rachel. I like Q3. The Israelites were faithful to return and rebuild. Where can you take a step of faithfulness, knowing God is worthy of your hope in Him? Yes the Israelites were faithful to return and rebuild. But sometimes just like me they can step out in faithfulness knowing God is worthy of their hope and be completely unaware of what God is hoping for. While in Babylon in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, graciously freed Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat above the seats of the kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put off his prison garments. And every day of his life he dined regularly at the king's table, and for his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king, according to his daily needs, as long as he lived. 2 Kings 25:27-30 So what was he eating? If it was the Daniel plan you would think it would get a mention. So at this time in scripture eating unclean food with unclean company seems to be a blessing. For Daniel, different time, different circumstances, different view. Two different diets for two different exiles. Sometimes for me a step of faith is gaining a broader perspective.
GJ

Greg Jones

“Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. [[Whoever]] is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem. And let each survivor, in whatever place he sojourns, be assisted by the men of his place with silver and gold, with goods and with beasts, besides freewill offerings for the house of God that is in Jerusalem.” The following were those who came up from Tel-melah, Tel-harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer, though they could not prove their fathers' houses or their descent, whether they belonged to Israel… The whole assembly together was 42,360, 65 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337, and they had 200 male and female singers. 66 Their horses were 736, their mules were 245, 67 their camels were 435, and their donkeys were 6,720. Some of the heads of families, when they came to the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem, made freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury of the work 61,000 darics 1 of gold, 5,000 minas 2 of silver, and 100 priests' garments. A lot of names in the first two chapters. These are the people who are returning from exile although some can not prove that they are bonafide. Those folks are the decedents of these folks. The king of Babylon carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. 2 Kings 24:14a Some people who were affected by the exile we can’t be sure what happened to. You sort of have to read between the lines and guess. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. 2 Kings 24:14b But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen. 2 Kings 25:12
MS

Michael Sisson

Re: Ezra 1:1-4 See Jer 25:11-12; Jer 29:10-14; Zec 1:12-16
HS

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning, Rachel. Thanks for a great devo to open up Ezra for us. Love this- “I love that God doesn't simply command the release of those in exile, leaving them to go back to Jerusalem and the disobedience that led to its destruction. He sends them home with purpose and provision.” (Ezra 1:3-4) Q1. Awhile back I reorganized my prayer list. Initial a prayer is marked with a “PR” in yellow highlight. Upon answer its changed to green. Over time, there are lots and lots of greens. And still many yellows that have yet to be answered. Looking at the page the colors stand out and I can see how frequently God answers a prayer with “yes”. Q2. Temple neglect. Business is my toughest sin. The neglect looks like lack of exercise and overeating. Progress mad elf sure. But the slow pace conveys lack of commitment. Q3. A recent pastoral exercise yielded some significant tangible steps I can take to rewire much my reaction function and prepare a different pathway for my devotion and worship. I am very thankful to my friends at The Eden Project for their help, https://www.theedenproject.com
HS

Hugh Stephenson

I have to say that as important as 1 and 2 Kings is, I won’t miss it. It’s a tough read. Even though it starts out well as David ascends and peaks, then Solomon is a huge success for an extended period. It’s the steady and seemingly inexorable decline that it’s so hard to read. The naked apostasy and idolatry is a great witness to how quickly a powerful empire can implode. So, on to more of the historical books. I especially like the Ezra-Nehemiah sequence as there is great deal of restoration and hope amidst huge adversity and opposition. Ezra 1:1–2:70 “Cyrus’s Decree and the Return of Exiles from Babylon. With the eye of faith, Ezra describes monumental political changes in the world as God’s special favor for his people.” Yet, I note with interest that not everyone who was eligible to return actually returned. Apparently, many were comfortable in the life they had made. Hebrews 12:1-3 speak specifically against this mindset. 1:5-6 “Many that hear this joyful sound choose to sit still in Babylon, are in love with their sins and will not venture upon the difficulties of a holy life; but some there are that break through the discouragements, and resolve to build the house of God, to make heaven of their religion, whatever it cost them. Thus will the heavenly Canaan be replenished, though many perish in Babylon; and the gospel-offer will not be made in vain." "Everyone whose spirit God had stirred" (v. 5) should be understood as referring to those whose spirit God had stirred and who did not resist that stirring but responded to it obediently.” As a testament to the above, the numbers of the returned are quite small in comparison with the populations earlier in the books of Kings. “Only four of the 24 priestly families that David organized (1 Chron. 24:7-18) had representatives among the returning exiles.” “Few Levites, only 341, chose to leave the comforts of life in Babylon.” On genealogies- There seems to be a trait in human nature that wants to identify who you are by your parents and/or grandparents. For whatever reason, this was incredibly important in the South of my youth. As in Judaism, much of the emphasis was on one’s lineage through your mother’s ancestors. Direct ones were “lineal’ ancestors. Indirect, (through uncles or aunts), were called “collateral” ancestors. There were many times that a query began very soon after an introduction. This grew tiresome to me. My father’s side bore no distinction of note coming from the working class (mother’s side) and a Methodist circuit rider, (father’s side). It was my mother’s side where things were more interesting. Mayflower passengers John Alden and Priscilla Mullin were the first. Then on down to James Iredell, (Washington’s SCOTUS justice), an NC Governor and a Senator. Without a doubt the most interesting piece is that Edward Snowden is also a lineal descendant of the same Mayflower passengers. In that, as far as I can tell, we’re 9th cousins. (No I don’t know where he is. Still in Russia I guess). Most interesting is my father’s grandmother. She was a full blood Cherokee, making me 1/8. In many conversations this was regarding as the least impressive ancestor. She’s my favorite. The whole thing makes me laugh. The notes reflect that genealogies in the Ezra Nehemiah era were quite important, and legitimately so.
HS

Hugh Stephenson

Ezra 2:59–63 “This section considers the legitimacy of claims to citizenship and membership in the priesthood, whether they belonged to Israel. It was important in this returning community to establish credentials. People were coming back after a long exile to claim inheritance and property. In the case of priests, it was paramount that only those with the correct pedigree should officiate at the altar. Such claims needed evidence, and the record inevitably contained gaps. The claims entered here are not permanently refused, but held over, pending further inquiry. The genealogies are a guarantee that Israel is not adrift in a vacuum of this present generation but has security and credentials. And as long as Israel can name names, utter their precious sounds, it has a belonging place which no hostile empire can deny."[73]
MS

Michael Scaman

I wonder what conversations Daniel had with Cyrus leading up to this. Daniel clearly knew the 70 year prophesy and wrote about it. Daniel even had visions about it. Daniel could hav pointed out to Cyrus his name and even the time 70 years being about to be fulfilled.
SB

Sue Bohlin

Thanks so much, Rachel. Reading about how Cyrus's heart and mind were stirred and directed by the one true God really encourages me, because Cyrus was not a Yahweh-follower--yet God used him to accomplish His purposes just as easily as He used believers. It enlarges my understanding and appreciation of God's sovereignty and power to see that a person doesn't have to be open to the Lord to be used by Him. I recently heard Lance Wallnau (with whom I was not familiar) address the Roaring Lambs banquet, where he told us that he had the opportunity to talk one on one with Donald Trump some years ago. He told him (basically), "I see you as a Cyrus. We all know you're not a Christian, but God is using you anyway." I don't know if his assessment was right or not, but I am intrigued by the idea, especially as we JTJers find ourselves in Ezra today, meeting Cyrus on the pages of God's word.
AL

Amy Lowther

1. Yes, I believe God has answered my prayers. Examples of prayers answered include: workday success, social interactions, and successful shopping trips. It was good God answered my prayers because before He did, life was tough. Workdays seemed like they would never get done. There were no conversations or activities for certain social situations. And on shopping trips, I was purchasing too much with not enough money for the wrong reasons. My prayers took time and included full surrender to God. Currently, my prayers continue like those prayers described. Prayer: Lord, thank you for your provision and your care everyday of my life. Your words are valuable and your care is unconditional and priceless. May I continue to look to you and make choices your way. Amen. 2. I have a healthy, “everyday” home for Jesus in my temple. Yes, I am intentional in maintaining a place for Jesus everyday by studying His words and applying what I learn in daily life. Nothing is neglected because I value Jesus. Some things get destroyed because they do not work. I prefer to remodel destroyed things into what is recommended. 3. In Women’s Bible Study, my small group writes prayer cards each week. Each individual can make a prayer request and submit it for consideration. Then each individual can choose a prayer card and pray for a fellow group member. I will continue to do this with my small group, and I can take a step of faithfulness to also do this outside my small group. I can’t carry note cards with me, and I don’t expect anyone else to carry note cards either. But, as in small group, I can take time to think of prayers I need to make and share my prayer requests with others. Then we can pray for each other.