Ezra 8
Chapter 8 reads like an entry from Ezra’s personal journal; in vivid detail he chronicles the actions he took to gather and lead the company of exiles back to Jerusalem in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes. Ezra begins by listing the names of family heads who joined him on the journey (8:1-14). Only the males are included in the count, which tallies about 1,500 men. Since these men had wives and children (8:21), the group size quickly rises to over 5,000 people.
Ezra assembles the group at “the river that runs to Ahava”, where they camp for three days (8:15). As he reviews “the people and the priests”, Ezra discovers, to his dismay, that “there are none of the sons of Levi (8:15). Since his mission relates to the sacrificial system of the Temple and the spiritual rebuilding of the nation, the lack of Levites creates a crisis.
It’s at this point, Ezra shows wise and determined leadership. He calls together nine “leading men” along with two other “men of insight” (8:16). He commissions them to head to “the place Casiphia” to look for an influential man named Iddo, the “leading man at the place Casiphia” (8:17). When he sends them to sends to them to speak to “Iddo and his brothers and the temple servants”, he gives them a specific message to relay: “send us ministers for the house of our God” (8:17).
“By the good hand of our God”, the strategy succeeds (8:18). Iddo sends back a number of Levites to join Ezra’s group. Of special note is a Levite named Sherebiah, who is described as “a man of discretion” (8:18). Sherebiah doesn’t come alone; he brings “his sons and kinsmen” totalling 18 men. In addition to Sherebiah, Iddo convinces other men to join Ezra: Hashabiah, Jeshaiah, and twenty other relatives. Further, Iddo sends 220 temple servants to assist the Levites in their work (8:20).
The company of Jews gathered by the Ahava River—priests, Levites, and others—prepare for their arduous journey by seeking God’s protection. Ezra “proclaimed a fast” where prayers are offered to God for His protection “for ourselves, our children, and all our goods” (8:21). The earnestness of their petitions gains intensity in light of the fact Ezra had refused to ask Artaxerxes for an armed escort of “soldiers and horses” (8:22). While the king was inclined to grant Ezra all he asked (7:6), Ezra was “ashamed” to request the king’s protection since he had given testimony to God’s protection of His people: “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him” (8:22). So instead of relying on human protection, the Jews “fasted and implored” the Lord, and “he listened to our entreaty” (8:23).
Ezra displays wise leadership once again in how he handles the safe transport of the gold and silver entrusted to them by the king and the freewill offerings of the Jewish people. He selects twelve priests and twelve Levites (including Sherebiah and Hashabiah), and commissions them to oversee the treasures on the trip (8:24). He publicly weighs out the massive amounts of silver (almost 50,000 pounds, or 24 tons), 7.5 tons of silver vessels (note: the actual weight of the silver vessels is missing in the Hebrew text), 3.75 tons of gold, along with twenty golden bowls and two vessels of polished bronze (8:25-26). The twenty-four priests and Levites and the precious treasures are set apart as “holy to the LORD (8:26). Ezra gives them a solemn and specific charge: “Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord” (8:29).
Finally, after successfully adding Levites to their group, carefully delegating the oversight of the treasures and earnestly seeking God for his protection, Ezra and the people commence the trip on the “twelfth day of the first month” (almost two weeks after gathering by the Ahava River—7:9). The four month journey is summarized in one praise-filled sentence: “The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way” (8:30).
After safely arriving in Jerusalem, the entire company of travelers rests for “three days” (8:32). Then they gather at the Temple and publicly weigh in the silver and gold entrusted to the Levites (8:32-34). The returned exiles also “offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel,” including twelve male goats as a sin offering (8:35). Next, they make sure to deliver a copy of the king’s decrees to the local government officials who, in turn, obey the king and provide aid for “the people and the house of God” (8:36).
Knowing God: Understanding His Person and Ways
The hand of God can protect His people from the hand of the enemy. Ezra has the entire group of Jews fast and implore the Lord for a safe journey (8:23). The Lord listens to their request and answers it by keeping them safe all along the journey. “The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way” (8:31). God’s hand still guides and guards His people as they travel through life and ministry. While he doesn’t promise to shield us from all trouble, He does promise to bring us safely Home (Psalm 121:6).
God’s protection should be entreated not simply assumed. While Ezra refused to request a military escort from Artaxerxes, and while he confidently told the king that “the hand of our God is for good on all who seek him” (8:22), he doesn’t take God’s protection for granted. He proclaims a fast, calling the entire group to humble themselves and implore the Lord for a safe journey (8:21, 23). Our conviction that God’s hand is stronger than the hand of our enemies should not keep us from humbling ourselves, fasting, and earnestly imploring the Lord to protect our efforts in ministry.
Joining God: Moving with God on Mission
Godly leaders act with wisdom but still attribute any success to God’s good hand. When Ezra reviews the group of travelers at the Ahava River, he makes a disappointing discovery—no Levites. What he does next shows wise leadership: he discerns the problem, devises a plan (involving other key leaders), delegates authority (dispatching them to talk to Iddo), and then details the results (the names and numbers of Levites and Temple servants recruited). What makes him a godly leader is that he also deflects praise, attributing the success of his actions to “the good hand of our God” (8:18). Here all spiritual leaders find an example to follow: take wise action but don’t take credit for what God accomplishes through your efforts.
A lack of spiritual leaders is a problem that must be addressed. When Ezra discovers a lack of Levites in his group, he delays the journey until they can be found and recruited. Levites assisted the priests in the Temple service and sometimes functioned as teachers of God’s people (see Nehemiah 8:7-8). Ezra understood that without these spiritual leaders, his mission to rebuild the spiritual life of the nation would be compromised. So today, a lack of spiritual leaders in Christ’s church demands urgent and determined action. Ministry leaders must be sought out and recruited to build up the spiritual life of the church.
Godliness and skillfulness are both required in spiritual leaders. When Ezra needs help, he looks to those with a well-earned reputation as “leading men” and “men of insight” (8:16). When Levites do join the mission, Ezra rejoices and records the fact that Sherebiah is “a man of discretion” (NIV reads “a capable man”). Godliness does not erase the need for skillfulness, discretion, and insight in a leader’s life. We still need leaders who are both Christ-like and capable.
Godly leaders entrust resources to other godly leaders but still hold them accountable. Before embarking, Ezra entrusts tons of silver and gold to twelve key leaders (including Sherebiah). While he trusts them, he reminds them they will be held publicly accountable for the treasure entrusted to them. When the group safely arrives in Jerusalem, the leaders bring the silver and gold to be publicly weighed in the Temple. This not only protects the treasures, it also protects the reputations of the priests and Levites carrying it. In financial matters (and other areas too), public accountability safeguards both ministry resources and the leaders who oversee them.
Rick and Linda Reed 