bible_ezraneh

 

EZRA – NEHEMIAH

by Edith Shelton

 


Return from Babylonian Captivity

 

The history recounted in Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and the prophecies of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi all occurred within approximately one hundred years from the fall of Babylon — and all under the reign of and with the help of the Medo-Persian kings that ruled Babylon at that time.


Those kings, as seen in the list I gave you, are as follows:

 

There were three returns from Babylon, the first led by Zerubbabel, under Cyrus, about 538 B.C., the second led by Ezra and the third by Nehemiah, both in the reign of Artaxerxes. The story of Esther fits into the reign of Xerxes, or Ahasuerus.

 

EZRA

Ezra 1-2 The First Return

1:1-4  Edict of Cyrus. In first year of Cyrus (539 B.C.) “The LORD … has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem…” Those who wanted should go and each survivor should assist with silver and gold, beasts and goods.

 

1:5–2:70  Those who returned. They received the temple vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away–basins and bowls of gold and silver, censers, other vessels. Also freewill offerings from people. Chapter 2 lists the people who returned by families or towns. The whole assembly was 42,360 plus servants (7,337) and 200 singers. Since their total number of animals was about 7500-8000, we must assume most of them walked and the animals carried burdens.

 

3 – 6 Building of the Temple

In the seventh month they built an altar and began to offer continual burnt offerings, appointed feasts, etc., but foundation of temple not yet laid.

In second year of coming, in second month. Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel (same as Sheshbazzar, prince of Judah in 1:8,10?) and Jeshua, son of Josadak (priest) appointed Levites to oversee work of temple. Foundation laid–celebration (3:10-13) “Adversaries of Judah and Benjamin” (4:1) “people of the land” (4:4) discouraged work. However 4:6-23 concerned work on walls in days of Ahasuerus and Artaxerxes and belongs chronologically after chapter 6 and after building of temple.

In the second year of Darius with encouragement of prophets Haggai and Zechariah, Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to rebuild. But governor of Province Beyond River questioned their authority to do this and wrote a letter to Darius (Ch.5) Darius searched the records and sent a reply that it was authorized by Cyrus, and funds from the royal treasury (the taxes of the Province Beyond the River) should be used to help them–with requests for prayers in the temple for the king and dire threats for those who altered the decree. So the Jews received help in building and the house of God was finished in the sixth year of Darius the king (515 B.C.)

So the temple was dedicated and Passover was kept in first month.

 

7 – 10 Ezra’s Return and Reforms

Ezra, a priest, went from Babylon to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes. Ezra was a scribe “skilled in the law of Moses” and the king granted him all he asked. The king gave him a letter (7:11-26) saying he was to take with him whoever wanted to go, that he was to be given silver and gold as freewill offerings to buy animals to offer in sacrifice and whatever else he thought best to do with it, that he was to teach the laws of his God to the people, that no taxes were to be imposed on priests, Levites and other servants of the house of God.

At 7:27 Ezra begins to write in first person, blessing God for putting this in the heart of the king. Ezra gathered people together and discovered no Levites, so he sent for Levites to also accompany him. (8:1-20) Ezra proclaimed a fast to seek God’s help “for I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers…to protect us…” And he weighed out gold and silver and vessels to twelve of the leading priests for them to be responsible for them.They arrived safely in Jerusalem, gave the gold, silver, etc. into the hands of the responsible priests of the temple, and offered sacrifices to God. They also delivered the king’s commission to the various satraps and governors. Ch 9 – Ezra was told that the Israelites, and even the priests, were still inter-marrying with the people of the land — “the hand of the officials and chief men have been foremost.” Ezra prays to God confessing this sin of the people.


Ch 10 – It was suggested that they should make a covenant with God to put away foreign wives and their children. A proclamation was made that all exiles should assemble in Jerusalem. It was the ninth month, and they met in heavy rain. It was decided this could not be done suddenly (and in the rain), but they should appoint leaders and deal with it person by person. From the first day of the tenth month to the first day of the first month they dealt with this problem and came to an end of all the men who had married foreign wives. 10:44 “All these had married foreign women, and they put them away with their children.” All the names of these men are given and they amount to: priests–17; Levites–6; Singers and gatekeepers–4; other people of Israel–84. Total 111.

 

NEHEMIAH

Nehemiah was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia, which was a very responsible position at the king’s court. When Nehemiah’s brother came from Judah and told him there was much trouble in Judah and the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, the gates burned, Nehemiah was very troubled, and began to pray. (There is no explanation of whether the walls were still broken down since the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 or whether they had somehow been broken down again by 445 B.C.)

The king gave him permission to go to Jerusalem to oversee the construction of the walls, and gave him letters of authority. Since he served as governor for the next twelve years, he was obviously given more authority than is mentioned in the early chapters.

There was opposition by non-Jews in the land, Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite being mentioned. When Nehemiah organized the people to work on the wall, these men tried to hinder the work with taunts and threats. But Nehemiah encouraged the people to work; he had many of the people armed to back up the workers; and he encouraged them in the Lord. In spite of all the opposition, they had finished the wall in 52 days. This astounded all their enemies. 6:16 says “…all the nations round about us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”


Other things set in order by Nehemiah:

People were lending money to the poor people and charging interest, causing them to be in want. This was stopped.

Nehemiah and those with him did not tax the people for their upkeep. Apparently they had means of their own. Nehemiah wanted to enroll the people by genealogy, and he found the book of the genealogy of those who came back in the first return. Chapter 7 of Nehemiah repeats the material found in the 2nd chapter of Ezra.

The people were assembled and Ezra read from the book of the Law with the help of some of the Levites who helped the people understand it. Some take this to mean that it was read in Hebrew and translated into Aramaic, the language they had brought back from Babylon. It could mean, however, that they explained it rather than just translating it.

In the law they read of the command to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, so the people made booths and kept the feast. Then the people continued with the reading of the Law and confessing their sins and worshipping God.

In the ninth chapter there is a prayer of Ezra or penitential psalm or a recitation of the history of Israel and their disobedience (or all three in one) and a decision of the people to make a covenant with God.

The separated themselves from the people of the land and agreed not to give sons or daughters in marriage to the people of the land.

They agreed to keep the sabbath and also to keep the sabbath year of the land in not growing crops and in forgiving debts.

They agreed to give money for the service of the temple, to bring in their firstfruits, etc.

The leaders lived in Jerusalem, but most of the people lived on their lands. It was agreed to cast lots to bring a tenth of the people to live in Jerusalem.

The priests and Levites were listed by genealogy.


Nehemiah went back to king Artaxerxes for a while and then asked leave to return to Jerusalem. When he returned (chapter 13) he found a number of things that needed to be “re-reformed.”

He found that a chamber had been prepared for Tobiah the Ammonite in the temple because he was related to the priest. Nehemiah threw his furniture out and restored the chamber to its use as a storeroom.

He found the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so they had gone back to their fields. He had the people bring the tithes and appointed treasurers over the storehouses.

He found people working and selling on the sabbath and remonstrated with them and had the doors of the city closed on the sabbath so the sellers could not enter.

Again he found men who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. He must have been quite upset. In 13:25 he says “I contended with them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair…” He reminded them that even Solomon, that great king, was led astray by foreign wives.


So the book concludes:

13:30-31 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; and I provided for the wood offering, at appointed times, and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

 

POST-EXILIC MINOR PROPHETS

The prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi prophesied during the time after the return from Babylon. Haggai and Zechariah specify that they are prophesying in the second year of Darius, which is 520 B.C. Malachi does not give a date, but it is after a time that the temple has been rebuilt, and he is addressing the same problems Nehemiah was aiming at in his reforms. If you look at Talk Thru the Bible, you will see a good explanation for putting Malachi between the time Nehemiah returned to Persia in 432 B.C. and came back to Palestine about 425 B.C. The usual date given for Malachi is 424 B.C. He is the last prophet of which we have record until the time of Jesus. These are considered the “four hundred silent years.”

 

HAGGAI

This book is only two chapters long and contains four prophecies. The first is a rebuke because the people have been building their own houses, and have not been building the house of God — which was the reason they returned to the land of Judah almost 18 years before. The people listened and went back to the work.

So the second prophecy given almost eight weeks later is a prophecy of encouragement. It speaks of the fact that this temple does not compare with the one that had been destroyed seventy years before, but 1:9 says “The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former.” It is true that Herod greatly enlarged and rebuilt this temple, but it was destroyed when Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D. BUT this was the temple that saw the coming of the Messiah, His rejection, death, and resurrection, and the coming of the Holy Spirit in power on Pentecost.

Are verses 6-8 a messianic prophecy for the future? We have a way of looking at things from where we stand, and also from the prophetic formulas and scenarios that have been figured out and taught. This, I think, often influences our explanation of prophecies of the Old Testament.

The third prophecy, coming two months later than the second, first questions whether the holy can make the unclean to become holy or vice versa. It is the latter. And so the sins of the people have made their offerings unclean. And for that reason they have had crop failures and shortages. But now, the Lord says, from this time He will bless them.

On the same day there is a prophecy to and about Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah about overthrowing kingdoms and making Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, like a signet ring “for I have chosen you,” says the Lord of Hosts. This sounds like a prophecy for the immediate future, certainly in the lifetime of Zerubbabel. But is it? (See Jer. 22:30 Does the Lord’s word by Zechariah cancel this?)

 

ZECHARIAH

Zechariah, like Ezekiel, has a number of visions. Some of them are not explained, or if they are explained, we don’t know much more after the meaning is given! Wilkinson thinks Haggai was an older prophet, mostly because of the question in 2:3 “Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory?” However, that is the Lord’s question and doesn’t mean that Haggai was among those. He thinks Zechariah was a younger man, mostly because he is the grandson, apparently, of Iddo. And Iddo (or another of that named) is listed among those who returned in that first return. He is listed among the priests and Levites, which would make Zechariah of a priestly family. Mt. 23:35 speaks of the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. This may be the same Zechariah. He is called the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo.

Zechariah is prophesying at the same time as Haggai–the second year of Darius–and is mentioned with him as strengthening Zerubbabel and standing with him in the building of the temple. They are both mentioned in Ezra 5:1.

In the first prophecy the LORD tells them not to be like their fathers who ignored the prophets who spoke to them. And the people repented.

There are a number of visions in the first few chapters: the man riding on the red horse and the other horses. He is told “These are they whom the LORD has sent to patrol the earth.” (The fact that he saw them in the form of horses does not mean they were really horses.) In verse 12 there is mention of the seventy years again, and God says he will comfort Zion.

There are four horns — those kings or kingdoms that have scattered Judah and Israel. There are four smiths, who are to cast down the horns. That’s as much as we know of what the smiths represent.

There is a man with a measuring line to measure Jerusalem. This would imply that it will have limits and probably a wall. He is told that it is to be inhabited without walls for God will be a wall of fire around her. And there is further prophecy about God dwelling in her midst, etc., which would seem not to have been fulfilled at this time.

The vision of Joshua standing before the Lord in filthy garments and Satan standing there to accuse him. But his sins are forgiven and he is clothed in rich apparel. In 3:8 we have the first mention of “my servant the branch. And 3:9 says “I will removed the guilt of this land in a single day.”

 

Chapter 4

has the vision of the gold lampstand with the two olive trees. It is explained that the two olive trees are “the two anointed who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” What does that mean? (See Rev. 11:4) 4:6 is the often quoted verse:”Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”

 

Chapter 5

has a flying scroll that is a curse for those who steal or swear falsely by the name of the Lord. It also has an ephah with a leaden cover, containing a woman who is called Wickedness. Two women with wings carry it to the land of Shinar (Babylon).

 

Chapter 6

has the four chariots, also patrolling the earth. And a crown for the head of Joshua, the high priest. Then it says “Behold, the man whose name is the Branch…he..shall build the temple of the Lord…bear royal honor…and rule upon his throne.” This is taken to be a messianic prophecy rather than particularly applying to that Joshua. (Adrienne said that when she read “whose name is the Branch” what she thought of was that his name — Joshua, Yeshua — was the name of the Messiah, Jesus.)

 

Chapters 7-8

Two years later some people came asking whether they should fast in the fifth month. The answer includes an indictment of the fasting and feasting or former days which was not for the glory of God, and how the people turned from the prophets and stopped their ears so as not to hear and they were scattered among the nations. But the Lord goes on to say that He will return to Jerusalem, and bring His people from the east and the west “and they shall be my people and I will be their God.” And his answer to the question was that the fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. (8:18-19) Was he talking about the immediate future or a later time? And is it still future? In Matt 9 Jesus asked, Can the guests mourn when the bridegroom is with them?

 

Chapters 9-10

begin with a judgment on Syria, Tyre, Philistia, and then go on to speak of the restoration of Judah and Israel. 9:9 is the famous verse that is quoted on Palm Sunday.

 

But Chapter 11

speaks of being a shepherd of a flock doomed to slaughter, and I am not sure how to interpret the staffs Grace and Union and the breaking of them, inasmuch as no explanation is given.

 

The rest of the book (chapters 12-14) seems to be about Judah and Jerusalem being besieged by nations all around, and then the Lord will fight for them. Some well known prophetic scriptures are found in these chapters. 12:10b “…when they look on him whom they have pierced…” 13:1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.” 13:7b “Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered…” referred to by Jesus in Mt. 26:31 and referring to his own disciples being scattered when he is taken. 14:4 “On that day his feet shall stand on the mount of Olives…and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley…. and you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah.” “Then the LORD your God will come, and all the holy ones with him.”

The plague on the invaders in 14:12 has been likened to the results of an atomic attack, although to Zechariah it probably sounded like a sudden attack of leprosy. And those who survive shall go to Jerusalem yearly to worship the Lord and keep the feast of booths (or Tabernacles). This feast is about a week after Yom Kippur.

 

MALACHI

Although Malachi’s date is not given specifically, as said above it seems to be during or after the time of Nehemiah’s governorship, perhaps during the time Nehemiah was back in Persia and the people had again become indifferent to the things of the Lord.

This prophecy is mostly a rebuke. And it seems to repeat some of the questions and doubts of the people and then answer them–much as we see in parts of Romans.About six times he says “But you say…” and tells what the people are saying; then he gives the Lord’s response to them.

 

This Starts in 1:2

when God says “I have loved you.” “But you say, How hast thou loved us?” Here we see the original of the statement “I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau.” We can see it refers to the nations rather than the individual brothers.

In 1:6 the Lord says the priests have despised His name. “You say, How have we despised thy name?” The answer is by offering polluted food on His altar. And you say how have we polluted it? By offering imperfect animals. Although God’s name is great among the nations (1:11), they are showing disregard for Him. In chapter 2 He goes on to say that the priests should be the one teaching knowledge of Him, but they have not kept His ways.

 

In 2:13-16

he speaks of them not keeping faithfully their covenants of marriage. In the middle of verse 15 is a very interesting question and answer: “And what does He desire? Godly offspring.” This is a very revealing statement about what God means for marriage to be like — it should produce Godly offspring. It should be a place where children can learn to know and love God.

Again we have a question in V.17 You have wearied the LORD with your words. “Yet you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying God delights in those who do evil; or, Where is the God of justice? The whole message seems to be that they have forgotten who God is, they have forgotten their covenant with Him.

 

Chapter 3

starts with a familiar verse “Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple…” But who can stand before him? He says he will refine them until they can present right offerings to the LORD. And He tells them to return to Him. “But you say, How shall we return?” (I think He means that they don’t acknowledge that they have left!) So He asks, Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. (Again, you don’t seem to realize you are dealing with God.)
“But you say, How are we robbing thee?” And here we have the passage about bringing all the tithes into the storehouse so He may bless them. (It seems to me He is saying that if they will acknowledge Him and His covenant, then He will pour out blessings upon them–not really a new promise.)

And again he tells them (3:13) Your words have been stout against me. And they reply as in shocked surprise. “Yet you say, How have we spoken against thee?”   And what have they said — What use is it to serve God when evildoers seem to be the ones who prosper?

There were those who heard and heeded the Lord’s message from Malachi. It says the Lord heeded and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord… (3:16) God says that on the day when He acts, the righteous will be spared, and the evildoers will be burned up. “But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings.” The last two verses of Malachi are quoted in the New Testament, both as being fulfilled and as being yet to come at the second coming of Jesus. Jesus said that John the Baptist was Elijah, that is, the prophet who comes before Him. But on the other hand, the great and terrible day of the LORD is still to come. And the angel said to Zechariah, concerning the son he was to have, John, that he would turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers.