GOD’S WORD FOR YOU
EZRA 8:32-36
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32 We arrived in Jerusalem and rested there for three days. 33 On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the vessels, and handed them over to Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 Everything was accounted for and weighed, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.
On the purely literal side, this passage records simple facts to the glory of God. The long trip was uneventful. They arrived safely, but tired. They rested for a few days. Then, going into the city and into the temple they handed over all of the treasure. Why the delay? It is possible that they arrived shortly before the Sabbath day and could not perform the heavy labor of transporting tons and tones of gold and silver through the city streets (camels would not be permitted beyond the gates, nor would they be able to fit). If the Sabbath day in question happened to correspond to a new moon festival, it would account for the additional time. The Hebrew text does not actually say “rested” in verse 32 but simply “remained, dwelled” (qal imperfect יָשַׁב).
But if we look at this verse from a spiritual side, as a foreshadowing of things to come as God blessed his people, consider these details: This event happened at Jerusalem. The rest or remaining, dwelling, lasted three days. Following this three-day rest, the great and promised treasure was revealed. The physical accounting of the treasure was put on display before witnesses and verified.
- This event happened at Jerusalem. Christ our Lord was brought outside the city of Jerusalem and crucified. “They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate” (Matthew 27:2), and “they led him away to crucify him” (Matthew 27:31).
- The rest or remaining, dwelling, lasted three days. “They gave the order for the tomb to be secure until the third day” (Matthew 27:64) because Jesus himself prophesied, that “he must be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31).
- Following this three-day rest, the great and promised treasure was revealed. When he rose, it was said by eyewitnesses: “It is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive!” (Luke 24:21).
- The physical accounting of the treasure was put on display before witnesses and verified. When Jesus appeared to his apostles, Thomas doubted until Jesus said to him, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe!” (John 20:27). And many saw him in the days that followed, both in Jerusalem and also in Galilee, because he appeared to them for many days before he ascended into heaven. “He gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).
So while these things were happening in the days of Ezra, remarkable and miraculous as they were, they pointed ahead to things even more remarkable and miraculous, a reminder that our Savior rescued us from our sins by dying on the cross, by rising again from the dead after three days, and by blessing his friends and followers by proving that it was he himself in the flesh and not a ghost who walked among them. He was as real as a ton of gold coins, and infinitely more precious and valuable to mankind.
35 Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the LORD. 36 They also delivered the king’s orders to the king’s satraps and to the governors of the Trans-Euphrates, and they aided the people and the house of God.
There is something curious about the number of the sacrifices; “twelve bulls for Israel” puts us immediately in mind of a symbolic offering, and 96, the number of rams, is a multiple of 12. We hit a bump with the number 77, although in the parallel account in the Apocrypha this number is 72, also a multiple of 12 (1 Esdras 8:66), but I’m never comfortable accepting the Apocryphal text over the inspired canon. It’s more likely that the number in the Apocrypha has been changed to fit the symbolism better. In all, though, we find a tremendous outpouring of sacrifices, mostly sin offerings and the burnt dedication offerings to the Lord. The returning exiles responded to their safe passage and safe arrival with worship.
Then there was the matter of some secular documents, orders from the King to his representatives, certainly telling them that Ezra was empowered to be the authority of Jewish law among his countrymen. The last phrase of the chapter tells us that these secular government workers helped Ezra with his work and supported the people of Judea and the rebuilding of the temple. And, as one reads further on in Nehemiah, with the reconstruction of Jerusalem’s walls.
These were the last of the exiles to return. God had been with them and had helped them. The joy of the exiles was obvious. Their faith rested securely upon God who was with them, quite literally for every step of the way. But there was something wrong in the city. Just as it is at sea, or in ministry, or in any kind of farming, before one crisis is at an end, another has arisen. The life of the believer is a life of repentance and of looking constantly ahead to what new pitfalls are in store. “You have appointed repentance for me; I am a sinner.” “But there is forgiveness with you” (Psalm 130:4). Ezra has yet another example to set; perhaps the hardest one of all.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
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Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, New Ulm, Minnesota
God’s Word for You – Ezra 8:32-36 After the third day…