THESE three little books present a beautiful cluster of divine truth, and may be, for a moment, looked at together. Ezra shows the power, goodness and faithfulness of God to His people when acting collectively, in returning to Him, and seeking to walk in His ways according to the authority of His word. In Nehemiah we see the same gracious acting’s of God with an individual, who goes forth in faith and love in the energy of the Spirit of God, seeking the welfare of His people, and establishing the things of. God in separation from all that is contrary to His Word. Esther touchingly teaches us how God loves and cares for all of His people, though they have not returned in separation to Him and His ways, but are still found in association with that on which He cannot inscribe His name. Self-judgment, humiliation, fasting, prayers, the assertion of the claims of God upon His people, the authority of Scripture, and strict discipline, especially characterize these books. These ways, too, must always mark the faithful who come upon a scene that has been connected with deep failure and departure from God. (Compare Daniel 9:33And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: (Daniel 9:3).) We will now consider each of these books separately.
Ezra.
The book of Ezra gives us the return of a remnant of Benjamin and Judah from the Babylonish captivity, and the building of the temple; after which we have the ministry and faithful acting’s of Ezra the priest. To accomplish God’s purpose according to the prophecy of Jeremiah, and the declaration of the angel to Daniel, at the end of seventy years, He stirs up the heart of Cyrus, a heathen king, to open the way for His people to return to Jerusalem, and build the temple. Upwards of forty thousand, therefore, went out from Babylon to their much-loved city, and again took their place as the people of the Lord God of Israel. Now cleansed from their evil ways by the seventy years’ chastisement, we are first told that the people gathered themselves together as the heart of one man at Jerusalem (chapter 3:1), which is generally a blessed token of divine power, and the usual forerunner of the Lord’s abundant blessing!
God’s order of priesthood being then acknowledged, the first thing they did was to build an altar to the Lord God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, because it was according to the law of Moses, the man of God, and they offered burnt offerings thereon. This is very significant, and serves to show us that whenever there is a returning to God, the person and work of His beloved Son will always occupy the place of highest importance.
After this, the foundation of the House of the Lord was laid with great shouting and rejoicing, yet weeping was mingled with the joy by the ancient men who remembered the first house. This, too, it is important to notice; for, however great the blessing which may be given to a returning, faithful remnant, we never find God re-constructing and re-establishing that which man’s sin has ruined. (11, 13.) In proof of this we find no king in Israel now, no Urim and Thummim with the priest, and in this, the second temple, there was no Ark. We are not told what became of the Ark, whether it was seized with the other vessels of the sanctuary when the city was sacked, or whether it was hidden and afterward destroyed.
Again, we observe, as is commonly the ease, that no sooner did God’s servants go forth to glorify Him in practically returning to His truth, than “adversaries” were stirred up to distress their minds, and to weaken their hands. In this case, it was first by seeking to induce them to accept the help of those round about, who were far from God. They said, “Let us build with you.” This they faithfully resisted, saying, “Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God.” (chapters 4:1-3.) Secondly, they hired counselors against them to frustrate their purpose all the days of Cyrus, King of Persia, even until Darius. (5:5.) They wrote also accusations against them in the reign of Ahasuerus; and in the reign of Artaxerxes they represented to the King that Jerusalem was “a rebellious and bad city,” who replied that the work was to be stopped. “So it ceased until the second year of Darius, King of Persia.” (verse 24.) But it is very precious to trace all through their trials the guardianship of Judah’s God. We are told that “the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius.” (chapter 5:5.) The temple was finished in the reign of Darius; hence we read, “They builded and finished it according to the commandment of the God of Israel,” &c. It was dedicated by the priests, Levites, and the children of the captivity with joy, and accompanied with sacrifices according to the number of the tribes of Israel. The unity of these redeemed people is thus blessedly owned by this faithful remnant. The authority of Scripture (the law of Moses) is acknowledged, so that we read the Passover was killed, and they kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful. (chapters 6:14-22.)
(To be continued.)