The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 12

HOMILETICS. Yers. _5-11,-The muster. We have noted already that the great and primary f<>ature m the restorMion of Israel from captivity was the restoration of the house. ,rith a view to this restoration, as we have seen, the whole edict of Cyrus was framed. In the passage now before us we shall see, in the next place, that the results of that edict were in accordance with this design. They secured, i. e., the two first requisites for carrying out this design, providing, as they did, on the one hand, the requisite men; and, on the other, the requisite means. I. THE REQITTSITE MEN. 1. The requisite layinen. "Then rose up . . . . . J?~a~" (Heh. vii. 14) "and Benjamin~•• ~he Church is before its ministers (comp. Pm!. 1. 1 ). Perhaps, also, the laymen m tins case were the first to be stirred. Next, the requisite lay-leaders, the "chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin." Wher- ever any body of men moves towards an enterprise, there must be some to go first. In this case it pleased God so to arrange by his providence, and so to work by the edict of Cyrus, that some of those were ready to go first who naturally stood first as 1t were. This was particularly the case, as we afterwards find, with him who stood first of all amongst these "chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin," viz., "Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah," mentioned in ver. 8. This Sheshbazzar, better known as Zerubbabel ( comp. eh. v. 16 and Zech. iv. 9; see also Dan. i. 6, 7), about whose exact descent and lineage it is difficult to make sure, seems, at any rate, to have been regarded both by Israelites and Gentiles as the representative of the house of David. .As euch, he was the natural leader of the movement for restoration; and as such a leader, in God's providence, he was found willing to act. In addition, next, to this sufficient lay element, we find also, 2. _The requisite e1:clesiastics. And that, as before, of all ranks. Both "the priests and the Levites,'' e. g., both the appointed ministers and their appoint.ed assistants, are specified in ver. 5. Mention is also made afterwards of Jeshua, the legitimate high priest, or supremo ecclesiastical head ten. ii. 2; iii. 2, &c.); and of the Nethini.ms and children of Solomon's servants (eh. ii. 43-58), the lowest grades of all those occupied in purely ecclesiastical work. This, therefore, completes the list. If the Church is before its ministers, it is not, therefore, without them. Neither Judah and Benjamin without Levi, nor Levi without Judah and Benjamin, could have restored the kind of house that God wished. It is to be admired, accordingly, that in this instance God caused the edict of Cyrus so to operate as to call forfh sufficient of both. And something more than merely sufficient, so some have supposed. Besides men of Judah and Benjamin, and men belonging to or connected with the ecclesiastical tribe of Levi, some also belonging to other tribes of Israel are thought to be pointed to in the words "with all them whose spirits God had raised." The return of some such appears clearly implied in 1 .Chron. ix. 3, and was only natural, when we bear in mind how many men of other tribes at various times before the captivity had joined themselves to that of Judah ( see 2 Chron. xi.. 14-16; xv. 9; xxx. 1, 10, 11, 18; also Blunt's 'Undesigned Coincidences,' p. 189). It is further evident that such a separate ten-tribes element amongst those returning from Babylon would be a fact of much weight, since it would serve so greatly to make the restored house, as originally intended (Ps. cx:x:ii. 4), a house for the whole race, a centre of unity for all "the twelve tribes scattered abroad" (James i. 1 ). And it would also aid us in understanding St. Paul's long-subsequent description of those '' twelve tribes" as " instantly serving God day and night" throughout the world (Acts xxvi 7). They did so in that common temple which they had all thus helped to restore. II. THE REQUISITE MEANS. The men thus duly called were also duly equipped. .Al.mighty God, by the edict of Cyrus, both "raised " their "spirit" and filled their hands (see Ps. ex. 3; Phil. ii. 13). For example, we fi~d the~ provide~ ~th the requisit.e means of t!Upport. These men would have to hve whilst ~n the1~ Journey, and whilst bui111ing the house. The "gold " and "goods " mentioned m ver. 6, added to what we may suppose them to have made by selling their possessions (Jer. x:x:ix. 4, 5), may have been meant for this ehd. So also the "beasts" i? the same verse (comp. eh. ii. 66, 67, where none but beast.a of burden are mention~d) may have supplied them with another requisite, viz., m,ea,m of tramport. Next, if we are on. 1. .5-11.] THE BOOK OF EZRA. 11