The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 22

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vera. 1, 2.-The restoratwn of Israel. This is an important subject. Great por• tion of Scripture occupied with it. Events of the utmost moment connected with it. I. As THE SCATTERING OF ISRAEL WAS GRADUAL, SO MAY HIS GATHERING BE. 1. His tribes became distributed into two kingdoms. (1) United until the evil days of Itehoboam (see 1 Kings xii. 20). (2) Thence distinguished as Judah and Israel. Under the name of Judah is comprehended also the small tribe of Benjamin, with priests and others of the tribe of Levi. 2. The ten tribes were first carried captive by the Assyrians. This was in two detachments. (1) By Tigla.th-pileser, B.c. 73Cl (see 2 Kings xv. 29). (2) By Shalmaneser eighteen years later, when the deportation was complete (see 2 Kings xvii. 6, 18). 3. The Jews were afterwards carried away to Babylon. This was 130 years later, and was also accomplished in two detach- ments, viz.-(1) That, B.C. 599, when Nebuchadnezzar removed the principal people (see 2 Kings xxiv. 14). (2) That eleven years later, when the remnant was removed (see 2 Kings xxv. 11). (3) Then, six centuries later, came the dispersion by the ~omans. Prophecy views the scattering as o. whole, without breaking it up into its details, and so it views the restoration ; and as the scattering was accomplished at long intervals bv instalments, so may the gathering be. II. THIS RESTORATION BY EZRA WAS NOT THE FULL ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE PRO- PHECIES. 1. The ten tribes were not included in it. ( 1) They were the II children of the province." Not of Babylon, as some think, for Babylon is contrasted with it here. But of Judrea, now a province of the Persian empire (see eh. v. 8). Behold the goodness and severity of God I (2) Further specified as II those whom Nebu- chadnezzar carried a.way." No mention ma.de of those before carried into Assyria. ~3) ~urther, as "the number of the men of the people of Israel." Given in detail m. th1ij chapter. Here we find children of Judah, of Benjamin, of Levi and the priests, and even of the Gibeonites, but no mention of Ephraim o.ud his associates. (4) But the restoration of the ten tribes is promised (see Ezek. xi. 15-17). (What a rebuke to those who repeat this conduct of Judah in exclusively claiming for themselves as Christians the promises made to Israel I) Therefore there is yet a grand restoration for Israel. 2. This restoration did not reunite the divided nation. ~1) This fa.et already shown. (2) But prophecy requires this (see Ezck. =xvii. 1, 22). "Therefore," &c. 3. This restoration was not permanent. (1) Even the 22 TitE BOO!{: or :EZRA.