Vere. 68-70.-Social and spiritual gradations. The company that came out of Babylonian captivity was by no means a disorderly or unorganized multitude. It was well officered, and was divided and subdivided into ranks. It probably marched in regular order. Under the "Tirshatha" Zerubbabel, Jeshue. the high priest, and Mordecai (probably the honoured deliverer), with other natural leaders, came (ver. 70), priests, Levites (a singularly and disproportionately small number of these), the people (typical Israelites-laymen, citizens), the singers, the porters, the Nethinims. There were- I. VARIOUS RANKS IN THE HOST OF THE LORD (ver. 70). 11 The priests, and Levites, e.nd some of the people, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims," &c. Each man of the 42,000 had a part to play in this exodus as well as in the settlement and the building which should follow; but some had more difficult and responsible posts than others. No service was without value of its kind. They could not have carried their treasures without help from the porters, nor conveyed ~be sacred vessels without the N ethinims; nor could they well have spared the S'ing- ing men and women, whose sweet songs of Zion must he.ve beguiled the way and helped them on over rough places and up steep heights towards the site of the city of their hopes. Much less could they have spared the priests and the leaders, who by their clear head and commanding will were to do more than the others with their hand and tongue. One is our Master, even Christ : we all take the truth which we hold and teach from the words of the great Teacher himself. But many are the parts we take, and varied the services we render, e.s we journey toward the heavenly Jerusalem, as we build the house and kingdom of the Lord. In our Christian ranks are great leaders, like Luther, and Calvin, and Knox, and Chalmers, and Wesley; great writers and apologists, like Augustine, and Butler, e.nd Baxter; great preac1'ers and missionaries whose name is legion; and below these in spiritual rank and influ&nce are ministers, teachers, officers, 11 sweet singers," and all the company of those that help in the service of the sanctuary, in the work of the Lord, down to the "doorkeeper of the house." Each man in his place renders valued service : service which, if not marked II valuable" by the handwriting of man, is yet truly and really va_lued by the observant and discerning Master. He who does well, working con- e~1entiously and devoutly, the work for which he is fitted, is rendering a service to his race and to his God which is not overlooked, and will never be forgotten. Its record is on high, and he who wrought it will hell!' of it again, when every man 28 THE BOOK OF EZRA. [cH. UI. 1-1.
(who is anywise praiseworthy) shall have praise of God, and the blessed, heart- satisfying " Well done " shall be spoken by the Son of man. II. EXCELLENCY OF WORK IN HIS SERVICE (vers. 68, 69). The narrative (ve11:1. 68, 69) anticipates the arrival in Judrea and the work to which they there addressed themselves. It states that some of the chief of the fathem "offered freely for the house of God," and that they "gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work_." Here were two acceptable elements in all sacred service-(!) cheerfulness, whicn the Lord loveth (2 Cor. ix. 7) ; and (2) fulness, according to ability, every one doing the best he can : not tbe least that can be offered with decency, but the most that present resources will allow. In building up the spiritual house of our Lord's kingdom-a work in which every Christian disciple is to be engaged-we may bring silver and gold to the treasury, or we may bring manual labour, or mental work, or spiritual exercises, or we may contribute tbe services of the teacher or the organizer. We may help in one of a hundred ways, more or less important. And not only is each one honourable and valuable in its way, but each work admits of being done in varying degrees of e:r,cellency - more or less cheerfully, more or less efficiently. We must aim at perfection in every department. When we realize that we are giving to him (a) who "gave himself for us," (b) who is giving his Spirit to us, and (c) who will give his glory to us, we shall give, not of our weakness, but our strength; not sluggishly and inefficiently, but "after our ability." The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive "riches."-C.
§ 2. RESTORATION OF THE ALTAR OF BURNT SACRIFICE1 AND CELEBRATION OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.
EXPOSITION.
CHAPTER III. altar must have been completed by the last day of the sixth month (see ver, 6). RESTORATION OF TilE ALTAR (eh. tii 1--3). On their arrival in their own land, Ver. 1.-When the seventh month was come. The seventh month was Tisri, and the exiles, it would seem, proceeded first of corresponded nearly to our October. It all to their several cities, reconnoitring the was the moat sacred month of the Jewish ground, as it were, and at first taking no year, commencing with a blowing of trum- step that could arouse the hostility or pets and a holy convocation on the first jealousy of the previous inhabitants. After day (Lev. xxiii 24), which was followed on the tenth day by the solemn day of a while, however, "when the seventh month atonement (ibid. ver. 27 ; comp. eh. xvi was come," they ventured with some mis- 29-34), and on the fifteenth day by the givings to restore and rebuild the great feast of tabernacles or " ingathering," one altar of burnt sacrifice, which Solomon had of the three great annual festivals, which formerly erected in the principal court of lasted to the twenty-second day. Zerubbn- bel and Jeshuadetermined to risk a disturb- the temple, directly opposite to the porch ance rather than defer the restoration of the (2 Kings xvi 14; 2 Chron. iv. 1), and on altar beyond the commencement of this which, until the destruction of the temple, sacred month. The people gathered them- the morning and evening sacrifice had been selves together. The people were bound to offered. We gather from Ezra'a nan-ative, attend the feast of tabernacles (Exod. xxiii. 14--16); but something more than this that when the ruins were carefully examined, seems to be intended. The restoration of the site of the old altar was ascertained, and the altar and the re-establishment of the care was taken to put the new one in the daily sacrifice having been announced, there old place. The restoration of the altar thus was a general influx of the country Israelites considerably preceded even the commence- into Jerusalem to witness the proceedings. As one man. Very emphatic (comp. Judges ment of the temple; the one being essential xx. 1, 8 ; 2 Sam. xix. 14). to the Jewish service, which could not exist Ver. 2. -J'eshue. the son of lozadak. without sacrifice, while the other was only The position of Jeshua, both here and in • convenient e.nd desirable adjunct. The vem 8, 9, sufficiently marks him as the OIi, III, 1-7.] THE BOOK OF EZRA. 29