The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 85

first employed in that service ; these are the only particulars now requiring to be described. These, we shall find, are accordingly described to us here. I. THE BUILDING FINISHED. 1'his w_as do?e, as _we gather-1. W:ithout delay. There was no delay on the part of Tatna1 1 &c. m makmg known the edict of Darius or in complying with its injunctions. The language was very plain ; its tone very urgent ; its results, therefore, very prompt. As "the king had sent, so they did speedily" (ver. 13). On the other hand, there was just as little delay on the part of the Jews. The king's decree and the prophet's meseage (ver. 14) together were like wings to their work. They" built," and "prospered," and "finished" (vere. 14, J 5 ), so we are told. It would almost seem, indeed, as though from the time of the 'l,rrival of this decree of Darius (probably in the fourth year of his reign; see Words- worth on ver. 14, and compare dates in iv. 24; Haggai i. I; Zech. i. 1, &c., in con- nection with time required for sending to Darius, for search, for sending reply, and so on), the Jews looked upon the completion of the temple as a mere question of time, and so at last regarded their condition of captivity as being practically at an end (see Zech. vii. 1-3). The very" headstone" (Zech. iv. 7) of the building was now within eight. 2. Without defect. As God himself wished it to be, "according to the commandment of the God of Israel 11 (ver. 14), so the building was "finished." That was the main point, of course. But it was not the only point to be marked. We are also to observe that it was "finished" as Cyrus and Darius had given " com- mandment." Artaxerxes, it is true, long afterwards, did not a little, in a supplementary manner, for the beauty of this house; and, therefore, it is proper that he should be mentioned here in this "commemoration of benefactors." But all that was essentially necessary had not only been fully specified in the decrees of his two predecessors, but had also been fully carried out during the reign of the second. Soon after the beginning of the last month in the sixth year of Darius II this house was finished ; 11 finished as God had intended ; finished as he had caused his ser- vants, the kings of Persia, to decree ; finished as his own people had been taught to expect. The last stone had been placed ; the last test had been applied ; all was ready for use (see prophecies in Zech. iv. 7-10). II. THE BUILDING SET APART. All was ready for use as to construction. To make it equally ready for use as to condition, it must be solemnly handed over, as it were, to God's keeping and service. We are next told, therefore, how this was done. Namely-I. With proper "joy." This to be noted first because required first. God can only accept and bless that which is offered with joy (Exod. xxv. 2; 2 Cor. ix. 7). Comp. also the joy of David and Israel in offering for the erection of the first temple (1 Chron. xxix. 9), and that of Solomon and all Israel at its dedication. Equally universal, and possibly, on the principle of Luke xv. 6, 9, 24, 32, even deeper, was the joy of these II children of the captivity " at this dedication of the second house. 2. With proper humility. That which they were now offering to God had been first given to them by himself (1 Chron. xxix. 14, 15); and could not, in reality, in any way make any addition to his glory (Ps. xvi. 2; I. 9-12; Luke xvii. 10); arn.l was utterly inadequate, in fact, for his use (1 Kings viii. 27; Acts vii. 48, 49). Not only so, as coming from such as they were (see Isa. vi. 5 ), it was altogether unfit ( as it was) for his service, and required, in consequence, in order to make it so, like themselves, to be II purged." In open acknowledgment of these various truths, by way of thank-offering for his many bounties, by way of adoration of his infinite majesty, by way of appointed propitiation for their own unworthiness, they accompany their offering of this building by the other bleeding offerings here enumerated ( ver. 17 ). Observe especially the number of victims-two lambs for every ram, two rams for every bullock ; the less the value, the greater the number, as is natural in true thank offerings. Also, in regard to the sin offering, one victim to every tribe; partly, it would seem, in believing reference to that covenant promise of God which was given to the twelve tribes as a whole (1 Kings xviii. 31; Acts xxvi. 6, 7), nn? partly in order that the humiliation for sin therein involved might be of a truly national krnd. All Israel were understood to confess their sins on the heads of those goats. 3. With proper care. It was not much they could offer ( comp. the t_otal of 712 here with the 142,000 of 2 Chron. vii. 5 ), but it should be the best in their power. Because God was indulgent, and willing to accept, for his covenant's sake, what was in itself  90 THE BOOK OF EZRA. [cH. VI, 13--22.