2020-11-19

Ezra 2:1-70

This chapter is a daunting passage to share as it is filled with unfamiliar names of the exiles returning to Jerusalem and Judah.  Even familiar names such as Nehemiah and Mordecai were not necessarily the same person as I first thought: “Nehemiah” in verse 2 was not thought to be the one who rebuilt the walls 80 years later, and the name “Mordecai” in the same verse may not be the same Mordecai in the book of Esther.  Aside from the actual name of the persons who came up from Babylon in verse 2, the rest of the others were referred to as “the descendants of…” or “the men of…” (v. 21-35).  Upon pondering the significance of these names and places where they originated, I remembered the covenant God made with the Israelites- the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Genesis 12:7, 17:19, 21, Exodus 2:24.  Because of their unfaithfulness to God, the Israelites were carried off to Babylon as captives. For 70 years they were to be in captivity as prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer 25:11). Since the Israelites were the chosen people of God, the names of their ancestors were their means of tracing their heritage back to the lineage of Jacob, Isaac and Abraham whom God had a covenant with. Not only did they have a legal claim to the land (because God promised the land would be theirs), it was also a great testament of their faith in who God was (their belief in God). It also strikes me what kind of character I would project if down the years should my descendant be linked to me.  Would I be able to pass on a spiritual legacy to my off springs?

Verse 21-35 were likely cities and towns where some of the ancestors of the exiles originated from. There was an entourage of returning exiles who could serve in the temple of God namely the priests (v. 36-39), the Levites (v. 40), the singers (v. 41), temple gatekeepers (v. 42), temple servants (v. 43-54). This first wave of returning exiles numbered 42,360 people (v. 64). They were ready to rebuild their homeland, and reestablish the glory of the temple of God.

It is interesting to note that there were also those with questionable genealogies (v.59-60), but had the faith to endure the journey and undertake the task of rebuilding the city and temple of God.  Because God is also a God to the aliens, these people who put their faith in Him will also find their place of inheritance among the Israelites. “You are to allot it (the land) as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you, they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel”.- Ezekiel 47:22.

Priests’ credentials were also of utmost importance as those who could not produce family records to certify them as priests were excluded from priesthood and forbidden to eat the most sacred food (v. 61-63) until they could be verified later by means of the Urim and Thummim (a set of object in the ephod worn and used by the priest to reveal the will of God). This is consistent with God’s command that priests are to be blood descendants of Aaron as outlined in Exodus 28:1,42 and Leviticus 8. The office of priest is a privilege and it is a calling from God Himself.

More importantly, it revealed to me God is a faithful God- He kept his covenant with His people. Just as he had promised he would banish them to other nations for their unfaithfulness (God punishes those whom He loves), but He is still a faithful God who keeps His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands- Deuteronomy 7:9. What promises specifically has God given to us? It is comforting to know, we can count on Him to fulfill every single one. Praise be to God for His faithfulness!

Moreover, these returning exiles had the honor of having their names or their ancestors’ names recorded in the Bible. They left the comfort of Babylon and returned to the land promised to their ancestors. They were the first wave of people who took steps of faith by moving back and starting to build the temple of worship. Their faith was also exemplified by their freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of God’s temple (v.68-69). 

As we tread on this earthly journey, may each of us pass on the “baton of faith” to our children, grandchildren and subsequent generations, so that in time we can be assured all our names will be found in the Lamb’s book of life.            —- Lai Yee Leong