#600 Specifically

These are the heads of their fathers' houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king: 2 Of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel. Of the sons of David, Hattush. 3 Of the sons of Shecaniah, who was of the sons of Parosh, Zechariah, with whom were registered 150 men. 4 Of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men. 5 Of the sons of Zattu,[a] Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men. 6 Of the sons of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men. 7 Of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men. 8 Of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him 80 men. 9 Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men. 10 Of the sons of Bani,[b]Shelomith the son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men. 11 Of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and with him 28 men. 12 Of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men. 13 Of the sons of Adonikam, those who came later, their names being Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men. 14 Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

Ezra Sends for Levites

15 I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi. 16 Then I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of insight, 17 and sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers and[c] the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God. 18 And by the good hand of our God on us, they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi, son of Israel, namely Sherebiah with his sons and kinsmen, 18; 19 also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his kinsmen and their sons, 20; 20 besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.

Fasting and Prayer for Protection

21 Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

Priests to Guard Offerings

24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them. 25 And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. 26 I weighed out into their hand 650 talents[d] of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents,[e] and 100 talents of gold,27 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics,[f] and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. 28 And I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. 29 Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers' houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God.

31 Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushes by the way. 32 We came to Jerusalem, and there we remained three days. 33 On the fourth day, within the house of our God, the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed into the hands of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas, and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 The whole was counted and weighed, and the weight of everything was recorded.

35 At that time those who had come from captivity, the returned exiles, offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and as a sin offering twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 They also delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps[g] and to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and they aided the people and the house of God. Ezra 8 ESV

Ahava, at the water, Ezra took number of the people, and he finds none of the tribe of Levi among those who would go willingly. It is not that the land they are leaving lacks, so it must be that the men of this tribe, those God put aside as ministers to himself, have now become ministers to themselves. I think this is a fair assumption, look at those who whined for forty years on welfare in the wilderness. They wanted to go back to captivity, though they mourned in it, it was a comfort to them in their present want. Levi has no inheritance in Israel like the rest, but they that are called must also and often be reminded, prodded. Many ministers today would have it both ways, a foot on each side of the river, but that is hardly a trickle. He does not look for another means, does not take of Judah or Benjamin, for this Ezra knows well the law. He cannot make faux Levites, though Jeroboam made his own priest and servants of the temple, but God hated that, so this is known and all too well, he has to convince them by way of reason and through men of respect. God's hand was with them in the recruiting process, and they were led to Iddo. Pray to the answer.


Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,[c] so that all may see your progress. 16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. 1 Timothy 4:11-16

You could almost miss this chapter looking at the first part, it looks like a genealogy, but then you see the reason for it, of who came and who was still necessary. But then look starting at verse 21, he proclaims a fast, that they humble themselves, for that purpose of humility. You might say, well, how is that humble, and if you are looking at the ascetics then you would be right. Theirs is not to God but rather to the eye, perception. It is to them as gold to the rich, as strength to the mighty, the esteem of men. 

But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours. 16When you fast, do not be somber like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they already have their reward. 17But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,…Matthew 6:15-17

Now someone else may be thinking, why do it if I am going to go about my day as if it were not a struggle? Try it, that your eyes and hope are fixed, that you admit your dependence upon God, for life, for sustenance, for salvation. Ezra is also jealous for the honor of the Lord, because what he has told the king may have left a stumbling block before him. If he says, the Lord is with us, we are therefore not afraid, but then ask for an army, then the king may think that he is the lord, that Ezra's hope is in him. I said I am a Christian, that I am a sinner and not only need, depend upon Christ for forgiveness, but should show mercy to others as well. Don't be silly now, you are not going to move God, but you shall yourself be moved, to look up instead of around, and pray again towards His will, for His glory. How frail is this flesh, and what babies we are yet coming into the spirit, its still just milk. I think he could have asked for an escort under normal circumstances, for God allowed Nehemiah this, as Kidner points to in chapter 2, but he says he was embarrassed to, for what he told the king. Millions of dollars in gold, silver and gifts from the king, travelling through a land of robbers with untrained men, women and children. Lord, this is the gospel we carry, and many would like to take it away from us, to destroy our testimony, I cannot even put in words how much I depend upon you for this journey. You brought me the Levites that I was short, and if I spoke falsely of You to the king, hastily of Your provision or how, then forgive me, but please honor Your name before these peoples. God, make our way straight. Please go before us.