God is Unchanging (Ezra 2)

Source: One way to Jesus Blog

Ezra 2:1-67
Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah):

The list of the men of the people of Israel:

the descendants of Parosh	2,172
of Shephatiah	372
of Arah	775
of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab)	2,812
of Elam	1,254
of Zattu	945
of Zakkai	760
of Bani	642
of Bebai	623
of Azgad	1,222
of Adonikam	666
of Bigvai	2,056
of Adin	454
of Ater (through Hezekiah)	98
of Bezai	323
of Jorah	112
of Hashum	223
of Gibbar	95

Ithe men of Bethlehem	123
of Netophah	56
of Anathoth	128
of Azmaveth	42
of Kiriath Jearim,[ Kephirah and Beeroth	743
of Ramah and Geba	621
of Mikmash	122
of Bethel and Ai	223
of Nebo	52
of Magbish	156
of the other Elam	1,254
of Harim	320
of Lod, Hadid and Ono	725
of Jericho	345
of Senaah	3,630

The priests:

the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua)	973
of Immer	1,052
of Pashhur	1,247
of Harim	1,017

The Levites:

the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (of the line of Hodaviah)

74

The musicians:

the descendants of Asaph

128

The gatekeepers of the temple:

the descendants of
Shallum, Ater, Talmon,
Akkub, Hatita and Shobai	139

The temple servants:

the descendants of

Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

Keros, Siaha, Padon,

Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,

Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,

Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,

Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,

Uzza, Paseah, Besai,

Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim,

Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

Neziah and Hatipha

The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

the descendants of

Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,

Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

Shephatiah, Hattil,

Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami

The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon

392

The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

The descendants of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda	652

And from among the priests:

The descendants of

Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

In Ezra chapter 1 (God is in Control & God is Faithful), we understand that God has worked through King Cyrus to allow the people of Israel to return to the promised land, (Jerusalem and Judah). They had spent that last 70 years in exile in Babylon. Here, Ezra records the people who were moved by God (1:5) to come up out of exile to help rebuild the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.

Ezra starts with the tribal leaders (Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah) before moving through the minor families, priests, Levites and minor officials and then those who could not prove their identity.

It may seem strange to include such genealogies in the Bible and you could be forgiven to miss the point of this long list of people. However, it must have a reason for its inclusion and so we need to explore this before moving on to the next chapters.

The main point can be found at the very beginning (each to their own town). This reminds us that God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3 (I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.) is still clear in God's mind. He is still ensuring that this promise is fulfilled. The following names and numbers are a testament to that fact. God calls the people of Israel to be moved following their exile. He calls them to go up to Jerusalem and rebuild the house of the Lord. A representative from each tribe, from each family, will participate in the re-establishment of God's temple.

You will also notice that God chose people with different skills: leaders, priests, Levites, temple servants, servants of Solomon, temple musicians and singers and the gatekeepers of the temple. God has chosen not just anybody, but specific people with specific talents and skills. These skills, he will use to help rebuild his temple and restore Jerusalem as Yahweh's city.

The early readers of Ezra would join in with the identity of these people. They will see their ancestors and would be able to follow the line of ancestry back to before the exile. This would be important to the people and to God, to show that he is not fickle; he does not choose a people and then drop them because they turned from him and then chose another group of people. God wanted these people to see that they were the true people of God, dearly loved by God. They were the true chosen people and God's love for them had not changed.

Sure they were punished through their exile to Babylon, but God wanted to remind them that his love has never left them. His promise to their ancestor, Abraham still rings true.

Ezra 2:68-70
When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability, they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.
The priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

We are reminded again in these few verses, settled in their own towns - this points toward those who were exiled yet never gave up on their true identity. Although it was 70 years later, these people knew exactly where their country was and re-settled back in it.

There is continuity here between post and pre-exile. The people of God are reminded of this continuity. Although this is a new beginning for them (again!), this is more of a continuity of the promise between Abraham and God.

We too, you and I, can also take from this the important news that God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrew 13:8). We should take comfort and be encouraged by this chapter, because not only does God know each and every one of us by name, identity and ancestry; he has a habit of fulfilling his promises and covenants. God knows who he has called. He knows our skills and talents and what we have to offer the church (of note, we all have different jobs in God's church based on the skills and abilities given to us by God). He knows we are currently in exile on earth. He knows when he will send King Jesus again to bring us out of this exile into the promised land. He knows when the time is right and who will be moved by his call (because he has moved our hearts).

But, by far, the most important and most glorious fact we can take from this chapter - God is consistent! God doesn't change with a whim. God doesn't change because we are consistently sinful. God doesn't change because we demand it.

God is the same today as he was yesterday as he will be tomorrow. 

How will you respond to this consistent love from God?