1-14 Ezra wrote: “These are the names of the family-leaders and the other people who came with me to Jerusalem from Babylon. We came to Jerusalem during the rule of King Artaxerxes ... From the descendants of: *Phinehas: Gershom, *Ithamar: Daniel, *David: Hattush, *Shecaniah: Parosh, Zechariah + 150 others, *Pahath Moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah + 200 others, *Zattu: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel + 300 others, *Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan + 50 others, *Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah + 70 others, *Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael + 80 others, *Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel +218 others, *Bani: Shelomith son of Josiphiah + 160 others, *Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai + 28 others, *Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan + 110 others, *Adonikam: Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah + 60 others, *Bigvai: Uthai, Zaccur + 70 others. 15 I called all these people to meet together at the river that flows toward Ahava. We camped at that place for three days. I learned there were Priests in the group, but there were no Levites. 16 So I called these leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, and I called Joiarib and Elnathan. (These men were Teachers.)
IN OUR LAST CHAPTER (7) EZRA’S PERSONAL GENEALOGY WAS TAKEN ALL THE WAY BACK TO AARON, SHOWING THAT HE WAS A LEGIT PRIEST, AND NOW HERE IN CHAPTER 8 THE HIGHLY ABBREVIATED FAMILY GENEALOGY OF THE TWO PRIESTLY FAMILIES WHO SIGNED UP TO RETURN WITH EZRA ARE ALSO DESIGNED TO SHOW THEIR CONNECTION GOING BACK TO AARON. PHINEHAS IS THE SON OF ELEAZAR WHO IS THE SON OF AARON, MAKING HIM FROM THE YAHUAH-CHOSEN HIGH-PRIESTLY LINE.
17 I sent the men to Iddo, leader in the town of Casiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his relatives, who are the Temple workers in Casiphia. I told the men to ask Iddo and his relatives to send us Levites to serve and work in YAHUAH’S Temple. 18 And because YAHUAH was with us, they sent Sherebiah, a skilled man from the descendants of Mahli (Mahli was a son of Levi, one of Israel’s sons.) They also sent his sons and brothers, men in all. 19 They also sent Hashabiah and Jeshaiah
from the people of Merari, along with their brothers and nephews. In all there were 20 men. 20 Besides these, there were 220 Temple workers whose ancestors had been chosen by David and his officials to help the Levites. The names of all these men were written on the list. 21There near the Ahava River, I announced that we all should fast. We should fast to make ourselves humble before our Alahim. We wanted to ask YAHUAH for a safe trip for ourselves, our children, and for everything we owned.
FASTING IS AN ANCIENT SHADOW-TEACHING OF `IMPALING THE FLESH WITH ALL IT'S LUSTS AND DESIRES' - THE EVERYDAY BATTLE THAT YAHUSHA'S BRIDE FIGHTS TODAY!
GET USED TO SAYING`NO!'
22 I was embarrassed to ask King Artaxerxes for soldiers and horsemen to protect us as we traveled. There were enemies on the road. The reason I was embarrassed to ask for protection was because of what we had told the king. We had said to King Artaxerxes, “Our Alahim is with everyone who trusts Him, but He is very angry with everyone who turns away from Him.” 23 So we fasted and prayed to our Alahim about our trip. And He answered our prayers.
EZRA INSISTED ON A HIGH-PRIESTLY FAMILY, A COMMON PRIESTLY FAMILY, A NUMBER OF LEVITES, AND 12 REGULAR JEWISH FAMILIES AS THE MAKE-UP FOR THIS GROUP OF MIGRANTS. WHY? IT WAS HIS INTENT TO ABSTRACTLY RELIVE THE EXODUS WILDERNESS JOURNEY. PARTIALLY IT WAS TO MAKE A POINT TO THE GROUP OF THE IMPORTANCE AND SET-APART NATURE OF THIS ENDEAVOUR, BUT ALSO BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THAT INDEED THIS WAS AN ACTUAL 2ND EXODUS. IT WAS A JOURNEY OF YAHUAH’S PEOPLE FROM A FOREIGN LAND OF CAPTIVITY, TO THE LAND PROMISED TO ABRAHAM SO LONG AGO - AND IT WAS ALSO AN ESTABLISHMENT OF YAHUAH’S DIVINE LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS FOR THE PEOPLE. MOSES HAD RECEIVED YAHUAH'S INSTRUCTIONS IN A FOREIGN PLACE (THE SINAI OF EGYPT) AND IN A SENSE SO DID EZRA (BABYLON). FOR MOSES THE OFFICIAL WRITTEN LAWS HAD NEVER EXISTED BEFORE - AND FOR EZRA IT MIGHT AS WELL HAVE NOT EXISTED BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN THROWN IN THE GARBAGE AND REPLACED BY THE CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF EARLIEST JUDAISM.
MOSES WAS THE SUPREME TORAH-TEACHER AND LEADER OF THE ORIGINAL EXODUS, AND EZRA IS NOW THE SUPREME TORAH-TEACHER AND LEADER OF THIS EXODUS. AND THAT IS THE CONTEXT FOR HOW HE, AND WE, NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS RETURN TO JUDAH. ANYTHING ELSE AND THE POINT IS MISSED!
24 Then I chose twelve of the Priests who were leaders. I chose Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers. 25 I weighed the silver, gold and the other things that were given for YAHUAH’S Temple. I gave them to the twelve Priests I had chosen. King Artaxerxes, his advisors, his important officials, and all the Israelites in Babylon gave those things for YAHUAH’S Temple. FROM THE BOOK OF NUMBERS 3 AND 4 IT'S CLEAR THAT THE LEVITES (SUPERVISED BY THE PRIESTS) ARE TO BE THE ONLY AUTHORISED TRANSPORTERS AND CARETAKERS OF TEMPLE FURNISHINGS, AND FOR CERTAIN THIS IS WHAT EZRA WAS ENDEAVOURING TO FOLLOW. REMEMBER KING DAVID'S EXPERIENCE WITH THE ARK WHEN NOT HANDLED PROPERLY!
26 I weighed all these things. There were 25 tons of silver, also 3450kg of silver dishes and things. There were 4 tons of gold. 27 And I gave them 20 gold bowls, which weighed about 9kg. And I gave them two beautiful dishes made from polished bronze that were as valuable as gold. 28 Then I said to the twelve Priests: “You and these things are set-apart to YAHUAH. People gave this silver and gold to YAHUAH, the Alahim of your ancestors. 29 So guard these things carefully. You are responsible for them until you give them to the Temple leaders in Jerusalem. You will give them to the leading Levites and the family leaders of Israel. They will weigh them and put them in the rooms of YAHUAH’S Temple in Jerusalem.”
30 So the Priests and Levites accepted the silver, gold and special things that I had weighed and given to them. They were told to take them to YAHUAH’S Temple in Jerusalem. 31 On the twelfth day of the first month (MARCH-APRIL 458 B.C) we left the Ahava River and started toward Jerusalem. YAHUAH was with us, and He protected us from enemies and robbers along the way. 32 Then we arrived in Jerusalem. We rested there for three days.
33 On the fourth day, we went to the Temple and weighed the silver, gold and special things. We gave them to Meremoth son of Uriah the Priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with Meremoth. The Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua, and Noadiah son of Binnui were with them also. 34 We counted and weighed everything and we wrote down the total weight.
35 Then the Jewish people who came back from captivity offered burnt offerings to the Alahim of Israel. They offered twelve bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 male lambs, and twelve male goats for a purifying sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to YAHUAH. 36 Then the people gave the letter from King Artaxerxes to the Royal Leaders and to the Governors of the area west of the Euphrates River. Then the Leaders gave their support to the Israelites and to the Temple. IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT EZRA’S 'EXODUS TROOP' WERE ANXIOUS TO PRESENT SACRIFICES AND BURNT OFFERINGS AT THE TEMPLE: SOMETHING NONE OF THEM HAD EVER HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF DOING. THIS IS A SHADOW OF YAHUSHA'S DIVINELY APPOINTED PRIESTS TODAY NOT ONLY BECOMING PERFECT (MATURED) TO OFFER DAILY SACRIFICES (BURNING THE FLESH/DESIRES - OFFERING THEIR BEHAVIOUR/BULLS OF THEIR LIPS ... BUT ALSO BRINGING THE MESSAGE OF 'DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL THROUGH THE BLOOD' ... TO OTHERS IN NEED - opening the door for them to be clean! JUST AS EZRA SHADOWED ANOTHER SUPERNATURAL EXODUS FROM SLAVERY, YAHUSHA'S BRIDE WILL EXPERIENCE A SUPERNATURAL EXODUS-PROCESS OF DELIVERANCE FROM THE SLAVERY OF SIN AND DEATH ...
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