Is It A Question of Consistency?

Ezra 8:1-35

Good evening, what does it mean for us as Christians to live consistently according to our trust in God? The story of Ezra in chapter 8 shows one man’s effort to live consonant with his faith. Although it required extra effort, Ezra recruited Levites to carry the sacred items for the temple, and all though the welfare of the caravan seemed more vulnerable without it, Ezra rejected a military escort in favor of trusting God’s supernatural protection.

However, Ezra’s trust in God did not blind him to the realities of human nature for he established elaborate safeguards for the transportation of implements and money for the temple. Ironically, he was able to trust God for protection from bandits, but not for protection from pilfering Levites! This highlights the challenge of consistent living. Naturally, interpretations of consistency will differ according to personal experience and perspective. Later Nehemiah chose to accept a military escort, seemingly without concern for any inconsistency between this action and his confession of God’s sovereign care (Neh. 2:9).

Christians today also differ over what consistent trust in God means in practice. While in college a student attended a debate between two Christian leaders. One argued that one should not buy insurance, but, rather, should trust God and the Christian community. The millions of dollars spent on insurance, he argued, could be put to far better use in God’s kingdom. His opponent in the debate disagreed, arguing for a “realistic” stewardship in today’s world. Who was right? Who lived more consistently with a confession of God’s care and providence?

Pope John Paul II had traveled the world more than any of his predecessors. He rode through the streets, waving to throngs of well-wishers. However after someone attempted to assassinate him he started riding in a bullet-proof vehicle, affectionately known as “The Popemobile.” Does this speak of his failure to trust God, or his wise care for his own life? What does a consistent faith in God require?

There are no simple answers to these questions. The case of Ezra shows how we may trust God alone in one case and utilize human structures in another case. Of course we can take the issue of consistency to absurd extremes, and the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson warn us against just such folly: “A foolish consistency is the hobgobin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”

Ezra, having received his commission from the king, beat the bushes for volunteers, as it were, and set out to assemble the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah. Now you would think that under such a leader, with such encouragements, all the Jews would signed up for the trip back to Jerusalem. I wonder how any of them could hear the call and yet stay behind? But multitudes did. They loved their ease better than their religion, or they thought themselves well off where they were. For them going to Jerusalem would not better their condition or the difficulties getting there were not worth it.

Chapter 8 begins with Ezra’s list of those who “went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of King Artaxerxes” (v. 1). He does not list each person by name, but instead categorizes people according to their families. As would have been typical in Ezra’s culture, he mentions only the males who journeyed to Jerusalem. The list identifies about 1500 men, so the entire caravan must have been around 5000.

1. Ezra Recruits Levites and Temple Servants (vs. 15–20)

Ezra and his companions gathered “by the river that flows to Ahava (a-hav-aw') ” (v. 15). We do not know the precise location of Ahava, but it must have been in the vicinity of Babylon. While they camped in this spot for three days, Ezra surveyed those who had responded to Artaxerxes’ invitation. When he did, he found “none of the sons of Levi there” (v. 15). To remedy his situation, Ezra recruited an impressive delegation of “leaders,” including two men noted for their intellect and learning (v. 16). This delegation of leaders traveled from Ahava (a-hav-aw') to “Casiphia, (kaw-sif-yaw')” another place near Babylon that we cannot identify today, where they told “Iddo the chief man at the place Casiphia” of Ezra’s need for temple servants—including Levites who could serve as assistants to the priests (v. 17).

Once again God blessed the efforts of Ezra, and the delegation returned to Ahava (a-hav-aw') with an impressive array of Levites and temple servants. Among the new recruits were “Sherebiah” (shay-rayb-yaw') and “Hashabiah,” (yesh-ah-yaw') who must have been leaders among the Levites (vv. 18–19). All in all, thirty-eight Levites joined Ezra, along with “two hundred and twenty Nethinim (naw-theen'),” temple servants who helped the Levites (v. 20).

The passage does not explain why Ezra required Levites as a part of his caravan. Presumably the temple in Jerusalem already had an ample number of Levites and temple servants. So there must be another reason for Ezra’s special recruitment drive. Verse 24 suggests an answer. There, Sherebiah (shay-rayb-yaw') and Hashabiah (yesh-ah-yaw') are named explicitly among those who carried sacred temple offerings and implements from Babylon to Jerusalem. This, then, was the reason they were needed in the caravan.

Ezra, an expert in God’s Law, knew that only Levites were to carry the holy things for the tabernacle (Num. 1:50; 3:1–4:33). Based on this principle, he determined that only Levites should carry the gifts from Artaxerxes back to the temple in Jerusalem. Though his conviction required additional effort, Ezra endeavored to be consistent with the intent of God’s Law, even when the letter of the Law did not directly address this particular situation.

Consistency, how does this word apply to your walk with Christ Jesus?

Now that Ezra had his caravan together it was time to head out or was it? No, it was not time to leave. Ezra knew that for this venture to be successful they needed to seek God and His protection.

2. Seeking God’s Protection (vs. 21–23)

Once the full team was assembled, Ezra “proclaimed a fast” so that “we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones …” (v. 21). 

Ezra did not want to begin the journey without seeking God’s protection and guidance. The caravan, which was traveling from Babylon to Jerusalem during the summer months, had to take a cooler, northern route, a journey of more than 800 miles. It would be a dangerous journey, especially considering the presence of children who accompanied the adults and the vast amounts of precious metals that were being transported. Bandits could have a heyday at the expense of the returning exiles, who had risked both their possessions and their very lives by leaving Babylon.

Verse 22 implies that Ezra could have asked for a military escort to protect his party , but he was “ashamed” to do so. Why was Ezra ashamed? Because he had said to the king, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him” (v. 22). No doubt Ezra felt that to ask for royal protection would be a contradiction to his confession of God’s protection. Therefore, he called the people to fast and to pray. Verse 23 assures us that God “answered [their] prayer.”

When you consider the dangers the returning exiles were facing on this journey, Ezra’s simple trust in God’s protection is a bit unsettling. He and his companions would be sitting ducks, easy prey for marauding bandits. Hundreds if not thousands of children could be slaughtered. Yet Ezra’s commitment to living consistent with what he confessed committed to a daring course—a course that God honored.

No matter what the course or circumstances, consistency in your walk with God is a must. We may not always understand His ways, but know this, He will not fail you.

If it were not enough to worry about getting his whole caravan to Jerusalem safely, Ezra also was in charge of a great treasure for the temple.

3. Holy Gifts for the Temple (vs. 24–30)

The commission from Artaxerxes to Ezra included a charge to carry silver and gold from the king and other residents of Babylon to the temple in Jerusalem (7:15–19).

In verses 24–30, Ezra establishes structures of responsibility and accountability for the transportation of this treasure. First of all, he set apart twelve leading priests and twelve leading Levites, including “Sherebiah (shay-rayb-yaw') and Hashabiah (yesh-ah-yaw')” (v. 24). To these leaders Ezra carefully “weighed out” all of the offerings for the temple (v. 25). To insured that all items would arrive intact, there would be another weighing in Jerusalem to confirm the safe passage of all the offerings. 

The measures in verse 26 represent an unbelievably large quantity of silver and gold when we consider the fact that a “talent” weighed approximately seventy-five pounds. This means that the silver bars and articles weighed over twenty-five tons—quite a load for twelve priests and twelve Levites! That seems like an awful lot, and while Ezra probably made an accurate list; later scribal errors and translation difficulties have created inaccuracies. Even so they traveled with a sizable treasure.

After weighing out the gold and silver items, Ezra declared to those who would carry them: “You are holy to the Lord; the articles are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers” (v. 28). In others words, Ezra said to them, “You have been set apart for this special task. The articles and offerings have also been set apart for God. They belong to Him. So take special care to see that everything arrives intact.”

As a child of God you are set apart for a special task. Also you are more precious to God than any old silver or gold. So much so that Christ Jesus died for you, so that you would be saved from the sure death of sin. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23; and "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” John 3:14-15

God did bless Ezra and his caravan, all the people and all the treasure arrived in Jerusalem without incident.

4. Arrival in Jerusalem (vs. 31–36)

The caravan departed from Ahava (a-hav-aw') on “the twelfth day of the first month,” around the first of April (v. 31). They arrived in Jerusalem on “the first day of the fifth month” (8:9), about four months later. Ezra does not relate the adventures of the journey, except to note that God “delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the road” (v. 31). Certainly this confirms that “the hand of God was upon us” (v. 31). 

After three days of rest (v. 32), “the silver and the gold and the articles” were weighed in the temple in the presence of several religious officials (v. 33). Ezra notes that “all the weight was written down at that time,” implying that official records verified the successful transportation of all items from Babylon to Jerusalem (v. 34). 

Upon returning to Jerusalem, the people, whose ancestors “had been carried away captive,” offered various sacrifices to God (v. 35). Those who returned were determined to be consistent is every area of their life. This included offering up the prescribed sacrifices.

Conclusion: All Christians should ask the hard question: “Am I living consistent with my confession of faith?” For all of us, the answer must be: “No, not completely.” I don't know about you, but sometimes I find it easier to trust God for my own protection than for the protection of my family. Strangely, I can trust God with giant financial matters, like meeting all the church's needs, but sometimes I struggle to trust him for small change—like money for new tires or eye exams.

The example of Ezra encourages you to consider your lifestyle and your activities honestly and to seek the Lord for wisdom. Notice that when Ezra trusted God for something he did not presume upon God’s care. No, he called everyone to fast and to pray for God’s protection. A lackadaisical “Oh, God will take care of us” does not reflect Ezra’s attitude. Only prayerful discernment reveals when and how to trust God; only prayerful obedience reflects a fully biblical trust in God’s care. Are you living a consistent life.