06.12.2014 Old Testament: Ezra 2.59–62

To read the Bible in a year, read Ezra 1–2 on June 12, In the year of our Lord 2014

By Don Ruhl

The numbers of the Jews who returned to the Land of Canaan was much smaller than the numbers who entered the Land of Canaan the first time under Joshua’s leadership. Although their numbers had shrunk considerably, Ezra and the leaders with him still sought to keep the priesthood pure, as he reported in the following,

And these were the ones who came up from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Cherub, Addan, and Immer; but they could not identify their father’s house or their genealogy, whether they were of Israel: the sons of Delaiah, the sons of Tobiah, and the sons of Nekoda, six hundred and fifty-two; and of the sons of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Koz, and the sons of Barzillai, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite, and was called by their name. These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but they were not found; therefore they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled (Ezra 2.59–62). 

The Jews could have thought that they needed a serious boost to their numbers, but then they would not have been seeking the Lord according to His guidelines. Therefore, certain people who came with the Jews from Babylon, could not demonstrate that they were of Israel, which was not so much a problem, but they had to be excluded from the priesthood, because the Lord had only authorized priests from the tribe of Levi. If then, these men had sought service as priests when they had not proven their qualification, they would have defiled the priesthood and that would have been a serious problem.

Therefore, if the church shrinks, we cannot compromise on the Lord’s word just to boost our numbers, but we have to seek Him as He desires to be sought.