Gifts For The Temple
May 8, 2020
Commentary
Twelve leading priests and ten of their relatives are chosen (v. 24). Gifts of silver and gold, as well as articles that the king, his advisors, and officials, of the people of Israel had contributed for God’s temple, were divided among the twelve priest that had been chosen (vv. 25-27). Ezra said to the priests: “You belong to the LORD, the God of your ancestors, and these things also belong to Him. The silver and gold were willingly given as gifts to the LORD. Be sure to guard them and keep them safe until you reach Jerusalem. Then weigh them inside God’s temple in the presence of the chief priests, the Levites, and the heads of the Israelite families” (vv. 28-29).
The priests and Levites then took charge of the gifts that had been weighed, so they could take them to the temple in Jerusalem (v. 30). On the twelfth day of the first month they left the Ahava River and started for Jerusalem (v. 31). God watched over them as they traveled along and He kept their enemies from ambushing them. After arriving in Jerusalem, they rested for three days (v. 32). On the fourth day they went to the temple, where the silver, the gold, and the other things were weighed and given to the priest, Meremoth, son of Uriah (v. 33). With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas and the two Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua, and Noadiah son of Binnui. Everything was counted, weighed, and recorded (v. 34). Those who had returned from exile offered sacrifices on the altar to the God of Israel (v. 35). Twelve bulls were offered for all Israel. Ninety-six rams and seventy-seven lambs were offered on the altar, as well as twelve goats were sacrificed for the sins of the people. Some of those who had returned took the king’s orders to the governors and officials in Western Province (v. 36). Then the officials did what they could for the people and for the temple of God.
Application
I need to be a good steward of all that God has given me to look after in this life.
Ezra 8:24– 36 (NET)
24 Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, together with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers, 25 and I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the vessels intended for the temple of our God—items that the king, his advisers, his officials, and all Israel who were present had contributed. 26 I weighed out to them: 650 talents of silver, silver vessels worth 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, 27 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 darics, and 2 exquisite vessels of gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold. 28 Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, just as these vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. 29 Be careful with them and protect them, until you weigh them out before the leading priests and the Levites and the family leaders of Israel in Jerusalem, in the storerooms of the temple of the Lord.
30 Then the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the vessels that had been weighed out, to transport them to Jerusalem to the temple of our God.
31 On the twelfth day of the first month we began traveling from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from our enemies and from bandits along the way. 32 So we came to Jerusalem, and we stayed there for three days. 33 On the fourth day we weighed out the silver, the gold, and the vessels in the house of our God into the care of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest, and Eleazar son of Phinehas, who were accompanied by Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui, who were Levites. 34 Everything was verified by number and by weight, and the total weight was written down at that time.
35 The exiles who were returning from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel—twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs, along with twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 Then they presented the decrees of the king to the king’s satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who assisted the people and the temple of God.