What hinders us in following God? (Ezra 8:1-20)

Early in my working career, I felt the stirrings for Christian ministry and left to become a volunteer with a Christian mission in the UK reaching out to international students. My boss was puzzled why I would give up a paying job to live on pocket money and tried to dissuade me from leaving. If I had gone to the competition for a higher salary, he would have understood and wished me well. Someone else was wondering how I could exchange the stability, even the status of having a job for volunteer ‘waitressing’, as she saw it (the mission had an outreach through a café). I could see the force of these arguments and, privately, I worried about my future, yet could not help following God’s lead. Whether someone goes into Christian ministry or not, however, we all encounter to some extent the challenge of choices. The Lord’s will does not always mean the most stable path, the greatest material advancement, or the highest prestige.

Those who went

The people who wanted to return to Jerusalem faced some of the same questions. Established and comfortable in their communities in Babylon, well-adjusted to life there, such a move was no doubt an upheaval. As they gather at the Ahava Canal (Ezra 8:15, NASB ‘river’ but likely part of the canal system around the Euphrates River for defence purposes),[1] Ezra takes stock and writes up their numbers (vv.2-14), some 1,500 men. The later reference to ‘little ones’ (Ezra 8:21) suggests whole families going, so that the overall size of the group is estimated around 5,000 people. The clans these people come from overlap with the ones mentioned in the earlier return in Ezra 2 highlighting the importance of family influence in making these decisions. In fact, the sons of Adonikam are listed as ‘the last ones’ (or ‘who came later’; Ezra 8:13) meaning perhaps that with them the whole extended clan will have moved to Judah!

Exodus – the call for every generation

Ezra’s list is headed up by two priestly families (Phinehas and Ithamar) followed by a Davidic descendant, in the line of Zerubbabel (Ezra 8:2; 1 Chron 3:19-22). Then come twelve extended families with their leaders (Ezra 8:3-14). The structure suggests that the group symbolically encapsulates Israel (the twelve tribes) with their spiritual and civil leaders (priests and the royal line). Their journey is an example of the exodus with Ezra as a Moses-like figure leading them, and – like Moses – he is intent on teaching the law and on ensuring the worship of God in the temple. Moreover, their departure is close to Passover (Ezra 8:31; Exod 12:2, 6-8), another reminder of the exodus.

Thus, the exodus is not a one-off event but available for each generation. As Williamson puts it, ‘The prospect of a new life is ever open, and it confronts each successive generation with its challenge for a decision.’[2] God has made a way out of captivity and the choice to leave and follow Him is what makes these Jews Israel, God’s people. As Christians, God’s grace has set us free from the slavery of sin and this ‘exodus’ is a once-for-all redemption that makes us His people.

The Levites’ case – not becoming enslaved to sin

Without losing our salvation, however, we can still become enslaved by sin again and live as if we had not been freed (Rom 6:12-14). Sometimes we do not even realise it because life is comfortable and cushioned by ease. The Levites’ absence from the venture (Ezra 8:15) may have been motivated by the fear of losing prestige: in temple service, they were limited to menial tasks under the priests who offered the sacrifices, whereas in Babylon without a temple, those distinctions were possibly minimised.[3] Yet, Ezra insists that some should be recruited and 38 come, along with temple servants (Ezra 8:16-20).[4] Their presence matters because they are needed in the service of God. Likewise, obeying God matters because God wants to use our gifts and calling in His service. In so many churches a few people do everything because the majority are spectators, and all are poorer for their lack of contribution. Whether we are hindered to obey God for fear of losing status, making our financial situation unstable or because what is required of us is uncomfortable or simply too much of an effort, the Lord nevertheless calls us to follow Him.

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[1] H.G.M. Williamson, Ezra, Nehemiah, WBC 16 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1985), 116.

[2] Ibid., 111.

[3] J.G. McConville, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther, DSB (Edinburgh: St Andrew Press; Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1985), 54-55.

[4] Casiphia, where the delegation was sent is otherwise unknown, but the unusual phrase ‘Casiphia, the place’ repeated twice in Ezra 8:17 may mean according to commentators that there was a sanctuary there (maqom ‘place’ is sometimes used this way – e.g. Deut 12:5) or, at the very least, a school training temple personnel. Joseph Blenkinsopp, Ezra-Nehemiah, OTL (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1988), 165-66. Given Ezra’s stance and knowledge of Mosaic law, I find it unlikely that he would have recruited Levites from a sanctuary that was in opposition to God’s law (Deut 12:13-14), and therefore syncretistic, so a centre for learning at Casiphia may be a more likely option. The exact distinction between Levites and temple servants is uncertain; all we know is that the latter were subordinate to the former and that the development was attributed to David especially (Ezra 8:20).

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