Nisan 11 – Watch and keep them…

April 18, 2024

Nisan 11, 5784; from sunset April 18, 2024, to sunset April 19, 2024

This is the name “Ezra” (עֶזְרָא) the Scribe as seen in the Dead Sea Scrolls; written by a scribe over two thousand years ago.

We’re picking up where we left off with Ezra a couple of days ago. He has assembled the people who were returning with him to Jerusalem at the river near Ahava. So far, they’ve made a headcount and put forth an extra effort to be sure there were priests and Levites in the group. They’ve fasted and prayed for a safe journey. And, today in the Bible, Ezra chooses twelve leaders of the priests and entrusts them with the silver, gold, and bronze vessels – all which were dedicated to the service of the LORD – just as they were to be. You could say the vessels for the service of the LORD were given to the “Vessels for the Service of the LORD.”

And I separated twelve of the leaders of the priests– Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them–and weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles, the offering for the house of our God which the king and his counselors and his princes, and all Israel who were present, had offered. I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, silver articles weighing one hundred talents, one hundred talents of gold, twenty gold basins worth a thousand drachmas, and two vessels of fine polished bronze, precious as gold.

And I said to 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. Watch and keep them until you weigh them before the leaders of the priests and the Levites and heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the LORD.” So the priests and the Levites received the silver and the gold and the articles by weight, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God. – Ezra 8:24-30

Just the other day we learned that Ezra couldn’t find any sons of Levi in the group who had gathered for the return. He had to send for them. Sherebiah and Hashabiah were among those who responded to the request and, today, we see that they were entrusted with items of great value. They almost missed out on this great honor; thankfully, they stepped up. Ezra reminded them that, not only were these vessels holy, but they, themselves were holy to the LORD.

We believe that this is a lesson for us today. If the LORD is calling you to do something, and you choose to stay at the “place of Casiphia,” what honor will you miss out on? Our prayer is that we don’t miss out on the work the LORD has entrusted to us and that we see the value of it – and the value in ourselves.

To read all of our posts about Ezra, please click on the image above.