Gloriographs by Rick Reynolds

Now I assembled them at the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I observed the people and the priests, I did not find any Levites there. Ezra 8:15 

This was both interesting and telling. Of all the men gathered, those set apart for the Lord’s service, the Levites, were missing from the volunteers gathered. The “Levites” who were entrusted with many menial tasks may have found a more comfortable way of life in exile.¹ So Ezra assembled a group of recruiters to sign up both Levites and temple servants for work in the restored temple in Jerusalem. Eleven men in all, two of which were “men of learning,” were sent to Iddo, the “leading man” in Casiphia on this recruiting trip.

This delegation went first to the temple servants and 220 were recruited. Perhaps the Levites would be more inclined to go if they had sufficient help. Still only 38 Levites signed up for the mission, but Ezra was pleased that Sheribiah, a “man of insight,” was among them, his name literally meaning “Yahweh has sent scorching heat.” His father’s name, Mahli, means “shrewd,” so the delegation targeted the right men for the job. There may be some subtle teaching here, however. As we saw in the selection of King Saul, you may get what you pay for. Men of strong personality and shrewdness may be effective in some tasks, but annoying and disruptive in others. There are times when you don’t want someone “bringing the heat.”

This is an interesting passage. The Lord wasn’t assembling a group of fighters but workers, and he needed a team of persuasive men with some who could “quote chapter and verse” sprinkled in to win them over. It was still a hard task to talk the comfortable out of their easy chairs in the lap of luxury.

Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. Ezra 8:21

So the group to go back to Jerusalem was assembled at the river Ahava. Ezra likely heard from those with lumps in their throats regarding the dangers ahead. Perhaps some floated the idea of getting an escort from the king. In Daniel-like fashion, Ezra contemplated such a request weighed against his previous statements about trusting God, and he couldn’t make such a plea in good conscience. Did they not have the hand of God upon them? So they did what all of us need to do when faced with a challenge bigger than ourselves: fast and pray.

They also put the literal tons of precious metals in the hands of twelve leading priests for safe transport. These items were to be accounted for by audit when they reached their destination. Sure enough, during the four month journey of some 900 miles they did encounter the expected “grave dangers,” but Ezra described the ordeal nonchalantly as might be expected of a man of God, “the hand of our God was over us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way.” Ezra 8:31

Ezra exuded practical spiritual leadership traits. He apparently had many sidebars with God before acting. When the word of God is on board, or “in your hand” as mentioned frequently in this book, it’s not so much a matter of calling on God Almighty above, but using the wisdom previously gained or received directly through prayer in real time and responding obediently to the will of God. The question was always “what does a man of God do in these instances,” much like the question Joseph asked himself when propositioned by Potiphar’s wife. (Genesis 39:9) Ezra was also quite shrewd in his decisions and plans, but not in a conniving way. His plans had built-in safeguards against typical external and internal threats, especially the human tendencies of fear and complacency. Thirdly, no spiritual leader worth his salt equivocates or bends to pressure. There must be a resolve to do what’s right and stay at the task. He was a man of the Word and a man of his word. These men are rare breeds.

¹Yamauchi, E. (1988). Ezra-Nehemiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job (Vol. 4, p. 658). Zondervan Publishing House.