Is My Name Written There?
28 April 2024 PM – Text: Ezra 2:1-70 – Topic: Assurance
Introduction: A genealogy is a list of names of one’s ancestors. One occasion when genealogies are important is when a will is being read. If you are an heir but cannot prove it, you will miss out. Genealogies or family trees may interest those who wonder if they are related to a famous person, but most people don’t pay too much attention to them.
The Bible has many lists of genealogies. Admittedly, they can be boring and difficult to read, but they are very important. Those whose names were not written there suffered great loss.
Transition: As we look into Ezra 2, I will point out interesting facts about the various categories of people listed and then see why it reminds me of the Book of Life.
1. They were all children of the captivity.
a. Each one had lived the life of a captive.
1) They were each offspring of those who had been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar seventy years earlier.
2) It is possible that a few of them may have been small children on that terrible day when Jerusalem was conquered. Now as old men, they sought to return.
3) Whether they were born in Israel or in Babylon, they were tied to one another by the genealogy. They were all related to those who had lived in Israel. Most of them had spent their entire lives as captives in the foreign land of Babylon / Persia.
b. Each one had volunteered to return to Judah.
1) It is believed that those numbered were only the men.
2) When the call was given for volunteers to go back to Israel to rebuild the temple, these men raised their hands.
3) They were willing to leave the place of their birth and go to a foreign land (at least foreign to them) to serve the Lord.
4) That is the great need of our day as well. God is looking for men who are willing to leave their home, their occupation, their comforts, and their extended families to serve the Lord in a foreign land as a missionary. God is also looking for men who will uproot their family, move to a new location, often take a cut in pay, and serve the Lord as a pastor of a local church.
2. The genealogy determined their future.
a. A few were leaders (v.1-2).
1) In Ezra 2:2, God gives us a list of the leaders.
2) Zerubbabel was the chief leader. It is likely that this man was the same person as Sheshbazzar. Cyrus appointed Sheshbazzar to be the governor (Ezra 1:8, 11; 5:14; 5:16). However, in Haggai 1:1, we read that Zerubbabel was the governor. It is possible that one followed the other as governor of Judah, but many Bible teachers believe they were both the same man.
b. Many were common people (v.3-35).
1) Each family head listed was able to prove that those in his family were truly descendants.
2) This genealogy gave assurance of their Jewish heritage. Why was this so important? It enabled them to reclaim family property in Canaan.
3) If a man said, “My grandfather described for us the exact boundaries of our family farm on the north side of Bethlehem, I want to resettle that farm.” Yet if he could not prove that he was of that family, he could not claim the family farm. If their name was not written, they could claim no possession.
c. A few were priests (v.36-39).
1) The priests were of the family of Aaron of the tribe of Levi. It was their job to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people. To do this without being a true priest was a great crime. Years earlier, King Saul offered a sacrifice and lost his position as king. Later, King Uzziah offered a sacrifice and God struck him with leprosy.
2) Being among the priests allowed the man to serve in the worship services and to partake of the tithes.
d. Several were Levites (v.40-42).
1) The Levites were children of Levi. They were the temple workers who assisted the priests.
2) They had no inheritance of land, but they did get 48 cities and suburbs.
3) Among the Levites were the Singers. They comprised the temple choir and orchestra.
4) Also among the Levites were the Porters. These were the temple gatekeepers. They were in charge of guarding the temple gate.
e. Some were Nethinims.
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The Nethinims were people from non-Jewish origin.