Ezra 2:59-63 – Excluded from the Priesthood
With the retuning Exiles also came people who could not prove their Israelite heritage. While, as we saw yesterday, descendants of Gentiles could be counted as Israelites by faith, we also need to note the importance of property rights in Old Testament Israel. If a man could not prove his lineage, he could not lay claim to the property allotted to his ancestors. Verses fifty-nine through sixty list several families or groups who could not verify their Israelite ancestry (the records having probably been lost in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple or mislaid in the decades since then). This being the case, they could not immediately receive property in the land.
An even more serious consequence of lost records was that the claims of some to be descended from the priests could not be verified. Since God is never pleased when His people take liberties in matters of worship, the governor (probably Zerubbabel) wisely advised that these men be excluded from the rights, privileges and responsibilities of the priesthood for the time being. Once the altar to the LORD was re-established and a High Priest consecrated, he would be able to determine the legitimacy of the claims of these families by consulting the Urim and Thummim – stones kept in the High Priest’s breastplate which could be used to discover the LORD’s will in particular matters.
As in the days of Zerubbabel, it is important that we keep track of who is part of God’s visible Church by carefully keeping records. It is of even greater importance that we take care in regard to matters of worship, always doing things as God has revealed He wants them done and being careful to place in positions of leadership only those men who can demonstrate that they are properly qualified.
Questions
- Why were these families excluded from rights of property and priesthood?
- What lessons do we learn in regard to worship and leadership in the Church?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we might always worship according to God’s standards.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.