Before starting.
Ezra's body of travellers now duly assembled and organised, what else was required? On the one hand, they were in a condition of much danger. Without being very numerous, they were numerous enough to be worth attacking while prosecuting their journey. On the other hand, they were in a position of much responsibility, being intrusted with the care of many treasures for God's house. These were the two things Ezra had to see to before they actually moved. The plans he adopted in doing so are very characteristic and instructive, and may be employed to exhibit to us, in the first place, an example of courage, and in the second a model of caution.
I. EZRA'S COURAGE. As we have partially noted already, the danger was great. The travellers were possessed of some "substance" (verse 21). They were carrying trust-treasures as well. They were also bound on a route where persons so circumstanced were exceedingly likely to be attacked. At the same time, as a company, they were by no means organised for defence, being little more, in fact, than a large family party, with many women and "little ones" (verse 21) among them. Almost like Luke 10:3. How natural, in such circumstances, to think of military protection! How readily obtainable, also, such protection in this case! Ezra seems to feel (naturally enough under the terms of his commission, Ezra 7:12-26) that he had only to ask for this to obtain it. Instead, however, of going out of his way at all to obtain it, he rather goes out of his way to avoid it. He turns from the king to Jehovah. Refusing to ask at all in the one case, he asks with all his heart in the other, and prepares to go forward armed with nothing whatever but promise and prayer. How conspicuously great, therefore, his courage; more so even than that of David in 1 Samuel 17:39, 1 Samuel 17:40, 1 Samuel 17:45; still more so than that of Jacob (Genesis 32:1-32.), and almost a contrast to Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:9). The secret of this was to be found
(a) with becoming earnestness, as shown by their "fasting" or turning aside from ordinary pleasures and occupations in order to be wholly occupied in this seeking (comp. Isaiah 58:1-14, and Isaiah 58:3; Acts 13:2). Sought it
(b) with proper humility, as shown by their "afflicting" themselves on account of their sins, and not asking this great favour as though they in any way deserved it. Sought it
(c) with a profound sense of his goodness, as being One concerned much for the "little ones "(verse 21; comp. Genesis 32:11; Jonah 4:11) of his people, and far from unconcerned also even as to their "substance" or temporal welfare at large (comp. Psalms 35:27; Matthew 6:25, Matthew 6:26, end 32; Luke 12:7). These were the kind of thoughts which made these companions of Ezra as we find them pictured to us here in verse 23, viz; with Babylon left behind them, a perilous journey before them, yet all the defence they sought for found in fasting and prayer (see Psalms 36:7).
II. EZRA'S CAUTION As we have already intimated, he was in a position now of great trust. The mere money value of the trust was exceedingly large, amounting in silver alone, if we take the talents as Hebrew talents, worth £375 each, to £650 × 375 + £100 × 375. It was also valuable as being contributed by many of the chief personages of Persia (the "king," etc; etc.), and by all the elite of Israel in those parts ("all Israel there present"). And it was especially precious as being intended for the most sacred, as then known, of all purposes, "the house of the Lord." It was truly requisite, therefore, for such a steward not only to be "faithful," but to be "found" so (1 Corinthians 4:2; 2 Corinthians 8:20, 2 Corinthians 8:21). Accordingly, Ezra took care, first, to transfer the safe-keeping of thin precious trust to other hands than his own, thus avoiding all ground for mistrust or possibility of scandal in one important direction. Next he selected for this purpose, out of the two classes most suitable by office for such a trust, a company of no fewer (apparently) than twenty-four men (verse 24), taking especial care to have among them two of those last-comers whose coming had been looked upon as so great a gain to them all. Further, all that was intrusted to them he duly and carefully weighed (we are told of this twice) in their presence, and then placed in their hands, evidently accompanied by a correct catalogue of the whole. And, finally, in handing it over, he sought to impress upon them a similar feeling of responsibility to that entertained by himself. "Watch ye and keep" (verse 29) these treasures. Do so
From the whole we learn—
1. To avoid some common mistakes. Courage is not imprudence. Caution is not cowardice. It was brave conduct on Ezra's part to be afraid of the reproach of unfaithfulness or of bringing shame on God's cause. It was prudent conduct on Ezra's part to neglect human defence for Divine.
2. To make an important distinction. Precaution, in trusting God, is always weakness, generally folly, and sometimes sin. Precaution, in trusting men, even men of God, is none of the three. In such a case it is not unadvisable to associate men in companies so as to be checks and supports to one another (Luke 10:1); and to appeal to comparatively low motives, such as prudence and the fear of detection, and not only to high ones (Luke 12:1, Luke 12:2).
3. To recognise the spiritual unity of the Bible. In Ezra we find a man so identified with the "Law" that he has been called a second Moses. Yet the gospel itself could not teach us more than we have learnt here of the freeness of God's mercy.