February 2015 – 365 Last Windows

Ezra 1:8-11 Adoption, Identity, and Credit

OPEN UP:

A man with a mystery name was entrusted with the temple valuables. He also laid the foundation of the temple, and he may have been the adoptive father of the prince.

My true, eternal name is also unknown. But the identity of my adoptive Father is clear.

“and Cyrus, king of Persia, had them brought out by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and he counted them out to Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. Now this was their number: 30 gold dishes, 1,000 silver dishes, 29 duplicates; 30 gold bowls, 410 silver bowls of a second kind and 1,000 other articles. All the articles of gold and silver numbered 5,400. Sheshbazzar brought them all up with the exiles who went up from Babylon to Jerusalem. “
(Ezra 1:8-11)

The captives are still preparing to leave captivity in Babylon and return to the ruins of Jerusalem…

Mithredath was treasurer to King Cyrus. His name is Persian, meaning “given by [the god] Mithra.”

Sheshbazzar, the “prince of Judah” also has a foreign name. He is a mystery man…

– King Cyrus had his treasurer count out the temple articles to Sheshbazzar.
– Sheshbazzar brought the temple articles back with the returning exiles.

Why are these people’s names so long??

I thought my 7-letter name was long! These 10- or 11-letter names just add to the difficulty of navigating an ancient, foreign culture.

The Jewish captives had been thrown into a melting pot that mixed at least four different languages.

Hebrew — the “home” language of the Jews, and the language of the Old Testament
Akkadian — possibly the language of the Babylonians
Parsa/Persian — the language of the Persians
Aramaic — a commonly-known language, sometimes used in official international documents

Can these names be skipped over?

I’m skipping Mithredath. His name is Persian, and he was treasurer to King Cyrus.

Sheshbazzar is such a mystery that he has the honor of making it into the “New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties.”

His name might mean “worshipper of fire.”

Or…

The name Sheshbazzar is commonly regarded as Babylonian, meaning either “Shamash [the sun- god] protects the son” (samas- abla- usur) or “Sin [the moon- god] protects the father” (sin- ab- usur).
(NICEZN)

If Sheshbazzar is prince of Judah, why does he have a name that refers to other gods?

The Babylonians gave new names to the captives who served in the royal court. For example, Daniel is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my judge.” In Babylon, Daniel received the court name Belteshazzar, which means “[the god] Bel protect the king.”

“…to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar…”
(Daniel 1:7)

What was Sheshbazzar’s Hebrew name?

Some older commentaries say he was Zerubbabel, the next “prince” in line for the throne. Zerubbabel played a key role in rebuilding the temple.

1. They are both called “prince” of Judah (although “prince” could refer to any appointed ruler, such as governor).
2. They are both appointed as (puppet) governors over Judah.
3. They are both credited with laying the foundation of the temple.

The only other place Sheshbazzar is mentioned is in an Aramaic document written by the Jews in Ezra 5, which says he laid the foundations of the temple.

“…[the temple articles] were given to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom [Cyrus] had appointed governor… Then that Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem…”
(Ezra 5:14, 16)

“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it…”
(Zechariah 4:9)

Why would anyone doubt that “Sheshbazzar” is the Babylonian replacement name for “Zerubbabel”?

Zerubbabel is not a strong Hebrew name, clearly requiring a Babylonian replacement. It means “seed of Babylon” or “born in Babylon.” He probably was born in Babylon and may have been given an “acceptable” cross-cultural name.

Are there other possibilities for Sheshbazzar’s Hebrew identity?

(Assuming Sheshbazzar was Jewish, and not, for example, a secular governor/prince over Judah…)

Some have speculated that Sheshbazzar was Shealtiel, the uncle of Zerubbabel.

Shealtiel was part of the royal line, so the term “prince” would apply.

His name is clearly Hebrew, requiring a replacement name in Babylon. (Shealtiel means “I have asked of God.”)

Shealtiel seems to have adopted Zerubbabel.

“…Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar…”
(Ezra 3:2)

Zerubbabel’s birth father was Pedaiah, Shealtiel’s brother, who may have died in captivity.

The sons of Jeconiah, the prisoner, were Shealtiel his son, and… Pedaiah…

The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel…”
(1 Chronicles 3:17-19)

Which one laid the foundation of the temple?

If Zerubbabel was young, Shealtiel/Sheshbazzar may have been governor for a short time until Zerubbabel took over. They may have laid the foundation of the temple together.

We’ll probably never be sure, this side of heaven.

Above all else, my salvation is a matter of identity.

Am I still a captive, with the horrible names a captive is called?

Worthless.
Worshipper of worthless things.
Unfaithful to God.
Not free to choose.

Whose child am I? What is my real name?

Some of this I won’t know until I get to heaven.

“To him who overcomes… I will give… a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.”
(Revelation 2:17)

“We don’t know everything, but then we will, just as God completely understands us.”
(1 Corinthians 13:12b CEV)

Like Sheshbazzar/Shealtiel/Zerubbabel, my real name is a mystery — but there is no question whose child I am.

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
(Romans 8:15-16 NIV)

I love my earthly parents, but in the records, look for me under “Deborah daughter of God!”

If today were my last day on earth, I would:

…make sure my kids know their true identity as God’s children through His Spirit.

God,
Not only did you make me a full daughter, but you made me a full heir. You even gave me Your own nature — Your Spirit. I share this with a lot of other people, and we all merge together to form the temple. It doesn’t matter which one did what. It matters that we are together, and we belong. This is a great, mysterious gift!
For Jesus’ glory alone, Amen.

References

www.blueletterbible.org
Bible Hub: Sheshbazzar
Defending Inerrancy

New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Zondervan, 1982. (link)

Through the Olive Tree Bible app:

“NICEZN” — Fensham, F. Charles. New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Eerdmans, 1982.

“EBC” — Garland, David E. and Longman III, Tremper. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 4. Zondervan, 2010.

“TWOT” — Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Moody, Chicago, 1980.

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.

Ezra 1:6-7 Small Resources for Big Restoration

OPEN UP:

The returning captives must have felt joy and loss as they recovered the articles of worship that had survived the temple destruction.

With God, there is hope that He has a bigger plan for restoration than anything we’ve imagined.

“All those about them encouraged them with articles of silver, with gold, with goods, with cattle and with valuables, aside from all that was given as a freewill offering. Also King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and put in the house of his gods;” (Ezra 1:6-7)

Jewish captives are preparing to leave Babylon, returning to the ruins of Jerusalem.

Nebuchadnezzar was the former king of Babylon (before King Cyrus of Persia defeated the Babylonians). In 587 BC, King Neb had destroyed Jerusalem, taking the Jews captive.

Nebuchadnezzar’s gods might have included Marduk, the same god Cyrus worshipped.

The house of Nebuchadnezzar’s gods contained articles captured from foreign temples.

Conquerers customarily carried off the statues of the gods of conquered cities. The Hittites took the statue of Marduk when they conquered the city of Babylon… As the Jews did not have a statue of the Lord, Nebuchadnezzar carried off the temple goods instead.
(EBC-Vol4)

– Neighbors gave valuables to those preparing to return to Jerusalem.
– King Cyrus brought out the articles of the house of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had put in the house of his god.

Would the Jews have compared their release from captivity with the “exodus,” when the Israelites left Egypt after 400 years in slavery?

The Israelites had received gifts before they escaped Egypt, similar to the way the Jews were receiving gifts as they left captivity.

“God said to Abram, ‘Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years. But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.‘” (Genesis 15:13-14)

“Israel… requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.“ (Exodus 12:35-36)

It is probable that Cyrus was assisted by Jews in the drawing up of [his] decree… which is constructed with a good knowledge of current Jewish conceptions. This would also explain the undertones of the Exodus motif… It is understandable that the Jew or Jews who assisted the secretaries of Cyrus with the construction of the decree could have included their ideal of a new exodus in communications to their country.
(NICEZN)

Did God intend for the Jewish people to “plunder” Babylon in the same way that the Israelites “plundered” Egypt before they came out of slavery?

When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, their population exploded. They left with great wealth, as a result of gifts they had received from the Egyptians.

But only a small remnant of Jews returned from Babylonian captivity. The gifts they received probably came from Jewish neighbors who chose to stay, more than from the Babylonians.

The Babylonian captivity was the result of sin. The captives were returning, greatly weakened, to a ruined city. They would not regain independent rule in the foreseeable future. The rebuilt temple would be a pale reflection of the first one.

If God had a purpose in the captivity (other than disciplining His people), it seemed to have been more along the lines of dispersing them among the nations to pave inroads for the spread of the gospel, rather than increasing their wealth.

Were all the articles from the temple returned just as they were?

This seems unlikely. Nebuchadnezzar had cut apart some of the gold and bronze.

“He carried out… all the treasures of the house of the LORD… and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple…”
(2 Kings 24:13)

“Now the bronze pillars which were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the bronze to Babylon. …the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight.”
(2 Kings 25:13, 16)

Did God care about their wealth and the articles from the temple?

“Yes… concerning the vessels that are left in the house of the LORD… ‘They will be carried to Babylon and they will be there until the day I visit them,’ declares the LORD. ‘Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.’” (Jeremiah 27:21-22)

…I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)

Even while the people were receiving back their treasures, there must have been a great sense of loss. Things are not fully restored. How could they possibly recreate the glory of the pillars and the massive bronze sea that were in Solomon’s temple?

The plans I thought God had for me didn’t turn out quite so gloriously as I thought they would, either! I can see better times ahead, but there is a sense of loss. This isn’t Eden, and it isn’t Heaven, and I share the blame for it. I’ve had my own idols, and I’ve done things wrong, and I can’t go back and fix it.

With God, though, there is always hope. He always has good plans — surprises.

The best surprise is that Jesus is coming. He is coming to this worn-down temple that falls so far short of the glory it was intended to have. The good news of peace, forgiveness, and love will be spread in a way that is not overbearing, intimidating, and impressive, but humble and gentle, for the brokenhearted.

From the small rebuilding effort will come something bigger than they could possibly imagine. Billions and billions would find the God of hope through their contribution to the Bigger Story.

If today were my last day on earth, I would:

…write down how God has worked in my story.

God,
You are the God in the small beginnings. You are the God of the seed that falls to the ground and dies an inglorious death before sprouting as a tender shoot, taking root, and growing big branches that bear fruit. You are the God of mustard-seed small faith. You are the God who can be trusted with every broken-down failure. You are for the little band of returning captives, just wanting to do it right this time, wanting to seek You with all their hearts, hoping you’ll show up. God, please show up today, and let me know Your powerful presence in this humble temple.
For Jesus, who struggled on this same earth, Amen.

References

www.blueletterbible.org

Through the Olive Tree Bible app:

“EBC” — Garland, David E. and Longman III, Tremper. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 4. Zondervan, 2010.

“NICEZN” — Fensham, F. Charles. New International Commentary on the Old Testament: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Eerdmans, 1982.

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.