Ezra Nehemiah and the Mission of the 70

Thursday 2 October 2009 Cheddington

Reading Nehemiah 8: 1 – 12 TNIV

¹ All the people assembled with one accord in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

² So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³ He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴ Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵ Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶ Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

⁷ The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear ^[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

¹⁰ Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

¹¹ The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve."

¹² Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

Gospel Luke 10: 1 – 12 TNIV

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two

¹ After this the Lord appointed seventy-two ^[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. ⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

⁵ "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' ⁶ If the head of the house loves peace, your peace will rest on that house; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for workers deserve their wages. Do not move around from house to house.

⁸ "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ 'Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.' ¹² I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Sermon

Last week – Haggai – dated 520BC

This week Nehemiah – prob. 458 – 446BC.

Ezra-Nehemia – between II Chronicles and Esther then Job.

Made up of memoirs from these two figures, possibly to be sent to Persian emperor, or as evidence they were doing their job and not plotting against him. Both Ezra and Neh. Given permission to return to Judaea by Persian emperor – so both had reason to justify what they had done.

Main issue in Ezra-Nehemiah is restoration of the Judaean community returning from exile. Nehemiah was governor – Ezra a priest. So Neh. Concentrates on rebuilding walls around Jerusalem. Ezra more interested in scripture.

In today’s reading, Ezra reads Torah (law of Moses) to all assembled people. In exile, seems they were unfamiliar with it. Promise to obey the law – has terrible consequences on mixed marriages. Non-Jewish wives had to be sent away and divorced.

Jerusalem then repopulated, walls rebuilt and dedicated with procession, and further reforms introduced.

Like Haggai – is this important or just interesting history? In gospel reading, we have Mission of 70 or 72. Depends on translation. Were there 70 or 72? Why is number important?

You have to understand the OT. Gen 10 has list of 70 nations.. In Num 11 Moses chose 70 elders (sermon on Sunday about delegation).

70 may just mean a big number in OT speak. Remember in Matt 18 Peter asks Jesus how many times he must forgive a brother who sins against him? 7 times? No says Jesus – 77 times or 70 times 7. Many many times in other words. Not literally 77 times then he’s for it.

So we have to read and study the OT in order to fully interpret the gospels.

What did the 70 or 72 do? They went out to reap the harvest of souls. Like lambs amongst wolves, they were ill equipped in a worldly sense. No money. No spare shoes. No bag. But in another way they were well provided for. They relied on others for hospitality, and on God for protection. Woe to those who rejected their mission. Sodom and Gomorrah those condemned cities were better off, it says, than those who rejected the Kingdom of God.

But here’s a thought to take away. The 70 were not to announce the arrival of the Kingdom. No. They were to say The Kingdom of God has come near.

What does that mean? Is the Kingdom a present reality or only in the future? Is it spatial or temporal? I leave you to reflect on what this means in the coming week. Amen