Comments for November 8

1 v.9-11 These items used to be used for sacrifices. [Num.7:13,19,25]. It makes it clear to us just how much sacrificing took place, and just how much less would happen now that the people had gone into captivity. Doubtless these same items would now be turned to idolatrous worship.

1:1 There are a number of occasions when the LORD stirred up individuals. 1 Samuel 26:19 1 Kings 11:14 2 Chronicles 21:16 36:22 Ezra 1:1 Haggai 1:14
Rather than wondering how He does that we should appreciate that, in the case of faithful men who respond to His word, He is willing to work to encourage those who first respond to him.
As we read elsewhere 'draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to thee'. James 4:8

2:63 The 'Tirshatha' is in fact Sheshbazzar Ezra 1:8,11 , 5:14. It is the Persian title for governor.

1 v. 5 - Let us pray that God might raise the spirit within us also that we might go forward and do our bit towards the building of the spiritual temple to which we belong. 2Cor. 5:1

1:1 The decree made by Cyrus was consequent upon the work of the angels outlined in Daniel 10:12-13

2:64 So 42,360 faithful Jews returned voluntarily to Jerusalem.

THE REASON

It was not just a matter of returning home. Cyrus had issued a proclamation allowing any Jews who wanted to, to go back to their land, to resettle in their land, and to rebuild the temple. The captivity had lasted seventy years, just as God said it would, but the motivation to finally go home was not just to get back to their own land. Many of the Jews were too settled to be bothered moving - the draw back to their own land was not great enough. The exiles that returned went back to Jerusalem for one main reason: to build the temple of the LORD. Cyrus let the Jews go back for one reason: to build the temple of the LORD. The riches, livestock and offerings the exiles carried back to Jerusalem were to be used for one reason : to build the temple of the LORD.

Sometimes there are doors of opportunity that open for us - just as Cyrus allowed the Jews to return home. They are opportunities to serve the LORD our God and should be used that way. We have all been given talents, skills and possessions. Like the Jews, we should devote ourselves to using them for one thing - to serve the LORD our God. We have been granted life and freedom from the bondage of sin. That freedom is for one reason: So that we can serve and glorify the LORD our God. Our God must be the reason for everything we do. Our lives must become a holy temple for him.

1:2 The 'charge' that Cyrus refers to is to be found in Isaiah 44:28 so we wonder whether Cyrus received a direct revelation from God or was aware of the prophecy of Isaiah.

2:2 Mordecai is the Mordecai of the book of Esther - Where does Esther fit into the scheme of things regarding the return of the Jews to Jerusalem?

DESCENDANTS OF ASAPH

In the list of the people of Israel who returned from Babylon to Israel, we might well be tempted to skip over many of the names and numbers of those who returned as irrelevant to our time and place in God's plan. But even in the small details there can be powerful lessons for ourselves.

One such lesson was pointed out to me during a really uplifting conversation the other night. In verse 41 we read the following, concerning the list of the men of the people of Israel: "The singers: the descendants of Asaph 128." In other words 128 descendants of Asaph returned from Babylon to Israel. They were the temple singers. The lesson lies, not only in this single verse, but in all the similar verses scattered throughout the Bible from the time that David established the temple singers, and onwards. The singers were ready to sing as soon as the nation was ready for service. The fact that they had spent years in captivity did not mean that they had forgotten their calling or their skills. No! They were ready for the temple service as soon as it began. It was the same in the days of Hezekiah and Josiah. Even after times of national abandonment of the LORD, the singers, the sons of Asaph, were first in line to bring God back to the people and to serve him in the way they were supposed to. It was no different in the days of Ezra.

Let us be as devoted as the sons of Asaph were. Let us always be ready to serve in the way appointed for us.

2:68-69  Having made a difficult journey which, it seems, would take four months (Ezra 7:9) it seems that some of the chief of the fathers were ready to get down to the work immediately and to give of their wealth.

We can never be quite sure about Old Testament dates, but probably the dating of Ezra & Nehemiah is:
      BC 537. Zerubbabel returns with 42,360 Jews + 7,337 servants (Ezra 2:2,64,65)
      458. Ezra returned (Ezra 7:1-6) with 1514 + a possible 287 others (Ezra 8:1-14,15-20)
      445. Nehemiah returned (Neh 1:1). I don't think we know how many, if any Jews, went with him.
      433. Nehemiah had returned to Babylon, and now went back to Jerusalem (Neh 13:6)

1:11 The returning exiles did not all return at once; The first band went with Zerubbabel, others followed afterwards with Ezra, and a large number with Nehemiah at still a later period.

1:1 The Book of Ezra originally formed one work together with Chronicles and Nehemiah.

After Nebuchadnezzar's victory over the Egyptians at Carchemish  in 605 BC, he invaded Jerusalem.  He took Jehoiakim captive and brought him to Babylon (2Chron 36:6).  Thus, Jehoiakim became the first Babylonian captive in 605 BC. 

After that, Judah went into captivity to Jerusalem in three stages: the first occurred in 598 BC when the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem; the second occurred in 587 BC when Jerusalem was destroyed; the third occurred in 582 BC as a punishment for Gedaliah's murder. 

Cyrus released the Jews to return home from Babylon in 536 BC.  It seems that the Jews were captive in Babylon from 605-536 BC.  Jeremiah predicted that the Jews would be captive for seventy years (Jer 25:11,12). 

Many people came back to Judah with substance (1:5,6).  Sheshbazzar was named their governor (1:8,11; 5:14).  Sheshbazzar (fire worshipper) was the Persian name for Zerubbabel (born at Babel, i.e. Babylon).

1:5  In speaking specifically of ‘Judah and Benjamin’ we are reminded that it was only those from the two tribes of the southern kingdom who were brought back to the land. We see this repetition of the tribes in Ezra 4:1, 10:9

2:62-63 There must have been great enthusiasm amongst those returning from Babylon. However the requirements of the law had to be observed and so unless a priest could prove his genealogy he was not allowed to eat the holy things – and this was despite the fact that he knew he was truly a Levite. Thus we learn that personal experience is not sufficient. What one believes has to be supported with Scriptural proof.

Ezra 1:1-4 refers to the exiles being set free by Cyrus king of Persia to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem. About 200 years prior Isaiah, inspired by God, (Isa 44:28;Isa 45:1,13)  predicted the name of the Persian king, Cyrus, who would set the exiles free and rebuild the temple of Jerusalem.

Approximate chronology of the restoration:

536 BC - 498-497 BC return from Babylon to Jerusalem (allowed by Cyrus) and perhaps included some not from the tribe of Judah (1Chron 9:3;Ezra 2:70). 536 BC - in 7th month built altar, offered sacrifice. 535 BC work on temple begun and stopped. 520 BC work renewed by Haggai and Zechariah. 516 BC temple was completed. 457 BC Ezra goes from Babylon to Jerusalem. 444 BC Nehemiah rebuilds the wall.  432 BC Nehemiah returns again from Babylon.

Approximate chronology of the Persian kings (there is some question as to this accuracy):

Cyrus II the Great reigned 559 to 530 BC (united the Medes and Persians and reigned alone in Babylon 536 BC). Cambysees 2 reigned 530 BC to 522 BC and seems to be referred to as "Ahasuerus" (Ezra 4:6) which is thought to be a title. Smerdis the Magician reigned 522 BC and seems to be referred to as "Artaxerxes" (Ezra 4:7) which is probably a title. Darius I the Great reigned 522 to 486 BC (battle of Marathon 490 BC). Xerxes I reigned from 485 to 465 BC and may be referred to as "Ahasuerus" in the book of Esther (some believe Darius I the Great or possibly even Artaxerxes I Longimanus are the "Ahasuerus" in the book of Esther. Some scholars have Vashti deposed as queen in 482 BC with Esther becoming queen in 478 BC and Purim at 473 BC. The battles of Thermopylae and Salamis have been established at 480 BC). Artaxerxes I Longimanus reigned from 465 to 424 BC and is thought to be the Artaxerxes later in Ezra (Ezra 7:1). Xerxes II reigned 424 BC. Sogdianus reigned 424 to 423 BC. Darius II Nothus 423 to 405 BC.

1:1-3  The duplication of the information we saw in 2Chron 36:22-23 here in Ezra shows the seamless continuity between the end of 2Chron and the time of the return from Babylon.

1:2 Isn’t it interesting that Cyrus – the powerful ruler who controls the land of Israel at this time – does not appeal to his own status to claim that it is his idea to repair the temple. He acknowledges that it is at God’s instruction. And he does not say any old God. He says ‘The Lord God of heaven’.

1:1 …the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia. We must remember that Yahweh is in control of all political events, and works through leaders that He has set up:…the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will (Dan 4:17).

We look, with interest, at our present leaders to see the unfolding of world events, which are in accord with Yahweh's will. But, we do not vote for any politician. How would we know which one Yahweh had selected? What if we had picked another candidate? We would then have opposed Yahweh's will. That would not be recommended.

1:2 Notice the repeated use of ‘Jerusalem’ in this chapter :2,3,4,5,11. In Psa 137:5 David sees remembering Jerusalem as of paramount importance. It is as if the record here is making the point that God has not forgotten Jerusalem. He is bringing about the blessing of that city.

Ezra means the helper.

1:1 Cyrus took Babylon in 538 BC. However, for the first two years, Darius the Mede ruled Babylon. It was in 536 BC that Cyrus took control of Babylon plus Judah and Israel. And so, the first year of Cyrus is 536 BC.

2:64 There were 42,360 people who went up to Jerusalem.

1:7  Cyrus did not seem to simply view this work as a ‘job to do’. Clearly by sending back the vessels from the temple which Nebuchadnezzar had taken he wanted to re-instate some semblance of that which had been destroyed.

Ezra 1:2 - Cyrus credits his achievements to "The Lord" [Heb. "Yahweh" (3068)]. 

1:2     The charge given to Cyrus was that he would lay the foundations of the temple – Isa 44:28. However his claim here is that he was charged with building the temple. Of course that did not happen in the days of Cyrus as God stopped the work. Ezra 4:24

Ezra 2:64

We read here that the total number of people returning to Jerusalem and Judah after King Nebuchadnezzar carried them away to Babylon as 42,360. Nehemiah also gives us this total (Neh 7:66).

Both Ezra and Nehemiah agree that the total was 42,360. Yet, totaling up their lists gives us 29,818 for Ezra, and 31,089 for Nehemiah. It also reveals that Nehemiah’s list has 1765 persons who are not in Ezra, and Ezra has 494 not mentioned in Nehemiah! Keep in mind that only the "men" were recorded in the registry (Ezra 2:2; Neh 7:7).

It would seem that reconciling these two lists totally impossible, but it is just the opposite. By adding Ezra’s 494 to Nehemiah’s total, and Nehemiah’s 1765 to Ezra’s, you find that they both add up to 31,583, and every name recorded when the two lists are put together!

Subtracting 31,583 from 42,360 leaves a difference of 10,777. Scholars believe those in this number were not broken down by name or town as the others because they were various other tribes of Israel not normally associated with the former Southern Kingdom. Both Ezra 2:1 and Neh 1:3 show that the list’s purpose was to name those of the Southern Kingdom who returned from Babylon. These verses also tell us that both Ezra and Nehemiah are referring to the same event, and not some other as often claimed.

1:3     “Jerusalem which is in. Judah” is a clear indication that the letter was written by a non Jew.

1:4 Cyrus provided silver and gold which would have been necessary as the people would have been poor as they had been taken captive and their possessions taken off them.

Act III: After the (70 year) interlude

Here is some context to the book of Ezra. The book comes after 2Chronicles and takes up the story where that book left off. It's useful to first read2Chron 36:14-23 before diving into Ezra just to set the scene. Specifically, we're told that the temple was destroyed and the people taken captive into Babylon to fulfil Jeremiah's words. Here are his words, found in Jer 25:11-12:

"And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord "
 

So we can see there is a 70 year interlude between the end of 2chron36 and Ezra 1, which God Jeremiah had told the people about. Even Daniel in captivity knew this time period (Dan 9:2).

The next detail that 2chron 36 tells us is that after the 70 years there would appear a new King:

"where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia... Cyrus king of Persia"

who would:

"build Him (God) an house in Jerusalem"
 

Jeremiah also specifically prophesied that they would "return to this place" in Jer 29:10.

So the scene is set for another important chapter in the nation of Israel. Do keep in mind the context while you read it, and also note the names of the chief men involved in this venture - who you might like to read up about for more context. Do you recognise any of them? (Ezra 2:2)

Sheshbazzar is probably Zerubbabel's Persian name. Zerubbabel features in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai and Zechariah.

2:23    Here and in other verses we learn of children from different towns in Israel.  Now those returning clearly were not born in those villages. This teaches us that even though their parents were in captivity they did not lose their association with “home”. 

1:3    Notice, it is Cyrus who says of Yahweh “he is the God”. It is uncertain whether he is, at this time, recognising that Yahweh is supreme or whether He is just the God of Jerusalem.

1:1       So we are about two years before Dan 10:1

2:2     This chapter does not simply contain a list of names.  Each of the names speaks of a faithful Jew who looked for the fulfilment of Jeremiah’s prophecy – Jer 25:12 - who took the opportunity to return to a desolate land rather than enjoy the comfort of Babylon.  They believed the promises of God and acted accordingly.

1:4      One wonders how much Cyrus knew of the Law of Moses. It is only in Ezra that we find mention of freewill offerings outside the law. On this occasion the words are in the mouth of a gentile king!

2:69     that the people gave after their ability was according to the provision of the Law of Moses – Deut 16:17

2:34-65 Totalling the Jews and servants that went to Jerusalem we see a multitude of around 50,000 men plus women and children making the journey together. In addition there were animals and gold and silver vessels for the temple that was to be built.

1:5    Whilst the record simply and factually speaks of men returning to Jerusalem we should give some thought about the emotions felt at that time. The faithful had been waiting for this time for 70 years and were now seeing scripture fulfilled in their own lives. We have seen scripture fulfilled in the last 70 years – the re-establishment of the state of Israel. How do we feel about that?

1:3 The cry was to those whose heart was towards the re-establishment of the city of Jerusalem 70 years had passed since Zedekiah had been taken captive. Life in Babylon was relatively comfortable. We will see later that only a small proportion of the Jews who lived in the land of the Chaldean selected to return to Jerusalem. How willing will we be o leave behind the comforts of this life when Jesus returns?

1:2,3,4,5 Along with the repeated use of the location “Jerusalem” we find the “house” that was Yahweh’s. If only those who went back to Jerusalem realised the magnitude of what they were involved in!

We likewise are involved in building the “house of God” – the group of believer – Maybe if we appreciated truly what we are involved in we would be more diligent.

2:63 Doubtless there was great enthusiasm amongst those who went back to Jerusalem. But notice that enthusiasm was not allowed to override the requirements of the Law of Moses.

In like manner our enthusiasm should not cause us to disregard the principles of the gospel.

v.12 - The moth is a symbol of destruction of things much larger and stronger than itself - Job 4:19, 13:28, 27:18, Isa.50:9, 51:8. See also Matt.6:19-20, Luke 12:33

5:6 they shall go ... not find Him Micah 3:4
5:10 remove bound Deuteronomy 19:14
5:11 oppressed and broken Deuteronomy 28:33
5:11 walked after the commandment Micah 6:16
5:12 I will be ... as rottenness Proverbs 12:4
5:13 then went Ephraim to Assyria 2 Kings 15:19

5:10 'Like them that remove the bound'. A comment on the sinfulness of moving boundaries of inheritances to defraud their brethren. See Deuteronomy 19:14. They were robbing and defrauding God by their sinfulness. Of course the princes should have been upholding the law, not perverting it.

v.6 - May we resolve never to go so far from God that he alienates himself from us that we might never find him again. We need to throw ourselves daily on His grace and mercy.

5:7 In asking whether 'a month' would devour them Hosea is referring to Israel's idolatry. 'month' could be translated 'new moon' and relates to the stargazers and monthly prognosticators that Isaiah 47:13 refers to.

5:13 The going to Assyria mentioned in this chapter is not captivity. It is a comment on the actions of Pul (2 Kings 15:19)

5:5  Notice again that Hosea quite specifically is speaking to Israel, but Judah will not escape - though Judah's calamity did not come for quite some years.

ACTS OF WORSHIP
 
For many people it is Sunday.  For Israel it was the New Moon festivals.  Those are the days when we put on our holy clothes, our religious face and our best behaviour as we come to seek the LORD in our devotions at church.  But our God is not a Sunday God.  Even if we did the same thing on the Sabbath, it would make no difference.  He is a God who sees us every day.  Special observances only mean something if the rest of our week is also devoted to him.
 
As Israel went to present themselves before the LORD at their appointed feasts, God said of them, "When they go with their flocks and herds to seek the LORD, they will not find him; he has withdrawn himself from them." (Hos 5:6)
 
The reason he would not be found was because the rest of their lives were lived in complete disregard of him.  The special days were there as a help to the people to remind them of the good things God had done for them and to encourage them to be devoted through the coming week.  They were not designed to be a religious observance kept for the sake of keeping it.  God wants our hearts, not our Sunday mornings.
 
Paul summed it up well for us when he said, "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." (Rom 12:1)

V.11 We have a very important lesson here for all. There is no forgiveness for wilful wrong doing

It’s interesting to note that Hosea spoke to both Israel and Judah, (eg Hos 5:12). The kings of Ephraim, or the north, were godless; but some of the kings of Judah reversed the godless trend of their part of the Holy Land. But overall the Lord was displeased with both parts, and they both were taken captive.  We can not say that God was disappointed – because the Lord God knew what the people would do even before He chose Abraham. But the Jews were a tremendous disappointment. They just let God down, and failed to live as He asked them to.

5:7 The treacherous behaviour against God brought the judgement spoken if by Isa 24:16

5:6 In saying ‘they shall not find Him’ Hosea is saying a similar thing to the contemporary Prophet – Mic 3:4 – where he says that even though they cry to God he will not hear them.

V.1 Both Mizpah and Tabor were reputed to be favoured areas for hunting. And so, it is appropriate to use the figures snare and net spread, which are means of catching game. But, what is really being caught is Israel involved in idolatry.

v6 Picking up on brother Peter Cresswell's comments 2002, they were seeking and in v15 it gives us the reason for God's withdrawing, they had not repented.  Also v5 gives us a clue as to why they had not repented, 'pride', that which lifteth up the heart away from God and trust in self, ('pride' v5 is the root which leads to unrepentance v15, which leads to alienation from God v6),  Prov 16:18-19 reminds us of where pride takes man.

5:11 The ‘oppressed and broken’ Israel is reaping the curses of Deuteronomy – in particular here the prophet is quoting Deut 28:33

UNAVOIDABLY CONNECTED

Initially the sin of Israel was far worse than the sin of Judah. It was Israel that began to worship the calf idols, that sacrificed to the Baal's, that set up their own priesthood and abandoned the LORD. And that was just the beginning! Without the LORD in their lives their standards of morality lowered and the land became full of idol worship, violence and immorality. Hosea described them like this: "Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution is in their heart, they do not acknowledge the LORD. Israel's arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin." (Hos 5:4-5)

This all sounds bad enough, but the next phrase is a very telling one. "Judah also stumbles with them." (v.5) If Israel had been more faithful to the LORD, they would not have been responsible for pulling down Judah with them.

The same goes for our actions, both good and bad. If we live godly lives we can be people that turn other people toward God. But if we turn away from God and live immoral lives we are even more likely to drag others away with us. Our lives are not our own. We are unavoidably connected to the lives that cross paths with our own. Let's make sure our lives are not lives that make others stumble, but lives that lead others to life.

V.7 Strange children(KJV); alien children (ESV) relate to the gods which Israel had imported from other nations. It appears that Hosea is saying that punishment will come in a month’s time. Pul, the Assyrian did exact head tax which might be the punishment meant (2Kin 15:19,20).

Vs.8,9 Gibeah, Ramah, and Beth-aven were towns in Benjamin. Ephraim is synonymous with Israel. The Assyrians would come and capture Israel. The warning was for Benjamin, which was on the border with Israel, because Judah would not escape the onslaught (v.5).

Children of idols or of God?

The graphic language used by Hosea to portray Israel's unfaithfulness to God (e.g. 3:1) actually had its counterpart in the everyday lives of the people. 5v7 says of Israel's people:

"they have begotten pagan children".

In other words, the pagan religion that the mothers and fathers dabbled with created wholeheartedly pagan (idol worshipping) children. The practices of the parents rubbed off. If parents heed God's law and obey it, these passages imply that their children are counted as being born of Him, because they will know about Him and may learn to serve Him. On the other hand, children born to idolatrous families are counted as being born of an adulterous relationship, not of God, since the children know nothing of God or His ways.

What do we encourage our children to absorb into their minds? God, or what doesn't belong to God? Do we have God's children or children belonging to the world?

5:1 No category of the leadership escape – priests, king – they were culpable because they had not taught the people.

5:15     So God was going to leave Israel to their own devices to allow them to repent. His expectation was that their ‘affliction’ would cause them to repent. This is a repeated feature in the prophets. Israel’s experiences should have caused them to recognise their faults and turn to Him.  Amos very powerfully makes this point Amos 4:9-11

5:14       That God would be as a ‘lion’ is fulfilling Lev 26:22

5:3         Many times in Scripture are we warned about the company we keep. An example – 1Cor 15:33 – Here the prophet tells us that Ephraim’s evil behaviour impacted upon Israel.  So the warning here is not to the one being contaminated but to the one doing the damage. This indicates that the effect we have on others is, of itself, a reason why God might judge us.

5:6     The way in which God had “withdrawn Himself” is like the way in which the Psalmist – Psa 81:12 – said that God would Give Israel up.

5:14        That “moth” and “rottenness” are used here to speak of the consequences of idol worship is drawn on by Jesus – Matt 6:19.

5:12  The comment that God will cause rottenness upon Ephraim is an application of the principle found in Prov 12:4 where the “she that maketh ashamed” answers to idol worship – going after what Proverbs elsewhere calls a “strange woman”.

5:14        God speaks here of being like a “lion” in the way that Israel was to be destroyed. The prophet again – Hos 13:8 – takes up the same idea using a more general term “wild beasts”.

5:3 Notice that these words here are addressed to the northern kingdom for the prophet speaks of “Ephraim and Israel”.

5:1      the priests lips should have kept knowledge and taught the people – Mal 2:7 – but they receive the same condemnation as the people.

5:13It would appear that the nation did not behave as if God could see what they were doing. Maybe if they had been aware that God could see everything they did and know everything they thought that they would behave better. We might reflect on this when considering our own lives.

5:2 See the despair in the words of the prophet – “though I have been a rebuke …” We see the prophet is affected by the ineffectiveness of his message. We should not think of God’s servants being unmoved by the lack of repentance in the nation. In like manner the godlessness of the society in which we live should impact on us. It should cause us to mourn.

5:3-5 The Creator sees everything thought it appears that neither Ephraim – the kingdom of Samaria – or Judah recognised that. Or if they did they disregarded the fact that their behaviour was seen by God. It is important to appreciate that it was their “pride” that got in the way of setting their behaviour so that it aligned with God’s pattern.

Human pride blinds one to one’s own needs by elevating self above the Creator. Israel’s behaviour stands as a stark warning about human nature that we do well to notice.

5:1 Some in society see themselves as above the law. The more “important” a person is the more willing they seem to be to disobey the law. In Israel the king was in charge and so powerful. Disregarding God’s laws was, therefore, easy. However the king should be seen as God’s representative on earth. His example should have been faultless.

In a sense faithful believers are God’s representatives on earth. Does out life live up to that high standard?

5:8-9 Judah, the southern kingdom, is warned here to change its ways. The lesson should be learnt from the captivity of the northern kingdom – here called “Ephraim” in the days of Hosea when the prophet was peaking.

22 v..5 - Although we hear of many conflicts for the early apostles, there does not seem to be another person like Paul would have been had he not been converted. God's wisdom in using Paul in this way is therefore two-fold - to bring in one of the greatest preachers of all time, and to rid the world of the worst persecutor. As well as this, his conversion must have moved a number of people.

21:17 Paul's visit to Jerusalem marked a fundamental turning point in his life. Up to this time he was free to go where he pleased preaching the gospel. During the time up to this visit to Jerusalem Paul had been actively involved in the formation of a number of ecclesias. From this time, however, he is never a free man again. He is a prisoner of Rome - though he viewed himself as a 'prisoner of Christ' Ephesians 3:1 Philemon 1:1 - it was during this long imprisonment that Paul wrote most of his letter.
Maybe we can take the lesson. We can be useful in the service of the Master whatever our circumstances, though we may need to modify what we think we should be doing because of our circumstances.

22:22 It may appear that the major opposition to the preaching of the gospel was because of the claims that Jesus had been raised from the dead. However the most abhorrent thing to the Jews was that the gentiles now had access to the things the Jews held dear.

21:32 In saying that the soldiers 'ran down' to rescue Paul a little detail of the way in which Temple Mount and the Antonia Fortress was laid out is confirmed. The fortress was at the Northern end of Temple Mount, raise up on a rock escarpment. From the castle the largest part of Temple Mount could be observed. Steps ran down to the paved area. It is these steps which the soldiers ran down and upon which Paul spoke to the people (21:37)

This account of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus contains some differences from the account in Acts 9 and the later account . Critics have taken this to indicate that the three accounts were written by other than Paul. It does not follow that this is so. Different emphasis is given on the two subsequent occasions after Acts 9 because the purpose of the recounting of the event are different.

21:29 Trophimus, being an Ephesian, would have seen the temple of Dianna to which he would have had free access - but would not have wanted to go in. Now he has seen the temple in Jerusalem where he doubtless would be comfortable going - and the Jews felt that he should not go into it.

22:24-27 The question of the 'chief captain' contains a certain element of surprise because Paul had spoken in Hebrew. He would have been taken, by the Romans, as a Jewish fanatic who was a subject - being a Jew - of the Roman occupiers, not a citizen his own right.
Peter Forbes

21:21 The report about Paul teaching Jews to forsake Moses was malicious and based on a misunderstanding of what he said. Paul never encouraged Jews to forsake the law of Moses but he did stress to gentiles that they should not adopt Judaism. A reading of what Paul says makes this clear to any fair minded individual. However those who made the report were not fair minded, though brethren. They, being Jews, wanted to undermine Paul's preaching to the gentiles.

Do we ever have secret agendas which cloud our presentation of the words of our brethren?

22:25 I suspect that there was more went on here than Paul simply saying he was a Roman. Doubtless if it was that easy many a prisoner would have claimed Roman citizenship. This is implied by :28 though Paul must have had some means of proving his Roman citizenship else he could easily have just been spinning a story to save his skin.

22:6-16 - Paul was converted when he saw the vision but his sins weren't washed away till baptism.

21:18 In view of the importance to the Christian world of the ecclesia at Jerusalem, there is no doubt that the man appointed to be in charge would have been an apostle. No other person would hold a rank authoritative enough for such work. James the apostle, seems to have been the ideal man. He was James the son of Alpheous (Matt 10:3) otherwise known as James the Less (Mark 15:40) James the son of Zebedee was killed with the sword. (Acts 12:2)

21:27 Given that Paul’s time in Jerusalem had almost come to an end one wonders how many believers wondered what to make of the spirit inspired comments of the brethren in Tyre Acts 21:14

22:25 Was Paul seeking to rely on his Roman citizenship even though he was a ‘stranger and pilgrim’ Heb 11:13? I suspect his motivation was, as on other times, to further the gospel.

21:6 The Gentiles had been lenient with Paul. It was only at Ephesus that they had caused some danger to him. Even on that occasion, they raised little objection to his preaching in so far as religion was concerned, but they complained about the adverse effect his preaching was having upon their livelihood. Here we would suggest is a hint of what was to follow with increasing severity.

22:5 In appealing to the high priest’s experience of Paul there is a challenge to the authorities to explain the radical change in Paul

21:16 The home of Mnason must have been a large house, also he must have been a man of very comfortable means. The journey between Caesarea and Jerusalem would have been over 100 kilometres, being to great a distance to travel by foot in one day. Mnason must have lived in a town between the two cities, and it is very likely that travellers making this journey. would have stopped at his house on a regular basis, before finishing the journey the following day. 

22:25-29 Roman citizens had special privileges.  They could not be flogged and they could appeal to the emperor to have their case heard by him. Paul was a Roman citizen, by birth, and exercised his rights.  Paul did not do this to save his skin, but for the service of the Lord who wished Paul to represent Him in Rome (23:11). 

As an aside, how would officials know if a Roman citizen claimant were genuine?  I wonder if Roman citizens carried identification such as a special medallion.

21:8 It will not be long before Paul is back in Caesarea in very different circumstances – being a prisoner of Rome because of the envy of the Jews.

21:10 Agabus predicted Paul’s incarceration by the Jews. He had also predicted a famine which would occur in the reign of Claudius Caesar (Acts 11:28). That prediction seems ironic, seeing that Agabus means locust, the creature often responsible for creating famine in the Near East.

21:8 In speaking of Philip as ‘one of the seven’ we are reminded of his part – Acts 6:5 – as being one of those appointed to deal with the contention between the Hebrew and Grecian widows. But now he is in Caesarea indicating that the work to which he was appointed in Jerusalem was no longer necessary – or handed over to others.

21:20-24 Paul had a bad reputation with Jewish brethren who still revered Moses and the law. He appeared to them as one who despised Moses. The council suggested Paul ameliorate this situation by underwriting the Nazarite vow of four Jewish brethren.

Those who had taken a Nazarite vow needed to be supported by supplying the animals, oil, and flour needed for their sacrifices (Num 6:1-21).

By this act of kindness, Paul would be considered generous and supportive and show a love and respect for Moses and the Law. This would appease the discomfort of the Jewish brethren.

21:25 Here the brethren in Jerusalem reaffirm their acceptance of the decision taken in Acts 15 recorded in Acts 15:23-39. The are happy  for Paul to be ‘at charges’ with those who had made a vow was not to be seen as a retrograde step as far as teaching the gospel to the gentiles was concerned.

21:14   The disciples, whilst not wanting Paul to be imprisoned, bowed to Paul’s desire to fulfil his promise. Their response ‘the will of the Lord be done’ should be our response when others are committed to a way that we may feel is dangerous for them.

21:19  The big problem that the Jews had was the preaching to the gentiles Jerusalem had been the location where the brethren wrote to the ecclesia about the way in which God had opened the gospel to the gentiles as recorded in Acts 15 so it is fitting that Paul ‘in particular’ speaks of his work amongst the gentiles. This would further cement the truth of the value of preaching to gentiles.

Acts 21:4.

If the disciples, through the Spirit, urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem, then was it wrong - even sinful - for him to insist on going?

It's one thing for men, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, to urge Paul not to go to Jerusalem due to the fact that they had likely seen visions as to the negative things that would happen to him when he got there. it's another thing entirely to see this as an error - or even a sin on Paul's part - in his decision to go. I don't think it needs to be read in this latter way. The same point can be made in connection with Agabus' prophecy (Acts 21:10,11) where he foretells what will happen to Paul if he chooses to go down that road. Notice that after Paul shows his determination to go (Acts 21:13), the group (including Luke himself? notice the "we" there) gave up their insistence and said, "the Lord's will be done" (Acts 21:14). That seems to back up the answer that it was not really a sin for him to choose to go at that time.

There does appear to be some urgency to get there to report to James and other prominent brethren the success of the missionary work among the Gentiles (Acts 21:19). So that desire may have entered into Paul's reasoning and that need to let the others know that the Jerusalem council's decree was working (Acts 21:25). And this may have been a factor in Paul's thinking. So - come what may - he needed at that time to go to Jerusalem. If viewed in this way, then it's somewhat like what is stated about Jesus himself in Lk. 9:51 - "As the time approached for him to be taken to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem."

21:12-13        The desire of the disciples to dissuade Paul from his journey to Jerusalem, knowing what would happen to him, is perfectly understandably. However we learn an important lesson from Paul’s response. We should not be deflected from some action simply because we see the consequences as being unpleasant.

22:27  in asking Paul whether he was a Roman we see that either the chief captain had not listened to what Paul had said in 21:39 or did not believe what he had been told for a “citizen” indicates that Paul was a Roman. 

Jewish jealousy

The chief captain was obviously a not a Roman because he says "with a great sum I obtained this freedom" (Acts 22:28), and I assume he wasn't a Jew, because he was in the occupying Roman army, so I conclude he was a gentile of non-Roman descent. Imagine you were this man, hard working and intelligent, and you're called one day to sort out a dispute among the native population. A man stands up and says, effectively: "Jesus commanded me to take the knowledge of God to Gentiles like this centurion and his men". I suppose your ears would prick up. But how would you feel when this response came from the Jews:

"Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live." Acts 22:22

How would you interpret that? "Someone who gives me the time of day, who treats me as an equal, is unfit to live?"

It shows the wickedness of the Jews at this time in history, who had not only rejected Jesus and killed him, but would rather kill Paul than have any Gentiles receive the knowledge of God. As a result the time where Jews were primarily on the receiving end of God's grace would end, and that grace would be extended to the Gentiles (Acts 28:26-28).

21:4   The information that Paul should not go to Jerusalem - information given by the Holy Spirit is interesting to think upon as Paul was going to Jerusalem to do good. He was carrying the funds collected by the ecclesias for the poor saints at Jerusalem. This shows that just because we are doing a good work we should not presume that we will be preserved.

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

If you are waiting for a blinding light, for bells to ring, for a special dream or vision, or a message from God, it is possible you might be waiting all your life.

The time had come when the gospel about Jesus Christ had been revealed to Paul and he was convinced of it's truth. It was then that Ananias said to him, "And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptised and wash your sins away, calling on his name." (Acts 22:16).

If you haven't been baptised yet, take his words personally to yourself. What are you waiting for? Are we waiting until we know enough? Until the time is right? Until we have finished our studies? Or any of the multitude of other excuses? The time is now. There is no better time to become part of God's family.

And if we have already committed to Him, then are we obeying and going out to share the gospel message of hope with others? There is no time like the present. Tomorrow may never come. Don't end up with regrets because of people that never heard the gospel from you. If God's work is there to be done, what are we waiting for?

The 'perfect' opportunity will never come. Make the most of what you have. Let's be like Paul and quit waiting around, and step out to serve the Lord.

22:28  Roman citizenship was something to be prized in the first century as the centurion indicates with his comment. Paul, whilst a Jew, was a Roman citizen because of what we might call an accident of birth. We might reflect on the value we put on citizenship of the country of our birth or where we live.  Is it something we should strive to obtain and cherish when “our citizenship is in heaven”  Phil 3:20– the word translated “conversation” could equally be rendered “citizenship”.

22:20    When we learn that Saul was “consenting” to the death of Stephen we realise that he was part of a larger group who agreed together. Proverbs 6:18 could well come to mind here as does the injunction – Exo 23:2.

Acts 21:26

“Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.”

“Paul did not ‘justify himself by the law’ when ‘he went into the temple and purified himself.’ He merely took a step calculated to show the Jews that the report was not true that he (verse 21) taught all the Jews that were among the Gentiles to forsake Moses: but that he himself walked orderly and kept the law—as the apostles recommended (see verses 21,24). The erroneous report was founded on the fact that he objected to the Gentile brethren being brought under the operation of the law. The Jews were in a different position from the Gentiles in the matter—the law having been enjoined on them.” Robert Roberts, Christadelphian, 1894, p. 232.

21:11  It is evident that as soon as Paul accepted Jesus as Christ the Jews went about to kill him. Agabus now, by the word of prophecy, shows how they will achieve their ends. Not by stoning him as they did Stephen – Acts 7:58 - but by using the gentiles, that is the Roman authorities

21:29   The event here where it was supposed Paul had taken an Ephesian into the temple in strict violation of Jewish tradition provides an historical background for Paul’s inspired comment – EEph 2:14  for it was the Middle wall of partition on temple mount that marked the point beyond which gentiles were not allowed t o pass.

22:26-27 It is clear that the chief captain was unaware that Paul was a Roman citizen. He did not rescue Paul from the crowd because he was a Roman even though he wrote this in the letter he sent – Acts 23:27 – to Felix.

22:26-27 It is clear that the chief captain was unaware that Paul was a Roman citizen. He did not rescue Paul from the crowd because he was a Roman even though he wrote this in the letter he sent – Acts 23:27 – to Felix.

THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Sometimes we think we know what we should do in any given situation, so our prayers to God reflect that. We might ask God for help to achieve a certain goal, or to put circumstances in place so that we can get something done, or to give us the things that we think we need. There may be times when we are right. And then again, there may be times when we wonder why these sort of prayers have not been answered.

Paul had the right question to ask when he was met by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Instead of saying, "Can you please give me back my sight so that I can go back to Jerusalem and sort things out from there?", he asked a completely different question. "What shall I do, Lord?" (Acts 22:10). This question leaves us right open to doing God's will. It allows Him to direct our paths and to do what is best for us. It takes away from our pride or arrogance thinking that we might know what is best, and gives all the glory for the outcome to God.

So instead of telling God what we want or what we should do, and asking His blessing on our actions, lets ask Him instead, "Lord, what shall I do?"

 

22:5    the idea of learning “at the feet” is seen for the first time in Deut 33:5

21:4-5 The way in which Paul “found” disciples and spent time with them before they finally escorted him to the ship and prayed with him and bade him farewell gives an insight into the way that fellowship was seen amongst the believers in the first century. Is our relationship with fellow believes like this or is it far more casual?

22:9 there appears to be an obvious contradiction between what Paul says here and what is recorded at the time of the actual event – 9:7– where it is said that those with Paul heard the vice.

The resolution is simple. Paul was the only one who “heard” the voice and responded to it. Many time we read of Israel having ears but not hearing – for example 115:6 – where it clear that the not hearing is speaking of not accepting what was heard.