(REFLECTIONS ON Ezra 8:1-14)

While reading today’s genealogy of those that returned with Ezra to Jerusalem, I began considering the timing of their return. About eighty years prior, the first group led by Zerubbabel and Joshua came back to Jerusalem with one clear goal, and that was to rebuild the temple of the Lord. This first group, faced tremendous challenges and obstacles, but the work eventually was completed.

How would they view this new group returning approximately fifty-eight years after the temple was rebuilt? Would they not accept them because they weren’t around during the tough times, and seemingly were just there to reap the benefits of what was done long before their arrival? Would they be seen as lesser than the initial returnees, because they weren’t first, but second?

In fact, Ezra and this group would become the middle child in a sense, because as we will see in the next book, Nehemiah, another group would come back to Jerusalem even after Ezra. Being stuck in the middle, would they be lost in the mix, seen as insignificant, or would they perhaps even look down on Nehemiah and his group because they might take away their thunder of being the latest to return to Jerusalem?

As I was considering this idea of first and last, I thought of a parable that Jesus told regarding the kingdom of heaven. In Matthew 20, Jesus told a parable about a landowner that went out at several times during the day to hire men to work in his vineyard. Although being hired at different times, and working for different lengths of time, all the workers were paid the same wage.

It was at this time that those that were hired first complained that this wasn’t fair, because they worked more hours than those that came later. Jesus responded,

14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

That there was work to be done, that these men could be hired by the landowner wasn’t because this is what they deserved, but an act of grace (unmerited favor, not deserved but given). The point was that these workers had work and they had pay to take home to their families.

That Ezra and the others could return to Jerusalem, just like those that went before them, and those that would come after them, this was all the grace of God. No one is greater than the other, but for them to be able to return to the Promised Land, no matter the timing, no matter the challenges, there is no one greater, because it is all a blessing.

This is a lesson and reminder for us as well. Yes, some have been Christians since youth, and some have just come to know the faith. Some have been diligent co-workers helping up to build up the church for years, while others seemingly have joined after the hard labor has already been done. However, there is always work to be done, and God will continue to bring the right people, at the right time, to do His work.

The first isn’t the greatest, the last aren’t the worst, and the middle shall not be forgotten. Let us not then worry about who was here first, who is here now, and who has yet to join us, but rather may we all see that no matter if first, middle, or last, we are all called by grace, and should have a heart of thanksgiving being part of the family of God.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Ezra 8