Ezra 8:16

Ezra 8:16 says, Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.  Ezra had the means to do the work on the Temple, but he lacked any Levites, the priesthood tribe to do the work, so he began to assemble the chief men of Israel together, and they were also known to be men of understanding.   He called eleven men to him, which I assume represented the tribes of Israel, minus the Levites.  As Christians, though we may come from different families, we need to be united in doing God’s work today.  We also need to be known as people of wisdom and understanding, which can only come from God.  God’s work is before us today, but the laborers are few.  Verse seventeen adds, And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.  Ezra sent these men to Iddo, who was the head of a school of Levites at Casiphia, according to Matthew Henry.  They were training but weren’t in any hurry to go and do the work evidently.  We need to put doing what God has called us to do ahead of training today.  This is not to say that training or education is unimportant, but if we train and are unwilling to go and do the work when called, it is of little value.  Verse eighteen continues, And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;  About forty Levites came back with them, specifically Mahli the son of Levi and Sherebiah with his sons and brethren, of which there were eighteen.  This made up half of the forty.  Ezra said that by God’s grace Mahli was a man of understanding.  True understanding, or wisdom must come from God, and we should expect church leaders to be filled with understanding from God.  Of course, as followers of Christ and a part of the priesthood of believers, we should also be filled with knowledge and understanding from God.  Verse nineteen states, And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;  Hashabiah and Jeshaiah also came and brought twenty men with them, making up the rest of the forty plus Levites.   Matthew Henry says they were willing to go but were reluctant to work.  Unfortunately, some people are still that way today, wanting the prestige of a position in the church more than they want to do the work,  Verse twenty adds, Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.  Of the Nethinims, who had been appointed by David to serve the Levites, there were two hundred and twenty who came to help.  This was over five times as many as there were Levites.  Matthew Henry says that although lowlier in the eyes of the world, they were much more ready to work, and sometimes today those who are viewed as lowly by the world are still more ready to do God's work.  Of course, they had to first respond to the call from God through Ezra, and we today in order to be a part of God’s kingdom and work must first respond to the call by the Holy Spirit to come to Him by putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.