Ezra 8:24 says. Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them, Ezra began to separate the priests into different divisions. As a part of the priesthood of believers, God calls us all to a specific purpose, and I believe this will lead us to be organized in doing His work. I hear people say that they don’t believer in organized religion, and if it is simply religion and not Christ that we are following, then they are right. If, on the other hand, we are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit, I believe that He will lead us to be organized in our worship and service to Him. God never left His people disorganized as long as they were following Him, and He still won’t today.
Verse twenty-five adds, And weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering of the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his lords, and all Israel there present, had offered: Ezra then gave the offerings, the silver, gold, and vessels that had been given, to these priests. We still need people to be responsible for the things given to God today to ensure that they are used for the purpose that He intends.
Verse twenty-six continues, I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels an hundred talents, and of gold an hundred talents; Ezra the begins to list the things given to the priests. He knew what they were given, and I believe intended to make sure that they didn’t misuse the gifts given to God. God gives us each at least one gift today as Christians, and I believe He keeps track of how we use it, or them if we have been given more than one.
Verse twenty-seven concludes, Also twenty basons of gold, of a thousand drams; and two vessels of fine copper, precious as gold. This verse just lists the rest of the things entrusted to the priests. God knows everything He gives to each Christian today, and as a part of the priesthood of believers, we are charged with using whatever gift He give us for His glory, as just discussed.
Verse twenty-eight states, And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto the Lord; the vessels are holy also; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the Lord God of your fathers. Ezra told them that they were holy to God, or set apart from the world, and that these vessels were also holy, and the silver and gold were freewill offerings from the people to be used under the guidance of God. I believe that everything we have as Christians should be dedicated to God and used for His work as He leads us to do so. We cannot make offerings to God, which really, we are free to do or not and then expect it to be used only as we think it should be. What we freely give, we should give up control of, as long as we know that we have given it to those who God has placed in charge in His church. If they then misuse it, that is between God and them. We can never make what we want it to be used for the determining factor in how it is used.
Verse twenty-nine adds, Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites, and chief of the fathers of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord. They were charged with keeping these gifts safe until they brought them to the chief priests and Levites in Jerusalem. Once more, I will state that we must keep the things given to God safe until they can be used for His work and glory by those He has called to be in charge of them.
Verse thirty continues, So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God. They took possession of these gifts to take them to Jerusalem to be used in the house of God. Whether we are the giver or receiver of things given to God, we must make sure that they are used for His purpose. Of course, we must first give ourselves to God through a personal relationship with God through putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.
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