Forgotten Identity
- Justin Ray
- May 21, 2020
- 5 min read
Ezra 1-2
As I move from I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, and I & II Chronicles, I must admit that I am a little excited for a change. I have been reading about the kings of Israel (Israel and Judah) for some time and a shift in focus is welcome. However, this is coming from a student perspective. As I was reading, I thought about how Ezra, and the others, longed to go back to a time of Jewish kings. It is all about perspective.
These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. 63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
Ezra 2:62-63
If you have been reading through the Bible with me, you may feel a little lost. When we left off with II Chronicles, we were at the end of the era of Jewish kings. Now, Ezra and this group are going back to Judah. What happened? Well, because the people worshiped idols, and the evil kings led in this, God allowed the Jews to be taken into captivity. First, the nation of Israel (the northern kingdom) was taken into captivity by the Assyrians. Then, the southern kingdom of Judah was taken into captivity by Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar.
Fast forward 70+ years and we get to the book of Ezra. Babylon had been defeated by the Medo-Persian empire, which became known as simply the Persian Empire, and that is who Ezra was serving. Chapter one tells us that God moved King Cyrus's heart to allow the Jews to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. He allowed any Jew in captivity who wanted to return home to do so. He also returned the articles that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple to the Jews.
What we learn from the first part of chapter 2 is that thousands of Jews returned to Jerusalem. These were not refugees fleeing their home, but rather prisoners of war returning to their home. One might think that all of the Jews would have returned home, but they did not. Nehemiah remained, at least for a little while longer, and the family of Esther remained (along with a lot of other nameless Jews we read about in the book of Esther).
When we get to the end of chapter 2, we come across our curios main text.
These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy, but they were not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood. 63 And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
Ezra 2:62-63
What does this mean?
If you were a Jew, genealogy was of the utmost importance. Your family lineage determined your inheritance. Land given at the time of Joshua remained in the family forever. If it was ever sold, it had to be returned. Marriage between tribes could not result in land transfers between tribes. There was also great pride in the family names.
For the Levites, they were not given a "state" of their own. They lived scattered among all the tribes. The reason for this is because they were teachers and religious leaders. In order to do the work of a Levite, a person had to be able to prove that they were indeed a Levite. More than a Levite, the priests were from the Levite family of Aaron. Certainly if one was going to be a priest, they had to prove their lineage.
Living among the enemy caused some of the people to lose their identity. They might claim that they were Levites, but they could not remember how they were Levites. They could not trace their family tree. Because of this, they were forbidden from eating "the most holy things".
When a person offered a burnt offering, the meat was basically barbecued. The priests were able to take that meat and eat it. It was for the provision for their families. The sheer volume of sacrifices offered helped provided for the family of Levi. Since the ones listed could not prove their identity, they could not receive these offerings.
Often, like these people in our text, we forget our identity. We spend so much time in Babylon and Persia that we forget we are citizens of Jerusalem. Figuratively, Babylon is the home of false religion. Its citizens are the citizens of hell. We live among them in this world and sometimes begin to think of ourselves as one of them. Jerusalem (or New Jerusalem) is our home since, as Christians, we are at peace with God. Jerusalem means "city of peace" (Jeru - city, shalom - peace).
When we forget our identity, we are not able to partake in the holy things of God. Our communion with his Holy Spirit is hindered. What a sad and terrible thought. However, these people are not without hope!
...till there stood up a priest with Urim and with Thummim.
Ezra 2:63
The Urim and Thummim were two rocks that the High Priest carried. They were somehow used to indicate answers to questions from God. These people's hopes were resting on a high priest who could speak for them to God, and could return an answer about their identity.
I wrote before about how Jesus is our High Priest. As such, look at what he had to say about our identity in Him:
John 3:3-8
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
John 10:27-30
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one.
When we are born again, we are born into the family of God. Our identity is in Him. While we may forget who we are, he will never forget. Not only does he not forget, but Jesus said that he would never lose us. "Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" and "No man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" are promises that God will never forget who we are. So, when we forget who we are, we can simply go to our High Priest (Jesus) and he will remind us. He will remind us of our identity in Him.
Thank you Jesus for my new identity in you. Sometimes I forget who I am and live like I am back in Babylon. Father, remind me who I am so that I can serve you. Remind me who I am so that I can partake in those holy things that you wish to sustain me by. Amen.
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