Holy Treasurers

No. 23 of Returning Home (Second Return)

Ezra and the people journeying to Jerusalem carry with them the king of Persia’s treasures, earmarked for the temple. Ezra must conduct his people and the king’s riches in the safest and most expedient way. He chooses the Levite priests as the burden-bearers of this treasure.

Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them. And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered. I weighed out into their hand 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents, and 100 talents of gold, 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold. – Ezra 8:24-27ESV

They were carrying about 24 tons of silver, along with silver items that weighed approx. 3.75 tons. The gold weighed around 3.75 tons, and the twenty gold bowls weighed about 19 pounds. The silver and gold had been melted into talents, which were large, anvil-like units of about 67-75 lbs. weight. In Persian times, they were often shaped like disks or amphoras—large vases with handles. This made them easier to move in bulk.

Ezra explains his decision to have the priests carry the treasure to Jerusalem.

And I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your fathers. Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the Lord.” – Ezra 8:28-29ESV

So the priests and the Levites took over the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem, to the house of our God. – Ezra 8:30ESV

These holy men took responsibility for the treasure of God’s house. They were God’s treasurers. Not only was it their job to transport these heavy riches, but it was their burden to guard them until they reached the temple. What a responsibility!

Sixty years earlier, God reminded His priests of a similar burden when Haggai asked the priests two questions:

‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.”

Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.”– Haggai 2:12-13ESV

The principle of purity was instilled in these priests through detailed acts of everyday life. Their garments had to stay holy when carrying holy things, and they had to keep their bodies holy by not touching what was dead. This principle placed an immense burden on the Levites, and this purity principle extended beyond the tribe. After exhorting the priests to return to their holy path, Haggai was given another message for Zerubbabel of the kingly tribe over all Israel. God, through Haggai, tells him of a time when He will overthrow the kingdoms of the world.

On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.” – Haggai 2:23ESV

Zerubbabel as God’s signet is particularly powerful language. It harkens back to the names of the 12 tribes engraved on the stones of the ephod as part of the High Priest’s apparel, described in Exodus 39. God told Moses that the golden crown on the High Priest’s head was to be engraved like a signet to read, “Holy to the Lord” (Exodus 39:30ESV). When the High Priest entered the most holy place once a year, he did so representing the nation of Israel. Israel was holy to the Lord. The signet was also meaningful to Zerubbabel and all the people who lived under the world empires of that time because they were familiar with the signets of the powerful kings who ruled them. A signet was an instrument that upheld the king’s authority. It was the king’s own display of personal ownership. Zerubbabel, the heir of the throne of David, was God’s instrument to empower a world kingdom in the future. Zerubbabel was the bearer of a holy treasure–a pure line that would issue forth a worldwide King who would establish His Holy Kingdom forever. What a charge to bear that Kingly Treasure!

We, God’s holy treasurers today, are the “clay jars” carrying the most precious treasure the world has ever known (2 Corinthians 4:7ESV). We bear the gospel, God’s personal invitation to receive the gift of entrance into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Accepting God’s gift means entering into His service. We have the honor and responsibility on our earthly journey to deliver His invitation to others. We, His vessels, bear God’s own signet and must keep ourselves holy to serve Him (2 Timothy 2:19-21). Jesus, the King of the eternal Kingdom, promises His vessels an incorruptible crown (1 Corinthians 9:25NKJV) and an eternal inheritance that, unlike silver and gold, can never be destroyed (1 Peter 1:4ESV).