Guardianship

Day 85:   Ezra 1–5; Nahum 1–3; Habakkuk 1–3; 2nd John; 3rd John; Jude

It looks like I read a lot today!  Selections from 6 different books of the Bible.  In fact read 5 books of the bible in their entirely today!  The truth is even though is looks like a lot of reading, it was only 14 chapters.  Nahum and Habakkuk have only 3 chapters each.  and the 2nd and 3rd letters of John have only one chapter.  The same is true for Jude.

Each writer composes their document at different times for differing purposes.  Ezra records the rebuilding of the temple after Cyrus the Persian King sent the Israelites home to do so.  Nahum writes to announce God's wrath on Assyria and the restoration of Jacob (northern Israel).  Habakkuk announces the destruction of Babylon and the restoration of Jerusalem.  John writes to warn about false teachers and good manners.  Jude also warns of false teachers in the church.

What occurs to me in the multifaceted selection of readings today is a theme of "guardianship." 

Ezra records that Sheshbazzar lead the first set of returning exiles from Babylon (Ezr. 1:8,11).  They brought back the articles of the Lord's house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from Jerusalem. Chapter two includes a listing of all who returned.  You will recognize many names, but they are descendants of names we have encountered in the annals of the kings of Judah, of David and Solomon and their dynasty.  They include priests, officials and the king's household servants.

You have to respect that during the years teetering between good king/bad king, Yahweh worship/pagan worship that someone took it upon themselves to maintain these records.  Someone took responsibility to be guardian for these names.  It is a testimony to the glory of God's promise to restore Jerusalem.  Now we can point to names like Shephatiah of King Solomon's house or Barzillai the Gileadite and know they are coming home in the bodies of this descendants.

You may remember that Barzillai showed King David kindness and provided for his people as they fled Jerusalem from Absolom's forces (2 Sam. 19:31-39).  David urged Solomon to show loyalty to Barzillai's family from then on.  His descendants return with the exiles is something to celebrate about God's faithfulness and the faithfulness of those within His kingdom who will look after others.  Barzillai was a guardian to the king and the sons of David kept watch of Barzillai's family for centuries.

Zerubbabel, Jeshua (that's Jesus folks, but not Jesus of Nazareth), are the new king and high priest. Zerubbabel is the grandson of King Jehoiachin and the messianic figure who watches of over the people of Israel. Jeshua is the grandson of Jerusalem's last high priest Jozadak. Jeshua too will guard the holy things of God and restore temple worship and the daily offerings and sacrifices.  They do so even before the foundations are laid for the new temple (Ezr. 3:6).

When the inhabitants of the land notice that sacrifices are being made and the temple is begin rebuilt in Jerusalem, they suggest that they too have a say in what happens in Jerusalem (Ezr. 4:1-2).   they have worshiped Yahweh too since they were imported into the region by the Assyrian King Esar-haddon. (You may remember his father Sennacherib was murdered by his brothers as an act of Yahweh's justice. [2 Kg. 19:36-37])

Zerubabbel and Jeshua maintained that the task of rebuilding the temple belonged to the Jew alone as decreed by the Persian King Cyrus.  They even made sure that would be priests and Levites who could not prove their lineage were restricted from the holy things of Yahweh (Ezr. 2:59, 62-63).  How much more would they keep the foreigners imported from other lands by the Assyrians (these are the ancestors to the hated Samaritans in 1st century A.D.) from coming near the temple?  Governor Zerubbabel and Jeshua the priest were passionate about keeping watch over the restoration of the people. They were to be strictly covenant faithful.  These men were guardians of the holy covenant of Yahweh and His temple.

Nahum and Habakkuk agree that Yahweh their God is the guardian of His people.  He will crush their enemies even when He uses them to correct His wayward sons.

The LORD is good,
    a stronghold in a day of distress;
    He cares for those who take refuge in Him (Nah. 1:7).

You come out to save Your people,
    to save Your anointed.
    You crush the leader of the house of the wicked
    and strip [him] from foot to neck (Hab. 3:13).


It is worth noting that Habakkuk the prophet is one who is willing to take God to task.  He calls on God to be the awesome One from old who delivered his ancestors (Hab. 3:2).  He asks God "how long?" like so many of their psalmists had prayed.  And he waits like a watchman, a guardian over Jerusalem waiting to hear a response (Hab. 2:1).  Even though God does not act to save Jerusalem, Habakkuk remains loyal and keeps his faith (Hab. 3:17-19). 

John writes to "the elect lady and her children (2 Jn 1:1)."  John warns the church in her home to watch themselves. They are to keep on loving one another as Christ loved. they are to walk in love (2 Jn. 1:6).

"Watch yourselves so that you don't lose what we have worked for, but you may receive a full reward. Anyone who does not remain in the teaching about Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God (2 Jn. 1:8-9)."

So the apostle watches over the church with sound doctrine, guarding against heresies, and the church follows the guidance of their guardian apostles by watching themselves and not welcoming persons who claim to be teachers by preach falsities.

John writes a personal letter to Gaius in his 3rd letter in the New Testament, thankful for his faithfulness to the truth and for his welcome to John's fellow missionary evangelists (3 Jn. 1:3, 6-7). John so identifies with the church that he doesn't think of them as "wards" but as his own children.


"I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth (3 Jn. 1:4)."

He encourages Gaius to not be like Diotrephes, "who loves to have first place (3 Jn. 1:9)."  This power hungry Christians are not from God.  John must help the church guard against such arrogance which is so damaging to the body of Christ.

Jude, the half brother of Jesus (tradition says), writes the church also to guard against ungodly men who are "turning the grace of our God into promiscuity and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (Jd. 1:4b)."  He exhorts the to "contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once for all (Jd. 1:3b)."

Jude gives them a quick review of what happens to sexually immoral  and rebellious people by reminding the church of those who perished in the Wilderness with Moses, of Sodom and Gomorrah, of the angels who fell from heaven and slept with the daughters of men.


"Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, have abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam for profit, and have perished in Korah's rebellion (Jd. 1:11)."

The "blackness of darkness" is reserved for these "scoffers walking according to their own ungodly desires. These people create divisions and are merely natural, not having the Spirit (Jd. 1:18b-19)."


Jude writes wise counsel and asks the church to"keep themselves in the love of God (Jd. 1:20-21)."

For the Guardian of all those who love Him is the One who will present them before Himself without blemish!  I end with Jude's fantastic contribution to the bible: the Benediction to the Chief Guardian of our souls, Jesus Christ.


Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now, and forever. Amen (Jd. 1:24-25).