Chapter 12: The Post-Exilic Books
Chapter 12: THE POST-EXILIC BOOKS.
The books written in Jerusalem after the return from the exile, now
commonly called post-exilic, are five in number, namely: Ezra,
Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. We shall speak of them in
this order.
1. Ezra. This book begins, as Chronicles left off, with the decree
of Cyrus for the release of the captives and their return to their
native land {12}. It gives a little fuller account of this decree, and
also an account of the return of the first caravan of Jews under the
command of Zerubbabel, called also "Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah"
(Ezra 1:8; Ezra 2:2; Ezra 3:8). He was the prince of Judah, in the sense that being a grandson of Jehoiachin, the last king, he would have been
entitled to the throne if Israel had been an independent nation (1 Chronicles 3:17-19). The reader will be surprised to find, from this account,
how small a number of the Jews saw fit to take advantage of the offer
made to them by Cyrus. The rest had become satisfied to remain in
foreign lands, where they were doubtless prosperous in the main, rather
than return to a depopulated country, and go through the hardship of
rebuilding their cities and homes. This reflects the more credit on the
zeal and faith of those who did enter into this hard undertaking. The
joy with which they made the journey had been depicted in the most
glowing and hyperbolical imagery. Read in this connection the fortieth
through fifty-second chapters of the book of Isaiah, and see in what
rapturous strains the writer dwells upon this theme, returning to it
again and again amid other topics of which he writes.
All went well with the people in their efforts to rebuild the temple
during the rest of the reign of Cyrus; but in subsequent reigns the
Samaritans, as the mixed races were then called that inhabited the
territory of the northern tribes, obtained a royal decree for the
suspension of the work, and it was not till the second year of the
reign of Darius that the work was renewed. Then the two prophets Haggai
and Zechariah encouraged the people to renew the work, and they did so
without waiting to hear from the king. Another effort was made to stop
them, but when the king was heard from it was with a decree that
the work should not be hindered. The account of these proceedings in
the first through sixth chapters, is full of interest and instruction.
The time from the return till the completion of the temple was
twenty-one years, as is known from the intervening reigns of Persian
kings.
Between the sixth and seventh chapters of Ezra there is a gap of
time of fifty-seven years, extending from the sixth year of Darius to
the seventh year of Artaxerxes (Ezra 6:15; Ezra 7:8). In this interval Xerxes had reigned, and made his famous expedition into Greece, and the
events of the book of Esther had taken place. Why Ezra leaves it blank
is not known, but perhaps, on account of the troublous character of the
times he had nothing special to record that was not already written in
Esther. This book marks the division between the very distinct parts of
the book of Ezra, the first six chapters giving the history of the
caravan which returned under Zerubbabel until they had completed the
temple, while the second part gives the personal labors of Ezra. He
came to Jerusalem with a letter from the king and authorizing him to
establish the law of God as the law of the land, and to enforce it if
need be, by all the usual penalties of violated law (Ezra 7:25,26). This was a matter of supreme importance to the Jews; for hitherto
they had been governed in civil matters only by the laws of Persia.
Ezra, being a priest and a scribe, had by hard study specially
qualified himself for this important task, and he proved himself
eminently worthy of the confidence which the king reposed in him. He
preserves a list of those who reformed under his entreaties, so that
their sons and daughters after them might know that their fathers were
among the true hearted who turned back to the Lord when rebuked for
their sins.
{12} By comparing Ezra 1:1-3 with 2 Chronicles 36:22, 23 it will be seen that the two books were evidently one originally, but were
separated, perhaps by accident, in the middle of Ezra 1:3, and the earlier verses were copied from the Second Chronicles passage
to make the beginning of what became a new book.--W.
2. Nehemiah. In the ancient Hebrew manuscripts the books of Ezra
and Nehemiah were written as if they were one; but the title, "The
Words of Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah" (Nehemiah 1:1) clearly indicate the beginning of another book, and justify the separation which was
made in the Greek translation at an early period. While the temple was
rebuilt by Zerubbabel, it was the work of Nehemiah to rebuild the city
walls. He went from Babylon for this purpose, thirteen years after Ezra
went there to establish the law. That which moved him to the
undertaking is set forth in the first chapter. The distress there
depicted, which overwhelmed him on hearing that "the city, the place of
his father's sepulchres" {Nehemiah 2:3}, was lying waste and its gates burned with fire, is accounting for if he had previously thought that
since the return of so many captives the walls had been rebuilt; though
it is supposed by some scholars that they had been rebuilt and had been
again thrown down within the thirteen years just mentioned.
It will be seen by reading these six chapters, that Nehemiah was
equally zealous and self-sacrificing with Ezra, but quite different in
his way. While the latter was a priest by descent, and a scribe by
profession, Nehemiah held a civil office, being cup-bearer to the king;
and he had no scruple, therefore, about asking the king for a military
escort when he obtained permission to go to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:9). He acted as governor of the land for twelve years, yet he received no
salary; he made no purchase of lands, though doubtless there was a
tempting opportunity for speculation in them; he made his own servants
work on the wall; and he fed at his table a daily average of one
hundred and fifty men, Jews and visitors from other lands
(Nehemiah 5:14-17). His expenditure must have amounted to a very considerable fortune.
The other seven chapters of the book are occupied with some details
of Nehemiah's government of the people after the completion of the
walls.
At the end of his leave of absence from the king he came back to
Babylon, and "after certain days" he came again to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:6 Nehemiah 13:6,7). During his absence intermarriages with the heathen had again sprung up, and other abuses crept in.
The narrative closes without a hint as to the subsequent life or
death of either Nehemiah or Ezra; and thus ends the history contained
in the Old Testament.
3. Haggai. In this little book we are taken back in time to the
second year of Darius, and the first day of the sixth month of that
year (Haggai 1:1). There had been a failure of crops in the land, and the prophet came to Zerubbabel and Joshua the priest with "the word of
the Lord" {Haggai 1:1}, telling them that it was because the people had been building good houses for themselves, and neglecting to build the
Lord's house. The result was, that these men and the people were
aroused, and began the work anew on the twenty-fourth day of the same
month. This was before the issuing of the decree of Darius, giving them
permission to renew the building (Ezra 6:1-5). Having the Lord's permission and command, they went to work without waiting for that of
the king. This much is set forth in the first chapter.
About a month later, as we read in the second chapter, the word of
the Lord came again to the prophet, promising that, although this house
that they were building seemed to the old people as nothing when
compared with Solomon's, it should at a future day be filled with
glory, and the latter glory of it should be greater than the former;
"and in this place I will give peace, saith Jehovah of Hosts"
{Haggai 2:9}. This prediction had evident reference to the connection of Jesus and his apostles with that house; for by this its greatest
glory was attained.
About two months later, on the twenty-fourth of the ninth month of
the same year, two other messages were brought by Haggai, the first
reminding the people again that the crop failure was a punishment sent
by the Lord, but promising that from that day forth he would bless
them. The second was a personal message to Zerubbabel, promising him
that while Jehovah was going to overthrow all the nations and kingdoms,
he would take him and make him "a signet" {Haggai 2:23}. As Zerubbabel was a lineal ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ, this seems to be an
allusion to the high honor conferred on him in making him such.
From this we see that the five brief messages which were sent by God
through this prophet, were all delivered within the space of three
months, and were all intended to encourage the people in the arduous
labor of rebuilding the temple.
4. Zechariah. While Haggai began his prophesying in the sixth
month of the second year of Darius, and closed it in the ninth month,
Zechariah began in the eighth month of the same year. His first message
was a very brief one, exhorting the people not be as the fathers had
been, to whom the former prophets had spoken, but to take warning from
the fate that befell them. Here is found that well known and beautiful
passage, "Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live
forever?" (Zechariah 1:1-6).
About three months later, on the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh
month, in the same year of Darius, he brought his second message,
consisting of eight symbolical and very curious visions, all of which,
interpreted to him by an angel, gave encouragement to the people with
respect to the temple (Zechariah 1:1-6,15). Thus we see that the first work of Zechariah, like all the work of Haggai, was to co-operate with each
other and with Zerubbabel and Joshua the priest, in pushing forward the
reconstruction of the temple. This was necessary to the fulfillment of
God's purposes and promises respecting Israel and the coming
kingdom of Christ.
From the beginning of the seventh chapter to the close of the book
the prophet is occupied with other themes, and his style rises at times
to the grandeur which characterizes the finest passages in Isaiah. {13}
He rebukes all manner of sins, and calls powerfully to righteous
living. He predicts the gathering of the ten tribes, and the downfall
of those nations which oppressed Israel. He foresees calamities yet to
befall Jerusalem, more disastrous than those of her recent experiences;
but these are to be followed by a time of peace and holiness. In the
midst of these predictions we find several passages which are quoted in
the New Testament as being fulfilled in connection with the life of
Jesus (Zechariah 11:12,13; Zechariah 13:1-7).
{13} The unity of the book of Zechariah is one of the open questions of
Biblical study. Indications of a different horizon and authorship
are found by some scholars in the sections ninth through eleventh
and twelfth through fourteen.--W.
5. Malachi. As Nehemiah was the last of the Old Testament
historians, Malachi was the last of the prophets; and they co-operated
with each other; for while Malachi, unlike Haggai and Zechariah, does
not give the date of his message, the contents of it show clearly that
he spoke after the temple had been completed and the regular
service therein had been renewed. As he makes no allusion to the
troubles about rebuilding the walls, this work also seems to have been
completed. And as he rebukes the people for intermarriage with the
heathen, this agrees with the state of things when Nehemiah came the
second time to Jerusalem, and broke up that practice.
The book has the form of a single discourse by the prophet. He
begins with the fact that God had loved Jacob and hated Esau, where the
two brothers are put for the nations that sprang from them; and he
predicts disaster yet to befall the latter (Malachi 1:1-5).
He then rebukes the priests for treating with contempt the law of
sacrifices, a corruption which grew out of their avarice
(Malachi 1:6-11,14). He next predicts the coming of the Messiah to the temple, and the work of purification and separation which he will
execute (Malachi 2:17-3:6). Turning back to his own time he rebukes the people severely for withholding their tithes and offerings, and for
pretending that there was no profit in serving the Lord (Malachi 3:7-15). He predicts the final blessedness of those that feared the Lord, and
the destruction of those who feared him not (Malachi 3:16-4:3).
As a most fitting close of the Old Testament, he looks back and
says to the people, "Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I
commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and
judgments" {Malachi 4:4}; and then he looks forward to the work of John the Baptist, and says, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet
before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And he shall turn
the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children
to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse"
{Malachi 4:5,6}.
We have now given a brief introduction to every one of the
thirty-nine books of the Old Testament, and we have come down to within
about four and a half centuries of the birth of Christ, with which the
New Testament begins. Of that interval we have no inspired history, and
of much of it we have no history at all. The most than can now be known
of it is derived from the books called The Apocrypha, some of which are
edifying, some historical, and some fabulous. It would be well for the
student to read them after becoming reasonably familiar with the Old
Testament. Josephus gives a history of this period as he derived it
from these sources. Some portions of it are thrillingly interesting,
and a knowledge of it enables one to better understand the views
and practices of the Jews in the days of Christ and the apostles. {14}
{14} See list of apocryphal books in the Appendix.--W.
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