Commentary - Ezra 6:19-22

Bird's-eye view

This short passage in Ezra is a dense and glorious picture of covenant renewal and gospel joy. After years of opposition and struggle, the returned exiles are finally able to celebrate the Passover in the land, in the newly completed house of God. This is not just a historical report; it is a theological statement. The worship of God has been restored, and with it, the identity of the people of God. The passage highlights several crucial themes: the importance of corporate purity, the centrality of substitutionary sacrifice, the necessity of separation from the world, and the source of all true gladness being the sovereign work of God, who can turn the hearts of even pagan kings to accomplish His purposes.

What we see here is a microcosm of the Christian life. We are exiles who have been brought back by the grace of God. We are cleansed, not by our own efforts, but through the work of our great High Priest. We feast on the Lamb who was slain for us. We are called to be a people set apart from the defilement of the nations. And our joy is not circumstantial, but is grounded in the finished work of God in Christ, who rules over all things for the good of His church.

Outline

Context In Ezra

These verses form the climax of the first major section of Ezra (chapters 1-6), which details the return from Babylon under Zerubbabel and the rebuilding of the temple. The work had been fraught with difficulty. The people had faced external opposition from their enemies (chapter 4) and internal lethargy that had to be addressed by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (chapter 5). But God had been faithful. He stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to issue the decree (1:1), He protected them from their adversaries, and He moved King Darius to reaffirm Cyrus's decree and even provide for the temple's construction from the royal treasury (6:1-12). The temple is finally completed and dedicated (6:14-18), and this celebration of the Passover is the capstone event. It signifies that the central purpose of their return has been accomplished: the worship of Yahweh according to His commands has been reestablished in Jerusalem.

Commentary

v. 19 And the exiles celebrated the Passover on the fourteenth of the first month.

The first thing to notice is who is celebrating. They are identified as "the exiles," or "the children of the captivity." Their identity is rooted in their history of judgment and redemption. They are the ones who have been brought back. This is not a people with a proud pedigree in the land; they are a remnant, saved by grace. And what do they do? They celebrate the Passover. This is foundational. The Passover was Israel's great festival of redemption, commemorating their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. By celebrating it now, they are identifying their return from Babylon as a new exodus. God has once again delivered His people from bondage. The timing is also precise: "the fourteenth of the first month." God is a God of order, and His worship is not a haphazard affair. They are being obedient to the specific commands given in the Torah (Ex. 12:6). True worship is always an act of obedience to God's Word.

v. 20 For the priests and the Levites had cleansed themselves together; all of them were clean. Then they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, both for their brothers the priests and for themselves.

Before the people can worship, the leaders must be pure. The priests and Levites, the ministers of the sanctuary, had to undergo ritual purification. The text emphasizes their unity and completeness in this: "together; all of them were clean." Corporate worship requires corporate holiness. This is a top-down affair; the cleansing of the leadership is noted first. This is a picture of the church. The elders and deacons must be above reproach, setting an example of holiness for the flock. And their cleanliness is not for their own sake, but for the sake of the whole community. They are then able to perform their central duty: they "slaughtered the Passover lamb." This is the heart of the matter. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22). A lamb dies so that the people might live. This points us directly to Christ, our Passover Lamb, who was sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7). Notice also that the sacrifice is for "all the exiles." This is a corporate salvation. The lamb is not just for the spiritual elite, but for everyone in the covenant community, including the priests themselves. The ministers need the sacrifice just as much as the people do.

v. 21 Then the sons of Israel who returned from exile and all those who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land to join them, to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel, ate the Passover.

Here we see the two groups who make up the renewed people of God. First, the "sons of Israel who returned from exile", the ethnic, covenant remnant. But they are not alone. They are joined by "all those who had separated themselves from the uncleanness of the nations of the land." This is remarkable. The door is open to Gentile proselytes. The basis for inclusion in the people of God is not primarily ethnic, but spiritual. The requirement is twofold. First, separation: they had to turn their backs on the filthy practices of the pagan cultures around them. This is a call to holiness, to be set apart. Second, intention: they did this "to seek Yahweh, the God of Israel." They were drawn to the one true God. This is a beautiful Old Testament picture of the Great Commission. The gospel goes out to all nations, and all who repent of their sin and seek the Lord are welcomed into His family. And what is the sign of their inclusion? They "ate the Passover." To eat the meal is to be identified with the people of the meal. In the New Covenant, we eat the Lord's Supper, and in doing so, we proclaim our union with Christ and His body, the church.

v. 22 And they celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with gladness, for Yahweh had caused them to be glad and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them to strengthen them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

The Passover meal kicks off the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. This feast was a reminder to put away the "leaven" of sin and corruption from their lives (cf. 1 Cor. 5:8). Their celebration is characterized by one word: "gladness." This is not a grim, dutiful, religious observance. It is a joy-filled festival. But the text is careful to identify the source of this joy. They were glad "for Yahweh had caused them to be glad." True, lasting joy is not something we can manufacture. It is a gift from God. And what was the basis of this God-given gladness? It was God's sovereign control over all things. He had "turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them." This is a startling statement. The king mentioned here is Darius, a Persian king, but he is called the "king of Assyria" because his empire now encompassed the old Assyrian territories. The point is that God is in control of the hearts of the most powerful pagan rulers on earth. Proverbs 21:1 tells us the king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will. God used this pagan king to "strengthen them in the work of the house of God." God is not limited to working through His people. He can and does use unbelievers, governments, and even our enemies to accomplish His good purposes for His church. This is the foundation of our joy and our confidence. Our hope is not in our circumstances or in the good will of powerful men, but in the absolute sovereignty of our God, the God of Israel.

Application

This passage is a rich feast for the Christian. First, it reminds us that our worship must be ordered by God's Word. The exiles kept the Passover at the appointed time and in the appointed way. We are not free to invent worship according to our own tastes. We come to God on His terms, which He has revealed in Scripture.

Second, we see the absolute necessity of purity, especially in leadership. We cannot lead others in worship if we ourselves are not walking in cleanliness before the Lord. This requires constant confession and repentance, looking to Christ, our great High Priest, who has cleansed us once for all.

Third, we are reminded that the church is a separated people. Like the proselytes in Ezra's day, we have been called out of the uncleanness of the world. This means we will look different, act different, and have different loves than the culture around us. We are to be a holy nation, a peculiar people, seeking the Lord our God.

Finally, our joy is grounded in God's sovereignty. We may face opposition. The world's rulers may seem to hold all the cards. But our God is the one who turns their hearts. He is the one who strengthens our hands for the work He has given us to do. Therefore, we do not despair. We work, we worship, and we celebrate with gladness, knowing that our God has caused us to be glad, and His purposes for His people can never be thwarted.