Ezra 8:24-30

Ezra 8:24-30

[24] Then I separated  twelve  of the chief  of the priests,  Sherebiah,  Hashabiah,  and ten  of their brethren  [25] And weighed  unto them the silver,  and the gold,  and the vessels,  even the offering  of the house  of our God,  which the king,  and his counsellors,  and his lords,  and all Israel  there present,  had offered:  [26] I even weighed  unto their hand  six  hundred  and fifty  talents  of silver,  vessels  an hundred  talents,  and of gold  an hundred  talents;  [27] Also twenty  basons  of gold,  of a thousand  drams;  and two  vessels  of fine  copper,  precious  as gold.  [28] And I said  unto them, Ye are holy  unto the LORD;  the vessels  are holy  also; and the silver  and the gold  are a freewill offering  unto the LORD  God  of your fathers.  [29] Watch  ye, and keep  them, until ye weigh  them before  the chief  of the priests  and the Levites,  and chief  of the fathers  of Israel,  at Jerusalem,  in the chambers  of the house  of the LORD.  [30] So took  the priests  and the Levites  the weight  of the silver,  and the gold,  and the vessels,  to bring  them to Jerusalem  unto the house  of our God. 

What does Ezra 8:24-30 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Ezra took special precautions to make sure the expensive temple utensils arrived safely and to guarantee that everyone would perceive that his handling of the precious cargo was completely honest (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:20-21). The Babylonian "talent" ( Ezra 8:26) weighed about66 pounds. The "daric" ( Ezra 8:27) was a thick gold Persian coin that weighed130 grams or about41/2ounces. [1] The total weight of the precious cargo the exiles took with them seems to have been about28 tons. [2] There are records that indicate that there were some very wealthy Jews living in Babylon at this time. [3]
"Following Ezra"s example, Christian leaders should delegate responsibility. Ezra carefully chose the people to whom he gave responsibility. It may seem exaggerated to have taken such precautions with the money, to weigh it out carefully, to record every detail. However, to do things carefully, with decisions and transactions documented in writing, is a sign of wisdom rather than a lack of confidence. It protects everyone involved. Many present-day scandals could be avoided if Christian leaders would learn from Ezra." [4]