The Period of the Persian Monarchy, Chapter 13 – Chapter 15
CHAP. XIII.
Cap. 8 v. 9. Then Nehemiah, which is Tirshasha, and Ezra the Priest and Scribe.TIrshasha is a Persian word, and signifieth a man in high Office about the Prince; and such an one was Nehemiah. Other there were that did beare the like office: as Nehem. 7.70. 'tis said; The Tirshasha gave to the Treasure a thousand drams of gold. But this Tirshasha is some other officer, and not our Nehemiah. Wee see the great goodnesse of God, who did preferre to great place and favour some of his servants, about Heathen Princes: And it is a comfort, that if God send us or ours into the Countries or Courts of Pagans, yet hee can preferre us then, and preserve us there. Nehemiah is very great, and holds his goodnesse. And Daniel with the rest were in as high place of dignity and command as ever they could have beene, had the Court and Common-wealth of Israel stood. Doubt nothing: as long as wee follow God: God can keepe us to our consciences, and our consciences to him in Babylon it selfe. Let us teach our posterity to pray and beleeve: and though they have not one penny in their purses, yet faith and prayer will carrie them all the world over. And if God in his providence make them great in a land of Persians, in the houses or Courts of Pagans; faith will keepe them good.
This Feast of Boothes,Vers. 17. And all the Congregation of them that were come againe out of the Captivity made Boothes, and sate under the Boothes. For since the time of Ioshuah the sonne of Nun unto this day, had not the children of Isra…el done so: and there was very great joy. was a Feast of 7. dayes: and it had these uses.
1 That all Generations might by it understand, that when Israël came out of Egypt, the Lord made them to dwell in Booths.
2 To remember their misery past.
3 To look for redemption by the death of Christ. And therefore Zacharie makes the signification of this holy feast to be to shew us, That the memorie of Christ redeeming us by his death,Zach. 14.16, 17, 28, 19. is to be kept with all manner of spirituall joy.
4 Of thankfulnesse for their fruits; it being kept at this time.Vers. 18. And he read in the Booke of the Law of God every day, from the first day unto the last: and they kept the feast 7. dayes: and on the 8. day a solemne Assembly according to the manner.
But was this Feast disused since Iosua's time? What? for a matter of 1000. yeares; such a Feast as this, so expressely commanded by God, so utterly omitted in the times of so many godly Princes and Priests? I thinke not; rather that it had not beene kept with such devotion and celebration from Iosuah till now: (which I thinke is the reason why mention is here made of the Feast of Booths.) For here we finde, v. 18. That all the 7. dayes, day after day, the Booke of the Law of God was read, and they had Congregations to that purpose each day, and then they had a solemne Assembly on the 8. day according to the manner. By which word we see, that the manner had beene to have a solemne assembly on the 8. day. But it seemes, the manner had not beene to have Assemblies and reading from the first day to the last day; no not from Iosua's time, as it was now: So that in Iosuah's time, they did use to reade the Law in such order and manner, as they did now. In Levit. 23.35.36. there is required a holy Convocation, onelyonly the first day and the last 8. day. Did they more now in this Feast, than the very Law it selfe required? If they did, they must have warrant from the Spirit of God by some revelation made to Nehemiah, Ezra, or some other for it; which appeares not: or else, who required this at their hands, to doe more than God commanded? And therefore I leave I…nius and Deodate in this, and doe rather thinke, that in the Feast of Booths, by the very Law, reading of the Word was aDeut. 31.11.required all the dayes, though that the first & last were dayes of restraint, more solemne Convocations and great holy-dayes, in which they might doe no worke, as they might in the interim dayes. And so Iohn 3.7. the last is called the great day of the Feast.
I thinke there had beene an omission of (such) reading of the Law, viz. day after day, which was required by the institution in the Law, & had beene in use till Iosuah's time, but was discontinued from his time till now; and now was brought into use againe. The manner had beene continued to reade on the 8. day, the solemne day: but now it was done every day of the Feast of Tabernacles. And therefore mention is made of the solemnizing of this Feast of Boothes in this place; to shew that there was a great reformation of a disuse, which crept in anon upon Iosuah's dayes, and had continued in the Church in very godly times now 1000. yeares. Wee see that a neglect in Divine worship may continue long in the Church, in the times of the best men.
2 Though it have lasted ever so long, yet it is our dutie to doe what we can to set it right againe at the last.
This Feast was celebrated in Boothes made of the boughes of greene trees, in remembrance of Gods favours to them in the wildernesse; at which time they had their dwelling in Boothes. The chiefe sort of Trees are named: and for Palmes, 'tis observed that they carried them in their hands; It being an old wont, that branches of Palmes were carried as signes of bPausanias in Areadicis. Plutarch. foreign. l. 4. c. 5.victory and great joy. Hereby, saith Henry A…sworth on Levit. 23.40. wee may see the reason, why at Christs comming to Ierusal…m (though at another time of the yeare) the people and children strawed the way with branches of trees, and tooke branches of Palme-trees, and went forth to meet him, and cryed Hosanna: Mat. 21.8.9. Io…. 12.13. For all the Legall Feasts (saith he) had their accomplishment in him, and to him the honour and solemnity of every Feast did by right appertaine. So he. But what if these did it onelyonly to testifie their joy and exultation? it being a custome in all nations to shew their joy with boughes: And they being to entertaine Christ, a King, did it with garments and boughes; such things as came next to hand. Besides, the boughes in the Feast of the Iewes, were more for their remembrance of dwelling in Boothes in the wildernesse, than for joy. Againe, this was not at the Feast of Tabernacles and Boothes, that Christ came to Ierusalem; and were it not better to say, That these Iewes old and young did what they did by some instinct from heaven, than onelyonly to imitate a custome of a Feast performed at another time of the yeare, that all might understand that which David had prophecyed of the Messias to come, was now fulfilled in Christ? For certaine, neither humane counsaile, nor imitation of a custome, but onelyonly a divine inspirement could make infants to doe as here in Matthew we read that they did.Matth. 21.15, 16.
CHAP. XIIII.
Cap. 11.COmpare the eleventh Chapter with 1. Chron. 9.2. and you shall find that the number is greater in the Chronicles, than here. The answer is; that here onelyonly those are reckoned who inhabited Ierusalem by lot: But in the Chronicles wee have those also recorded, who went willingly and of their owne accord, & therefore the summe is greater.
CHAP. XV.
BY sonne is here meant the Nephew of Iojada, Cap. 13.28. And one of the sons of Iehojada, the sonne of Eliash…b the high Priest, was the sonne in law of Sanballat the Horonite: but I chased him from mee.the brother of Iaddua the high Priest: his name was Manasses an Apostata: he did marry the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, i. e. a Moabite *Esai. 15.5. Ier. 48.3.of Horonajim: And because he could not continue in the Priesthood by reason he had a strange wife; hee was minded to turne away his wife, that he might not be turned out of his Office. Now to keepe him to his wife, Sanballat undertooke to build a Temple, every way as stately and as goodly as that at Ierusalem: and, that it might have the more honour, on Mount cIudg. 9.7. Ioseph. lib. 11. cap. ult. Antiq.Gerazim, hard by the City Sichem, and that Manasses should be chiefe Priest of the Temple. Which Sanballat, having first got leave of Alexander, did performe; and from this beginning came that famous schisme as touching the place where sacrifices were to be offered, betwixt the Samaritanes and the Iewes. Ioh. 4.20.Before God had pointed out a place, they did worship on high places where they pleased: but, when once the Lord had chosen Mount Moriah, and set his Name there, it was unlawfull to sacrifice any where but there. And though before, Abraham and Iacob and others did please God with the high places; yet afterwards, the Kings of Israel are shent for that they did not demolish the high places. Yet stil for other kinds of Worship which were not tyed to one place, as sacrifices were, the Iewes and dLuc. 6.12. Rainold. praelect. 186.Christ himselfe (the policy of the Iewes being not buried) did use many times to goe up to a mountaine, an high place to pray. But sacrifices, they were only at Ierusalem; and whereas the Samaritanes did pretend the Fathers, meaning by [Fathers] Iacob, and perhaps Abraham too; yet it was but a pretence; For they came not of Iacob but of the e2. King. 17.race of the Assyrians: neither was the Temple on Mount Gerazim ancienterthan the time of this Manasses. And this Manasses marrying the daughter of Sanballat the Moabite, a great man in place and power, bred this schisme. Iacob did set up an Altar neere Sichem;Gen. 33.18.20. but it was before God had confined his worship and sacrifices to one place. As for a Temple, there was none besides that at Ierusalem, till Sanballat on this occasion did build one: which Temple remaines in the East unto this day. eA me & à vobis recedant, qui dicunt, Nolumus esse meliores quàm Paties nostri. Bern. ep. 93. Chrysost. 1. Cor. 2. Hom. 8. in Morali.They use to brag most of antiquity that have least cause, and have no better arguments for themselves than to follow their false and foolish Ancestors. The last cleeres all the rest: *Remember me, O my God, for good. Cap. 5.19. Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people. Cap. 13.15. Remember me O my God concerning this, & wipe not out my good deeds that I hauehave done for the house of my God, and for the officers thereof.He produceth his good deeds as testimonies of his sincerity, and of that willing mind that was in him to doe God service: which will of his notwithstanding came from God, not from himselfe. He prayes the Lord not to charge his sinne upon him committed in other matters: and in the good hee did, hee begs of God that he would regard onelyonly his sincerity, and thinke upon him in mercy. Hee brags not, but prayes;Vers. 22. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also; and spare mee according to the greatnesse of thy mercy. produceth the good which through the grace of God hee had done, yet claimes nothing as due in justice, but sues to God to remember him in mercy & goodnesse. No thought of merit, where the suite is, to be spared according to the greatnesse of Gods mercy.