Riding Shotgun

The idea of riding shotgun is much more than calling dibs on sitting in the right front seat on the next road trip. Back in the wild west, stagecoach companies would sit a hired gun next to the driver of the carriage. His job was simple. The protection of the passengers and cargo. If any banditos threatened the trip, they would face the business end of a shotgun. Here in Ezra 8:24-30, we read about twelve priests taking on a similar assignment. The Israelite wagon train is about to hit the trail for Jerusalem. There’s not only 7,000-8,000 people but almost 30 tons of silver and gold that’s headed straight for God’s rebuilt temple. Just before heading out, Ezra taps a dozen priests to keep an eye on this massive amount of precious metals. 

The year is 458 BC. The place is Babylon. Specifically, a campsite along the Ahava River. A Hebrew high priest named Ezra is leading a resettlement of the Promised Land. God has prompted the Persian King Artaxerxes to bankroll the entire project (Ez 7:6, 27). This has to be divine intervention because a pagan dictator doesn’t just hand out blank checks to fund something that doesn’t benefit his kingdom (Ez 7:18-20). At the last minute, Ezra suddenly realizes that he doesn’t have any Levites or temple servants on his team (Ez 8:15). God provides a small but critical squad to fill that need (Ez 8:18-20). At the riverside campsite, the Big E asks everyone to fast and pray for safe travels (Ez 8:21). They are about to make a 1,000-mile trip through some of the most dangerous desert in the region without any sort of military escort. Ezra thought asking for security detail would probably not be the sort of request to make after making it so clear that they are firmly in the grip of “the hand of our God” (Ez 8:22).

The people fast and pray for God’s protection “and He listened to our entreaty” (Ez 8:23). We’re just about good to go. But there’s just one more important item Ezra must do before they put the pedal to the metal for Jerusalem. “Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests: Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their kinsmen with them” (v24). God has just provided these one dozen priests as a result of the great Levite shortage. Now they have been called to office to receive a very special assignment. Ezra gives these men the very special responsibility of watching over all of the gold and silver that is being returned to the temple. There’s a lot of bling. I mean a LOT!

Ezra tells us how he weighed all of various pieces of precious metal before the trip to get an idea of what they were taking. Remember, King Artaxerxes told the Israelites to swing by the royal treasury and grab everything they want or need (Ez 8:15-20). I’m thinking Ezra was more than a little shocked when he saw this mother lode. “I weighed out into their hand 650 talents of silver, and silver vessels worth 200 talents, and 100 talents of gold, 20 bowls of gold worth 1,000 darics, and two vessels of fine bright bronze as precious as gold” (v26-27). Those 650 talents of silver weighs in at more than 25 tons. Not pounds. TONS! And 100 talents of gold tips the scales at just under four tons. No wonder Ezra was sorry he didn’t ask Artaxerxes for a military escort!

Each of the dozen priests take responsibility for one twelfth of the gold and silver. At this point, Ezra tells them, “You are holy to the LORD, and the vessels are holy” (v28). This doesn’t mean that they are super spiritual and holier-than-thou. It means that serving God on behalf of His people is their priority. The idea of holiness is one of the more sticky ideas in the Bible to wrap our brains around. It can certainly describe sinless and spotless purity. God says that’s a great description of Himself (Lev 11:44-45). The angels flying around the heavenly thrown are so blown away by God’s utter perfection that they sing it not once, not twice, but three times (Is 6:3)! Certainly, God expects all of His people to be perfect just as He is perfect. Even Jesus said so (Mt 5:40).

The idea of holiness Ezra’s talking about here is somebody or someone set aside for a very specific or special purpose. Think of a closer in baseball. He’s that one relief pitcher that the manager will only use in the ninth inning win the game. A team won’t waste their closer in the seventh. He’s got a very specific role. Enter the game in the ninth inning and bring the heat. He’s set apart for a unique purpose. He’s, in a sense, holy. Think about that the next time your favorite closer struts in from the pen to “Enter Sandman.” Another example is your mom’s special china that she only busts out for the holidays. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? That antique set of dishes she inherited from her grandmother who inherited it from her grandmother. She’s not wasting the good dishes on your PB&J. It’s set apart. It has a special assignment. It’s holy.

Ezra tells the not-so-dirty dozen and the bling in their care that they are holy. They are set apart for a special assignment. He makes the priests accountable to the transport of the holy hardware. That’s their role. That’s their unique purpose. The vessels are to be used only when they arrive at the rebuilt temple upon arrival in Jerusalem. Nobody’s going to unpack them for a picnic on the journey back to Judah. The priests are holy because they have a special purpose. The various pieces of silver and gold are holy because they have a special purpose. 

Just in case the priests may have missed the main message, their leader gives them very specific instructions about what they’ll be doing with the silver and gold on the trip. “Guard them and keep them until you weigh them before the chief priests and the Levites and the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel at Jerusalem, within the chambers of the house of the LORD” (v29). With no military escort, it’s up to the priests to ensure the delivery of the bounty to the temple. This is their day-to-day duty. Their special assignment. Their unique purpose. These twelve priests are riding holy shotgun. If I was one of these dudes, I would be absolutely shaking in my sandals at the responsibility. Just a couple of days ago, I was minding my own business in Casiphia (Ez 8:17). Now I’m making a 1,000-mile journey through the desert and it’s my responsibility to guard multi-billion dollars in cargo. Sometimes these holy assignments can blindside you.

How about you? What’s your special assignment? What’s you’re unique purpose? Has Jesus put you in a specifically assigned role? Have you found yourself in a humbling position of responsibility and accountability that has rocked your world? God’s Spirit has given each of us specific gifts and talents to build up fellow believers (Rom 12:4-8; 1Cor 12:4-11, 27-28). Maybe you teach God’s Word. Possibly you’re a pastor. Do you like helping others? You could be one of those who simply likes to serve behind the scenes and do the little things. And then there are those very special folks for whom God has given a burden for kids. We need to remember that if this is your unique purpose for right here and right now, God has given you everything you need. So what’s your holy assignment?

Does this idea send a shiver down your spine (I know the thought of facing a roomful of middle schoolers would sure freak me out!)? The Bible is full of folks who felt totally unqualified for what God had for them. A stammering fugitive killer named Moses was to lead God’s people out of Egypt (Ex 3:7-12, 4:10-14). A cowardly farmer by the name of Gideon would lead a special forces squad of 300 to whip a multinational army (Jg 7). A teenaged peasant girl named Mary would be the mother of the one and only Son of God (Lk 1:26-38). Remember, God loves picking rejects, goofballs, and weirdos and using them to turn the world upside down (1Cor 1:26-31). For these dozen priests, I have little doubt that Ezra made it clear to them how God’s hand is on this mission (Ez 7:7,9; 8:18, 22, 31).

These men may be some of the best of the Hebrew best, but they point us to another Priest who will come one day. Jesus is our ultimate High Priest (Heb 4:14-16). Now we’re talking about a HOLY High Priest! Christ is completely, totally, and absolutely without sin. Because of His own holy-holy-holiness, Jesus traded us straight up. Our sinfulness for His righteousness (2Cor 5:21). Just like Ezra’s priests, Jesus also rides shotgun. He makes absolutely certain that once He saves us that we make it to our final destination. The Apostle Paul told his friends in Philippi “that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6). Here’s the deal, when the Son of God is riding shotgun on your salvation, you have nothing to worry about.