Ezra 8:24-36
King James Version (KJV)
24 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
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, and 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.
Commentary 1: The gold / gifts were separated among 12 priests because God does not give all His talents to a single person. He spreads His gifts among all his children. All of His gifts (like the gold ~ approximately $3 million) would have been too much for one priest to carry 900 miles to Jerusalem. Likewise all of God's gifts could not be carried by one saint.
Commentary 2: the vessels were holy and the priest who had the Lord's freewill offerings were holy too! Saints are holy (set apart) as they give their freewill offerings to the Lord, that He has given them.
Commentary 3: Ezra 8:34 - God keeps His people accountable of the Gifts He has given to His saints. See Matthew 25:14-30, The Parable of the Talents
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, and 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.
Commentary 1: The gold / gifts were separated among 12 priests because God does not give all His talents to a single person. He spreads His gifts among all his children. All of His gifts (like the gold ~ approximately $3 million) would have been too much for one priest to carry 900 miles to Jerusalem. Likewise all of God's gifts could not be carried by one saint.
Commentary 2: the vessels were holy and the priest who had the Lord's freewill offerings were holy too! Saints are holy (set apart) as they give their freewill offerings to the Lord, that He has given them.
Commentary 3: Ezra 8:34 - God keeps His people accountable of the Gifts He has given to His saints. See Matthew 25:14-30, The Parable of the Talents