Ezra 8:28
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. 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.
Ezra's charge in this verse was given to the priests entrusted with the temple treasure, to serve as vigilant stewards over the vessels and the silver and gold offered for God's house. Those so charged were twelve chief priests whose faithfulness and fidelity had already been proved. It declares that the priests themselves are set apart as holy to the Lord, and that the vessels are holy and the silver and gold are a voluntary offering dedicated to the Lord God of their fathers.
It commands them to watch over and preserve the treasure safely until it can be weighed again at Jerusalem. That final weighing was to take place before the leaders of the priests and Levites and the fathers of Israel in the chambers of the house of the Lord. The verse shows that God's blessing does not make prudence and forethought unnecessary.
Its care in safeguarding the Lord's treasure teaches that only those whose trustworthiness has been proved should be chosen for such responsibility. Those chosen must be instructed plainly about the responsibility resting on them. The appointment of faithful officers as treasurers of the Lord's goods shows the necessity and value of order and organization in connection with God's work.