Ezra, Day 4
Chapter 7
THEME: Ezra the priest comes to Jerusalem to establish the Law of Moses
“Now after this” (verse 1). Go back to Chapter 6, where Darius the king issued a decree to search the archives where a declaration was stored. A scroll was found, issued by Cyrus the king, to have the house of God rebuilt. Darius decreed to have it be done with all diligence.
Who was Artaxerxes? He was king of Persia from c. 464 to c. 425 BC. He was the son of King Xerxes and is often referred to as Artaxerxes I Longimanus. He played a key role in the rebuilding of the temple and the wall of Jerusalem.
Return of Ezra and reformation of the people (7:1 – 10:44)
The events narrated here occurred about 80 years after the first migration under Sheshbazzar. Much of Chapter 7 is Ezra’s personal memoirs and is intensely personal. The emphasis is on the importance of purity to the identity of God’s people and how living according to God’s law results in reformation and renewal.
Ezra arrives on the scene — Jerusalem, 458 BC. Ezra’s lineage goes all the way back to Aaron the chief priest. This provided spiritual legitimacy for his mission and established continuity with the pre-exilic people of Israel.
Verse 6 tells us the king granted Ezra all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
In Verse 9, we see that Ezra wasted no time to get on his journey to Jerusalem. Notice he did so because “the good hand of his God was on him.”
Ezra was very studious, and he had his heart set to study the Law of the LORD, to do it, and to teach the statutes and rules in Israel. Verse: 10, he sets an example for all of us to see. Before we enter on our calling before God, we need to be prepared and prayed up.
In Verses 11 – 28, we see how King Artaxerxes decrees that all the resources available to him be granted to Ezra. Verse 20 illustrates his commitment: “And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you provide, you may provide it out of the king’s treasury.”
Did Artaxerxes have an ulterior motive in his decree? Look at Verse 23 and decide for yourself. “Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons.”
Artaxerxes then passes on sound advice to Ezra, to appoint magistrates and judges in Verse 25. Then, he sets forth punishment for those who will not obey (Verse 26).
Let’s see Ezra’s response in Verse. 27. “Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem.” It certainly emphasizes Romans 13:1.
God gave Ezra all the financial resources needed to complete the temple. He wants to, and does, provide us the same resources for our daily needs. We need to follow Ezra’s example of being caught up in God’s Word, daily!
Tom Dye