Ezra
chapter 7 reminds me that in the midst of instability, God’s Word
is always solid. The chapter begins, “After
these things”
and casually skips ahead 60 years to the “the
reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia”
and the arrival of Ezra. Ezra is introduced by his genealogy, going
back to the beginning of the priesthood, “…the
son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest“.
His simple introduction tells us how highly regarded he was, “Ezra
came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of
Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given“.
We even read that “The
king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord
his God was on him“.
I am convinced that when we study God’s Word we cannot help being
changed and that change impacts everyone around us. It interesting
to read the next section and think how frustrated I become when I get
stuck at a red light for 2 minutes. “Ezra
arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the
king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the
first month“.
The roughly 500 mile trip took four months! There is no further
explanation, but we have a sense that Ezra was right where God wanted
him to be all the time. The yellow and red lights in life are part
of God’s plan too.
The
chapter continues, “Ezra
had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the
Lord, and to teaching… in Israel“.
We don’t all have a microphone or a pulpit, but I believe we all
teach by our actions and reactions. Here is one of the keys to
Ezra’s life; he knew “the
gracious hand of his God was on him“.
It seems to me that the way Ezra lived made him stand out from the
crowd. The king gave Ezra a letter containing the king’s decrees.
The letter begins “any
of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who
wish to go to Jerusalem with you, may go…
take
with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have
freely given to the God of Israel… as a freewill… for the temple
of their God in Jerusalem“.
The only stipulation the king gave was to be sure to buy bulls and
lambs to “Sacrifice
them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem“.
As
evidence of the great trust the king had in Ezra, he was given
tremendous discretion to “do
whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in
accordance with the will of your God“.
Here is a difficult question, based on your life, what do people
think of the God you serve?
The
King’s letter to his regional governors continued, “I…
order the treasuries…
to
provide…
whatever Ezra… may ask of you… let it be done with diligence for
the temple of the God of heaven“.
The
king added another huge exception,
“You have no authority to impose taxes… on any of the priests…
or other workers at this house of God“.
The ability to tax represents authority, meaning the local leaders
had no authority over the temple or its workers. The king ended his
letter with a personal note to Ezra, “in
accordance with the wisdom of your God… appoint magistrates and
judges… who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who
do not know them“.
I
really believe, the more we read the Word, the less self-centered we
become.
How much better
would our leaders be if they knew the laws of God? Any fool can say
yes to everything, but it takes wisdom to know when to say no. The
chapter ends with a comment by Ezra explaining how God “has
extended his good favor to me”
in the heart of the king. Ezra declared, “I
took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me“.
“Today,
if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts”
(Psalm 95:7).