00A.07 Ezra 7
Ezra 7:1-28 The second part of the book of Ezra (i.e. Ezra 7:1-28, Ezra 8:1-36, Ezra 9:1-15, Ezra 10:1-44) deals with Ezra’s mission. To appreciate the significance of Ezra’s journey to Jerusalem, we need to bear in mind that 80 years had passed since the first return from Babylon (Ezra 1:1-11, Ezra 2:1-70) and about 60 years since the reconstruction of the temple had been finished. We are now in the days of the reign of King Artaxerxes I (465-424). You may wonder how things were going in Jerusalem among those who had rebuilt the temple and among their families and children. Sad to say, things had not only developed in a positive way. This is where Ezra’s mission comes in. He had been prepared by God as a well suited tool to bring the much needed help to those in Jerusalem. His credentials were excellent:
Ø He was a priest who could prove his genealogy (Ezra 7:1-6; comp. Ezra 2:59-63);
Ø He was a knowledgeable scribe (Ezra 7:6);
Ø His purpose of heart was to first seek, then do, and then teach the law (Ezra 7:10).
Sending such a man was a great proof of God’s grace towards the Jews in Jerusalem who, meanwhile, had meddled so badly with evil! And Ezra obeys the call of God. This time, there are only around 1,500 men plus families who went up, not 43,000 as in chapter 2. But it was God’s work and His good hand was upon Ezra (Ezra 7:6, Ezra 7:9, Ezra 7:28; Ezra 8:18, Ezra 8:22, Ezra 8:31). This was the secret of his success. The rest of the chapter contains a copy of the king’s letter authorising Ezra’s mission (Ezra 7:11-26) and Ezra’s response to it in praise and worship (Ezra 7:27-28). And we can see why Ezra was overwhelmed by this letter. It gave Ø Authorization for any Israelite who wanted to accompany Ezra to do so (Ezra 7:13);
Ø Funding for the sacrifices, the temple instruments and other temple requirements (Ezra 7:17-23);
Ø Tax exemption in respect of all payments of road tolls and custom duties (Ezra 7:24); and Ø Judicial powers including capital punishment in respect of anyone hindering Ezra’s mission. This was in fact more than Ezra might have thought or asked (Ephesians 3:20) but so it goes with someone who knows ’the good hand of God’ upon him (Ezra 7:28).