1.
Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2.
The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3.
The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4.
The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5.
The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
6.
This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
A ‘WELL-INSTRUCTED SCRIBE’
‘Ezra … a ready scribe.’
Ezra 7:6
Here begins the second section of the book, that which gathers around the doings of Ezra.
I. Between the close of the sixth chapter and the commencement of this, sixty years have passed away.—They had been to a very great extent uneventful years in the history of the people settled in Jerusalem. That the people had largely failed in the realisation of the purposes of Zerubbabel is evident from the work done by Ezra, and subsequently by Nehemiah.
II. The present chapter tells the story of the coming of Ezra, and there are two verses which explain the movement for us.—They are Ezra 7:10; Ezra 7:23, in which we discover the individual inspiration in the case of Ezra and Artaxerxes. As to Ezra ( Ezra 7:10) he was moved while still in Babylon toward the helping of his people in Jerusalem. In order to do this, he yielded himself personally to obedience to the law of God, and so prepared himself for his work of teaching. The verse should not be passed without noticing its suggestiveness for all such as are called, or feel they are called to teach. The order is, ‘to seek, … to do, … to teach.’ Then in Ezra 7:23 there is an explanation of the personal reason for the decree and beneficence of Artaxerxes. Why should there be ‘wrath against the realm of the king and his sons’? It is perfectly evident that he had some very clear consciousness of the power of God.
III. The hand of God rests upon those who love His Word, and where it lights, there the hearts of men are inclined to help.—The king granted all Ezra’s requests. Beneath the covert of that hand we can journey safely.
It is good to set our heart to seek God’s law, but searching must always be combined with doing, and when we do we have a right to teach. O God! give us the steadfast heart, set on knowing and performing Thy will. May the rudder of our soul be held by Thy strong hand, that it may vacillate beneath the touch of no cross current.
IV. See how Ezra’s love for God’s law impressed Artaxerxes with the conviction that it was perfect.—He commanded also that the will of God should be the supreme court of reference to Ezra and his brethren in the disposal of the freewill offerings. He further enjoined that they should do exactly the commands of the God of heaven. He ordained that all who refused to do the will of God should be punished. So great was his respect for the law, that he left Ezra to do very much as he thought best. This reverence for God’s law on the part of a heathen monarch shames us. Oh, to make more of it ourselves! To be people of the Book, and to exalt it as we are exalted by it, in the judgment even of those who do not revere it!
Illustration
‘We may learn something of Ezra’s mode of speech by the references in the royal charter, which he bore with him. Evidently he had spoken a good deal of the law of his God, which was in his hand, of the altar of God’s house, of his direct allegiance to the God of heaven, and of the necessity of careful obedience. It would be a blessed result of our own walk with God if we could impress on our associates and contemporaries the urgent importance of the service of God. Oh, that God were such a living reality with us that our life and conversation might make Him a living, moving force in the experience of others!’
7.
And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8.
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9.
For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
10.
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
11.
Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.
12.
Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
13.
I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
14.
Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellers, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
15.
And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellers have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
16.
And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:
17.
That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
18.
And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.
19.
The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
20.
And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
21.
And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
22.
Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
23.
Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24.
Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.
25.
And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
26.
And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27.
Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:
28.
And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.