Remember yesterday who came? Yeah… Ezra! Teacher of the Law of Moses to the Israelites. Cool eh?
So today, in Ezra 7:11-28, we learn about a decree that Artaxerxes issues.
11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: 12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. And now13 I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, 15 and also to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. 17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king’s treasury.
21 “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, 22 up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.23 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. 24 We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach. 26 Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”
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, 28 and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.
King Artaxerxes issued this decree in the form of a letter to Ezra, priest and scribe. He invited Ezra, plus whoever else wanted to go with him, to set out to live in Jerusalem. Ezra is heading off with the permission of the King to go to Jerusalem. This decree allows anyone to go with him who wants to.
His Job: to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God AND to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem.
Can you believe it? This same king who ordered the work stopped, now sees it finished and sends Ezra and a whack of other people to Jerusalem and has them bringing gold and silver with them! Amazing isn’t? Totally God at work eh?
Part of the money sent is meant for the buying of animals and grains to offer as a sacrifice to God. What they do with the rest is up to them. With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God.
The king’s treasury is open for them to use.
Not only that. but Artazerxes added a decree to the treasurers. Whatever Ezra needs… get it to him. Be diligent about it. Get the job done… up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil and salt!
Ezra is seen as the mouthpiece of God for listen to what Artaxerxes says “whatever is decreed by the God of heaven“. These words just said after he described Ezra as the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Why does Artaxerxes do this? He wants to avoid making God angry with him.
Artaxerxes goes on to remind them that taxes won’t be paid by the priests, levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants or any other servant.
Ezra is given the task to set rulers over the the people. These people are to know the laws of God, and if they don’t, they need to learn from Ezra. And if people don’t want to obey God’s law… or the kings’ laws gets to be executed, banished, imprisoned or have their stuff taken away.
I just like this next section: 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, 28 and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.
Hmm… I’d take courage too, wouldn’t you? To know the king was behind me 100%, a king who formerly opposed but is not actively helping. It’d be like our prime minister helping me to start up a church! Seems impossible, but God has this funny habit of doing the impossible. 🙂
What an amazing passage of scripture. I read this a couple of days ago without realizing it was coming up on your reading. I sat in wonder at the power of God, to be able to direct the paths of man and kings to do His will and bidding, to provide the resources needed for those who were going. And the faith of the king to do what needed to be done where once he was in opposition. God changes things, doesn’t he?
I know! God’s movement in history is so often overlooked. but He changed one man and that changed the lives of HIS people.