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In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel:
Artaxerxes, king of kings,
To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.
Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you—up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should His wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.
And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
Ezra 7:11-28
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
In the early verses of Chapter 7, we know that Ezra was permitted by King Artaxerxes to leave Babylon and travel to Jerusalem where he would teach God’s laws to the Israelites. We know the journey lasted four months.
The remainder of the chapter contains the guidance given by King Artaxerxes regarding his decision. What’s interesting about the letter is the king’s willingness to pronounce God as being the One who was really in authority. Note the following statements from the letter:
1. Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.
And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
The law Ezra was directed to teach was not the law of Persia or the edicts of King Artaxerxes or any leader in the Trans-Euphrates. No, the law was the law of God, the King of kings. And Ezra was permitted to appoint his own magistrates and judges to uphold the laws of God. Today, His word still holds the same authority, higher than any man-made directives. And the church is permitted to appoint its own people to uphold standards and administer justice when required.
2. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you—up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit.
You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.
With authority comes the honor of tribute, spiritually and materially. The King of Persia recognized the majesty and magnitude of worship owed to God. Nothing should be spared to grant the Lord the honor He deserves. The king wanted to ensure THE King was honored appropriately with not only material from his people but from the people surrounding Jerusalem in the Trans-Euphrates. And no one had a right to demand anything from God’s people but God Himself. Additional levies by surrounding nations would take away from the full tribute God deserved. Thus such tributes were not permitted. In sum, we to not hold back anything needed to honor God today anymore that the people of Israel were to less than 500 years before the coming of Jesus. We are to give it all to the One who gave, and continues to give, us everything.
3. You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.
When one is in authority, his or her will is to be followed. Note that the king didn’t mandate what Ezra or the Israelites did with the silver, gold or anything else needed for the temple. No, it was the will of God that mattered the most. And it still does today.
4. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should His wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?
No one had the right to overrule the commands God gave. Not then, not now. As long as the authority of God was respected and His orders followed, then there would be no need for His wrath to fall on anyone. If a Persian king could figure this out then, it makes you wonder why leaders today can’t figure it out.
5. Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
The very words of Ezra at the end of the chapter serve to give credit to the power and majesty of the God Most High. It was He and He alone that put it in King Artaxerxes’ heart to permit what he did and write what he wrote. Further, it was by God’s authority that Ezra was appointed to the duties he went to Jerusalem to perform. God ordains what happens in our lives because He’s in charge. We’re to be obedient and respond in loyalty to whatever He asks us to do. The strength needed to carry out His wishes will come from Him also because His hand is on you and I, just as it was on Ezra and countless others called into God’s service.
Yes, God is in charge and in control. There is no higher power…no greater authority. Only a foolish person fails to submit to Him. As we approach a new year, we would be well served to recommit to His sovereignty and obligate ourselves obediently to His leadership.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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