UBF Daily Bread

THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS WITH HIM

Passage: Ezra 7:1~28

Key verse: 6

Ezra Comes to Jerusalem

7 After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes^(A) king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah,^(B) the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,^(C) ²the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok,^(D) the son of Ahitub,^(E) ³the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, ⁴the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, ⁵the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas,^(F) the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— ⁶this Ezra^(G) came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted^(H) him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.^(I) ⁷Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.^(J)

⁸Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. ⁹He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.^(K) ¹⁰For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching^(L) its decrees and laws in Israel.

King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra

¹¹This 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:

¹²Artaxerxes, king of kings,^(M)

To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:

Greetings.

¹³Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. ¹⁴You are sent by the king and his seven advisers^(N) to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. ¹⁵Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given^(O) to the God of Israel, whose dwelling^(P) is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶together with all the silver and gold^(Q) 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.^(R) ¹⁷With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs,^(S) together with their grain offerings and drink offerings,^(T) and sacrifice^(U) them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

¹⁸You 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. ¹⁹Deliver^(V) to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. ²⁰And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.^(W)

²¹Now 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— ²²up to a hundred talents^[a] of silver, a hundred cors^[b] of wheat, a hundred baths^[c] of wine, a hundred baths^[d] of olive oil, and salt without limit. ²³Whatever 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?^(X) ²⁴You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty^(Y) on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.^(Z)

²⁵And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint^(AA) 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^(AB) any who do not know them. ²⁶Whoever 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.^[e]^(AC)

²⁷Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart^(AD) to bring honor^(AE) to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way ²⁸and who has extended his good favor^(AF) 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,^(AG) I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

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Footnotes

Ezra 7:22 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
Ezra 7:22 That is, probably about 18 tons or about 16 metric tons
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
Ezra 7:26 The text of 7:12-26 is in Aramaic.

1. A diligent Bible teacher (1-10)

Some 60 years after the completion of the temple, Ezra led the second group of exiles back from Babylon. The hand of the Lord was with him, and the king granted him everything he asked. Ezra was a priest and a Bible teacher--and a shepherd. He devoted himself to Bible teaching, and helped the people put God's law into practice.

2. The king's mandate (11-28)

Ezra returned with the blessing and full support of King Artaxerxes. The king knew that rebuilding the moral foundations of the country was even more urgent than rebuilding the country materially. The king feared the God of Israel and sent Ezra back to Jerusalem to teach the Bible to the people, so that they could live and worship according to God's laws. Ezra realized that the hand of God was on him, so he took courage and persuaded the leading men of Israel to go with him.

Prayer: Lord, rebuild the moral foundations of our land on the word of God.

One Word: Study and teach the Bible