Ezra - Chapter 7

RESTORING THE COVENANT LIFE

Between the last verse of chapter six and the beginning of chapter seven, fifty years have passed. The Temple was completed in 516-515 B.C. in the 7th year of the reign of King Darius of Persia. The action in chapter seven takes place in the seventh year of the reign of King Artaxerxes or 458 B.C.

Now we are introduced to the man Ezra and his work of restoration. Unlike those who worked on the physical part of Temple building, Ezra worked on the rebuilding of the understanding of the people to obey the Torah, the Law as given through Moses. This area will prove to be far more difficult to implement. The Temple is finished. The work of restoring the covenant life of Yahweh worship is on going and will require continual effort on the part of Ezra.

Now we see in this important chapter the commission given to Ezra and his response to that commission. Verses 1-10 give us the introduction to this man himself. In chapter six Ezra was described as a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses and now we see that the King granted Ezra all his request according to the hand of God upon him. In verses 7-9 we see Ezra makes another journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. Verse 10 says that Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law and to do it and to teach it to Israel.

Here in Jewish writings Ezra begins to assume legendary impressions and in the Jewish book called 2 Esdras he reveals he is granted private revelations from God. 

In verses 11-26 we see that Ezra is given a special commission by the King which is addressed to Ezra the priest a scribe of the Law of God in heaven. This commission shows several points to review. First, it permitted all Jews, including priests and Levites, to return to Jerusalem. Second the King made note that Ezra carried a copy of the Law and he could freely teach it inside Judea and to enforce obedience to it. Third, the King charged Ezra with the responsibility of carrying gifts and financial contributions with him back to Jerusalem. Fourth, great detail was provided of the power of Ezra to appoint magistrates and judges among the people. Fifth, the commission gave Ezra the right and authority to punish those who were not in compliance with the Law of God.

It appears that his commission was almost too good to be true and it provided all the support needed to transform the life of the Jews back to what God had originally commanded Moses to announce, a life of intimacy between God and His chosen people as long as they obeyed His law.

Now in verses 27-28 we are given the response of Ezra to the wonderful commission and we see immediately that he says that God put this thing in the heart of the King and God extended His mercy on Ezra to implement His will among all those who serve the King. Ezra says he is encouraged in the work and journey and he gathered up the leading men of Israel to go with him.

This transforming understanding from the King to God's anointed man Ezra shows the importance of his example. Ezra had set his heart on God's truth. He had committed himself to that study and how it applied to the covenant life of everyday people. He had committed himself to teaching God's truth to those everyday people and we will see in the coming chapters how Ezra had to make some very difficult decisions about that truth to instill compliance to it among the people.

God blessed Ezra and his work because he dedicated himself to obey the Law sent from above to God's chosen messenger of deliverance, Moses. Ezra said clearly he was willing to teach the statutes and ordinances of the Law to the people and was also willing to enforce obedience to it for it is only in that obedience that blessing is to be found.

We remember that this lesson was the hardest lesson taught by Samuel to the first King of Israel, Saul. It is better to obey than sacrifice. Now we will see that this lesson still is the foundation of the covenant life designed by God. The problem was not (and still is not) that God's will is difficult but is that sinful people take it upon themselves to disobey it and do not consider the full result that will come from that violation of living life away from the will of the Lord.