Ezra 7:24

Ezra 7:24 says, 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.  All of the people involved in the ministry were exempt from paying taxes, from the greatest to the least.  We know that church property in America is exempt from taxes, but those involved in ministry are not, and sometimes they could use this exemption the most.  At this time, it was good for the king to provide this provision, which prohibited others from taxing them.  

Verse twenty-five adds, 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.   Ezra was empowered to appoint judges and magistrates under the guidance of His God.  Even though not claiming to believe in Ezra’s God, the king acknowledged His wisdom and authority.  We need people in government today who act under the wisdom and power of God.

Verse twenty-six continues, 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.  The king also gave Ezra power to punish those who would not obey God’s law, including the right to impose a sentence of death on them.  Those who call themselves God’s people but refuse to obey His commandments are a threat to all Christians because they may lead them astray as well and therefore must not be ignored.  We as followers of Christ have a responsibility to not allow any false teaching that comes into the church.   

Verse twenty-seven states, 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:  Ezra now offers thanks and praise to God, giving Him credit for Artaxerxes giving the people of Israel the right and the ability to rebuild the Temple.  When good things happen for us today from whatever source, we must give God the credit.  Everything is His to start with, so whatever we are blessed with comes from Him. 

Verse twenty-eight adds, And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, 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.  Ezra then said that God had strengthened him and had His hand on him as he gathered the chief men of Israel to go with him to do the work.  If we are to be successful in reaching the lost with the gospel today, it must be done under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and we must always give God the credit for any success we have.  Of course, the first step is not to just acknowledge Him as a God, but as the only God, and to make Him your God by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.  I know I say this quite often, but it really is the only way to salvation, and until we do accept His gift of salvation, all the studying of the Bible will not help us.   

Ezra 7:19

Ezra 7:19 says, The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.  The vessels to be used in the Temple were also given to Ezra to be given to the God of Israel.  Matthew Henry says that Cyrus had already returned the vessels of the Temple, and these were in addition to them.  One day, everything good will be returned to God, but it is never about the material things.  What God really wants is people to put their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, and this is the only thing that we have power to keep from Him.  

Verse twenty adds, 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.  Artaxerxes also said that anything else that Ezra needed for the house of God he could get from his treasury.  He did not tell Ezra to get anything he might personally want from the treasury, but only those things needed for the restoration of the house of God.  We should never expect God to make us rich but should only expect Him to provide what we need to do His work.  

Verse twenty-one continues, 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,  Artaxerxes said that he had decreed that all those in charge of the treasury anywhere had been given orders to do provide Ezra with whatever he needed to restore the Temple and to do so quickly.  It would be wonderful if we had that same ability today with the government providing us with everything we need to do God’s work, but we are called on to act out of faith even when we aren’t sure how God will provide.  To do otherwise would be to live by sight and not by faith.  Also, when we know what God has called us to do, we need to start as soon as possible.  If we know beyond a doubt that God has called us to a particular task, the Holy Spirit will guide and empower us to do it in God’s time.   

Verse twenty-two says, 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.  This seems to set a very generous limit on how much was to be given to Ezra. We should not expect God to continue to bless us once He has met our needs, but I don’t believe there is a limit on how much He will provide us with if we are doing His will in life.  

Verse twenty-three adds, 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?  Artaxerxes said that they were to provide everything Ezra needed so that God would not show His wrath to his sons and himself.  Of course, we should never serve God out of fear of His wrath, though I believe some people do, but out of love for Him because of His making salvation available by putting our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. 

Ezra 7:11

Ezra 7:11 says, 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. We have a record of the letter that Artaxerxes gave to Ezra.  This would be an authorization to not only go to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple but also to raise the funds to do so as we will see.  It is good to have the authority to do something for God, but it is better to have the funding provided as well.  

Verse twelve adds, 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.  Artaxerxes started by acknowledging that Ezra served the God of heaven as a priest and wished him perfect peace, which he was not experiencing from those who opposed his rebuilding the Temple.  Artaxerxes did not say that God was his God, but he did acknowledge His power.  The earthly authorities may not always acknowledge God as their God, but it is nice when they want those who serve Him to be at peace in the world.  

Verse thirteen continues, 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.  Artaxerxes made a decree that all the people of Israel who wanted to go of their own free will go to Jerusalem with Ezra.  They were captives who were given permission to leave their captivity.  Before we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are captives of sin, but once we accept Him, we are set free from the power of sin.  As with the people of Israel then, we must do so by our own free-will.  

Verse fourteen states, Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;  Ezra was told he had the authority of Artaxerxes and his counselors behind him, and more importantly he was knowledgeable about the law of God and obedient to Him.  We may be authorized to act in the name of the government, but more importantly we need to act under God’s authorization and in accordance with His law.  

Verse fifteen adds, And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,  Ezra was also given silver and gold by Artaxerxes and his counselors to the God of Israel.  These were the people who had defeated the people of Israel, but they were willing to donate to the rebuilding of God’s Holy City.   We need to be as willing as Christians to give freely so that God’s work can be carried out.  

Verse sixteen continues, 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:  Artaxerxes added that Ezra was free to use all the gold and silver that he could find in Babylon as well as any free-will offerings from the people.  This was very generous of someone who didn’t have to give them anything.  We will likely never have the same offer today as we do God’s work.  

Verse seventeen says, 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.  Artaxerxes said Ezra was to use the funds to quickly buy all that he needed to make sacrifices to God.  We also need to be willing to quickly use everything at our disposal to carry out God’s purpose for us and to worship Him.  

Verse eighteen adds, 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.  Ezra was basically told that the rest of the silver and gold were his to use however he saw fit in order to do God’s will.  We need to use whatever God blesses us with to do the work God calls us to and to bring honor and glory to Him. 

Ezra 7:1

Ezra 7:1 says, 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,  These next few verses trace Ezra’s ancestry back to Aaron, the brother of Moses and the chief priest in his day.  We really don’t have to trace our ancestry to any particular person to be a part of the priesthood of believers.  We simply have to be reborn through putting our faith in Jesus Christ, and this is the only relationship that will ever matter.  The next four verses will simply be listed, as they are a list of Ezra’s ancestors.  

Verse two adds, The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,  

Verse three continues, The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,  

Verse four continues, The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 

Verse five concludes. The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:  As already stated, these verses just trace Ezra back to Aaron.  

Verse six says, 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.   When Ezra went back to Israel from Babylon, he was already a scribe of the law of Moses, or the law which was given to him by God.  Even in captivity, Ezra had studied and followed God’s law.  As followers of Christ, wherever we may be, we must follow God’s law.  He had requested permission to return from the king and had been granted permission to do so.  We must never allow fear of those in power to intimidate us.  

Verse seven adds, 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.  Several other people of Israel, including priests, Levites, singers and porters went with Ezra.  If we do what God has called us to do, we may inspire others to do the same.   

Verse eight continues, And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.  Ezra got to Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.  He had to wait some time before he was allowed to return, but he used the time still serving God.  It may take us awhile to get to where God wants us, but in the meantime, we need to simply keep serving God where we are.  

Verse nine states, 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.  It took Ezra four months to get back to Jerusalem, and we are told that the good hand of His God was upon him.  As Christians, no matter where we are if we are obedient to God, His good hand is going to be on us. 

Verse ten adds, 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.  Ezra set his heart on seeking, keeping, and teaching the Law of God.  This should be our goal as Christians today.  Still, the first thing we must do is accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.   

Ezra 6:16

Ezra 6:16 says, And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy.  When the Temple was completed, all the people of Israel dedicated it with joy, even if they were still under the authority of foreign rulers and not under their own king.  We should rejoice in the Lord always, even if we find ourselves under the authority of a government that opposes God.  At least they had received permission to rebuild the Temple.  No matter what happens in the world today, we have God’s authority to build His kingdom by sharing the gospel.  

Verse seventeen adds, And offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel.  They offered an abundant sacrifice to God when thy dedicated the Temple, though it was nothing compared to what Solomon had offered in sacrifice when he had dedicated the first Temple.  Still, Matthew Henry says what they offered really cost them more in terms of what they had than what Solomon had offered cost him in terms of what he had.   God is going to look more at what we give in respect to what He has blessed us with than in terms of just the amount given. 

Verse eighteen continues, And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses.  The priests and Levites began to serve in accordance with the responsibilities that God had assigned them.  They did this in accordance with the scriptures, or the Book of Moses, which is really the first five books of the Bible, that they had as God's written word then.  We need to serve where God calls us to serve in the church and we need to be guided by the scripture, the Bible, when we do.  

Verse nineteen states, And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.  They were still referred to as the children of the captivity because that is what they had been.  Still, now they were back in the Promised Land with the Temple rebuilt and they kept the Passover as they should have.  They had recently been delivered from their captivity in Babylon, and it was very appropriate to celebrate the deliverance of their ancestors out of Egypt.  We should celebrate even more our deliverance out of the bondage of sin by our putting our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  

Verse twenty adds, For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.  The priests and Levites were purified before they offered the Passover sacrifice for all the people, including all the priests and themselves.  We cannot purify ourselves, but if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, He can and will purify us before God, and when we do accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord, we become a part of the priesthood of believers.  

Verse twenty-one continues, And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek the Lord God of Israel, did eat,  Not only were the Israelites who returned from captivity celebrating the Passover, but those from other nations who had come with them were as well.  God was never just the God of the people of Israel Who condemned all other nations, but He was and is the God Who calls all people to Him.  The people of Israel were not chosen to be superior to other people but to reach out to other people with God’s love.  This is our calling today as Christians as well.  We will always be but sinners saved by grace.  

Verse twenty-two concludes, And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the Lord had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.  God blessed them and made them joyful.  As followers of Christ, if we are not joyful, there is something wrong.  We should never allow the problems of the world to keep us from being a joyous people, but it seems to me that we too often do.  We are told that God turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them to allow them to return and rebuild the Temple.  We can be certain that all good things come from God.  Of course, we must first accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord in order to be freed from the captivity of sin.

Ezra 6:11

Ezra 6:11 says, Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.  Darius set a severe penalty for anyone who defied his decree.  Their house was to be torn down and they were to be hung from the timber of the house.  We don’t have such penalties for people harming God’s work today, but one day if they don’t repent and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, those who work against God will pay an even more devastating penalty.  They will forever be separated from God in everlasting torment.  

Verse twelve adds, And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.  Darius said that he had made this decree and that it applied to everyone.  He asked that God Who had caused His name to dwell there to destroy all kings and people who put their hand to alter or destroy the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem.  He also asked that this be done quickly.  Of course, we know that the real Temple, the dwelling place of God, is not a building, but is the human heart.  So, those who would attempt to destroy those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit indwelling their heart, will face the same everlasting destruction that those who destroyed the physical Temple of God faced.  

Verse thirteen continues, Then Tatnai, governor on this side the river, Shetharboznai, and their companions, according to that which Darius the king had sent, so they did speedily.  These rulers may have sent word to Daris hoping to stop the building of the Temple, but they were quick to follow his instructions when he sent word back that they were to support the Jews in their rebuilding of the Temple.  At times, the attempt of people to stop God’s work may backfire on them and cost them materially instead of stopping His work.  Of course, this is not always the case, and we as Christians should be content to follow God no matter what happens.  

Verse fourteen states, And the elders of the Jews builded, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they builded, and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the commandment of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.   The Jews continued to build until the work was done.  They did so under the authorization of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, but most importantly they did so by the commandment of God.  It was nice that they had the authorization of all these kings, but it was imperative that they were obeying God’s commandment.  We as followers of Christ today must follow God’s commandments no matter what the people in power in the world may say.  

Verse fifteen adds, And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.  The Temple was finished in the sixth year of the reign of Darius.  We as Christians will never be finished in doing God’s work as long as we live or until the return of Jesus Christ in victory.  As always, the first step in doing God’s work is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord.

Ezra 6:6

Ezra 6:6 says, Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence:  The reply was addressed to the governors beyond the river, who were the ones questioning the rebuilding of the Temple.  Matthew Henry says that Darius seemed to know that they were intending to hinder the rebuilding of the Temple, and he told them not to do so.  God will provide a way for His work to be done even in the face of opposition as long as His people are willing to be obedient to His call.  

Verse seven adds, Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place.  Darius was even more explicit in his decree here.  I believe that God will always make His will clearly known as well.  Of course, once we as Christians know what He wants us to do, we must continue to be obedient to His command to us.  Had the people of Israel not started the rebuilding when they were told they could, the question of their right to do so would not have been raised.  

Verse eight continues, Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king's goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.  Darius expanded the decree to say that tribute paid to him, even from those beyond the river, was to be used to pay for the work.  Not only did they not get the work on the Temple stopped, but they were also told that they were going to help pay for it.  God will sometimes give us much more than what we expected if we are obedient to Him.  

Verse nine states, And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the appointment of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail:  Those who had written to Darius to get the work stopped were then told that they were also to provide the things necessary for the people who were rebuilding the Temple to have everything necessary for making sacrifices to their God.  I believe they were probably wishing that they had not raised the issue by now.  I do know that one day those who have fought against God’s people will wish they hadn’t.  

Verse ten adds, That they may offer sacrifices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king, and of his sons.  Darius said he wanted the people of Israel to be able to offer sweet smelling sacrifices to God and to offer prayers for life of the king and his sons.  He never really acknowledged God as his God but did acknowledge His power as the God of heaven.  It is the responsibility of Christians to pray for those in power according to Matthew Henry and by my understanding of the Bible as well.  Of course, the only way for this to be of spiritual benefit to anyone is for them to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, and if you haven’t done so, why not do so today.