Theological Commentary: Click Here
Today I am
going to keep it relatively short and sweet.
We don’t have too much going on in this chapter except that Ezra finally
comes to town. He comes to town from
Babylon, most likely the city to which he and his family was deported. He comes with a pedigree that is traceable
all the way back to Aaron, Moses’ brother.
How does Ezra
come? He comes with musicians. He comes with supplies. He comes with a letter granting him
authority. He has the authority to
appoint ministers and judges. He comes
with the ability to uplift those who worship God and to banish those who do
not. Artaxerxes has a stake in making
sure that the God of the Hebrew people is honored and worshipped – regardless of
whether or not Artaxerxes gives Him worship.
Perhaps more
importantly, why does Ezra come? Ezra
comes to teach. Ezra is an expert in the
Law. Ezra has come to make sure that
everyone in Israel knows God’s ways and knows how to live by them. His mission is pretty simple, really.
To wrap this
all up, let’s look from the perspective of Artaxerxes. Artaxerxes wants to make sure that the God of
the Hebrew people has nothing against him.
He doesn’t want any divine being to hold a grudge against him. Out of this desire, worship begins again in
Israel. Teaching begins again in
Israel. The faith is officially passed
along from generation to generation once more.
All of this happens because a king takes seriously his desire to not
have God hold a grudge against him.
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