Ezra Chapter 7
Please read: Ezra 7 –
If you are like me, you like a nice tight timeline when reading through historical books. The book of Ezra can be difficult to understand simply because the writer goes back and forth in time rather than a retelling of the events in a straight line forward. We will in fact learn that there were a lot of events that occurred between chapters 6 and 7. These events will be detailed in the book of Esther.
Here in chapter 7 we find the name Artaxerxes who is giving Ezra direction to go and to minister to his own people in Jerusalem. That same name appeared in chapter 4, a man who put a temporary halt to the building of the temple. There are some that think that these were two different men and some even give a different form of the name for the first one. But most Bible scholars believe this is referring to the same Artaxerxes and that he actually followed the reign of Darius many years later. And the events of chapter 7 happened several years after the events of chapter 4.
What we do know with absolute clarity is that God worked in the life of Ezra while he was still in captivity so that he could be a minister to God’s people. The Bible says that “Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” Ezra 7:10
Let's Reflect
1. While some of the generations of Ezra’s genealogy is missing from the record, what do we know about who his family line came from?
2. While in captivity, Ezra used the time well to study God’s Word. He was a scribe which meant he wrote the Law, a careful practice of writing (or copying) scripture down without error. The purpose of doing so was not just to write the scriptures but to learn it in such a way that he could teach others the truths of the Law. How were Ezra’s abilities to understand and to administer the Word of God to others described? See verses 6 and 11.
3. Ezra travelling to Jerusalem was not only allowed by the king, but he wrote a letter proclaiming his freedom to go and he also declared that any other Jews who wanted to, could go with Ezra. What things did the king decree that Ezra could take with him?
4. Artaxerxes also decreed that the province east of the Jordan River was to do what also?
5. What did the king want Ezra to set up in Jerusalem once he arrived?
6. What was Ezra’s response to the graciousness shown to him by the king?
7. God had promised that the exiles would be set free. And that is exactly what happened. After many years in captivity the Jews were given permission to go home. Can you see how the God of heaven can do things that we humans think could never happen?
