Thoughts for the Day

After this, in the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra ..... went up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses that the Lord the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. Some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants also went up to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. They came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach the statutes and ordinances in Israel.

This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to the priest Ezra...... 'I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence... Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, or wrath will come upon the realm of the king and his heirs. '

Blessed be the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king to glorify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and who extended to me steadfast love before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We revisit the exiles in Babylon, and finally meet Ezra. When King Cyrus sent the exiles back to re-establish Jerusalem and the Temple under Zerubbabel, they met with opposition from those who had stayed behind. Today we see the second wave of those who return, and the commission from a subsequent king, Artaxerxes, to Ezra the priest. Ezra held a high position in Persia, rather like the Secretary of State for Jewish affairs, and is given considerable power.

We are told that Ezra is a reforming leader. He has set his heart on studying and living by the Law of Moses, and he wants to teach the people. Artaxerxes commands that he sets up a judicial system, effectively establishing the rule of law for what is a rather lawless part of the king's empire. But like kings Cyrus and Darius before him, he feels that allowing his subjects to worship their own god is important. One interesting thing - Artaxerxes' authorisation is written in Aramaic, the language of Jesus! This section closes with Ezra breaking into the official account with thanks to God for helping him to navigate the powerful men in the king's court and for putting the idea into the king's mind.

We live in a very secular world, not necessarily hostile to Christians, but certainly dismissive of them. But never doubt that God's plans will be achieved. Our task is to keep praying that His Kingdom will come, and that evil will be defeated.

Heavenly Father,
we see how the powerful come and go,
and how transitory their plans may be.
Equally we see how Your work continues
often through unexpected people,
and how the faithful answer Your call.
May we play a part in Your work,
and we ask You to show us Your will for us.
Amen.