Ezra 7:6 (ESV)
Ezra
went up from Babylonia. 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 on him.
Three times in Ezra 7 the statement is made
that the hand of God or the hand of the LORD was on Ezra. (Ezr 7:6, 9, 28) What
does that look like for the hand of the God to be on someone? In verses 11-20
King Artaxerxes decreed that anyone who wanted to had permission to go back to
Jerusalem with Ezra. Further, he officially sent Ezra and covered the cost of
all worship at the temple. In verses 21-24 Artaxerxes instructed Ezra to be
diligent about doing all that the Law of God requires and clarified that he was
not only covering the cost of worship, but that none of the temple workers were
to be taxed in any way. Finally, in verses 25-26 the king commanded Ezra to
teach God’s law to his people and anyone who opposed him was to be punished.
The chapter ends with a statement of praise and worship because of God’s
blessing and provision through Artaxerxes, the king.
Ezra’s ancestors had names that mean things
like wasting, rebellious, and retribution, but his father's name, Seraiah,
means Jehovah is ruler. His grandfather's name, Azariah, means Jehovah has
helped. His great grandfather's name, Hilkiah, means my portion is Jehovah.
Ezra's name means help.
Ezra is going back to Jerusalem to help his
people set their hearts toward God. He is apparently the fifth generation of a
line of priests who have turned their hearts to God. A man named Shallum, which
means retribution, chose to name his son my
portion is Jehovah. That started the line of faith that brought Ezra into
the picture. No matter what the past holds, today we have the opportunity to
begin a heritage of faith and holiness. Today is a good day to start a new line
of faith, a new heritage of walking with God. It is never too late to start.
Comments
Post a Comment