Even though this is at least the third time I’ve come across the book of Ezra, I’ve not really had great familiarity with it. In fact, until this go-around, which I will detail further down in this post, and even more in another post, I would dare say this was one of the books that I knew the least in all of Scripture. In short, here’s what I knew about Ezra prior to the last few days:
- I knew he was a priest in the post-exilic era of Israel.
- I knew that his priesthood coincided with the rulership of Nehemiah.
- Thanks to a Bible study I did of Nehemiah in a church small group years ago, I also knew that the timing of Ezra‘s priesthood coincided with the rebuilding of Jerusalem upon returning from Babylon.
However, like I’ve done while reading through the Bible in 2025, I wanted to take the time to highlight a few passages that stood out to me, that I also believe God wanted to highlight:
First, Ezra’s three-step process:
“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”Ezra 7:10 NKJV
I think sometimes all I want to know is a simplified explanation of what God wants me to do. While the Bible is chock full of insight, wisdom, and commandments, after a while the sheer number of laws and commands can get overwhelming. This is why I believe one of the things Jesus set out to do was to sum up the Law so that we could clearly understand it in order to obey it:
“Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””Matthew 22:37-40 NKJV
However, there is another popular verse that numerous churches like to use. It reminds us, in direct and simple terms, what showing love to others should look like:
“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”Micah 6:8 NKJV
However, what has also happened is that, in spite of this great verse’s truth, several churches and communities have misused and twisted it to reflect the agenda of wokeism, specifically illegal immigrants, whose sole purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. I am confident that this is not what Micah 6:8 is saying! As such, there is a parallel verse found earlier in the Old Testament that speaks to the heart of what God requires of all His followers:
““And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?”Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NKJV
And then, of course, I received what I believe is a statement personally from the Lord in a dream many years ago:
“Just trust in Me and live your life to My service, and you’ll be fine.“
Second, King Artaxerxes’s letter to Ezra:
Another bullet point that jumped out to me was King Artaxerxes’s letter to Ezra, granting him permission and funds to go rebuild Jerusalem. Moreover, he ordered all other rulers around the area of Jerusalem to not interfere with the Jewish peoples return, nor to interfere with their rebuilding efforts. In short, it was complete provision for Ezra and the Jewish people to fulfill every last bit of God‘s will in this. One word of caution before I paste the scripture: I am going to paste the entire letter, which will mean that this passage will be long. Also, I don’t plan to have any more commentary on the below passage aside from what I have already stated just now. My hope is to let you simply read the letter, absorb it, and ask God to directly reveal to you anything that He wishes from this passage:
“This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His statutes to Israel: Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Perfect peace, and so forth. I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you. And whereas you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand; and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem; and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem— now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God. Also the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide, pay for it from the king’s treasury. And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently, up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God. And you, Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in the region beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them. Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether it be death, or banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.”Ezra 7:11-26 NKJV
Third, Ezra’s praise response:
Finally, I wish to share Ezra’s response to King Artaxerxes’s letter, by praising and thanking God for His provision on all fronts: receiving permission from the king to fulfill the Lord‘s will, all necessary finances, and an order to keep all others at bay while the Jews traveled and then began work. God truly leaves no stone unturned.
“Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.”Ezra 7:27-28 NKJV