We enter a new chapter, biblically and historically, with Ezra 7. Speaking of Ezra, we meet him in this new chapter, finally. The book has Ezra’s name, and remember that Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book, and when first divided were called First and Second Ezra. Ezra is the man.

Ezra was also not a king, or a high priest; Ezra was a priest and a scribe. He was a document professional+ with special interest in God’s law. He became the standard of non-prophet teachers, and has become a favorite of modern day preachers. It’s possible to read too much into Ezra’s work, but it’s not possible to read too much of the Book that was his focused work.

The opening chunk of Ezra 7 moves us forward on the timeline by almost six decades from chapter 6, and introduces us to the new main character, both where he came from (1-6) and what characterized his ministry (7-10).

One piece we must not miss, and which the passage repeats so that we’ll be less likely to miss it, is: “the hand of the LORD his God was on him.” It becomes the catchphrase used at least eight times in the rest of the account (through Nehemiah). God doesn’t have hands any more than He has eyes (see Ezra 5:5); it is an anthropomorphism: describing God with human characteristics in order to understand a way He works. When a man has his hands on something, he’s involved with it. He’s close and he cares and he’s controlling for sake of securing a certain result. God’s “hands on” brings success.

Unless God builds the house, the laborers labor in vain.

Ezra’s Identity: Priest and Scribe (verses 1-6)

Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia is quite the jump. We’ve come across Artaxerxes’ name a couple times already but only in reference to the future (Ezra 4:7-23; 6:14). The future has become the present. Artaxerxes became king in 464 BC, and Ezra 7 happens in Artaxerxes’ seventh year (7:7), so almost 58 years after the temple was finished and dedicated.

Artaxerxes was the son of Xerxes, who was also known as Ahasuerus, the king in the book of Esther, the king to whom Esther herself became queen. All of Esther took place in Susa and in between Ezra 6 and 7.

The fathers of Ezra’s family through verse 5 aim to show Ezra’s descent from Aaron the chief priest, and so Ezra was part of the priestly line. The same genealogy is found in 1 Chronicles 6:1-15, which is helpful, especially as not all the names there are mentioned here.

Ezra went up from Babylon (verse 6). Not all the Jews had returned under Cyrus, and that didn’t mean all the Jews who had stayed back were compromised.

Ezra was part of the priestly line, yes, but also a scribe, one who copied and studied and interpreted papers. But it’s also a word that could be understood like a “secretary,” an official with responsibility. Ezra was appointed by the king over the department of religious affairs, we might call him: The Secretary of Cultural Reformation.

For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, (Ezra 7:14 ESV)

He was chosen to be part of the king’s cabinet, so to speak, and was confirmed by the king’s senate/counselors. So, yes, a scribe, but also a secretary or minister of reformation, with a large budget and significant regional control.

This position gave him access to the kind of records that make up the first parts of book of Ezra (when he wasn’t there), but also authority for resourcing the temple (7:14-15) and to appoint more magistrates and judges, even to train them if they didn’t not know the laws (7:25).

Ezra was skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The base of the word skilled is the idea of being quick; he could really get around the material, efficient in knowledge. The Law of Moses refers to more than the 10 Commandments, and for that matter, more (but not less) than the 613 commandments. The Law is the Torah is the Pentateuch is “the Book of Moses” (6:18). It was given by God, so revelation to be received.

Let’s interpret and apply. What Ezra 7:6 (and 7:10) refers to is the first five books of what we call the Old Testament. But the “Law” is what God revealed to Israel, it is the special revelation, it is Scripture that is inspired and profitable. Ezra didn’t even have Ezra yet. But Ezra gave himself to God’s Word. So we must also, and we have even more of it.

He also had the king’s favor because the hand of the LORD his God was on him. So we desire also.

His Speciality: Minister of the Book (verses 7-10)

We’ve met Ezra, but there’s another paragraph of background on the second wave of exiles returning to Jerusalem.

It was in the seventh year of Artaxerxes that more priests and Levites and singers and servants returned. There were not quite 50k in the first group, we’ll see that less than 2k make it this time.

Verses 8 and 9 seem to be unnecessarily repetitive, with dates and durations mentioned multiple times. But maybe the repetition isn’t needless. It not only provides the facts, it proves the favor of God. The group went around the desert, and their trip took almost four months. They made it, safely, because God was hands on.

Verse 10 is key.

For 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.

The altar and its offerings were back. The temple itself was built, and the daily and annual liturgies restored. These were given by the Lord to His people for their worship. And, as good as liturgy and symbol is, the standard is Scripture. These do not need to compete; they ought to complement, to complete each other. But the Word of God made Israel; to them belong the covenants, the giving of the law, and the promises (see Romans 9:4).

Ezra “devoted himself” (NIV), he set his heart to three steps, simple and in the proper sequence: 1) study, 2) practice, 3) teaching. Ezra cared to learn the Word, he cared to do what he learned from the Word, and he then cared to teach the Word to others. He was not a studier only, he embodied and explained it.

We are not Israel, but Western Civilization has proven the relevance of application. Special revelation builds and reforms nations. The Bible is a book about—among other things—nation building and civilization shaping. The Book That Made Your World demonstrates this observed and repeatable fact.

Natural law is good, God-given, both useful and beautiful in light of God’s law. Natural law is good, God-given, and both insufficient and inconsistently apprehended without the light of God’s law. The Law of the Lord is more than the Mosaic Law/Mosaic Covenant; the “book of Moses” (Ezra 6:18) includes the Creation account of image-bearers and their place and purpose on earth, the unconditional Noahic and Abrahamic Covenants, as well as what was given on the two tablets.

So while the Mosaic Law is the Law of the Lord, and while it includes statutes and rules in Israel that no longer apply to us the same way, especially since Jesus fulfilled and finished the Mosaic Law, general revelation for the best of human thinkers is not enough. We need all the Bible.

And actually, even the Bible is not enough unless the hand of God is on us.

Conclusion

It’s radicalizing, the wrong way, when “biblical” becomes a beat stick, used by someone fierce and fanatical to apply the standards to thee and not me. Ezra applied it to himself first, and so his teaching stood on a platform of integrity not a plank of hypocrisy.

The “hand of God” on a man of God teaching the law of God rebuilt the nation for God. There is much more for Ezra to do.

This is building by the Book. We may not have an officially appointed Secretary of Cultural Reformation, but we do have the Secretary’s Book, and more to do.

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Charge

God made you who you are by the word of truth, that you would be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. So keep on receiving with meekness the implanted word. It’s good for your soul. Be doers, and not hearers only. It is the law of liberty, and God blesses those in their doing.

(See James 1:18, 21, 22-25)

Benediction:

And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32 ESV)