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the king’s mind

Ezra 7:1-28

Ezra 7:1 After these events, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra– Seraiah’s son, Azariah’s son, Hilkiah’s son,
Ezra 7:2 Shallum’s son, Zadok’s son, Ahitub’s son,
Ezra 7:3 Amariah’s son, Azariah’s son, Meraioth’s son,
Ezra 7:4 Zerahiah’s son, Uzzi’s son, Bukki’s son,
Ezra 7:5 Abishua’s son, Phinehas’s son, Eleazar’s son, the chief priest Aaron’s son
Ezra 7:6—He came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which Yahveh, the God of Israel, had given. The king granted him everything he requested because the hand of Yahveh, his God, was on him.
Ezra 7:7 Some Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants accompanied him to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
Ezra 7:8 Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, during the seventh year of the king.
Ezra 7:9 He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month since the gracious hand of his God was on him.
Ezra 7:10 Now, Ezra had determined to study the law of Yahveh, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Ezra 7:11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of Yahveh’s commands and statutes for Israel:
Ezra 7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the sky: Greetings.
Ezra 7:13 I issue a decree that any Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
Ezra 7:14 The king and his seven counselors send you to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession.
Ezra 7:15 You are also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
Ezra 7:16 and all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the donations given by the people and the priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:17 Then you are to be diligent about buying bulls, rams, and lambs with this money, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offering them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:18 You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.
Ezra 7:19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God.
Ezra 7:20: You may use the royal treasury to pay for anything else needed for the house of your God.
Ezra 7:21 I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the region west of the Euphrates River: Whatever Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the sky, asks of you must be provided in full,
Ezra 7:22 up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of oil, and salt without limit.
Ezra 7:23 Whatever is commanded by the God of the sky must be done diligently for the house of the God of the sky so that wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons.
Ezra 7:24 Be advised that you do not have authority to impose tribute, duty, and land tax on any priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
Ezra 7:25 And you, Ezra, according to God’s wisdom that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the region west of the Euphrates who know the laws of your God and to teach anyone who does not know them.
Ezra 7:26 Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let the appropriate judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
Ezra 7:27 Blessed be Yahveh, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king’s mind to glorify the house of Yahveh in Jerusalem,
Ezra 7:28 and who has shown favor to me before the king, his counselors, and all his influential officers. So, I took courage because I was strengthened by the hand of Yahveh, my God, and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me.

the king’s mind

Ezra finally shows up in the book with his name on it. He thanks God for putting it into the king’s mind to glorify him. Was it simply benevolence that God put on the king’s mind? Probably it was fear as well. The phrase “so that wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons” may indicate that. While we are praying for our rulers, as the Scriptures command us, we should not forget to pray that God instill in them a healthy fear of himself.

LORD, teach our leaders to respect you.