HERE I AM (EZRA 7)
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“Why am I not happy?” inquired a wealthy lady as she stood beside the missionary, Dr. Goforth of China, in her home. “Have you surrendered all?” enquired the man of God, quietly.
“Yes, as far as I know, I have surrendered all,” responded the woman. “Are you sure?” insisted Dr. Goforth, “that your all is on the altar?”
“My all is on the altar, I believe,” answered the woman again. “And you are willing for God to take your little girl here and send her to China?” asked the missionary, placing his hand on her head.
“God take my daughter and make her a missionary in China! I should say not. I want her with me,” exclaimed the mother. “And yet you tell me you have yielded all, and you haven't even given your own child to God. How can you expect God's blessing and peace and joy? You stand as it were between God and His will for your daughter, and you say to Him, ‘Thus far shalt Thou come and no farther. You can have my home; You can have my money; You can have me, but—don't touch my daughter.’ Madam do you call that surrender?”
In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, supposedly the step-son of Queen Esther, Ezra the scribe led a contingent to return to Jerusalem to look into the spiritual revival of the Jews. Ezra returned to Jerusalem (458 B.C.) about six decades after Zerubabbel (538-515 B.C.) had successfully led the Israelites to complete building the Second Temple in Jerusalem, but thirteen years before Nehemiah’s emergence to build the walls of Jerusalem (Neh 2:1).
What kind of person does God use for His ministry and mission today? How can you make yourself available to serve the Lord? Why is serving the Lord a blessing and not a burden?
God Serving the Lord is a Priority – Be Willing
– Be Wise
Be Devoted
Be the Best that You Can Be
Be Prepared Before
Be Done Finally
Complete the Job
Fulfill Your Calling
Be Wholehearted Well-regarded
Be Passionate Excellent Enthusiastic Positive Privileged to Serve not Pressured Patient Not Pushy
Do all to the glory of God
Do all in the might of your strength
Do in mercy
For His majesty
Serving the Lord is a Priority
1After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— 6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7 Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Several years ago a reader of the British Weekly wrote a letter to the editor as follows:
“Dear Sir! I notice that ministers seem to set a great deal of importance on their sermons and spend a great deal of time in preparing them. I have been attending services quite regularly for the past thirty years and during that time, if I estimate correctly. I have listened to no less than three thousand sermons. But, to my consternation, I discover I cannot remember a single one of them. I wonder if a minister’s time might be more profitably spent on something else? Sincerely...”
The letter kicked up quite an editorial storm of angry responses for weeks. The pros and cons of sermons were tossed back and forth until, finally, one letter ended the debate. This letter said: “My dear Sir: I have been married for thirty years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals - mostly of my mom’s cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I received nourishment from every one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them, I would have starved to death a long time ago.
Sincerely...”
One of the most original description, the first of a kind in the Bible, about Ezra was that he was “well-versed” or “a ready (or skillful) scribe” in the Law of Moses. The term is otherwise translated elsewhere as diligent (Prov 22:29) and hasting (Isa 16:5). It literally means to be liquid (water) or flow easily.
Ezra was renowned in his profession, recognized by the king and respected as a leader of priests, Levites, musicians, gate keepers, and temple servants (v 7). Like Nehemiah later, Ezra took to his task willingly and not forced. It was his conviction and call (v 6), not the king’s command and coercion. That’s the underlying mood, mandate and motivation in the relocation (vv 13, 15, 16). The road trip took him four months, a distance of about 837 kilometers or 520 miles, according to biblehub.com, not unlike pioneering missionaries overseas in the middle of the 20th century.
Devoted or prepared (v 10) in KJV, means established (Gen 41:32 made ready (Gen 43:16), firm (Josh 3:17), confirm (2 Sam 7:24) and stable (1 Chron 16:30). There are more than ten instances of seeking the Lord in the Bible, but only once “seek the law of the Lord,” so you can say he lived, breathed and walked and talked the word of the Lord. He loved nothing more than teaching the word of God – its importance, impact and integration.
The Hebrew scribes and scholars are meticulous, methodical and almost mechanical in copying and preserving the original manuscripts:
In Hebrew, he (a scribe) is called a Sofer; literally “one who counts letters”. The Sefer Torah contains 304,805 Hebrew letters which have been copied countless times each century in Jewish communities throughout the world.
It generally takes one year to write a Torah. On an average each Torah will have 245 columns with 42 lines each with a consistent total 304,805 letters.
A very rough estimate required for a Sofer’s time would be one sheet per week (average 52 sheets per Sefer Torah), one column per day, six lines per hour, and 3 letters per minute. https://scrolls4all.org/scrolls/the-scribe/
Serving the Lord is a Practice
11 This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel: 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.13 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. 15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17 With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem. 18 You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. 19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. 20 And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury. 21 Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you— 22 up to a hundred talents[a] of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths[c] of wine, a hundred baths[d] of olive oil, and salt without limit. 23 Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? 24 You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God. 25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. 26 Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
Some years ago a young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. “That depends”, replied the foreman. “Let’s see you fell this tree.” The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree. Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, “Start Monday!”
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by, and Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, “You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today”.
Startled, he replied, “I thought you paid on Friday”. “Normally we do”, answered the foreman, “but we’re letting you go today because you’ve fallen behind”. “Our daily felling charts show that you’ve dropped from first place on Monday to last on Wednesday.”
“But I’m a hard worker”, the young man objected. “I arrive first, leave last, and even have worked through my coffee breaks!”
The foreman, sensing the boy’s integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, “Have you been sharpening your ax?”
The young man replied, “I’ve been working too hard to take the time.” (Charles Swindoll, The Church: Purpose, Profile, Priorities, Page 70)
Ezra was more than a scribe; he was a servant, a steward and a supervisor as well. The Persians had a progressive policy toward exiles, allowing them to return to their motherlands. Verse 19’s “deliver” (shelam) is the king’s first imperative. It is the equivalent to the Hebrew for “shalom,” meaning to complete, to restore or to finish, with safety, with peace of mind, and favor. The most frequent translation is peace (153x), well (17x), welfare (14x) and safety or soundness in body (7). With reverence for God’s word, requirement from the king and resources at his disposal, Ezra could not afford to delay, discredit or drop the work, given the full support, sympathy and scrutiny of the king. .
A lot was expected of Ezra. Unlike other nations or even other Babylonian kings, Artaxerxes desired calm and cooperation from his subjects, not chaos or conflict with them. Artaxerxes was generous, if not genuine. He offered to pay out of his house (v 20), not government sources. He trusted Ezra with the job.’ confession similarities with the Ezra’s confession of God as the Lord God of Israel (v 6) and the Lord his God (v 6). While Artaxerxes did not call on the Lord God of Israel (v 6), as Ezra did, he certainly invited speculation with references such as “your God” (vv 14, 16, 17, 20, 25 twice, 26), the God of Israel (v 15) and the God of Jerusalem (v 17), the God of heaven (v 21 twice) in a shrouded, subtle and sketchy way.
One of the key words in the chapter is “speedily,” which occurs three times, translated as sure (vv 17, 26) or diligence (v 21). It means without delay, doubt or drama. Israel had less to fear with the king’s backing, including the provision of silver, sacrifices and supplies. Verse 23’s diligence is one of a kind word. It means carefully, correctly or convincingly. The king gave Ezra authority, autonomy and accessibility; people, permission and provisions but Ezra was not allowed to produce slip-shod, sub-standard and second-tier work not reflective of the king’s royalty, riches and requirement. Further, the last thing the king wanted to incur was the wrath (v 23) of God, a word associated with the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:12), translated as “very furious” I KJV, a wrath associated with Babylonian kings only. The present king’s threat of punishment or judgment (v 26) is harsh (Dan 7:26) as usual under Babylonian rule, including death, banishment, confiscation of goods or imprisonment.
The verb “appoint” (v 25) is an imperative, is taken from the measure “mina,” which is to weigh (carefully), measure, judge. Ezra cannot afford to employ corrupt, carefree or cowardly officials.
The term “sure” or “diligently” (vv 17, 21, 26) is used seven times in the Bible, often and solely in Ezra (5:8, 6:8. 12, 1’3, 7:17, 21, 26), translated in other versions as speedily (KJV), promptly (Holman) and strictly (NASB Ezra 7:26)
Serving the Lord is Privilege
27 Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way 28 and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
An internet quote:
Someone asked me a question: Tell me the best day of your life? I responded and said, “Everyday. Why? Because life is a gift from God.”
Augustine said, “A Christian should be an alleluia from head to foot.”
There is more “praise” (v 27), or literally “blessed be the Lord,” salutations in the Bible than “Blessed be His name” or “Blessed be His kingdom.” It is an act of adoration, acknowledgement and attribution, giving tribute, thanks or testimony to whom it is due. We are to proclaim, pronounce and publish His praise, for His is the basis, bedrock and bestowal of all blessings. To bless the Lord is not about our power but our privilege. It is not an order but an opportunity. It is not a new thing to do, but it is a natural thing to do.
Honor (v 27) is “beautify” in Hebrew. Its root meanings is to gleam, i.e. (causatively) embellish or enhance; figuratively, to boast; also to explain (i.e. make clear) oneself. It is taken from ornamentation, i.e. (plural) foliage (including the limbs) as bright green- from a bough, branch, sprig. The temple was more than a house; it was a house of worship. It was more than an act of labor; it was an act of love. It was not about being a historic place, but a holy place. The king did not just give Ezra men, money or material, but motivation, meaning and mission.
Extended (v 28) means pitch (Gen 12:8), spread (Gen 33:19), turn (Num 21:22). It is a primitive root; to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away. Ezra witnessed to the hand of the Lord (vv 6, 9, 28) in all that he did, paving the way, presenting the opportunities and pulling the strings.
Conclusion: C.S. Lewis said, " C.S. Lewis said, “I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most perfect person that I can think off; for to have been thought about, born in God’s thought, and then made by God is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing ever.”
Has God chosen you to be lead and love His people? Do you have the character, courage and even the credentials for the job? Are you trustworthy, teachable and thoughtful?
