840
THE K I NG ' S BUS I NESS
narrative written by Ezra himself in the first person (7:27-10). He blesses God who had put such a thing in the king’s heart. This, then, was a divine movement. It can only be accounted for by ascribing the original impulse to God. The man who can perceive this immense fact at the very outset of his career is fit for' any enterprise. His transcendent faith will carry himi through difficulties that would be in superable to the worldly schemer.— Adeney. When magistrates act for the encouragement of religion and the sup pression of vice, we ought to thank God, who put it into their hearts to do so.-—Henry. 8:15. Pound none of the sons of Leyi. Notwithstanding the privilege of exemption from all taxes granted to persons engaged in the temple service, none of the Levitical tribes were in duced to join the settlement in Jeru salem, and it was even not without dif ficulty Ezra persuaded some of the priestly families to accompany him.-gg Brown. v. 21. Proclaimed a fast. After completing his company, Ezra made a solemn religious preparation for his journey. Like the Israelites after the great defeat at Gibeah (Judges 20:26), like the penitent people at Mizpeh (1 Sam. 7 :6 ), like Jehoshaphat and his subjects (2 iChron. 20:3), Ezra and his followers fasted and humbled them selves before God in view of their haz ardous undertaking. It was at once a confession of sin and an admission of absolute dependence on His mercy.j— Walter. Seek of Him a right way. We can almost see the little band on the point of plunging into the inhospitable and dangerous desert, spending hours in prayer and restrained from request ing an escort lest they might invalidate their leader’s boastful trust. How careful we should be to do nothing in consistent with the proud position that faith gives us in the keeping power of God.—-Meyer. v. 22. I was ashamed to require a band of soldiers. The danger of such caravans from marauding Arabs was so great as to make a military escort necessary, but Ezra’s sensitive regard for God’s honor before the heathen would not permit his asking for one. It was a strong test of faith, to which he and his^ companions were equal and which God honored. May the principle of its lesson not be lost upon the reader. — Gray. Herein is the confidence of all
of times (7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31) and it shows how this man of God trusted in the Lord for guidance. He saw &od’s hand in having all his requests granted by Ataxerxes. It was the good hand of God that brought him to Jerusalem (V. 9). His hand strengthened him (v. 28). The hand of the Lord brought them ministers (8:18) and deliverance (v. 31). The same hand is still upon all His people who trust Him and are obedient to His Word.— Gaebelein. This expression has a certain beauty and force of its own. | The hand is the seat of active power. It is over a man like some great shield held aloft above him. God’s great hand bends itself over us and we are secure beneath its hollow. As a child sometimes carries a tender winged butterfly in the globe of its two hands, so He carries our feeble unarmoured souls enclosed in the covert of His almighty hand.—Maclaren. v. 10. Ezra prepared his heart. His reigning desire had been to study the divine law and now from love and zeal he devoted himself as the business of his life to the work of instructing and edifying others.— Jamieson. Seek the law and do it. He not only set his heart to seek the law, but to do it. The only way to understand Scripture is to be prepared to do it. What a contrast to Matt. 23:3. Let us not resemble the finger post which directs the traveler but stirs not a step along the road it points.—Devo. Com. v. 11. Copy of the letter. The edict goes beyond any of its predecessors in favoring the Jews, especially with re gard to their religion. It is personally addressed to Ezra, whom the king may have known as an earnest leader of the Hebrew community at Babylon, and through him it grants all the Jewish ex iles who wish to go to Jerusalem, lib erty to return.— Exp. Bible. The meas ure which this document authorizes and the remarkable interest in the Jews displayed in it, were most probably owing to the influence of Esther, who is thought to have been raised to the high position of queen a few months previous to the departure of Ezra.—Hale. v. 26. Law of God and of the king. The “ law of his God” is named side by side with “ the law of the king” and the two are to be obeyed equally.— Sel. v. 27. Blessed be the Lord. Here we have a grateful burst of praise. Without any warning the chronicler suddenly breaks off his own narrative Written in the third person to insert a
Made with FlippingBook HTML5