Change The World: Study The Bible

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Introduction

Do you want to change the world? I have a strategy for you. It’s not something that I made up. It may not sound radical or impressive, but Ezra chapter 7 shows us a man who changed the world by following this very strategy: the most effective thing that you can do to change the world is to study the Bible, do the Bible, and teach the Bible.

Need

Neither the church nor the world needs more con-artists, salesmen, cool guys, rock stars, or celebrities. The church and the world need people who know God.

Do you want to know God? The best thing you can do to grow in your knowledge of God is to study the Bible, do the Bible, and teach the Bible.

Context

We have seen the first wave of returnees in Ezra 1-6. There was a decree from Cyrus king of Persia in Ezra 1, a return to the land in chapter 2, followed by external opposition to the rebuilding of temple, city, and wall in chapters 3-6.

In Ezra 7-10 it’s as though the author is doing the second verse of the same song. In chapter 7, after the introduction of Ezra, we have a decree from Artaxerxes king of Persia, followed by a return to the land in chapter 8, followed by internal opposition in the mixed-marriage crisis in chapters 9-10.

Preview

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Ezra 7 can be divided into three parts: in the first 10 verses we get the lineage, return, and character of Ezra. After that, Ezra relates the decree of Artaxerxes in verses 11-26 before he blesses God for His mercy to His people in verses 27-28.

The Lineage, Return, And Character Of Ezra

Ezra 7:1-10

The Lineage of Ezra (7:1-5)

Ezra 7:1-5 traces Ezra’s line of descent back to Aaron, brother of Moses, chief priest of Israel. As we saw in 2:62, some of those who could not prove their descent were excluded from the priesthood. It was obviously very significant that Ezra descended from Aaron, and the community’s hopes would have been fed by the presence of a person of such significant ancestry among them. Not that there was anything superhuman about Aaron and Moses—Aaron sinned in the incident of the golden calf, and Moses struck the rock. So there is no eugenic significance about Ezra’s ancestry. He is a sinner descended from Adam just like every other human. His significant line of descent doesn’t stand him any closer to God than those not born of this line, as the history of Israel’s unfaithfulness demonstrates.

Ezra’s significant ancestry does show that God is faithful. Ezra’s ancestry does show that God has raised up leaders for His people at this new exodus just as He raised up leaders for His people at the first exodus. As strange as it may sound, Ezra’s ancestry tells us more about God than it does about Ezra.

How do you think of yourself? Are you fearful about the future because your parents have failed? Does the fact that you come from a broken home make you worry about your marriage? Are you concerned that your life will be a redo of the failures of your forefathers? Perhaps you feel that if you came from more significant, more godly, more intelligent, more preferable ancestors you would be more useful to God?

I have good news for you. First, the Bible teaches that all humans are made in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:26-28). Second, the Bible teaches that all humans sin and fall short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23). And third, the Bible teaches that all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved (Rom 10:13).

59The Bible also teaches that God chooses the weak things of the world and that God delights to show His power and mercy by shaming the proud and noble when the weak and foolish believe the gospel and testify to God’s glory (1 Cor 1:18-31). This is what God did with the nation of Israel: Deuteronomy 7:7 says that God chose Israel not because they were many but because they were few, and Joshua 24:2 says that Abraham’s father worshiped other gods before God called Abraham.

I say to you: your heritage is about God, not you. If you come from a line of godly people, celebrate God’s mercy to your forefathers and to you. If you come from a long line of losers, celebrate God’s mercy to you. Praise God that He is not a racist, not an elitist, and not a snob. Celebrate the glory of this God who delights to show His greatness by transforming those who seem weak and foolish in the eyes of the world. You are an image bearer of God. Know Him. Celebrate Him. He is the point, not you.

The Return of Ezra (7:6-9)

Ezra 7:6 tells us that not only did Ezra come from a significant ancestry, he was also godly and was seeking the kingdom of God:

The phrase “skilled in the law of Moses” tells us that Ezra was swift in the Scriptures. He was nimble, quick with the Torah. He knew the contents of the Bible, understood the contents of the Bible, and brought the Bible to bear on pressing questions. There are at least two factors at work in any skill: natural aptitude and practice. The Lord had blessed Ezra with abilities, and Ezra had honed the abilities given to him to the point that he could be described as skilled. This means that Ezra had God-given capacities and that Ezra had studied. Ezra probably could have said what Psalm 119:74 states: “Those who fear You will see me and rejoice, for I put my hope in Your word.”

There are a number of indications in this passage that Ezra functions as some kind of emissary or official in the Persian Court. For instance, here in verse 6 we read that the king has granted what he asked. This indicates that Ezra was in position to make requests of the king; not just anyone could do that. We also see in verses 14-15 that Ezra60 is given tasks to do on behalf of Persia when he arrives in Jerusalem, and in verse 25 he will be appointing judges. So today we might describe Ezra as a diplomat. We might even call him a political appointee. I’m sure that Ezra was busy. Whatever Ezra’s role was in Persia, in order for him to have become skilled in the Torah of Moses, he had to have placed priority on the study of the Scriptures.

Notice that here in verse 6 the Scriptures are referred to as “the law of Moses,” and down in verse 10 they will be called “the law of the Lord.” This passage presents what Moses wrote as coming from Yahweh, God of Israel. Look at how verse 6 says that Ezra was “skilled in the law of Moses which Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given.”

Think with me first about the human element of this: Ezra descends from Aaron, brother of Moses. Whatever modern scholars say, the texts present Moses and Aaron as real people who had massive impact on those who came after them. Ezra calls this the “Torah of Moses.” Nowhere in the Bible is the Pentateuch, the Law, or the Torah ever attributed to anyone other than Moses. The idea that Moses wrote the Pentateuch was good enough for Ezra and good enough for Jesus. That ought to make it good enough for us, too. This, after all, is primary source evidence. Whatever people tell you about what they can see between the lines of Scripture or about what they can discover from linguistic sophistication, test it against the claims of the primary sources. Are you going to privilege the claims made by one of our contemporaries (who probably learned Hebrew as a second language as an adult) over the claims made by the primary sources? The primary sources claim that the Torah came from Moses.

The primary source also says straight out that Yahweh gave the Torah. What the Bible claims about itself is sophisticated and superior to many modern explanations of it (see further Hamilton, “Still Sola Scripture,” 215-40). And for all its sophistication, this explanation of the origin of the Pentateuch is simple. Moses wrote it, and God gave it. For the nature of this relationship all we have to do is examine the contents of the Pentateuch. There are places that present Yahweh speaking directly, such as the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai: “Then God spoke all these words” (Exod 20:1). Much of the material is an interpretive narrative of what took place. God inspired Moses to write what God wanted to give to Israel through the personality, intelligence, and interpretive judgments made by the human, Moses.

Ezra 7:6 is a profound statement about the nature of Scripture, and it also tells us why Ezra worked to become skilled in it. Ezra gave himself 61to the Bible because he believed that it came from Moses, whom God authorized as a unique prophet (Num 12:1-8), and through whom God gave the Pentateuch. What could be more important to an Israelite than the teaching that God gave to Israel through Moses? Ezra knew the truth of Psalm 119:142: “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your instruction is true.”

Look at that next phrase in verse 6: “The king had granted him everything he requested.” This tells us that Ezra is actively seeking the kingdom of God through the diplomatic, political channels open to him as an official in the Persian court. Artaxerxes didn’t just decide out of nowhere to send Ezra. Ezra made requests that the king granted. The book of Ezra doesn’t go into the details, but those requests didn’t happen out of nowhere, either. It says he studied the Torah, which includes things like the Joseph narrative, where Ezra saw a Jew in a foreign court who rose to prominence and interceded with the king on behalf of his fellow descendants of Jacob. Ezra was probably familiar with the way that Daniel served in the Babylonian and Persian courts, and he probably knew of Mordecai and Esther as well.

Having studied God’s Word thoroughly, Ezra probably watched to learn how best to approach the king and waited for an opportune moment to present the right request in the right way. The last phrase of verse 6 points to Ezra’s recognition that God blessed his study and his requests “because the hand of Yahweh his God was on him.”

Ezra’s genealogy would not have impressed Artaxerxes. Ezra’s knowledge of the Scriptures probably didn’t register with Artaxerxes either. The ways that Ezra had diligently worked to become skilled in the Torah of Moses would have been of little concern to Artaxerxes, and there were no doubt many in his court waiting for the right opportunity to make the right request in the right way to get what they wanted from the king. So Ezra knew that the king granting him all he asked was a result of God’s blessing. Ezra probably felt what is articulated in Psalm 119:98: “Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me.”

Ezra was uniquely capable and uniquely blessed, and the hand of the Lord was on him. The Lord raises up and casts down. The Lord makes rich and poor. We are who we are because the Lord gave us to our parents, provided for the opportunities we have had, and lavished on us every good gift we have received (Jas 1:17). We have nothing that we have not received (1 Cor 4:7). This means that there is never 62a reason to boast in an accomplishment or ability, never a reason to take pride in ourselves. Nor is there ever a reason to envy what God has given to others.

Do you want contentment in who you are and how God has made you? Think on the fact that God ordained every one of your days before any of them came to be (Ps 139:16). You have the mind you have because that’s what God gave you. You look the way you do because God shaped you and tinted you and sized you to be exactly what you are. None of this denies your responsibility for the way that you have stewarded what you have been given, whether through exercise, diet, study, hygiene, or grooming. We are responsible, and there are limits to what a haircut and the weight room or make-up can accomplish for us. God is sovereign over what you see when you look in the mirror. Do you praise Him for the way He made you, or are you despising His handiwork?

The presentation of Ezra’s return in verse 7 is reminiscent of the first wave of returnees in Ezra 2. Again here we see “priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants.” This took place “in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes,” which we refer to as 458 bc. Verses 8-9 tell us that the journey took four months and that Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, “for the good hand of his God was on him” (ESV). Again, Ezra knew that his mission only succeeded by the power of God.

The Character of Ezra (7:10)

What was introduced to us about Ezra in verse 6 is now elaborated on in verse 10: “Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.” To get at the significance of this verse, let’s think about who Ezra is, where Israel is, and what the people of God need.

Ezra is an Israelite, a descendant of Aaron, a priest. He is a member of the people of God, and he descends from those charged with standing between God and the people of Israel. His forefathers ministered at the temple and taught the Bible to God’s people, but God’s people broke the covenant, the temple was destroyed, and the people were exiled to Babylon.

Ezra, who as a priest was called to be holy, is not in the clean realm at the holy place. Rather, he is in exile. Note how verse 9 says, “he began the going up from Babylon” (my trans.). Not only was Ezra not at the temple, he was in Babylon, the capital of the evil empire, serving the king of the evil empire, the enemy of God and captor of His people. So 63Ezra is a priest, called to be not just clean but holy, and he is in a seat of the unclean realm.

What do the people of God need? The people of God need to be liberated from bondage, gathered for a march on the land, led through the wilderness to the land of promise, and reestablished. They need an army, walls, a military, and a great leader—a king from the line of David—and they need to subject the nations to the reign of Yahweh.

So if you were a priest in the unclean realm wanting to see God’s people liberated from Babylonian captivity and established as the reigning power in the world, how would you pursue that agenda? Would you do what Ezra did? Would you set your heart to study the Torah, do it, and teach its statutes? Does that strike you as the most effective way to accomplish what God has called you to do?

Ezra evidently thought that what he needed most was to know the Bible, do the Bible, and teach the Bible. Ezra evidently believed that was the best way to pursue God’s agenda. Ezra evidently thought the best way to pursue the kingdom was to set his heart to know, do, and teach the Torah.

Many of you have come to Louisville to go to seminary.5 You face a situation similar to Ezra’s. You are in an increasingly hostile culture, and you want to minister the truth of God. You want to see God’s kingdom come. I call you this morning to follow the example set for you by Ezra: set your heart to study the Bible, do the Bible, and teach the Bible.

You may find all sorts of things offered to you as more relevant ways to pursue the growth of the church. These programs and strategies may even be offered to you from people teaching at the seminary, in classes taught at the seminary. Set your heart to study the Bible, do the Bible, and teach the Bible. God has revealed Himself in His Word. We know God through the Bible. No method, program, or initiative—not even a Great Commission Resurgence—can be more effective than the power of the living and active Word of God. Listen to Psalm 119:118: “You reject all who stray from Your statutes, for their deceit is a lie.”

Set your heart to learn the Scriptures. Do not settle for anything else. Do not get distracted from the Scriptures with nifty tricks or culturally savvy insights. People need Jesus. Jesus is revealed in the Bible. The 64Spirit uses the Bible to open eyes to see Christ. God the Father has been pleased to give us a book, words inked on pages, written by humans inspired by the Spirit. Do not get so lost in books written by the uninspired that you cannot find your way to the Bible.

Note also the progression here: study, do, teach. If the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to cause you to see Jesus, you will not be able to continue in unrepentant disobedience. Paul commended the Ephesian elders to God and to the word of His grace, and he explained that the word was able to build them up and give them their inheritance among the saints (Acts 20:32). The Word will have its way in you. You will find Psalm 119:104 at work in your own heart and life: “I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.” If you study the Bible, and if you know God, you will obey. If you study and know God and obey, then you will teach because then you will have experiential knowledge of the things you are imparting to others.

The Decree Of Artaxerxes

Ezra 7:11-26

This section relates the decree that Artaxerxes gave to Ezra. There are actually two decrees here. The first is in verse 13, giving permission to any who wish to go to Jerusalem with Ezra. The second is in verse 21, commanding treasurers to provide whatever Ezra needs. These decrees given by Artaxerxes inform what we saw in 6:14: “They finished their building by decree of the God of Israel and by decree of Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes king of Persia” (ESV). These decrees issued by Artaxerxes make the account of Ezra’s return to Jerusalem in chapters 7-10 parallel to the first return narrated in chapters 1-6. Both returns are initiated and accomplished by the decrees of foreign kings, and 6:14 tells us that the decrees of the kings accomplish what God had decreed.

Ezra 7:11-26 shows us the two decrees Artaxerxes issued by reproducing “the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the Lord’s commands and statutes for Israel” (v. 11). In verse 12 we see the salutation of the letter, and then the first decree is in verses 13-20, the second in verses 21-24, with Ezra then charged to appoint judges and enforce the law of God and the law of the king in verses 25-26.

This passage is dense with references to the Torah:

• 657:6—“skilled in the law of Moses, which Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given”
• 7:10—“the law of the Lord”
• 7:11—“an expert in matters of the Lord’s commands and statutes for Israel”
• 7:12—“Ezra ... an expert in the law of the God of heaven.”
• 7:14—“according to the law of your God, which is in your hand” (my trans. cf. v. 25)
• 7:21—“a scribe of the law of the God of heaven” (my trans.)
• 7:25—“according to the wisdom of your God, which is in your hand” (my trans., cf. v. 14)
• 7:25—“who know the laws of your God”
• 7:26—“Anyone who does not keep the law of your God”

The First Decree (7:13-20)

Ezra 7:13 relates the king’s decree that anyone who wishes may go with Ezra. Verse 14 relates that Ezra is sent on a reconnaissance mission by the king: “Because from before the king and his seven counselors you are sent to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your hand” (my trans.). So the first thing that the king charges Ezra to do is to measure the state of the return from exile by the yardstick of the Bible. Consider the parallel expressions (my trans.):

• 7:14—“according to the law of your God, which is in your hand”
• 7:25—“according to the wisdom of your God, which is in your hand”

Both these statements are on the lips of the pagan king, but they have been incorporated in the book of Ezra by the book’s author, presumably Ezra himself. These two statements are significant because they indicate that when Ezra has the Torah in his hand he has God’s wisdom in his hand. Many modern scholars find it difficult to see the relationship between Old Testament Law and Old Testament Wisdom literature, but Ezra has no such problem. The statement is in the decree of the pagan king, but Ezra’s own sentiments about the law being God’s wisdom have probably influenced the way the king thinks about the issue. Moreover, Ezra has chosen to include these statements in his book. For Ezra, God’s law is God’s wisdom, and Ezra learned this from Moses, who wrote in Deuteronomy 4:6 that Israel’s wisdom would be seen in their keeping of Torah.

66The second thing the king charges Ezra to do is in verses 15-20. Ezra is to deliver what the king and his counselors have freely offered (v. 15), apparently with as much silver and gold (perhaps from non-Jews) and as many freewill offerings (probably from Jews) as he can get donated (v. 16). The funds are to be used for sacrifices on the altar at the temple in Jerusalem (v. 17), and Ezra can use leftover money at his discretion according to the will of God (v. 18). Artaxerxes is evidently restoring more of the temple vessels (v. 19, cf. 1:7-11), and he authorizes Ezra to do whatever is necessary for the temple with funds from the king’s treasury (v. 20).

The Second Decree (7:21-24)

The second decree provides for the last part of the first, which we just saw in verse 20. This decree calls on the treasurers in the province Beyond the River to give Ezra whatever he needs for the worship of God. We see again the king’s motivation at the end of verse 23: “so that [God’s] wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons.” In addition to the authorization, the king states in verse 24 that the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, and other temple personnel are exempt from taxation.

Appoint Judges and Enforce the Law (7:25-26)

The king further charges Ezra to appoint judges who know the Torah and teach those who do not know it. This is given teeth: Ezra is authorized to punish those who do not obey Torah and the law of the king. So Ezra is being sent back to the land of promise out of the land of captivity, and it is as though he has prayed Psalm 119:134 and been answered: “Redeem me from human oppression, and I will keep Your precepts.”

Before we look at Ezra’s response to all this, let’s take stock of what we have seen to this point. As an Israelite priest in the capital city of the unclean realm, needing liberation and seeking God’s kingdom, Ezra sets his heart to study, do, and teach the Torah of Yahweh. God’s hand is on Ezra, and Ezra makes requests that the king grants. What the king relates in his letter is probably what Ezra requested:

1. Those who wish may return with Ezra (v. 13).
2. Ezra is to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to Torah (v. 14).
3. 67The king and his counselors send silver and gold (v. 15).
4. Ezra may take all the silver and gold and freewill offerings he can find (v. 16).
5. The funds are to be used for worship at the temple, with Ezra disposing of whatever is left at his discretion according to the will of God (vv. 17-18).
6. More temple vessels are restored (v. 19).
7. Anything else that is needed may be funded by the king’s treasury (v. 20).
8. The king provides a decree for the treasurers to give what Ezra requires (vv. 21-23).
9. Temple personnel are tax exempt (v. 24).
10. Ezra may appoint judges who know the Torah and teach it to those who don’t (v. 25).
11. And Ezra is authorized to enforce the law, exacting capital punishment if necessary (v. 26).

This is astonishing! Who would think that Bible study could accomplish so much? Do you want to change the world? Study, do, and teach the Bible.

The Blessing And Success Of Ezra

Ezra 7:27-28

Look at how Ezra responds to all God has done:

Ezra didn’t strategize to accomplish his goals through espionage, cunning, armed revolt, or peaceful protest. Ezra set his heart to study, do, and teach Torah. God gave him the wisdom that comes from the Word, and Ezra made requests that the king granted. Ezra knows who has done the work, and he blesses Yahweh because of all that Yahweh accomplished.

Look at the clear statement of how Yahweh accomplished the work: God put it into the heart of Artaxerxes to beautify the temple in Jerusalem. Look at God’s power: “A king’s heart is like streams of water in the Lord’s hand: He directs it wherever He chooses” (Prov 21:1). 68Artaxerxes does not convert to the worship of Yahweh, but Yahweh puts it into his heart to accomplish His purpose (cf. Rev 17:17).

God put this into the king’s heart, and Ezra knows that God’s mercy has prospered all he has done. Ezra explains as he blesses Yahweh that God has extended His steadfast love to him. Ezra studied the Bible, prayed, and God showed him mercy.

The last half of verse 28 tells us what Ezra did next: “I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me” (ESV). This is the third time that we have seen the hand of Yahweh on Ezra (7:6, 9, 28). The Old Testament often refers to Yahweh’s “hand” as a way of describing His power. Yahweh’s power is at work through this man Ezra, who set his heart to study, do, and teach Torah in Israel. It is as though the prayer of Psalm 119:17 is being answered in Ezra’s life: “May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.”

Conclusion

Would you like to be someone who changes the world? Know God.

How do you know God? Study the Bible. Psalm 119:10 says, “I have sought You with all my heart; don’t let me wander from Your commands.” Note the connection here between seeking the Lord and not deviating from His commands. Psalm 119:135 says, “Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes” (ESV; cf. Num 6:24-26). Again we see a connection between the understanding of the Bible and the enjoyment of 69the shining face of God.

If you begin to feel this, if you begin to experience God as you understand the Bible, the prayer of Psalm 119:64 will resonate with you: “Lord, the earth is filled with Your faithful love; teach me Your statutes.” You will agree with the sentiment in Psalm 119:72: “Instruction from Your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” You will say with the psalmist, “How sweet Your word is to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth” (Ps 119:103). And you will feel about the Bible what is expressed in Psalm 119:162: “I rejoice over Your promise like one who finds vast treasure.”

You will know the truth of these statements because you will know God through His revelation of Himself in His Word.

Reflect and Discuss

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1. Ezra’s genealogy goes back to Aaron through the line of Phineas. Why and how would such a line of descent have been encouraging to Ezra’s contemporaries?
2. What is the relationship between Ezra’s skill in the Torah, as described in 7:6, and his setting his heart to study the Torah, as described in 7:10? Are you encouraged that you could also develop skill in handling God’s Word? Explain.
3. What do you think it means that God’s hand was on Ezra (7:6, 9, 28; cf. 8:22)?
4. Should the connection between Torah and Wisdom seen in 7:14 and 25 affect the way you read a book like Proverbs? If so, how?
5. Verse 10 says that Ezra set his heart to study, do, and teach the Torah. Have you seen someone who knows the Bible but fails to live it? How has that affected your response to that person’s teaching?
6. Verse 10 speaks of “statutes and ordinances” that Ezra taught in Israel. According to earlier passages in the Bible (e.g., Lev 25:18; Deut 4:8, 45; 1 Kgs 6:12; Ps 119:26, 30), what was their source and purpose?
7. Verses 11-26 present yet another letter from a pagan king. How might the inclusion of this letter support the historical truth of the Bible? Do you need to change your idea of inspiration in order to account for Ezra’s inclusion of this letter?
8. Verses 25-26 relate that the king commanded for the law of Yahweh to be enforced in the land. Do you think this idea came from the king alone, or do you think he was encouraged to shape the decree this way by Ezra’s requests?
9. Do you believe that God can influence rulers today the way that 7:27 says God influenced Artaxerxes? Why or why not?
10. Ezra mentions God’s “favor” or steadfast love in verse 28. What does he describe in this passage that caused him to recognize God’s favor?