Ezra 7 Footnotes

7:6 The people of Israel had a high view of their Scriptures. While they credited Moses with authorship of the Pentateuch, they credited God as the source of Moses’s text. Unfortunately this belief today is not common among many scholars, who consider the Bible to be merely a human text.

7:24 The exemption of religious workers from state taxation is not a new practice. Artaxerxes instructed the government not to impose any monetary demands on those engaged in religious service. The church should be free to engage in its work without government interference or hindrance, except when the church’s practices break civil laws.

7:25 Ezra was a religious as well as a civil leader. His service in both of these spheres provides important guidance on the appropriate role of believers in public life. It is completely acceptable for people of faith to serve in government positions. Membership in the spiritual household does not disqualify someone from service in the public sector. Other biblical examples of believers who served in public positions are Joseph, Daniel, and Esther.

7:26 Artaxerxes allowed the requirements of religious law to become state law in Israel. This was appropriate since Israel was both a religious and a political entity. It would be inappropriate to apply the religious laws of the Church to the state in the same way today since the Church is not a political entity.