Ezra 7:11-28 (November 10th, 2025)

11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel:[a] 12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace.[b] And now 13 I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, 15 and also to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. 17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king's treasury.

21 “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, 22 up to 100 talents[c] of silver, 100 cors[d] of wheat, 100 baths[e] of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. 24 We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach. 26 Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment.”

27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, 28 and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. 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.

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Summary

Ezra 7:11–28 preserves the official decree that King Artaxerxes of Persia issued to Ezra, “the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven” (v. 11). This letter grants Ezra sweeping authority to lead returning exiles, to use royal funds for temple worship, and to appoint magistrates and judges according to the Law of God.

Artaxerxes’ decree reveals both political wisdom and divine sovereignty. The king orders that anyone who wishes to go to Jerusalem with Ezra may do so, and that the treasurers of the province “beyond the River” must provide silver, wheat, wine, oil, and salt as requested for sacrifices (vv. 13–22). Moreover, temple servants and ministers were exempt from taxation (v. 24). His recognition of the temple workers was remarkable.

The letter ends with the charge to Ezra to “establish magistrates and judges” to teach and enforce the Law of God (v. 25), with strict penalties for disobedience (v. 26). This underscores the restoration not just of the temple, but of the moral and covenantal order of God’s people.

Ezra’s response shifts from royal decree to personal doxology.

27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, 28 and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. 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.

Who is God

God rules and works through the "kings" and "empires" to accomplish His covenant purposes.

Just as He moved Cyrus to issue a decree (Ezra 1:1), He now moves Artaxerxes to support Ezra’s mission. The repeated phrase “the Law of the God of heaven” (vv. 12, 21, 23, 25, 26) testifies that even a pagan ruler somehow acknowledges the supremacy of Israel’s God.

Through this, we see that divine providence is not limited to Israel’s internal life (i.e., "Church's"). God governs world history. He raises up rulers, moves their hearts, and directs their decrees in order to fulfill His redemptive plan.

What is our Guilt

We forget that obedience to God’s Word is the foundation of spiritual restoration.

While the exiles had rebuilt the temple decades earlier, their hearts and communities had drifted into complacency and compromise. Without the living authority of the Word, worship becomes ritual, and identity becomes fragile.

Like the returning Israelites, we too are prone to treat God’s commands as optional or outdated. We build external forms of faith while neglecting internal renewal. The passage warns us that true revival requires not only rebuilding places of worship but also reforming the hearts of worshipers through Scripture.

How does Grace Shine

The “good hand of God” (v. 28) empowers Ezra and provides every resource for obedience.

God’s grace moves a foreign king to fund His people’s worship, to protect their journey, and to uphold the teaching of His Law. This is covenant grace in motion—unearned, providential, and overflowing.

Ezra himself embodies this grace. Strengthened by God’s hand, he acts not as a mere administrator but as a mediator who brings the people back to the heart of the covenant.

Ultimately, this anticipates the greater Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who is the true Priest and Scribe. It is through Christ that God’s law is written not on stone tablets but on human hearts.

31“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

You rule over kings and kingdoms, and your hand directs history for your glory.

Thank you for showing us through Ezra that your Word restores what walls and rituals cannot.

Forgive us when we trust in our structures more than in your Scriptures.

Move our hearts as you moved the king’s, that we might love your law and teach it faithfully.

Let your gracious hand be upon us as we serve your church and build your kingdom. Not by might, nor by power, but by your Spirit.

In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.