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STONY POINT CHURCH

SUNDAY SCHOOL BIBLE CLASS

WEEK 9 EZRA CHAPTER 7

Tom Harkins February 7, 2021

1 60 years have passed, Darius succeeded by Xerxes, the king that married the Jewish girl, Esther, who came to the aid her people, including the ones in Jerusalem, to preserve their lives

Xerxes was succeeded by Artaxerxes, his son

Artaxerxes, moved by the Spirit of God (I What’s been believe) supported Ezra in his desire to go to Jerusalem, bring the teaching and the Law of going on since Moses Ezra Chapter 6 Map of Persian Empire Ezra Chapter 4 and Ezra Chapter 7: Artaxerxes

The Mention of Artaxerxes (and Xerxes) appears out of chronological order, as if the writer of Ezra did not know that Darius was Persian King at the time of the protesting letter.

21st Century writing is usually chronological, but not so for ancient writing.

One plausible explanation is that this is a comparison between the protest sent to Darius I and similar protests sent to Xerxes and Artaxerxes. The reference to Darius I is to the building of the Temple, Xerxes and Artaxerxes refers to complaints concerning the building of the fortifications of Jerusalem after the completion of the Temple. Ezra-Who is Ezra

Artaxerxes Letter What the King commands How Ezra is to fulfill the King’s commands A surprising view of how all this will work

Ezra Chapter 7 Ezra’s proclamation of how good God is to place all of these resources and the King’s Return and commands to Ezra’s mission Artaxerxes Letter Ezra Sent to Teach the People 7 Now after this, vin the reign of vArtaxerxes king of Persia, wEzra the son of Serai ah, son of , son of , 2 son of , son of , son of , 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of , so n of Bukki, 5 son of , son of , son of , son of the chi ef priest— 6 this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe xskilled in the Law of Moses that the LORD, the God of , had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, yfor the hand of the LORD his God was on him. 7 And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and zsome of the priests and aLevites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple bservants. 8 And Ezra1 came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 Cyrus the Great-559-530 BC

Cambyses-not mention in the OT-529-522 BC

Darius I-521-486 BC

Xerxes I-485-465 BC

Artaxerxes-Commissioned both Ezra and then Book of Ezra and Nehemiah, 464-424 BC the kings of Persia Timeframe over both books, over 100 years!! He is the Chief Priest, his lineage goes back to Aaron, brother of Moses, the first Chief Priest of Israel. The fact that this lineage was preserved during the Exile to Babylon speaks to, not only the perseverance of the Priestly line by the , but to God keeping this line of priests for this very time. He is also a scribe, recorder of the Law, preserver of the documents from which our own Old Testament is derived Who is Ezra -Last High Priest before the Exile to Babylon

Zadok-A Chief Priest under King David, the Zadokites were loyal to God and did not follow the false gods, down through the years, were the High Priests in Zion until 171 BC

Ezra’s heritage as Aaron-The brother of Moses, the first High Priest from the Exodus High Priestly character For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, cfor the good hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it dand to eteach his statutes and rules in Israel. Not a secretary, more like a lawyer

Scribe preserved the written law, followed specific rules in transcribing the Law, reason why, even with human, flawed hands, we have a very reasonable version of the original text

Scribe taught the Law-teachers, to bring the Law to those that did not know it

Scribe administered the Law, interpreting and Ezra the scribe applying the Law 1 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: 12 “Artaxerxes, fking of kings, to Ezra the priest, the gscribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace.2 hAnd now 13 iI 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 jand 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 jand his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, kwhose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 lwith all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and mwith the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. Clearly Ezra was not just going to Jerusalem, he was being sent by the King and his seven counselors Ezra was to find what was happening with the returnees, teach the Law, fulfill his role a High Priest and a give report back to the court He had the support of the King in this endeavor, being sent with resources for worship and sacrifice The Jews in Babylon were being encouraged to join Ezra in his going to Palestine The generous outpouring from this pagan king The letter from and his ministers seems….supernatural in King support of the people of God Apparently, supporting the “religion” of Artaxerxes….. foreign states was not unusual for Persian kings 7 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and nyou 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 talents3 of silver, 100 cors4 of wheat, 100 baths5 of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. Works out to be 3.75 tons of silver!

This amount happens to be the same amount demanded by Pharoah Neco as tribute from Judea, 2 Kings 23:33 (along with a talent of gold)

Appears God was working out a balancing of the scales, a return to Judea of the wealth taken by previous authorities, given back by 100 Talents of the Persian King Silver sent by Artaxerxes 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 otribute, 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, pappoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. qAnd 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.” Ezra lived the Law, desiring not to just learn it but live it and to bring to the people of Judea now established there

Ezra, a man who did not just study the law Artaxerxes was also imputing power to Ezra to enforce Jewish law in Judea, to appoint judges and magistrates and to grant tax exempt status for Temple workers, priests, etc. This seems to be giving considerable civil power to a scribe, a chief priest, not a civil leader, royal relative Further underscores Artaxerxes opinion of Ezra as a man of God, at least a man of the Jewish God Legal power given to Ezra 27 rBlessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, swho put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, 28 tand 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. Ezra realized the hand of God on the situation, the King Only God could have orchestrated all that was happening a. The King of Persia so generously willing to support Ezra’s pilgrimage to Judea, whatever the motivations, incredible for a pagan King to do this b. King giving Ezra civil as well as religious authority, amazing c. King encouraged other Jews in Babylon to accompany Ezra, indicated other Persia authorities were to support Ezra’s efforts d. Anything like this anywhere else in OT? What happened to Judah after Ezra and Nehemiah? Historically active time in Palestine Fulfillment of the Daniel prophecies Set up the land of Judah for time of Christ Set up the leadership hierarchy, religious sects Hellenization of Jewish world, leading to the world of the Apostles Daniel’s Vision of the Empires to come The Statue in Daniel The nations that came after Babylon Mede-Persians Greeks Romans 400 years-although the Scriptures are silent, a bit of history did occur during this period Fulfillment of the prophet Daniel Chapter 2 Persians conquer Babylon Greeks under Alexander conquer the Persians Greeks rule from Persia to Egypt, including Palestine, Jerusalem Many battles, conquests by Greek and local forces, temple damaged but never destroyed From the end of Roman Empire conquers Greek empire Malachi and Octavian becomes Augustus Caesar, Nehemiah announces a census of the whole world Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, 586 BC Zerubbabel, Israelites returns to Jerusalem, 538 BC Temple Dedicated, 516 BC (in fulfillment of the prophet Daniel, 70 years) Ezra comes to Jerusalem, 458 BC Nehemiah comes to Jerusalem 432 BC Greeks, under Alexander the Great conquer Persian Empire, land from Babylon to Egypt, including Palestine, falls under Greek control 320 BC Timeline from Greeks, through Egyptian rule, attack Jerusalem, many times the Exile to Jesus Romans conquer Greece 168 BC arriving on the Rome occupies Palestine 63 BC scene Jesus is born, 5 BC-4 AD

Zerubbabel, in the line of David, was the last “ruler” in Israel of the Davidic line. The nation of “Israel” literally did not have self rule as a nation until 1948 AD!!!!! The line of Priests, Levites from David’s rule ended after Zadokites, 171 BC Pharisees in Jerusalem, believed in the OT scriptures, but also oral tradition, which is where all the “extra” burdens being put on the people around the time of Jesus, came from Rome destroyed Jerusalem, including the Things to take Temple, 70 AD. This time all artifacts of temple worship, unlike the artifacts taken by under Babylon, were lost forever, never to be consideration returned from history Scribes did not recognize the Messiah when He was standing right in front of them, fulfilling the scriptures they were supposed to be expert in

They opposed Jesus and He rebuked them (Matt 7 :29, Matt 23) By Jesus Day, Scribes were not They were destroyed when Romans in the mold of destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple Ezra (Sadducees) Unlike Northern Kingdom The nation of Judah maintained their identity during the Exile The Northern Kingdom and the tribes of Israel were scattered and lost The “impure” no longer Jewish people that returned to Samaria were no longer ethnically the Jewish people This explains The adversity caused by the interaction with the Samaritans (In Ezra’s time and even up to the time of Jesus) Right or wrong, the enmity between the nation of Judah and the Samaritans was long in forming References ESV Bible

NIV Bible

Enduring Word Commentary-Ezra 7 (Enduringword.com)

Next Week Ezra Chapter 8 Please read this continuing story