… this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

–Parallel verses:
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭17‬-‭24‬
Be good to your servant while I live, that I may obey your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me. My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times. You rebuke the arrogant, who are accursed, those who stray from your commands. Remove from me their scorn and contempt, for I keep your statutes. Though rulers sit together and slander me, your servant will meditate on your decrees. Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

As I started to reread the book of Ezra, what is fascinating to me is the number of times the enemies of Israel tried to stop the building of the temple. They succeeded in pausing its progress for a time, but under the leadership of the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, they began to build it again. God compelled King Darius to research the annuls (the official historical scrolls of the Persian kingdom). He found a section describing where his predecessor, King Cyrus, not only allowed for it to be rebuilt, but returned the sacred silver and gold article of the temple and funded its rebuilding.

And so, the rebuilding of the temple was re-started. Throughout this time there were faithful Jews, Ezra chief among them, who studied the Word of God and his commands and laws. They obeyed God in exile, and he honored them by giving them favor with their pagan captors.

I love what it says about Ezra here, he was well-versed in law of Moses. This is similar to being well-versed in the Bible today, as the books of Moses (and possibly some of the other books of the Old Testament) were their “Bible” back then.

The second thing it says is that God’s hand was on him. Because God’s hand was on him, God used him to win favor with the Persians and they ordered him to rebuild the Temple.

What a crazy turn of events for the Israelites! It reminds me of some of the crazy ups and downs in my life. And the path through the “downs” is the same as it is through the “ups” — study the Word of God, obey it, and walk with him.

Thank you, Father, for your precious Word that feeds us and revives our souls. It sustains us in the valleys and keeps us humble and focused on you on the mountaintops! May I hunger and thirst for it more and more every day!