I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading. I had been using One Year Bible Online, but it was time for a change.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezra 6-8.

    I find it interesting that Ezra does not appear in the book that bears his name until chapter 7 of the 10 chapter book. The first six chapters recount the struggles which the Returned Exiles had in getting the Temple built. The final hurdle occurred when they resumed work on the Temple after being encouraged by several prophets. Once again the local peoples challenged their right to rebuild the Temple. However, rather than just shut them down, the local representatives of the Persian Empire listened to their claims and sent to the capital for confirmation. When a search of the archives confirmed that Cyrus had indeed ordered the Temple to be rebuilt, orders came down to support the project. As a result, the Temple was finally completed.

    The descriptions of Ezra which appear here and in the book of Nehemiah have always given me the impression of someone I would not like. However, I admire Ezra for how he handled the treasure which Artaxerxes gave him. First, rather than ask the king for an armed escort, Ezra called for the members of the expedition to fast and pray for God’s protection on their mission. Second, he made individuals responsible for specific portions of the treasure. The treasure was carefully measured out in front of witnesses as it was presented to each of those who would transport it. Then, when they got to Jerusalem, the treasure was carefully measured in front of witnesses as each of those who had transported it turned it in. Ezra publicly and openly relied on God to protect those transporting the treasure and he set it up so that no one could claim that some of the treasure had gone missing in transport. Ezra trusted God to protect His treasure but made sure that no one could accuse those entrusted with it of impropriety.