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The Journey of Ezra and his Company
v. 1. Now, after these things, almost sixty years after the events last related, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, the Artaxerxes Longimanus of secular history, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
v. 2. the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
v. 3. the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
v. 4. the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
v. 5. the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the chief priest, Ezra himself being very careful to note his priestly descent, although he does not give every link in the genealogical chain,
v. 6. this Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the Law of Moses, a learned rabbi, or doctor, in the Mosaic Law and its interpretation, which the Lord God of Israel had given. And the king granted him all his request, entrusting him, at his own suggestion, with an important commission to the Jews, according to the hand of the Lord, his God, upon him. It was due to the goodness, providence, and grace of God which ruled over him that Ezra was granted this favor by the king.
v. 7. And there went up, subsequently, some of the children of Israel, and of the priests and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim, the lower servants of the Temple, to whom the more menial tasks were entrusted, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
v. 8. And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, after a journey of four months, which was in the seventh year of the king.
v. 9. For upon the first day of the first month, the new moon of the ecclesiastical year, began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to 3erusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him, who directed also this affair to the blessing of all His children concerned.
v. 10. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, in studying the Law of God, its principles, institutions, privileges, and requirements, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments, the knowledge of which, at this time, had been considerably reduced, so far as the people as a whole were concerned. Where God is served with serious devotion, where his Word and worship are upheld with all zeal, there others are gained for the Lord. The more strictly the Church will follow the precepts of the Word of God, also in uncompromising opposition to all unionism, the better will it be able to do mission-work.