Last Letters

“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, up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 600 bushels of wheat, 600 gallons of wine, 600 gallons of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 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. 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. 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. 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 said] 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, 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.” (Ezra 7:21–28 ESV).

 

Recently I updated what I have called my “last letters.” I have been told I am a bit morbid in my practice of writing these “last letters” to my family. My intention is not to be morbid, but rather to exercise some wisdom in doing all I can to leave my loved ones with no doubt of my love for them. My hope is that it will be an encouragement to each of them. We have regular conversations, but death can come as such a surprise even during a prolonged illness. These are in no way a reflection of anything I’ve done, rather they are words of affirmation of who they are and who God is in their life. They are not an “obituary” but one more conversation to encourage them to live a life full of the joy and grace God desires for them.

 

We see that at times in the Scripture. The last words about the apostle Paul are extraordinary. Acts 28:31 declares, “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!” Paul knew his authority came straight from Jesus. In a similar way, Ezra was authorized by King Artaxerxes to assess and reestablish the people of Israel according to the law of God. Our reading today describes how God worked through the king to bring God’s people into a new situation to serve him. In exile, the freedom of the Israelites was restricted. But Ezra reported to Israel that their freedom to worship was now wide open. They could renew the kind of worship that reflected how God had saved them, freed them, and thus called for their obedience. King Artaxerxes and Ezra both knew they were God’s instruments. They both carried out their God-given roles for his purposes. The king gave Ezra the full protection of his empire to reaffirm Israel’s identity in the one true God, who rules over the kings of the world.

 

By “the God of heaven,” you are authorized to live an unhindered life of boldness and freedom. You are a letter of God’s grace and mercy! You have the full backing of the Lord, who promises to “be with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28: 20). Live the unhindered life today!