Tag: Teach Those Who Do Not Know - Ezra 6-10

Ezra 7:25-26

“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.”

Tag:  Teach Those Who Do Not Know

The above instruction to Ezra, the priest, is actually coming to him from a foreign leader.   The Persians had taken Babylon and, unlike the Babylonians, they were more humanitarian in their approach to those who the Babylonians had taken captive.   King Artaxerxes was moved by God:

Ezra 1:1

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing:

Artaxerxes was making a decree and spoke the above text to Ezra.   The interesting aspect of this instruction is that the foreign king is instructing Ezra as to what to do with those who do not know God’s Law.  The conclusion we might draw is that, somehow, Artaxerxes might have recognized Jehovah God as the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.   It is probably wiser to believe this was a political and humanitarian move, but he could have become a believer.   Like Paul trying to convert the household of Caesar, Nehemiah or Ezra, or someone might have converted Artaxerxes.   Whatever the reason, the king sends Ezra back with this above instruction.  Those who DO NOT know the Law are to be instructed.  Those who DO know the Law and are obeying it, are to be disciplined.   Even though the actions and/or behaviors of both might look the same, the solution to their poor behaving is different.  The Apostle Paul said it this way:

1 Thessalonians 5:14

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

We are to have different responses to differing causes.  Ezra was supposed to “teach” those who did not know the law.  This is what he does in the last chapters of this book.  Some had inter-marred with the foreign women of the land and Ezra gives them instruction as to what God’s Word says about that.  The book ends with the nation repenting and obeying God’s Word.   Ezra’s job (our job) is to teach those who do not know God’s Word and discipline those who do, but disobey.  Leadership in God’s Kingdom has not changed.   That is the primary role of leadership today.   We are to teach those who do not know the Word.