Ezra 9:8-9 (ESV)
But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.
To better appreciate the above words of Ezra, it might be wise to return to the words of King Solomon:
Proverbs 21:1 (ESV)
The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;
he turns it wherever he will.
What is happening for Ezra is that Darius the King of Babylon made a decree to allow the people of Israel, held in captivity, to go back and rebuild the Temple. Here is what Ezra said about it:
Ezra 7:27-28 (ESV)
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 is rejoicing in the section that God has moved the king to make it possible for them to do this act. God has moved the heart of an evil king to make it possible for God’s people to rejoice. We must never forget that God is in control at all times. There is no king or majesty or government that is not held in His hands and controlled by His plans.
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