The Pulpit Commentary — Ezra — Section 7

(see Keil in loc.), the supreme God, the Most High. Thie the more remarkable because neither Nebuchadnezzar nor Darius before, nor Artaxerxes afterwards, when much impressed with the power of Jehovah the God of the Jews, speak of him in this way (comp. Dan. ii. 47; iii. 29; vi. 26; Ezra vii. 15; also Ezra vi. 12). 3. Of Jehovah's goodness. "Be baa given me all the kingdoms of the earth." How great a possession I how true a gift I Thie language very significant from the lips of a Persian king (comp." By the grace of Ormuzd I am king," as quoted in Lange on this passage). 4. Of Jehovah'e autliority. "He bath charged me." With all this authority laid upon me, I am under hie authority still ( comp. Matt. viii. 9). Cyrus epeake here of himself just as God had spoken before of Nebuchadnezzar (see Jer. xxv. 9; xxvi.i. 6). And 5. Of Jehovah's will. "He bath charged me to build him an house." This ie the special thing which he desires me to accomplish. Also a significant acknowledgment, if we suppose ( and there is really no other supposition before us) that Cyrus understood the declarations of Isaiah respecting him (see above) to imply a charge of this kind. At the same time, with all that we know from other sources of the singular integrity of his character, and with all that we can infer from the Bible of his probable intimacy with and respect for Daniel, only a natural thing in bis case. Who eo likely as hie prime minister Daniel to draw up this "king's speech;" and if he drew it up, to commence it in this way? Certain it is that no beginning, taking it for all in all, could have been more full of hope and promise to the Jews. II. A SATISFACTORY PERMISSION (ver. 3). 1. Satisfactory as to its object. The great thing that Israel needed for their true restoration and deliverance from captivity wae the restoration of Jehovah's House. On the one hand, there could be no restoration of Israel without that of Jerusalem (see Ps. cxxxvi.i. 1, 5, 6; Dan. vi. 10; ix.16), and no true restoration of Jerusalem without that of the Temple (see Ps. cxxii. 4, 9, &c.). On the other hand, with Jerusalem and its Temple restored, and all Israel going up to its feasts, the whole people, even if in part dispersed, would still be one nation, one Church (comp. Acts xxvi. 7). This seems to have been the exact ideal of the post-captivity Church. Israel before the captivity was national, local, and centralized ; identified with one race, one land, one house. The true Israel since Christ has been none of the three (Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; John iv. 21; 1 Cor. i. 2; Gal. iv. 26). Israel in the intermediate centuries was in a kind of intermediate con- dition, still national and still centralized, but only local in part-in purt, on the con- trary, becoming almost as much dispersed as the "Catholic" Church is itself (Acts ii. 5-11 ). In these intermediate centuries, therefore, the importance of the" house," as a central bond by which to prevent the dispersion from ending in total obliteration, was almost greater than ever. Accordingly this whole book of Ezra has to do in the main with this question, and may be called, not inaptly, the Book of the Restoration of the House. Also the prophecies of Zechariab are greatly concerned with the same subject, and the prophecy of Haggai in particular does not speak of much else. This also is the great object of this permission of Cyrus: " Let him go up and build the house ; " the great topic, in fact, of the whole proclamation-being mentioned in some way in each verse. See, finally, how it is all summed up on a subsequent page: 11 Let the house be builded" (Ezra vi. 3). In other words, "Let that be done which is needed the most." So Cyrus speaks in this place. 2. The manner of the permission was equally satisfactory. It was very d(ji,nite, being addressed, it seems, to all Israel, and yet to Israel alone, as was right (see beginning of ver. 3). Contrast the Samaritans afterwards, who offered to help in building God's house, though none of bis people. It was very cordial. "Jehovah" (see 2 Chron. xxxvi. 23) "his God be with him, and let him go up." Cyrus would not only have them go up, but go uµ with a blessing, such a blessing as be himself bad already received. Compare the words of Jacob (Gen. xlviii. 16). It was very complete. Cyrus would have them "go," or leave where they were (Isa. li. 14); be would have them" go up," or reach the place they desired (Ps. cxxii. 2) ; be would have them "go up and build," i. e. do the very thing that was needed. What could be do more to show his goodwill ? III. The CONSIDERATE COMMAND which we have in ver. 4 seems to answer this question. Besides saying" Be ye warmed and filled" (James ii.16), he "gave" to the Israelites in various ways what was "needed" in their case. He did so, partly, so we  TBE BOOK OF EZRA.