◄ Ezra 7:28 ►
and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.
Study Bible
and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials.

Ezra acknowledges the favor he received from the Persian king, Artaxerxes, and his court. This favor is significant as it reflects God's providence in the affairs of His people. The Persian Empire, known for its vast reach and influence, had a structured administration with counselors and officials who played crucial roles in governance. Ezra's favor with these leaders highlights God's sovereignty in using foreign powers to fulfill His purposes, similar to how Joseph found favor in Egypt (Genesis 39:4) and Daniel in Babylon (Daniel 1:9). This favor is a fulfillment of God's promise to restore His people, as seen in Jeremiah 29:10-14.

Est 2:17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women…
Est 5:2 As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court,…
Neh 2:8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s…

And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me,

The phrase "the hand of the LORD" signifies divine intervention and blessing. This expression is used throughout Ezra and Nehemiah to denote God's active role in guiding and empowering His servants (Ezra 7:6, Nehemiah 2:8). It underscores the belief that success in any endeavor, especially one as significant as the return from exile, is due to God's direct involvement. This divine hand is a type of Christ, who is the ultimate mediator and guide for believers, ensuring that God's will is accomplished.

Ezr 8:18 And since the gracious hand of our God was upon us…
Ezr 8:31 On the twelfth day of the first month we set out…
Neh 2:18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me…

I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.

Ezra's courage is a response to God's favor and presence. The gathering of Israel's leaders indicates a strategic and organized effort to restore the community in Jerusalem. This return is part of the larger narrative of the Jewish exiles' return, as prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 44:28) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:11-12). The leaders' involvement is crucial for the re-establishment of religious and social order, reflecting the importance of leadership in God's plan. This act of gathering and leading parallels the role of Jesus Christ, who gathers His people and leads them into the Kingdom of God (John 10:14-16).

Jos 1:6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall give…
1Ch 28:1 Now David summoned all the leaders of Israel to Jerusalem:…
Ezr 8:15 Now I assembled these exiles at the canal…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezra
A scribe and priest, Ezra was a key figure in the return of the Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. He was devoted to studying and teaching the Law of God.

2. The LORD
The covenant name of God, Yahweh, who is central to the account as the one who empowers and guides Ezra.

3. Israel
Refers to the Jewish people, particularly those who were in exile and are now returning to their homeland.

4. Leaders from Israel
These were the heads of families and tribes who Ezra gathered to accompany him back to Jerusalem to restore the worship and practices according to the Law.

5. Jerusalem
The city to which Ezra and the exiles were returning, significant as the center of Jewish worship and the location of the Temple.
Teaching Points
Divine Empowerment
Recognize that God's hand upon us provides the courage and strength needed to undertake His work. Just as Ezra was empowered, we too can rely on God's presence in our endeavors.

Leadership and Initiative
Ezra's example shows the importance of taking initiative in leadership. When God calls us, we should step forward with courage and gather others to join in His work.

Faithful Obedience
Ezra's actions were rooted in his commitment to God's Law. Our obedience to God's Word should be the foundation of our actions and decisions.

Community and Collaboration
The gathering of leaders highlights the importance of community in fulfilling God's purposes. We are called to work together with others in the body of Christ.

Courage in God's Promises
Ezra's courage was based on the assurance of God's promises. We too can find courage in the promises of Scripture, knowing that God is faithful.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the phrase "the hand of the LORD my God was upon me" influence your understanding of divine guidance and empowerment in your own life?

2. In what ways can you take initiative in your community or church, similar to how Ezra gathered leaders to return to Jerusalem?

3. How does Ezra's reliance on God's hand encourage you to face challenges in your life with courage and faith?

4. What are some practical ways you can foster community and collaboration in your spiritual journey, as seen in Ezra's gathering of leaders?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's empowerment in your life. How did it change your perspective or actions, and how can you apply that experience to current challenges?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Nehemiah 2:8
This verse also speaks of the "good hand of God" upon Nehemiah, showing a parallel in how God empowers His servants to accomplish His purposes.

Isaiah 41:10
This passage reassures God's people of His presence and strength, similar to how Ezra was encouraged by God's hand upon him.

Philippians 4:13
This New Testament verse echoes the theme of divine empowerment, as believers are strengthened to do all things through Christ.
Sermons
Aspects of the Divine and HumanJ.S. Exell Ezra 7:27, 28
Beauty in God's HouseJ. Ruskin.Ezra 7:27-28
Exemplary PraiseWilliam Jones.Ezra 7:27-28
God's Love of the BeautifulW. Proudfoot, M. A.Ezra 7:27-28
Kings of Persia -- Nursing Fathers of the ChurchW. Mackenzie.Ezra 7:27-28
The Extension of the Mercy of the CovenantJ.A. Macdonald Ezra 7:27, 28
People
Aaron, Abishua, Ahitub, Amariah, Artaxerxes, Azariah, Bukki, Eleazar, Ezra, Hilkiah, Israelites, Levites, Meraioth, Phinehas, Seraiah, Shallum, Uzzi, Zadok, Zerahiah
Places
Babylonia, Beyond the River, Jerusalem, Persia
Topics
Advisers, Assembled, Captains, Chief, Counsellors, Counselors, Courage, Extended, Favor, Gather, Gathered, Got, Government, Heads, Kindness, King's, Leading, Love, Loving, Lovingkindness, Mercy, Mighty, Myself, Officers, Officials, Powerful, Princes, Steadfast, Strengthened, Stretched, Strong, Thus
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezra 7:28

     1085   God, love of
     1265   hand of God
     7372   hands, laying on

Ezra 7:27-28

     1055   God, grace and mercy
     6667   grace, in OT

Library
Appendix. The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament.
1. The Greek word Apocrypha, hidden, that is, hidden or secret books, was early applied by the fathers of the Christian church to anonymous or spurious books that falsely laid claim to be a part of the inspired word. By some, as Jerome, the term was extended to all the books incorporated by the Alexandrine Jews, in their Greek version, into the proper canon of the Old Testament, a few of which books, though not inspired, are undoubtedly genuine. Another designation of the books in question …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Reading the Law with Tears and Joy
'And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. 2. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. 3. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until midday, before …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Rome and Ephesus
Corinth as portrayed in the Epistles of Paul gives us our simplest and least contaminated picture of the Hellenic Christianity which regarded itself as the cult of the Lord Jesus, who offered salvation--immortality--to those initiated in his mysteries. It had obvious weaknesses in the eyes of Jewish Christians, even when they were as Hellenised as Paul, since it offered little reason for a higher standard of conduct than heathenism, and its personal eschatology left no real place for the resurrection …
Kirsopp Lake—Landmarks in the History of Early Christianity

Authorship of the Pentateuch.
The term Pentateuch is composed of the two Greek words, pente, five, and teuchos, which in later Alexandrine usage signified book. It denotes, therefore, the collection of five books; or, the five books of the law considered as a whole. 1. In our inquiries respecting the authorship of the Pentateuch, we begin with the undisputed fact that it existed in its present form in the days of Christ and his apostles, and had so existed from the time of Ezra. When the translators of the Greek version, …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Of Antichrist, and his Ruin: and of the Slaying the Witnesses.
BY JOHN BUNYAN PREFATORY REMARKS BY THE EDITOR This important treatise was prepared for the press, and left by the author, at his decease, to the care of his surviving friend for publication. It first appeared in a collection of his works in folio, 1692; and although a subject of universal interest; most admirably elucidated; no edition has been published in a separate form. Antichrist has agitated the Christian world from the earliest ages; and his craft has been to mislead the thoughtless, by …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Brave Encouragements
'In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying, 2. Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying, 3. Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? 4. Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

General Account of Jesus' Teaching.
^A Matt. IV. 17; ^B Mark I. 14, 15; ^C Luke IV. 14, 15. ^a 17 From that time Jesus began to preach [The time here indicated is that of John the Baptist's imprisonment and Jesus' return to Galilee. This time marked a new period in the public ministry of Jesus. Hitherto he had taught, but he now began to preach. When the voice of his messenger, John, was silenced, the King became his own herald. Paul quoted the Greeks as saying that preaching was "foolishness," but following the example here set by …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Section Chap. I. -iii.
The question which here above all engages our attention, and requires to be answered, is this: Whether that which is reported in these chapters did, or did not, actually and outwardly take place. The history of the inquiries connected with this question is found most fully in Marckius's "Diatribe de uxore fornicationum," Leyden, 1696, reprinted in the Commentary on the Minor Prophets by the same author. The various views may be divided into three classes. 1. It is maintained by very many interpreters, …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Formation and History of the Hebrew Canon.
1. The Greek word canon (originally a straight rod or pole, measuring-rod, then rule) denotes that collection of books which the churches receive as given by inspiration of God, and therefore as constituting for them a divine rule of faith and practice. To the books included in it the term canonical is applied. The Canon of the Old Testament, considered in reference to its constituent parts, was formed gradually; formed under divine superintendence by a process of growth extending through …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Appendix v. Rabbinic Theology and Literature
1. The Traditional Law. - The brief account given in vol. i. p. 100, of the character and authority claimed for the traditional law may here be supplemented by a chronological arrangement of the Halakhoth in the order of their supposed introduction or promulgation. In the first class, or Halakhoth of Moses from Sinai,' tradition enumerates fifty-five, [6370] which may be thus designated: religio-agrarian, four; [6371] ritual, including questions about clean and unclean,' twenty-three; [6372] concerning …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Historical Books.
1. In the Pentateuch we have the establishment of the Theocracy, with the preparatory and accompanying history pertaining to it. The province of the historical books is to unfold its practiced working, and to show how, under the divine superintendence and guidance, it accomplished the end for which it was given. They contain, therefore, primarily, a history of God's dealings with the covenant people under the economy which he had imposed upon them. They look at the course of human events on the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Influences that Gave Rise to the Priestly Laws and Histories
[Sidenote: Influences in the exile that produced written ceremonial laws] The Babylonian exile gave a great opportunity and incentive to the further development of written law. While the temple stood, the ceremonial rites and customs received constant illustration, and were transmitted directly from father to son in the priestly families. Hence, there was little need of writing them down. But when most of the priests were carried captive to Babylonia, as in 597 B.C., and ten years later the temple …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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