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.
Ezra 7:25
God used Artaxerxes, the pagan Persian prince, to commission Ezra to a three-fold ministry to the returning Jewish exiles in Jerusalem. First, Ezra was sent with gold and treasure from the Persian royal vault to be used in the beautification of the temple as it was being rebuilt in Jerusalem. Ezra was sent to restore the house of worship.
Secondly, Ezra was commissioned to appoint legal civil authorities in and around Jerusalem for the establishment of law and order. These would be Jews, assisting and serving justice on behalf of the Persian Empire, among their own countrymen. Ezra was entrusted with establishing righteous leadership.
And finally, since this new self-governing would require a committed and educated citizenry, the task of teaching God’s Law to all was committed to Ezra by Artaxerxes. Those who did not know God’s Word were to be taught it. Ezra was tasked with teaching the Law of God to the people of God in the land of God’s people.
That God used a pagan king to make Ezra an architect, treasurer, governing magistrate, Chief Justice, and preacher all are proof of His amazing, sovereign power. God directs kings so that His will is done. Politics are not everything. God will direct and sometimes even speak through the actions of nations. God is over human affairs. I can trust that what God is doing is His plan, no matter what political circumstances I may see on any nation on earth.
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