Week 33, August 8-12

Ezra 5-10
During the time that rebuilding the temple had ceased due to outside forces, God sends multiple prophets to urge the people to continue. Cowardice is no virtue. Two of those prophets are Haggai and Zechariah, whose writings are recorded in their own books of Scripture. Through their public exhortations, the people obey God rather than men and begin again in their rebuilding endeavors. 


Spines of steel always attract attention. In this case, the Jews are noticed by a local governor, Tattenai, who gathers his fellow governors together in an attempt to thwart any further rebuilding. By this time, Persia has overtaken Babylon, so the new king of the empire is Darius. This group of busybodies writes a flattering letter to Darius, asking him to investigate under whose authority the Jews are rebuilding the temple. 


Darius does indeed find that his predecessor Cyrus permitted the rebuilding of the temple. It’s noteworthy that no one finds another decree commanding the Jews to stop the building, which is how chapter 4 ends. But in God’s good providence, Darius permits the Jews to continue. The project will be financed by the Persian treasury.


How do we make sense of the empire funding religious operations? Only in a postmodern humanist society does that pose a problem. What is keeping God from having his temple? Money? Why not have the empire oppressing the people pay for it? What sweet irony! Besides that, there aren’t a lot of connections between that situation and our own. In Ezra’s day, there were no atheistic people; it was nonsense. Contrast that with the fact that today to be an atheist is nearly always tied to a condescending attitude toward the religiously devout. The religion of scientism has simply become the de facto religion of the American people. Science has rituals and traditions, like any religion. Science must pass down its accepted institutions to the next generation, or they will be lost. We should not think that those who despise a relationship between the empire and religion necessarily have the moral high ground.


Upon the completion of the temple, the priests gather the people together to dedicate it. Hundreds of animals are offered as sacrifices. There is even the note that the priests are serving God “as it is written in the Book of Moses” (6:18). The people are seeking to be faithful again. As toward the end of the book of 2 Chronicles, the celebration of the Passover receives special attention. The Jews are again celebrating an exodus of sorts.


There is a drastic jump in time between Ezra 6 and 7, of nearly 60 years. Artaxerxes is now king of Persia. It’s possible Ezra was not born at the time of the return of the exiles and that he was born in Babylon/Persia. Either way, he is currently in Persia, and the king gives him permission to go to Judah and ensure the law of God is being kept, as well as settle civil issues. But Ezra’s primary purpose, personally, is to teach the law to the people so that they are able to obey it. Artaxerxes sends a letter to the people giving authority to Ezra to do all that he needs to accomplish his purposes. Again, we see the empire in service of God’s purposes.


The exiles returned in three main stages, one of which was led by Ezra. We get a genealogy of that group in Ezra 8. Ezra gathers some priests together to prepare for the journey by prayer and fasting. For three days, they prepared themselves spiritually for the great work they were about to undertake.


When Ezra and the exiles with him finally arrive in Jerusalem, they are told about the rampant intermarriage between the Jews and the surrounding pagans. Ezra has hoped that after a whole generation in exile, the people would have learned that yoking yourself to someone who hates your God would lead you to do so, as well. There were clear laws against marrying those who practiced pagan religions, such as Deuteronomy 7:1-5. Israel had a long history of this mistake. Ezra grieves such sin. He prays to God and confesses the sin of the people. He even lumps himself in with them. 


Ezra’s spiritual leadership brings the people to confess their sin personally. The usual words for “marriage” and “divorce” are not used here. This implies that these were not recognized as normal or regulated situations. We should not read more into the situation than is clearly articulated. There is no reason to think that the foreign wives and the children born from these unions were cast out to die in the wilderness. They were simply kept apart from the believing community. This was a clear breach of the law. Shecaniah speaks on behalf of the people as he speak with Ezra. He says that the people will do what Ezra has said, “according to the counsel of my Lord and of those who tremble at the command of our God”, which heavily implies that there were plans for these wives and children.


For Christians today, we must see that we are not in the same situation as these Jews. If a Christian marries an unbeliever, that is not grounds for divorce. Paul clearly says in 1 Corinthians 7 that a believer does not divorce an unbeliever for that sole reason. There are situations where divorce is permissible though never commanded, and being unequally yoked may lead to those situations. However, being married to an unbeliever is not itself grounds for divorce.


The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were likely originally one book, which is why Ezra ends somewhat abruptly. The narrative is picked up in Nehemiah 1.


Nehemiah 1-8
Only about 50,000 Jews returned from exile to Judah. This left many more in Babylon/Persia who had followed Jeremiah’s word to build families and settle down. Like Ezra, Nehemiah may have been born and raised in Persia. He is now cupbearer to the king, which is a high and noble position. He is in a place to have influence on the king’s decision making.


He gets word that the wall surrounding Jerusalem has been burned by fire. This could be referring to the initial destruction that took place before exile began, or it could be referring to some of the opposition that took place to stop the rebuilding process. Either way, Nehemiah is distraught. He prays to God, like Ezra, confessing his sins and the sins of the people that led them to be sent into exile. He knows that because of his high position, he might be someone able to make a difference back in Judah.


Nehemiah approaches the king, and the king notices Nehemiah’s irregular disposition. As Nehemiah relays the situation in Jerusalem, Artaxerxes gives him permission to supply and restore rebuilding efforts. Again, the state is not “meddling” in religious affairs. Only in the contemporary period has this been seen as a conflict of interest.


Nehemiah sees that the walls are in as bad a condition as he has heard. The walls of a city were no small matter; the walls were a city’s security. These walls could be several feet thick and made of stone. Cities were also often build on hills, as was Jerusalem. These walls could serve as armories and fortresses from invading forces. So for Jerusalem not to have walls or a standing army was to mean Jerusalem was extremely vulnerable. Even by the priests serving as leaders in rebuilding the city’s security measures, we see the interrelatedness of the religious and the secular. Until the Lord returns, we need both. 


Darius has permitted rebuilding to continue, as was Artaxerxes. But this does not stop all opposition. It is not entirely clear who Sanballat was, but he is some kind of official working on behalf of the Persian government. He is a type of administrator. Half of the wall is completed, and Sanballat organizes other administrators to plot against the Jews. The work of rebuilding the wall is exhausting, and the men are beginning to see their endurance fade. Between exterior opposition and interior exhaustion, Nehemiah will have his hands full.


Sanballat had no official decree on his side. All he could do is threaten the Jews with death. Nehemiah, though, urges the men to continue the work. Half of them would work while the other have served as a kind of national guard. It did slow work down a bit, but it gave the men an advantage and an assurance of safety.


Another related internal issue was usury. Jerusalem has hardly been rebuilt, and those who are not wealthy are borrowing from the wealthy to make ends meet, even up to mortgaging their land. The Jews also have to continue paying taxes to the king of Persia. Usury was strictly against Mosaic law. It was perfectly legal to lend money and help your neighbor. What was illegal was charging interest to your fellow Israelite. Nehemiah calls out the people, and they return the mortgaged land to the original owners. For all the faults of the people, they are quick to repent and do the right thing.


Sanballat and his cabal are in no mood to see the Jews persevere. Sanballat calls for Nehemiah to come and meet with him through messengers. He sent messengers back to Sanballat saying that his work is more important than another meeting. Nehemiah is well aware of Sanballat’s intent, and he is not going to let one man stop him from doing the work of the Lord. Sanballat tries to coerce Nehemiah five times, and in each instance, Nehemiah stays focused on the task at hand. Sanballat tries to threaten Nehemiah with lies about the Jews’ intent to rebel, but he won’t fall for it. In less than two months, the wall is finished. The result was that the surrounding nations feared the Jews. Imagine what would have happened if Nehemiah had caved to Sanballat and his threats? 


Nehemiah is a temporary leader installed by Artaxerxes. Once the wall is completed, he installs Hanani as charge over the city. This whole time, the people had been living in tents. Now that the altar, temple, and wall are completed, the people can focus on their more pressing needs. There are not that many people living in the city. Nehemiah finds a book listing those who returned initially, and he continues the list.


The people are resettling and are ready to live lives of religious observance. Ezra gathers the people together to read from the Mosaic law. As Ezra reads, priests interpret the text for the people. It was not enough to hear; they had to understand. It is not a day for mourning. They have much to celebrate: a new altar, a new temple, and a new wall, all of which was provided by God. Ezra and Nehemiah tells the people to eat all they want, drink to their fill, and save some for those who couldn’t make it—a proper potluck. 


Romans 2-7
Paul has set forth the argument that God’s wrath can be manifested by simply allowing sin to run its natural course. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth” (1:18). It is not a trifling matter that all have fallen short of God’s supreme, perfect, righteous standard, which is the definition of holiness.


The very things we judge others for, we do ourselves. This itself is evidence of a debased mind, which God gives over to its desires. Not only is God’s wrath being meted out in the present, but continuing in sin is equivalent to building a rickhouse of God’s wrath for yourself in the future. Those who continue in unrighteousness will face that wrath, but peace is reserved for the righteous.


The law of Moses was not a means of achieving salvation. That’s why Paul can say that regardless of whether a person was a Jew or a Gentile, regardless of a person’s relationship to the law, all people will be judged. There is also a standard set forth in nature, which all people recognize. There is of course the truth that all people suppress natural revelation, but that does not negate the fact that it is known. For example, on the surface, everyone says that murder is wrong. But when it comes time to stand for something, many recoil from understanding capital punishment is for murderers. Many hesitate to call abortion murder. Why? Because we suppress the truth revealed in nature.


Everyone fails to practice what they preach. The Jews practiced circumcision to obey the law, yet their behavior proved their circumcision was purely an exterior ritual, not one of the heart. Jewishness is not a matter of rituals, rites, and family heritage. It is “a matter of the heart” (2:29). Therefore, one who keeps the law is a true Jew, or a true Israelite. There is only one true Israelite, Jesus Christ.


But even if keeping the law does not save a person, surely there must still be a benefit from having the law at all. Paul assumes this question and assures the Roman Christians that there most certainly is a benefit from being kept from ignorance of the law. In the law, we see God’s holiness and our sinfulness. We can’t keep the letter of the law, nonetheless the spirit of the law. But the Jews were the people in whom God placed special revelation. It was not because of anything inherent in them, but it was the good pleasure of God to do so. What an honor! Therefore, the faithfulness of God is not dependent on the faithfulness of his people. The law is good because it comes from God, not because his people can or cannot keep it.


Having said all that, we must recognize that the Jews have not been faithful to the special revelation, and the Gentiles have not been faithful to natural revelation. No one is righteous; no not one. The law, whether special or natural, will justify no one, because the law was given because of sin. We were sinners when the law of God was given.


If we thought the law revealed how righteous God was, then we’re in for a treat when we hear about faith. Faith makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile. Faith and law are not two sides of a coin; they are completely different coins. Faith trusts in the promises of God; law trusts in human ability. 


But what about the lawbreakers? How does faith save lawbreakers? This is the doctrine of justification. The sacrifice of Christ is received by sinners as a gift. The sacrifice is complete, so receiving the gift is not a work that plays into our salvation. The Son, who is God, was sacrificed, so we can and should say that God received the punishment for sin back on himself instead of demanding that sinners pay the debt our sin created. That’s why Paul can say that God is justified in receiving the sacrifice paid for by himself, and God is justified in pardoning sinners. 


Many have argued that the atonement is “cosmic child abuse”. How could God let an innocent man, nevertheless his Son, die for bad people? And how could God force Jesus to go through with it? Besides being exegetically unsound, that argument refuses to see the glory of the Trinity. Jesus is fully God, so God paid the debt the he was owed. If we were to think of it in human terms, we would never think less of a man who simply forgave a monetary debt that he was owed by someone else. We would see that he absorbed that loss. In a similar way, but far more cosmic, God absorbed the debt of sin into himself through the incarnate Son of God.


Salvation by grace through faith is not a concept first found in the New Testament. Paul shows that Abraham was saved by grace through faith. Long before the law was given, faith was required. Even once the law was given, because “a Jew is one inwardly,” faith was required. Without faith, circumcision is the same as uncircumcision; it is meaningless. Before the Sabbath, the festivals, and the sacrificial system, there was faith. 


Because God justifies through faith in the blood of his Son, we are at peace with God. That is a judicial fact based on God’s word, not experience or emotion. The gavel has been lowered; God’s decision stands. While we were still sinners, while we were weak, Christ did his great work. The same wrath that Paul said God is revealing from heaven back in chapter 1 he now says we have been spared from. God’s people are spared from his wrath in the midst of his wrath. 


How is it possible that one man, Jesus Christ, could possibly pay for the sins of all the elect? In the same way that all of humanity participates in Adam’s rebellion, the elect participate in Christ’s obedience. Death entered through disobedience; life enters through obedience. All of humanity is in one of two covenants with their creator: the covenant of works, established with Adam, or the covenant of grace, established with Christ. One of these two men is the covenant head for every individual. 


But even though our justification is an unbreakable or unchangeable decision by God, that does not imply that we can continue to live as though we still suppress the truth. In baptism, we are buried with Christ. But in the same way he was resurrected, we also walk in newness of life/resurrected life. Therefore, we do not continue living as we once did, as if we were still dead in our sins. We have been raised to new life! We are not dead! Live like it!


Romans 7 sometimes poses problems of interpretation, because the lingering question is, “Who is Paul addressing? A Christian or a non-Christian?” That question comes about by a seemingly difficult relationship between the objective newness of life for the believer and yet continuing to recognize sinful patterns of behavior in ones life. 


I believe Paul is clearly addressing Christians, but a certain kind of Christian—a true believer who came from Jewish heritage. This is supported by Paul’s language, such as 7:1, where he calls his readers both “brothers” and “those who know the law”. I see no reason to arbitrarily change audiences at any point in Romans 7. I believe that what Paul is describing is a type of internal monologue a Jew would have with himself as he tries to make sense of seeing the law as fulfilled in Christ and no longer binding on himself as a condition of the new covenant. 


This Jewish Christian asks, “Did that which is good, then, bring death to me?” Did I follow the law just to be duped into thinking it could save me? No way! Paul tells this Jewish Christian that it was always the sinner that was the culprit, not the lawgiver or his law. The Gentile Christians were not having a debate about the place of the law in the new covenant. That took place among the Jews in the congregation.


This Jewish Christian delights in the law of God. They always have! The Psalms begin by saying that the wise man delights in the law of God. Consider Psalm 119 and how many times the author says he delights in the law of God. The prophet Jeremiah says the words of God are delight for his heart (15:16). We can delight in the law of God while we wrestle with the flesh and sin. Hence why Paul cries out, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” The law, as delightful as it is, does not produce life. That only comes as a gift of God.


Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!