Our God is capable of influencing leaders of nations. God works through the political leaders of our day & time and Ezra's time was no exception.
Not only did God worked through one king but 3 kings during Ezra's time.
The first king that came under God's 'political' influence was Cyrus.
Ezra 1:1 we read that King Cyrus of Persia was "stirred" of the Lord to put up a proclamation in writing to the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple in Judah. Not only did the King asked people to contribute to the work by "giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey and livestock", the King himself also took out articles that his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem to return to the Jews that were making the journey back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Many other resources were also supplied for the work and we read in Verse 6 that "many valuable gifts were given in addition to the voluntary offerings"
In recent times I am reminded of the repeal by the PM of the draconian ISA and several laws that are deemed repressive. In doing so, our PM (like Cyrus) had to put a "proclamation in writing".
The second king that God influenced was Darius. In Ezra 6, Darius issued a decree for the continued rebuilding of the temple. Ezra 6: 7 he specifically asked that the work be not disturbed and ordered Israel's detractors to pay the "full construction costs" from the taxes collected by him in the provinces. There was even a punishment prescribed for those who disobeyed him! Ezra 6:11.
The third king that came under God's influence in politics was Artaxerxes of Persia. In Ezra 7:6 we were told that the king sent Ezra to Jerusalem from Babylon "and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the Lord was on him"
Like the other 2 kings, Artaxerxes wrote a letter allowing Ezra and others to return to Jerusalem together. Not only did he allow them to take the silver and gold from the province of Babylon, he also asked them to take from the royal treasury if they did not have enough funds!
Ezra 7:18 "If you need anything else for your God's temple or for any similar needs you may take it from the royal treasury"
How wonderful to be told that you can do God's word with government resources!
Can God be in politics? Yes certainly!
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