The Big Picture

It’s easy to get lost in the weeds. It doesn’t take much for me to get distracted by the trees and forget the forest. That’s why they say “the devil is in the details” (and if you can tell me who “they” are, we could answer one of the mysteries of the universe!). While specifics are critical, we must never lose sight of the big picture. Ezra lets us know here in Ezra 7:27-28 that he has a clear understanding of the story behind the story. The king of Persia supports the resettlement of the Jewish people back to the Promised Land and has back it up with some serious cash. But Ezra understands that this is actually a move of God. What’s happening is all part of God’s epic story. It’s all part of the Big Picture.

This is probably a good time to step back for a broader look at what’s going down here in the book of Ezra. The story begins with God’s people in the final days of a 70-year captivity. They are almost 1,000 miles away from their Promised Land. The situation back home in Jerusalem isn’t much better. The city is destroyed. The temple is a pile of bricks. If this were a movie, you wouldn’t be surprised if the screen faded to black at this point. Game over. 

But just when all hope is lost, that’s when God gets busy. As a matter of fact, that seems to be when He does His best work. And you thought Michael Jordan was clutch. Please. Suddenly the LORD taps King Cyrus of Persia on the shoulder and gives him the idea to let his Israelite slaves head back home and rebuild their temple (Ez 1). After local Samaritan leaders sabotage the project (Ez 4:4-5), God uses the prophetic pair of Haggai and Zechariah to light a fire under His people to get busy again (Ez 5:1-2). They temple reconstruction hits another speed bump when local bureaucrats stop by to see if the Jews have all the permits and paperwork from the home office (Ez 5:3-17). Once again, God gets busy. Yahweh has His eyes on whole deal and makes sure King Darius of Persia not only approves the project but the government financing as well (Ez 6:1-12). The Hebrews cut the ribbon on the rebuilt temple with a massive grand opening celebration (Ez 6:13-18). 

Fast forward our story some 59 years to the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia. That’s when we meet our author, Ezra (Ez 7:1). He not only comes from a long line of high priests but he’s got mad skills when it comes to God’s Word (Ez 7:1, 6, 10-11, 25). If that’s not enough for you, the LORD’s fingerprints are all over this dude. Ezra understands that He’s in good hands of His great God (Ez 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31). Don’t miss the connection between the Big E’s grasp of Scripture and knowing God has him in His divine hands. Ezra sees the God’s epic story because he knows God’s Word. He understands the importance of the details. But he also sees the Big Picture.

We pick up the story here just as Ezra finishes reading a very important letter from King Artaxerxes (Ez 7:12-26). This mug is the most powerful person in the most powerful nation on the planet. We’re talking about one of the most ruthless dictators in the ancient Near East. He crushes countries just to kill time. Yet somehow and someway, this pagan king grants Ezra’s request to lead the resettlement of Jerusalem and throw open the royal treasury to ensure it will happen. Artaxerxes gives them whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want. Our man Ezra knows exactly Who is behind it all. He sees the Big Picture.

“Blessed by the LORD, the God of our fathers” (v27). The author folds up the king’s decree approving the return to the Promised Land and immediately writes a thank you note to the King. Not to King Artaxerxes but to the King of Kings. As a student of the Bible, he leans on language in God’s law that he’s committed to memory. “Blessed be the LORD” is one of King David’s favorite lyrics in many of his hit songs in the Psalms. Ezra calls Almighty God by His covenant name Yahweh (anytime your Bible uses “the LORD” that’s the normal translation of the Hebrew name for God). This name reminds us that God can be completely trusted to fulfill all He’s promised. Just in case you weren’t sure of that, Ezra calls Him “the God of our fathers” (v27). He’s talking about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Flip back to Genesis and you’ll read how God promised to bless the entire world through Abe and his family (Gen 12:1-3). Ezra knows that God keeps His promises. He knows that what’s happening in Jerusalem is all part of that promise. He sees the Big Picture.

The author knows without a shadow of a doubt that this wasn’t Artaxerxes’ idea. It was God “who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king” (v27). Again, Ezra knows his Bible. He knows what Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs. “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will” (Prov 21:1). God was doing this Inception thing a few thousand years before Christopher Nolan made his movie (and there’s no spinning and wobbling top at the end of God’s story either!). Yahweh turns Artaxerxes’ heart. He’s the One behind it all. Ezra sees the Big Picture.

A huge part of what God is doing through Ezra and his previous Hebrew predecessors is “to beautify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem” (v27). Once again, this is a recognition of the epic story God is writing through His people. The Big E clearly sees the reconstruction of the temple as at least a partial fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. “I will beautify My beautiful house” (Is 60:7). This is VERY similar language as was used by Isaiah BEFORE God sent the Jews of the Southern Kingdom into captivity in Babylon. Once again, our man has a grasp on what some folks call the Meta-Narrative of the Bible. That’s a big word that means the Big Story. Yeah, you know what’s coming next, don’t you? Ezra sees the Big Picture.

Our author is blown away that God has “extended to me His steadfast love before the king and his counselors” (v28). The phrase “steadfast love” is actually the awesome Hebrew word hesed. It describes God’s faithful and unending blessing and love. It’s His promise of love. His “love without end amen” as Randy Travis sings about. God’s covenant promises are all based on His covenant love. Ezra knows that all that’s happening in his relationship with Artaxerxes is all because of God’s faithful and unending love to His people. Because of the LORD’s unending blessing, the Big E “took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was on me” (v28). This isn’t about Ezra and his ability to convince the king. This isn’t about his mad scriptural skills. This is about God. This is about His covenant love. This is about His goodness. This is about His grace. That’s because Ezra sees the Big Picture.