Ezra's Authority Ezra 7

v6 "This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him."

Artaxerxes, king of Persia, gave Ezra the authority to take anyone who wanted to go with him, to Jerusalem. He also had legal authority to exact judgment on anyone who hindered or did not obey his commands in building the house of the LORD. He also had authority over the treasures to be taken to Jerusalem. It was a monumental task and the LORD had put in the heart of the king to give him the monumental power to fulfill the task. Ezra traced his roots all the way back to Aaron. He also studied to know the law.

v10 "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments."

We must remember that it has been 70 years. Many of those carried away have died and their children were raised in a foreign land. They probably were not all taught the law.

Here is the blank check given to Ezra

v18 "And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God."

v23 "Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

Ezra does not take credit for getting all this accomplished.

v27 "Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. v28 And hath extended mercy unto me..."

Ezra was a scribe, although I have had trouble figuring out the sequence of events and kings, it seems to me that the first part of Ezra is Ezra's description of what happened, then in this chapter he starts to tell the story from a personal point-of-view. I am not sure about that though.

Zechariah 6:15 "And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts, hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God."

Ezra's authority to build the temple.