One of the interesting things about today's reading is that a letter from a pagan king is part of sacred Scripture. But its import is not about the pagan king, Artaxerxes, but of the Great King, God, over Artaxerxes. We see God moving through Artaxerxes to achieve God's will - to rebuild the Jewish people in Israel. God uses the treasuries of Persia to do so.
Equally interesting is the safe, but unguarded, 4 month journey of Ezra's band across dangerous territory with untold riches. Ezra was embarrassed to ask Artaxerxes for protection, but instead asked God Who delivered the band and their cargo safely.
We need to step back and see the movement of God in this reading. But, we also need to step back and discern this same God moving in our lives and the lives of others each and every day now. When God determines something to happen - it will! God worked mightily in Ezra's life and he does in our lives, too.
Note, Ezra was committed to God's word and to prayer and fasting and to making disciples of others.
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