FORT KNOX, EZRA 7, AND A DIVINE NUDGE

Good morning

After a week of soaking rain which was so desperately needed, we have a sunshine day to give the plants a chance to photosynthesise. Everything is good and clean and fresh this morning.

In a spirit of levity, I sought some inspiration to bring something Godly, meaningful and fun. God honestly has a delightful sense of humour.

When I opened my Bible at Ezra Chapter 7, I realised how involved in our lives our God really is. I had no idea that all that is happening now is succinctly encapsulated in this one chapter.

The whole chapter is pertinent and instructional.

The last video that I settled in to watch on X was one that’s been buzzing around—President Donald Trump and Elon Musk talking about doing a live walkthrough of Fort Knox. The idea’s been hot since Musk posted about it on X around February 17, 2025, with Trump chiming in by the 19th. It’s fresh as of today, February 21, 2025.

Trump’s voice boomed with that classic mix of confidence and curiosity: “We’re going to go to Fort Knox—the fabled Fort Knox—to make sure the gold is there. If it isn’t, we’re going to be very upset.” Then there’s Musk, the tech visionary, chiming in with, “A livestream of Fort Knox would be lit (paraphrased).” I couldn’t help but smile at the thought—two larger-than-life figures plotting to peek into America’s gold vault, maybe even cracking open a conspiracy or two.

It was the last thing I saw before I closed my laptop and turned to God, asking, “What’s on Your heart for my blog today?” He led me straight to Ezra Chapter 7. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but verses 10 to 17 practically leapt off the page. When God directs me, I obey, so here we are, bridging a 21st-century gold quest with a 5th-century BC mission of faith.

 

Ezra 7:10-17—A Heart for God and a Gift for His House

Ezra 7 starts with Ezra himself, a scribe with a heart set on studying, practicing, and teaching God’s law (v. 10). By verse 16, we’re in the thick of a divine assignment: King Artaxerxes commissioned Ezra to gather silver and gold from the province of Babylonia, paired with freewill offerings from the Jewish exiles—people and priests alike—for the Temple in Jerusalem. The Hebrew text of verse 16 sings of hitnaddavut (voluntary giving) and mitnadvim (those who willingly offer), painting a picture of a community united in devotion, freely pouring out their treasures for God’s house.

As I read, I couldn’t shake the parallel.

Fort Knox holds America’s gold—147 million ounces of it, apparently—a symbol of national wealth and security. Ezra’s mission was about gold and silver too, but it wasn’t just about the tangible valuables. It was about hearts turned toward God, willingly giving to restore worship in a rebuilt Temple.

Trump and Musk want to confirm the gold is still there; Ezra’s people gave up theirs to ensure God’s presence was honoured.

Biblical or Knox

Modern Quest Meets Ancient Faith

So why Fort Knox now?

Elon Musk kicked it off on X, asking, “Who’s confirming that gold wasn’t stolen from Fort Knox? Maybe it’s there, maybe it’s not.”

President Trump ran with it, promising a visit to the Kentucky vaults.

If one were to be Hollywood dramatic about it, it’s got a National Treasure vibe - minus Nicolas Cage, plus with a livestream thrown into the mix. The US Treasury insists it’s all accounted for, audited yearly, but scepticism abounds. People want transparency after years of being denied any.

The Ezra story flips that on its head, all the way from 458 BC - nothing like future proving past, well, in this case, being the mirror in a very real sense.

In Ezra’s world, there was no suspicion or conspiracy - just trust and generosity. There was a level of trust which is absolutely missing in this modern world. A trust that the Trump administration has shown that it is working on to restore and we can only pray that they succeed. The exiles in Ezra’s time didn’t hoard their wealth; they handed it over, trusting Ezra to carry their treasures 900 miles/1,500 kilometres back to Jerusalem. The ‘livestream’ that the exiles experienced was as live as it could get – it happened in real time.

If a livestream happens in Fort Knox, it  may be as close as we’ll ever get to peeking into Scrooge McDuck’s vault, except that it’s our vault, not Scrooge’s, which holds (hopefully) America’s precious metal stock. (I suspect that if the gold and silver is not in Fort Knox, President Trum and Elon already are aware of where it is.)

The parallels are unmistakable - Artaxerxes even added royal backing, much like Elon’s DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) has President Trump’s support today.

 

Where God’s Leading Me

I had no particular thoughts about anything serious while I was watching Elon’s Fort Knox clip except that I enjoyed Elon’s energy in the interview. It began as a ‘haha’ moment, but, trust God to make it all crystal clear: God himself was setting the stage. Ezra 7 isn’t just history - it’s a mirror. Are we clinging to our gold and silver, demanding proof it’s safe, or are we offering it up, trusting God’s plan?

President Trump and Elon’s walkthrough may reveal bars of bullion (or not!), but reading Ezra has challenged me to look deeper. What’s in my vault? Am I giving it freely for His glory? Can I overcome my distrust which has built up over decades?

The focus on voluntary giving in Ezra 7, 10:16 mirrors our curiosity about Fort Knox’s gold - possession versus purpose. Can we get back to trusting again? Is President Trump’s Golden Age an age of Godliness which we haven’t known for decades? In fact, I would go so far as to say that no one alive has ever experienced a ‘Golden Age’ either spiritually, physically or financially, but that’s a topic for another blog on another day.

There is a truth which I need to express as a non-American. Americans are some of the most generous people in the world. That’s an indisputable fact. What is also indisputable is that, if they find out that they’ve been sold a bill of goods, their anger will be fire-hot and unextinguishable until justice is served. Hopefully, we are very nearly at the ‘justice is served’ point in our lives. We all need it!

So, today’s blog is because God nudged me and then demanded my attention, and I’m grinning at how He ties it all together. A billionaire and a president chasing gold, a scribe on instruction of a king leading exiles to give theirs away—it’s an unexpectedly improbable thread, but it’s His.

Perhaps the Fort Knox livestream will happen, and we’ll all watch, popcorn in hand. Today though, I’m asking myself: What’s my offering - freely given - for His purpose?

(Source: Insights on Ezra 7 courtesy of Grok, created by xAI)