"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Torah of Adonai (the Law of the Lord) and to do it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel" (Ezra 7:10).
Ezra prepared His heart to seek God's Word, to do it and to teach it. Notice what this Scripture doesn't say. It doesn't say: "Ezra prepared his heart to be the leader of a great revival." Or, "Ezra prepared his heart to be well-known and respected enough for kings and people in places of authority to know and call on him for great and noble tasks."
Nope. Only, "Ezra prepared his heart to seek God's Word, to do it and to teach it."
Observe what else it doesn't say:
Nope. Again, "Ezra prepared his heart to seek God's Word, to do it and to teach it."
The amazing thing about it is that Ezra did in fact lead a great revival (see Nehemiah 8-10) and he was called on by a king to take up a great and noble task (Ezra 7:11-28). He was also entrusted with the treasures of God's Temple and received favor and blessing (Ezra 7), but it wasn't because he was seeking any of these things.
As I read this Scripture, I am reminded of Yeshua's words "…seek His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you" (Luke 12:31).
Ezra, as a member of the kohanim (priests) was not even seeking to be established as a priest in Israel. Remember, at this time there was no Temple. He didn't set his heart on the future of what he could become, he simply did in the present what he knew to do. He sought first God's kingdom and all these things were added to him.
Why is it important for us to seek to learn God's Word and to do and teach it? It's important because:
Once we learn His Word, He'll empower us to do His Word. Once we do His Word, we'll be able to teach it, and by the very act of teaching His Word we'll learn more about His Word and how to do it. This is a cycle worth repeating!
I must ask myself then, what things am I seeking? Am I seeking to be known or approved by others? Am I seeking to do something great for God or to have an abundance of gifts, blessing and favor? Am I seeking earthly treasures instead of heavenly ones? If I answer honestly, the answer is often yes. But it doesn't have to be. In this season more than ever, in order to have a sure hope, we must seek His Word. In it is life and all that we need.
Lord, I want to prepare my heart to seek your Word. You said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Luke 12:34). Please help me, by Your Spirit, to clear out of the way anything that is taking first place in my life and heart above Your Word. Make learning and doing your Word my highest goal so that I may be truly blessed and be able to teach others about You.
Reflection:
Take inventory of your heart today and ask God for a heart to seek Him and His Word, to do it and to teach it. You will be blessed and be a blessing.
For the past nine weeks, as the coronavirus upended the world with fear, stay-at-home mandates, financial loss and isolation, we’ve turned to Scripture for the hope we each need to endure rough times.
Ancient Israel had a hope: to return to the Land God had promised to give her. Yet, she had been in exile in Babylon for so long that I’m sure the hope of many began to wane, if not completely disappear.
Our God is the Master Composer. The intricacies He has purposefully arranged on His grand scale of time are often indistinguishable to the human ear, unless we strain to hear. As we journey through the story of Ezra-Nehemiah in the days ahead, listen in for a pattern, a 3-part harmony, as God composes another movement in His song through the mouths of His prophets. See if you can make out the sounds.
The words God gave to His prophets often told about events in the current time, near future and a time even further in the future. They are always pointing us forward, but what were they pointing us forward to?
