OVERVIEW:
Ezra leads a second group of Jews to return to the land; the sinful condition of the people; Ezra’s prayer and confession; the people repent.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
Ezra chapter 7 begins approximately 60 years after the end of chapter 6. Ezra is now leading a second wave of Jews who had chosen to leave their captivity and return to Jerusalem. Ezra, who obviously had a good testimony before King Artaxerxes, receives a letter from the king authorizing their return. The description of Ezra in 7:6–10 is one we all should desire to be said of us.
Note that 7:6 says he was a “ready scribe in the law of Moses”. Though Ezra could not perform all of his duties while in captivity, he still had made himself “ready” for the time when God would use him. We would do well to ask ourselves, “Am I preparing myself through my relationship with God and His word for whatever it is that He may want to accomplish in and through me in the future?” No, for whatever reason, we may not be able to accomplish it now but what are we doing now to make ourselves “READY” for when God does change our circumstances and allows it to happen?!
The good news is, chapter 7 reveals to us just what it was that Ezra did to make himself “ready”! Verse 10 says, “Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Notice that Ezra recognized that he first must “seek the law of the Lord.” Proverbs 2:4–5 lets us know that when we’re seeking God’s word as if it were “silver”, and searching for it as we would for “hid treasure,” that’s when it will do its transforming work in us! It is “then” that we will understand “the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God!” Can you honestly say that you are presently “preparing yourself” for what God may have for you in the future by seeking the truth of His word like that now?
Secondly, notice that Ezra was “prepared” to “DO it”! Many of us have a good handle on the “KNOWLEDGE” of God’s word, however, the real key is, are we “prepared” to “DO it”? (John 13:17) We know we should “seek the things which are above” (Colossians 3:1–2), but do we “do it”? We know we should “submit ourselves one to another” (Ephesians 5:21), but do we “do it”? We know we should “love our neighbor as our self” and not “bite and devour one other” (Galatians 5:14–15), but do we “do it”? We know we should be “patient” with one another and not hold “grudges” or be “bitter” against others, offering the same forgiveness to them that we have received from God (James 5:9; Ephesians 4:32), but do we “do it”? There are lots of things we “know” but how much do we actually “put into practice”?
Thirdly, notice also that “God’s hand” was upon Ezra. (7:6, 28) Recognize that this was certainly not a coincidence! God’s hand was upon Ezra because he was a man surrendered to His purposes. To put it in the words of 1st Peter 5:6, God’s hand was upon Ezra for the simple fact that he had “humbled himself under God’s mighty hand”! We, too, can have God’s hand upon our lives, if we, like Ezra, will be willing to humbly surrender ourselves under God’s hand and for His purposes. (1st Peter 5:6) Many 21st century Christians want the blessing of God’s hand upon their lives and yet, in their pride, pursue their own purposes. It doesn’t work that way!
Once Ezra approaches the outskirts of the city of Jerusalem, he soon learns of the true condition of those who had previously returned. Though they had “physically” returned to the place God intended them to be (the land promised), they were not “spiritually” in the place God intended them to be! Once again, God’s people had fallen prey to their own sinful flesh and were involved in the same abominations as the heathen around them. We must remember that even though we may “physically” be in a good church, and even though “physically” we make our way into the 365 Days of Pursuit on a daily basis, it is no guarantee of our true “spiritual” condition! The battle with the flesh is a daily “spiritual” battle not just a “physical” one! We can never get to the place that we think we’ve conquered our flesh or that we think we can coast spiritually. Remember 1st Corinthians 10:12! The very time we think we are the strongest, is actually the time we are the most vulnerable!
Notice that Ezra’s response to news of the spiritual condition of God’s people was absolute brokenness. What an incredible example of the heart God intends those in positions of leadership, in the lives of His people, to possess! In 9:3, Ezra testifies, “And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down ASTONIED.” Physically, Ezra was so distraught, he was unable to even move a muscle! He says that it was as if he actually had turned into “a stone”! In 9:5 he says, “And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my HEAVINESS…” Notice that sin in the lives of the people of God was actually a weight in this godly and passionate leader’s soul! As you proceed in chapter 9, and you begin to listen to Ezra’s prayer, it is very interesting to consider how this leader personally identifies himself with the people of God! Note the continual references throughout his prayer, not to “they, their, and them” but to “our, we, and us”! (9:6–15) Rarely do leaders in the 21st century express the type of brokenness over sin that Ezra demonstrated in this prayer not to mention, the personal identification with the people we’re seeking to lead. Oh, we may talk to others about it; we may think it’s terrible; we may have even expected that something of this nature was going to happen; but rarely in Laodicea are we truly broken and in heaviness because of it! If you listen to our prayers, seldom, if ever, will we ever even get close to identifying ourselves with our people because of sin in our midst. Perhaps that’s the reason we also fail to see the revival Ezra was able to lead God’s people to experience!
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
Through EZRA (a priest) making intercession for his people. — Ezra 9:1–5; 10:1 (Hebrews 7:25–27 says Jesus is our High Priest who “…ever liveth to make intercession for them.”)