Mona Selden writes daily devotions for her church, Marion Baptist, in south-central Virginia. She is co-host with her pastor on The Mosaic of Marion podcast. She is the author of two 31-day devotionals. Her writing and teaching are done with the desire to help others get to know God better through His Word. Mona’s husband is USAF Retired. They are enjoying their newly empty nest and have become grandparents for the first time.
For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. (Ezra 7:10, ESV)
I was recently asked what my life verse was. I said I didn’t have one. But as the conversation went on, it became apparent that Ezra 7:10 could be called my life verse. Not because it is a promise to hold on to or a great truth about God. But because, when I read it, I wanted it to be true about me just as it was true of Ezra.
We are first introduced to Ezra here in chapter 7. A group of Israelites have returned from captivity to rebuild the temple. They have faced great opposition and they have had long delays, but finally, 21 years after returning to Jerusalem, the temple is rebuilt. Now, a second group of exiles are returning to Jerusalem and Ezra is leading them.
We learn a lot about Ezra in this chapter. One thing we learn points to verse 10. It describes Ezra as “a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses” (Ezra 7:6). The word “skilled” there means extraordinary expertise. This description of him makes it obvious that he has lived out what he has set his heart on doing. He set his heart—he devoted himself—to study, to obey, and to teach the Law of the Lord. The word “study” means to seek, to inquire, to examine. These are all the ways in which Ezra approached the Word of God. The obedience and the teaching then flowed out of that seeking and examining. We are told six times in chapters 7 and 8 that God’s hand was on Ezra. I believe this results from his respect for God’s Word.
We all ought to be like Ezra. We all should have a heart for God’s Word that is devoted to seeking out His truths. Spending time in God’s Word ought to be our highest priority. It’s not about filling our heads with knowledge but filling our hearts with the truth that leads to change. Obedience must follow our examination of God’s Word. And when we have been diligent to seek out the truths in God’s Word, and when we are walking in obedience, then we indeed will become teachers of it. No, not all of us are called to be teachers, but all of us are called to go and tell. We “teach” God’s Word by sharing what we have learned with those who need encouragement. We don’t keep what we know to ourselves; we share it with those around us.
As we begin a new year, I encourage you to set your heart on seeking out the truths of God’s Word. Let’s go into this new year with a solid determination to be like Ezra—to study, to obey, and to teach the Word of God.
