There is an inspirational aspect to reading about biblical and historical heroes. People like Ezra, whom we studied on Sunday, are rare. Uniquely gifted by God for a specific task and with unusual authority. As I said on Sunday, they’re men that cannot be duplicated. The authority from God that they had is unique for redemptive history. I put men like Moses, David, the Old Testament prophets, and the New Testament apostles in the same category.
But let me be clear about this: their passion for the Lord, desire to do His will, study His Word, and teach it to others, should be duplicated. Ezra reveals the model for Christian leadership and for the Christian life. We should set our hearts to study God’s word, to do it, and to teach it.
A people, more than a building:
I didn’t have time to develop this point for Sunday, but being introduced to Ezra in Ezra 7 seems like an odd place to be introduced to the namesake of the book. Ezra 1-6 is about the rebuilding of the Temple under the leadership of Zerubbabel, Haggai, and Zechariah. Ezra 7-10 is about restoring a people to God under the leadership of Ezra.
One of the things we’ve seen in this study has been how the people of Israel viewed their Temple. It was a definable building to who they were. It set them apart from other nations. It was a sign of their hope. When it went down, in a sense, so did they. But once they had rebuilt the building, as we’ll see in future chapters, they did not separate them from the other people-groups in the land. This is why God sent Ezra.
Further, the Temple was never the issue. Yes, it was a definable building for the Jewish people, but once Jesus came, there was no need for that Temple anymore. What it stood for had been fulfilled. This is why Ezra 7-10 is so important. God is more concerned about His people defining themselves as His people than He is about the building defining them. He wanted them restored to Him through repentance.
A building does not define God’s people. God’s presence with His people defines us. This is a great lesson for us as we seek to build a new building. While it will be wonderful to have our own worship center, a place where ministry can be expanded, it does not and should not define us. We are people bought with the precious blood of Christ, filled with the HOly Spirit, and are the household of the Living God. That’s the defining mark we need. A building is a tool to be used by God’s people for God’s glory. The way the book of Ezra is laid out helps us see this.
Why does God give us spiritual leaders and authority?
I asked this question because we see spiritual leaders and authority throughout the Bible. And I ask it because there are some who would question any form of leadership or authority. They don’t see any need for it, and they find leadership obtrusive and obstructing their personal freedoms. This can be especially true in independent, proud America, where we fought for our “freedom” from tyranny, and many question any form of leadership. So it’s an important question.
Here’s why: God has set it up this way for the good of human flourishing and to represent Him in the earth. God is the authority, and we are His subjects. When we submit to God, we thrive. When we don’t, we struggle. In every area of life, there are leaders and there are followers. We see it in civil government, the military, and at work. When there is no leader, people struggle. And when people do not follow, there are struggles. Why would one assume there should be no spiritual leaders in the Church? God has made leadership necessary and important for the Church’s thriving. This is why 1 Timothy 3:1-7 is so important. Qualified, competent, and called men are to lead Christ’s church, representing Him, glorifying Him, and serving for the good of His Church.
This week and looking ahead:
This week, we will examine Ezra 7:11-28 as we’ll see the letter King Artaxerxes sent by the hand of Ezra to Jerusalem.
Cheap Seats:
- Besides the 2023 World Series, when my favorite team won its first World Series championship, this was my favorite World Series to watch. It was fantastic baseball.
- This link will take you through just the highlights of Game 7, which is well worth your time: https://www.mlb.com/stories?s=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mlb.com%2Fstories%2Fgame%2F813024%3Fap%3D1%26storylocal%3Darticle-embed
- I don’t know why I continued to be baffled by the organization that is called the Dallas Cowboys. How do you go into each season with one side of the ball being terrible? And to do it for 30 years is quite the feat!
- Congratulations to the Umpqua Valley Christian Volleyball team, led by Coach Candice Renyer and a few others who attend CLF. They are heading to the Final Eight this weekend in LaGrande as the #4 seed and will play their 1st round match on Friday. Good luck, ladies!
Have a great week!
Christ is King!
In Christ,
Dave York
