Ezra On The Road

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Ezra 7:10

I don’t know about you, but over the years, and now looking back, I see the grace of God stretching over my life; even as I see the reach of the heavens over a night sky. For every star, I see the presence and the shining of His grace; and every dark spot, the expanse of my sin. Oh, when will that sweet, forever and joyful morning break when the Son of God shall rise eternal in our hearts?

Ezra knew. His people, as forewarned and foretold, had been thrown into Babylonian captivity, which was truly a dark period and a terrible expanse for the surviving children of Israel to journey. However, Ezra, who was a scribe and knew the law of God, he had most likely read; as Daniel had, the prophecy of Jeremiah. He knew that 70 years were determined, and the time came that God graced his return to Jerusalem; courtesy of King Artaxerxes.  I suppose in the course of human events, Ezra could have taken the attitude that he would have to wait to arrive there before he knew what God would have him do. We do that a lot. We set up preconditions. ‘Lord, reveal Your will, and once it is, I will do it.’

However, for Ezra, what can we learn? Well, we learn that he traveled there (verse 9), which took four months. Many of us would prefer or expect to be immediately whisked away as Philip was to meet a eunuch on the road; bearing down in a chariot and reading Isaiah Chapter 53. Sorry. No. Sometimes; most of the times, we must travel by foot, which takes time and introduces to us all sort of possible calamities. That is the way Ezra traveled, but as he traveled, what do we learn? Well, he prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord. Interesting. He didn’t wait to get to Jerusalem and then inquire of God what it was he was to seek; as if his purpose was temporal; a simple rebuilding of a city. No, Ezra knew that he was going to participate in the restoration of God’s Law and covenant. The question that begs of me is, ‘Am I prepared to seek Him?’

The next question is, ‘Am I prepared to do what I say I’ve been seeking?’ That was what was written of Ezra in this verse. Preparation of the heart, soul, mind and might to seek; then ‘to do’ the Law of God; even to abide in Christ as He abides in us. Only then should we ever presume to teach others, and we find that to be the rightful end of Ezra’s call and journey; that is, to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. I can honestly tell you this is the first time in my life that I find myself prepared to seek; empowered to do, and anointed to teach; and that only by His grace and permission to travel to you on this cyber highway that He has placed me for this moment; even as Ezra had to wait for Artaxerxes’ letter before he could commence his travel.

I pray that each of us; if we haven’t already begun, will ask God to prepare our hearts to seek Him in all His ways; and as He reveals His Word and works in us His will, we shall do it. Such is our reasonable service to Him and a sweet smelling aroma. It is then that we might find that He will waft that fragrance to others by our teaching; whether we are at home, church, classroom, or work station.

I don’t know where you are in the night sky; whether you are basking in the light of a million stars and the warmth of His grace or traveling over a darkened expanse of sin and its consequences. I can tell you this much: If we are His, sooner or later, but before we die, we will meet Ezra on the road to a New Jerusalem.