_____________________________
God chose Ezra to bring spiritual reform to Israel because he “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 English Standard Version). The preceding verse indicates the result of his devotion was God’s hand being upon him (Mitchell, 2).
Ezra sets an example for all pastors, teachers, leaders and disciples of Christ. As pointed out by Dr. Mitchell, Ezra devoted himself to the study, practice and teaching of God’s Word. The words used for “set his heart” can mean, “to appoint one’s soul.” Ezra knew his purpose was to study, live and teach God’s Law to the point that it was his life’s mission and “soul” purpose. As Matthew Henry stated, “If he was raised up of God, and qualified and inclined to do this, all generations have reason to call him blessed, and to bless God for him” (Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Ezra 7:1-10).
Ezra also possessed a reputation among his peers as a student of the Law as evidenced by his commission from King Artaxerxes in Ezra 7 to travel to Israel to be a teacher of God's Word. If we desire to teach God’s Word then we must aspire to live a life that is a reflection of Christ and is proven to represent the principles that we are teaching. Knowledge of God’s Word is not enough; it needs to be visible in our lives (Mitchell, 5). James 1:22 tells us to “be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.” This was a principle that Ezra apparently lived by.
Ezra was chosen not only because he studied God’s Word and made it part of his life, but because he took on the responsibility to teach what he knew (Mitchell, 8). He was obviously a gifted speaker to have preached to and maintained an audience for over half the day as stated in Nehemiah 8. Ezra used the gifts that God had given him to teach God’s Word in a way the people could understand and apply to their lives (Mitchell, 9).
In conclusion, Ezra’s deep devotion to the study of God’s Word, the observance of it in his own life and the desire and dedication to teach others allowed him to be used mightily by God. If we want God to use us in a similar manner then we must apply these same three principles in our lives and follow the example that Ezra has set for us. Proverbs 2 encourages us to have a desire for understanding and to actively search for knowledge. First we must learn it and then apply it so we can “walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous” (Proverbs 2:20 ESV). Then we are to take that knowledge and our experiences with Christ to others so they may know and benefit from God’s Word as well.
