Ezra, Part IV

Ezra is one of those books where the main character doesn’t come on scene until the story contained with its pages is half-way over.  For the longest time, I wondered why the book was even named after him because he doesn’t really show up much.  It’s only in Chapter 7 that the leader Ezra comes to Jerusalem.  

Ezra is a righteous man, one who has devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord.  It is, oddly enough, Ezra’s decisions in this book that offended me at first.  Ezra was completely sold out to the will of God and was willing to do whatever it took to make right his life and repent before God so that he and his followers could experience the full blessing.  While his actions might not exactly be those to emulate today, his heart of repentance is most certainly one to use as an example.  

With Ezra’s life, we ask ourselves the question: What are we willing to give up to be right with God?

In Ezra Chapters 8 and 9, Ezra and others make the journey to Jerusalem.  Upon arrival, he learns from the leaders that “the people… including the priests and Levites, had not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices” (Ezra 9:1).  The people who had planned to rebuild the temple— a presence of long-term worship in their lives— had ultimately lost sight of their goal.  In the lull of waiting for permission to go forward, they had prostituted their hearts with what had once been detestable to them.  Did they marry the very enemies who had threatened them in the first place?  Whatever the case may be, they had lost sight of the will of God and had settled for less than what was best.

It is so easy when pursuing God’s will to be like the people of Israel.  It is so easy to lose patience, to take your eyes off the prize— especially if your goal is temporarily deferred.  What will you do when you find yourself waiting?  Hopefully we can all learn from the lesson based off the seriousness with which Ezra handled the situation.

In Chapter 9, Ezra tears his clothes (verse 5) and falls on his face before God, crying out with repentance.  This was not the first time Israel had turned away from God, and it most certainly wasn’t the last.  Ezra’s repentance leads to the conviction of the hearts of the Israelites, as in Chapter 10:1, “ a large crowd of Israelites— men, women, and children— gathered around him.”  They too wept bitterly and declared their unfaithfulness (verse 2) and that they were willing to do what it took to be in relationship with God again.

I think the book of Ezra is often overlooked because of what Ezra decided should be done.  For our culture, it is extreme, and as can be seen by Jesus’ teachings, it would not be right to do today, under the New Covenant.  But, Ezra said in 10:10, “You have been unfaithful… Now honor the Lord… and do his will.  Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and your foreign wives.”  

Yes, by separation, he meant divorce.  He meant a complete end to the union that should have never been.  Is this an excuse for divorce today?  No— I believe this was one of those decisions unique to the Israelites who were rebuilding the temple.  But there is a spiritual lesson for us today— we should divorce that in our hearts which has been an illicit union taking the place of what God wants, and God wants what is ultimately the best for us.  Not only this, but I believe we should walk in such  way that we are separate from all those distractions, all those time-fillers, all those things that will not ultimately satisfy, and walk in such a way that we are single-minded about the Lord and pursing His will.  

We should be like Ezra himself— devoted to the study and observance of the ways of God (7:10).