Ever been hit by verse of Scripture? Sometimes its convicting. Sometimes its God-glorifying and Christ-exalting. And sometimes its "Ahh, God's got me right where He wants me".
That was me today with Ezra 7:10: "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." As I was thinking and praying about this verse and how to capture the "ahh-ness" of it for me, I read the following devotional by D.A. Carson: genesis-7-matthew-7-ezra-7-acts-7. Let me share just a couple of his thoughts.
"Effectiveness in teaching the Bible is purchased at the price of much study, some of it lonely, all of it tiring. If you are not a student of the Word, you are not called to be a teacher of the Word."
"For some people, study is an end in itself, or perhaps a means to the end of teaching. The Bible is to be mastered like a textbook, but it does not call the people of God to tremble; its truths are to be cherished, but it does not mediate the presence of God. Ezra avoided all these traps and devoted himself to observing what Scripture says.he Bible is to be mastered like a textbook, but it does not call the people of God to tremble; its truths are to be cherished, but it does not mediate the presence of God. Ezra avoided all these traps and devoted himself to observing what Scripture says."
"Ezra devoted himself to the teaching of the Law. He was not a hermit-scholar; he was a pastor-scholar. What he learned in study and obedience he also learned how to pass on. Whether in large, solemn assemblies, in family or clan settings, or in one-on-one studies, Ezra committed himself to teaching the Word of God to the people of God. It is difficult to imagine a higher calling."
To God Alone be the Glory
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