Greetings everyone and thanks for joining me for this edition of my Sunday School lesson commentary and preview. This Sunday’s lesson is entitled “Ezra: Faith-and-Action Preacher” and is found in Ezra 10:1-12.
Ezra, whose name means “help” was a descendant of the priestly line of Aaron. He was a priest and “ready scribe in the law of Moses” who lived in Babylon as part of the Jewish exile. He was one of the first of a line of those called “scribes” and the like who devote their lives to the study of the Holy Scriptures, in order that they may be in a condition to interpret them for the instruction and edification of the those they are called to serve.
He is widely credited for being the author of the Old Testament books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Chronicles among others and of settling the OT canon of Scripture, and restoring, correcting and editing the whole sacred volume.
Ezra was among the second big wave of exiles in Babylon to return to Jerusalem in 459 BC nearly 77 years after the first body of exiles were allow to return in 536 BC.
The bible says the “hand of the Lord” was upon Ezra and he made a request to the Persian king Artaxerxes to return to Jerusalem because he had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel. The king granted his request and supplied everything he needed and wanted including his royal decree for everyone to give Ezra their full cooperation upon his return to Jerusalem to honor the house of the Lord.
In only a few days after his arrival, Ezra discovered that the exiles had corrupted themselves with the ways and practices of the people in the region including intermarriage especially among the leaders. This was very disturbing to Ezra. He torn his clothes and pulled out his hair as a sign of his sorrow.
He went to the temple which had been restored by this time and prayed a prayer of confession of Israel’s sins and many around him hear him and wept along with him. They acknowledged their guilt especially in the matter of intermarriage and asked Ezra to lead them in repentance assuring him they will do what he said according to the word of God.
Much of Israel’s problems and disobedience was caused by adopting the practices and ways of the people around them which God had told them to shun because of this very thing. The closest way to get involved with a culture is to marry within that culture. They saw the intermarrying as a major barrier to getting on the right course to repentance. This is why those marriages were dissolved according to the law of Moses which Ezra knew.
Because there were so many and so many lives involved, each one had to be adjudicated fairly and justly but it was done. I’m sure is was painful and unpleasant to put away a wife or husband and family they loved and cared about. But serving God will call upon people then and now to make some hard choices.
Jesus said no one can love family or anything else more than Him and be His disciple. A main take away for us today from this lesson is that we too can get entangled with the ungodly practices and lifestyle of the world we are sent to save and minister to.
The bible tells us not be unequally yoked with unbelievers and to come out from among them and be separate. We are called to influence culture (ye are the salt of the earth) and not for culture to influence us. The world and the people in it will influence us in departing from the ways of the Lord just as Israel did if we are not steadfast in our convictions and faith and cause us to meet with the same fate as the unbelievers and unrighteous.
Well, I hope you will be able to attend SS this coming Sunday. Invite someone to come and share your thoughts with the class. Sunday School at Flag Branch will begin at 9:00 am and you are invited to join us at www.fbmbc.org and clicking the online services link.
You and others can also join us by dialing 508 924-2890. If you have any comments or questions before then, be sure to place them in the comment section of this preview and I will get back to you. So, as always remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
Comments
