We could say that Ezra was chosen for various reasons: 1. he was willing to go; 2. he was a leader; and 3. he was a skilled scribe and teacher. There are additional reasons that we could find, as well. But there is one verse that perhaps best demonstrates why Ezra was given this task.
What does Ezra 7:10 say about Ezra? How might Ezra have “prepared” or “set” his heart to seek “the Law of the LORD” and to do it?
Ezra
The word for “prepared” or “set” is kun in Hebrew. The word can be translated as “prepared, set, be firm, to firmly establish, be stable, or secure”. Therefore, the true meaning of this statement seems to mean that Ezra firmly set his heart or established in his heart to seek God.
After arriving in Jerusalem, Ezra modeled what it means to be dedicated to God, and he taught God’s Word in Jerusalem for 13 years. It may have seemed to him that he wasn’t making any difference during those 13 years, but then, after the walls were completed, the people called an assembly — not because anyone forced them, but because they wanted to do it. The Word of God that they had been hearing from Ezra had taken root.
Why was Nehemiah chosen? Read Nehemiah 1:1-11.
Nehemiah had a heart for God and the people. He was troubled when he found out that the work in Jerusalem had stopped. Nehemiah had a passion for the cause, and just like Ezra, he volunteered for the job. God answered their prayers and desires. Sometimes we get the idea that if we love something it must not be from God, because God will give us only difficult tasks that we might not want to do. But if we are walking with God, the desires to do something we love are often God given. God wants us to have a passion for what we do for Him.
| In what ways have you experienced the reality that God calls you to do for Him things that you love? |
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