The Purification of the People

Bible Passage:  Ezra 10

Much more than just a history book with listings of events, names and dates, the book of Ezra describes many scenarios which are still very relevant to us today and from which we can learn. It paints a picture of man’s weaknesses, attempts at repentance and God’s abiding faithfulness.

Another thing which struck me was the way Ezra went about doing his work. This is most evident from chapters 8 through 10 where he gave first-hand accounts of events happening around him.

Ezra was a priest, a scribe and an expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord (Ezra 7:11).

Yet as he undertook the task of leading a huge group of people from Babylon to Jerusalem, he neither lorded over others nor showed any trace of high-handedness in his ways. He was down-to-earth and always amongst the people, he knew each family who followed him to Jerusalem (8:1), he was conscious of a missing group of the Levite people (8:15), he rallied the people together (8:15), provided appropriate guidance (8:17) and led them to fast and seek God in times of need (8:21-23; 10:6).

He did not horde the work and knew how to delegate work to others (8:28-29). He was humble enough to listen to those who cared to give genuine feedback (9:1; 10:2).

Most importantly, his goal was very clear – to obey God’s commandments himself and to lead the people to do the same. As leaders in church today – whether we be religious education teachers, bible study leaders, youth leaders, preachers, deacons, fathers leading our family units – what are our goals, and do we ‘walk’ the ‘talk’?

Do we realize that the standards we expect of others must be applied to ourselves as well?

Jesus put Himself in our shoes, coming to the world physically incarnated as a human being, experiencing our fears, sorrows, anxieties and temptations. He ‘walked’ the ‘talk’ and did much more.

He was a teacher, a healer.

He had made it His life goal what He commissioned us to do today – to love others with all our hearts and to preach the Word of God to others.

He not only shared the Word at every opportunity, He eventually gave up His life for us.

The lyrics of a hymn I came across recently goes:

For me, He prayed in the garden –

‘Father, not My will but Thine’.

His tears were not for His own grief,

But sorrow for sins of mine.

My sin and sorrow He carried,

And made them His very own.

There in my place on Mount Calvary

Jesus suffered and died alone.

Let us pray for ourselves, that we may learn to be truly able leaders with clear goals in our service to God, and a strong sense of responsibility to realize those goals.

“Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage, and do it.”

~ Ezra 10:4