![]() Rich people normally do not give all that they have. She gave all that she had, and the Lord took note of her giving and called it a true and acceptable sacrifice. For a person of means, “to sacrifice” might not be much of a sacrifice he can purchase that sacrifice. One reason why God prefers obedience to sacrifice is that the former is the response of the heart, and the latter can be accomplished by money. Samuel answered his own question: “To obey is better than sacrifice” (v. ![]() Speaking to disobedient King Saul, the prophet Samuel chided him, “ ‘Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?’ ” (1 Sam. It means “to do” or “to accomplish” God’s will, fulfilling that which has been asked or commanded. From Eden to Eden restored, one of the basic and central expectations of God from His people is obedience to His Word. If we do not know the way, how can we lead other people? One who obeyed the lawĪnother word used to describe Ezra’s serious understanding of the Word of God is that he “obeyed” the law of the Lord. Without that intimate knowledge of God’s Word, one cannot possibly know the law of the Lord or appreciate the way of Christ. They need to sift through it, asking questions and finding answers. Christian leaders need to study the Bible time and time again and approach it habitually. The Hebrew word translated “study” carries the idea of “going some-where frequently or regularly.” It is descriptive of searching for something and similar to what Paul encouraged Timothy to do: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker that does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Tim. Let’s begin our study with the second word, “study.” Ezra was determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord. He knew his Bible well, and he understood its importance, especially when trying to lead God’s people. 1 Four words here describe Ezra as a man of action “deter-mined,” “study,” “obey,” and “teach.” These four words describe what Ezra did with God’s Law as a scribe, he had worked closely with the Scriptures throughout his life. “Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the LORD, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). They needed a determined leader who would lead them back to His will and worship in order that when God lifted the captivity, they would know this redeeming God and be ready to build a new life out of the ruins of Jerusalem. ![]() They needed to learn how to accomplish God’s will for their lives. They needed someone to remind them of God and to return to His ways. Israel, both before and during their captivity, had neglected God and forgotten the importance of obedience to God. And most importantly, the rebuilding would take faith! Such times require leaders of faith. ![]() The people would be required to make great sacrifices in finances, abilities, and resources. This period would also become one of their most glorious because, through the intervention of God, they were given the opportunity to return home and rebuild their nation, city, and temple. What made Ezra so special? Even though he was a scribe, he also stood tall as a great leader of God’s people during a critical period in their history-when Judah was in Babylonian captivity, with their nation, city, and temple in ruins. After all, he does have a book of the Bible named after him. We often think of scribes as those working behind the scenes in dusty, dimly lit rooms, diligently copying and recopying ancient manuscripts. Thronveit, Ezra–Nehemiah (1992).Ezra was a scribe. See also Esdras for books purportedly written by Ezra in the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha. A substantial passage of Ezra is in Aramaic. The text is not clear which Artaxerxes is meant. It is possible, however, that Ezra might have returned after Nehemiah in c.398 B.C. with orders from King Artaxerxes I to restore the Jewish law. where they complete the task of rebuilding the Temple despite opposition and the return of Ezra, priest and scribe, to Jerusalem in c.458 B.C. as follows: the decree of the Persian king Cyrus permitting the Jews to return to Palestine from captivity under the leadership of Sheshbazzar the return of Zerubbabel with a certain number to Jerusalem in c.520 B.C. Ezra, like Nehemiah, is the work of the Chronicler (see Chronicles) and narrates the history of the Jews from 538 B.C. In the Vulgate, Ezra and Nehemiah are called 1 and 2 Esdras respectively. Ezra, book of the Bible, combined with Nehemiah in the Septuagint to form the book 2 Esdras.
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