Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezra 6-8.

The first thing which I realized when I began working out what to write today is that I get confused about the length of time involved in the first part of this book, which also leads to me sometimes misreading portions of it.  Fortunately, the parts which are confusing are primarily included to set the stage so that we understand the background for what comes starting in today’s passage.  The first part of today’s passage shows us how God will help us overcome obstacles when we act according to His will.  Then we get to the meat of the Book, Ezra leading a group of Israelites to return to Jerusalem and Judah.  After telling us that Ezra was a knowledgeable teacher of the Law who had found favor with Artaxerxes, King of Persia, it quotes the letter which Artaxerxes had given to Ezra.  As part of introducing us to Ezra it tells us that God’s gracious hand was on Ezra because he was devoted to studying, observing, and teaching the Law of the Lord.  I was going to go somewhere else with this until I typed that last sentence.  As I typed that sentence about Ezra I realized that was the lesson I wanted for today.  The passage lays out an important progression which is closely linked together.  God’s grace was not upon Ezra because he studied God’s Law, nor just because he observed it.  God’s grace was on Ezra because he taught God’s Law.  However, before Ezra could teach God’s Law, he had to study it.  And while he could have taught it without following it, that would not have led to God placing His grace upon Ezra.  I am really reminded of what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 28:19-29. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   We cannot make disciples of Christ unless we first obey His teachings, and we cannot obey His teachings if we do not study them.  So, let us do things in the proper order: study, observe, and then teach.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.