Ezra 7:1-10 - Homiletics

The reformer.

"After these things"—nearly sixty years "after," as usually understood—certain other things came to pass. Things so far similar that they may be recorded in the same connection; things so far different as to open out to us quite a new part of this book. There is this similarity, for example—that we have the story here of another and supplementary pilgrimage of captive Israelites from Babylon to Jerusalem. On the other hand, there are these points of difference—that the new pilgrimage is on a much smaller scale; and that the story itself is rather biographical than historical, as before—all of it, in fact, centring closely round the doings of one man. Accordingly, it is with the portrait of this one man, Ezra, that this new portion begins. We can see at once, on looking at the portrait, that he is a zealous ecclesiastical reformer; and we can easily understand there being a great necessity at Jerusalem for such a man at that time. Of this, however, and of what he did there, we shall read by and by. At present we see chiefly his fitness for this difficult role ; and that in connection—

1. with his ancestry;

2. his attainments; and

3. his ambition.

I. EZRA 'S ANCESTRY . This, given us in verses 1-5, would be such as to fit him for the work of Church reformation in several ways.

1. As to office. By lineage we see that he was a priest; and therefore an authorised preacher (Le Ezra 10:11 ; 2 Chronicles 15:3 ; Malachi 2:5-7 ); and therefore a person who would have special facilities in reforming or setting things right, because such endeavours would, in his case, be only expected. How can any man teach truth and right without correcting error and wrong?

2. As to tradition. It may at least be noticed that, according to this lineage, very many of the traditions of his peculiar priestly ancestry would be specially in favour of reforming work. He belonged, e.g; to the better of the two principal priestly lines, viz; that of Eleazar as compared with Ithamar, to which Eli and his sons ( 1 Chronicles 24:3 , 1 Chronicles 24:4 ; 1 Chronicles 6:8 ) belonged. Also, even in this very abridged form of his genealogy, how conspicuous are the individual names of Phinehas ( Numbers 25:1-18 .; Joshua 22:1-34 .; Psalms 106:30 ) and Hilkiah ( 2 Kings 22:1-20 .; 2 Chronicles 34:1-33 .) in regard to this point! It could never, therefore, be said of him, in attempting similar work, as in 1 Samuel 10:12 .

3. As to position. Being himself descended from Seraiah, the grandfather or great (or great-great) grandfather of the high priest of that time ( 1 Chronicles 6:14 ; Ezra 3:2 ; Nehemiah 3:1 ; Nehemiah 12:10 ), he would be not only a priest, but a priest with peculiar family advantages for exerting an influence for good, something as is the case with a "prince of the blood" among us. On the whole, while all these things by themselves would not necessarily dispose him to become a reformer, they would all help him, if so disposed.

II. EZRA 'S SPECIAL ATTAINMENTS . These would also qualify him for such labours. For we find that he had learned—

1. How to listen to God. The man who would reform others must begin by reforming himself; and this he can only do effectually by means of an accurate knowledge of God's will, that one standard of perfect right (see Psalms 111:10 , and end of Luke 11:2 ). This point secured in the present instance

(a) by Ezra's discrimination. He knew where to look for God's word, viz; in the "Scriptures" of truth, recognising clearly their double aspect, as at once human (the "law of Moses"), and also Divine (which "God had given"). Comp. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 —"the word of God which ye heard of us ." He recognised also their peculiar value (which the " God of Israel had given"), as God's special gift to his own people ( Romans 3:1 , Romans 3:2 ).

(b) By Ezra's diligence. Being thus valuable, he treated them accordingly. How much is implied in that expression, a "ready scribe"! "Reading," to know the letter. "Marking," to know the meaning. "Inwardly learning and digesting," to know the power. And all together, to acquire the right use—to be "ready" with them whenever called for. A man thus familiar with the "sword of the Spirit" might naturally be expected to further the Spirit's work.

2. How to speak to men. Many book-learned men are too bookish for this; and, therefore, not fit for reforming efforts. They can describe their weapons, but not employ them. Ezra, we find, on the contrary, was a man able to persuade men of all ranks and conditions, whether superiors, from whom he asked permission to go (end of verses 6 and 28), or equals and inferiors, both lay and clerical (verse 7), whom he persuaded to go with him. Note, however, that this second qualification or attainment was the result of the first, as implied in end of verse 6, and in what we afterwards read in Ezra 8:17 , Ezra 8:18 .

III. EZRA 'S SPECIAL AMBITION . Unless a man desires an end—unless he strongly desires it, if difficult of attainment Ñ he is never likely to reach it. However favoured by circumstances, however qualified in itself, the locomotive will never go forward without the requisite moving power. This supplied here by Ezra's special ambition. We notice—

1. Its patience. What is said here (in verse 9) of the length of his journey from Babylon may help to illustrate this. Also what we read afterwards in the detailed account of that journey, his waiting for the Levites, in Ezra 8:15-20 , and subsequent delay for fasting ( Ezra 8:21-23 ). What is worth obtaining is worth waiting for. Perhaps this conviction is, of all necessities, the most necessary for success ( James 5:7 ).

2. Its depth. "Ezra prepared his heart." He was deeply earnest as well as patient; could strike as well as endure; and not only bide his time, but use it too. This a rare combination, but most important, in doing good (see Galatians 6:9 ; also examples of Jacob, Moses, and Jehoiada, the high priest, in 2 Chronicles 22:12 ; 2 Chronicles 23:1-15 ).

3. Its direction. Those qualifying attainments we have spoken of were his because he had sought them—sought them not only as an end, but as a means also to other ends. How definite and complete the description. "Ezra had prepared his heart, to seek—to do—and to teach." "To teach in Israel statutes and judgments:" there was the summit of his ambition. First to know and "do" it himself: there was the path, in his judgment, that led to that summit. As the poet has written: "Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way."

Such is the opening portrait of the man whom God had called then to this special calling. We may gather from it some general considerations as to God's preparatory work in such cases. We see, e.g. —

1. How far back such work may begin. In this ease of Ezra, e.g; as far back (shall we say?) as Aaron. Certainly before his own birth (comp. Jeremiah 1:5 ; Galatians 1:15 ); and thenceforward, continually, in all his early training and studies, and in all the various hereditary and circumstantial influences that made him finally the man that he was. This especially illustrated in the case of the greatest of all these "sent forth" ( Hebrews 3:1 ). As far back, at least, as the birth of Seth, God was preparing for that of Christ.

2. How far off such work may begin. Here, e.g; in Babylon for the benefit of those in Jerusalem. So afterwards at Joppa for Cornelius in Cesarea. So in Egypt in Pharaoh's bed-chamber ( Genesis 41:1-57 .) for the preservation of those then in Canaan. So in Troas for the benefit of Macedonia ( Acts 16:8 , Acts 16:9 ); and in Philippi for that of Thyatira ( Acts 16:14 ; Revelation 2:18 ); and in Palestine for the salvation of Ethiopia ( Acts 8:26-39 ); and, finally, in heaven itself for the good of earth ( Luke 19:10 ; John 3:16 . 1 Timothy 1:15 ).

3. How far in both ways it extends. Here the good work afterwards done by Ezra at Jerusalem helped to preserve by purifying the nucleus of the whole Jewish dispersion then residing there; and so, afterwards still, the whole dispersion. The dispersion, thus preserved, prepared the way, as we saw before, for the preaching of the gospel to all nations in all parts of the world; which, again, is to prepare for the restoration of Israel to God's favour, and the consequent fulness of blessing to all mankind ( Romans 11:12 , Romans 11:15 ). What an extraordinary power and depth and stretch of influence for good is implied in these words—"Beloved for the fathers' sakes."! And how constantly we see similar influence telling on strange peoples and future generations in the history of the world!