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Be Like Ezra

2/14/2023

7 Comments

 
We all have our
This past fall, I was reading through the Bible with the Sweeter Than Honey Bible reading plan. I came to the little book of Ezra.

On September 26, I read Ezra 4-7: Finding Your Jerusalem. We all have our "Jerusalem." It's that place God has planted us to be His witness.

Sometimes the work is easy there. But oftentimes it is not. Many times we may find the work quite difficult with much opposition. Any work for God is bound to have adversaries.

In Ezra 4:1-6, we read of the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin and the weapons these adversaries used. These same weapons can be used by our adversaries to prevent our work for God and His Kingdom.

See if you can identify the weapons of the adversaries in these six verses.
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Any work for God is going to have adversaries.

​See if you can identify the weapons of adversaries in these six verses:
“Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the Lord, the God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them,

‘Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to Him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.’

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ houses in Israel said to them,

‘You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.’

Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.” Ezra‬ ‭4:1-6‬ ‭
Weapons of adversaries:
  • Compromise
  • Discouragement
  • Fear
  • Frustration
  • Weariness
  • Accusations

The adversary wins when the work for the Kingdom of God stops.
“Then the work on the house of God that is in Jerusalem stopped, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.” Ezra‬ ‭4:24‬ ‭
Let's not let the weapons of adversaries stop the work of God in our lives today! 

We find in chapter 6 that the Temple is finally finished and dedicated. This was accomplished despite the adversaries. In verses 13-18, we read that the people worked “with all diligence.” They also “celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy.”
I love this verse in chapter 7 that really just defines Ezra’s life and should define ours as well:
“For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel.” Ezra 7:10
“This Ezra,” as he is called in verse 6, was a direct descendent of Aaron, Moses’ brother. Do you know what happened 16 generations before Ezra? The Israelites left Egypt and crossed over the Red Sea on dry land. God’s people had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They had just come out of captivity in Babylon for 70 years, and much had happened between those two events. But now they were back in Jerusalem ready to serve their God (our God) in the rebuilt Temple.

Let’s be like Ezra today! Look at the 3 things verse 10 says he did:
  1. Study
  2. Do
  3. Teach

​He studied the Word, but he didn’t just study it—he was a doer of the Word as well. (James 1:22–25) Then, he also was a teacher of the Word. Ezra is a great example for us—study, do, and teach.
How will you be like Ezra today?

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7 Comments
Debbie Wilson link
2/14/2023 11:03:39 am

Those verses in Ezra certainly help us in recognizing and dealing with those who oppose Christ and His people.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
2/14/2023 11:30:29 am

Yes they do, Debbie! And it's so funny, because I had read this passage before and didn't see it. But WoW! What a call we have to be like Ezra! Study. Do. Teach. And let God do the rest. The results are His and for this we praise His name.

Reply
Joanne Viola link
2/14/2023 03:27:18 pm

Patsy, such an encouragement to read this post today. I have been thinking deeper on verse 10 since reading it earlier. May my heart always be set to study God's Word, practice it, and teach it. May God bless you!

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
2/17/2023 04:25:58 am

“For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel.” Ezra 7:10

That's a great prayer for us today, Joanne!

May our hearts ALWAYS be set to study, do, and teach God's Word!!

Reply
Paula Short link
2/16/2023 10:16:28 am

You know I've read these verses before but never caught the Weapons of adversaries before. Pausing to reflect here. Thank you for hosting this great community.

Reply
Patsy Burnette link
2/17/2023 04:29:18 am

That's one reason I love reading God's Word over and over and over again, Paula. Even though I've read passages many times before, so often I see something I've never seen before. I believe the more we study God's Word the more He opens our eyes to additional truths. "Pausing to reflect" is a beautiful thing!!

Reply
Paula Short link
3/1/2023 10:57:32 am

Thank you for sharing this with Sweet Tea & Friends February Link up.
I've got to add that my mom who is now with Jesus, has read the Bible cover to cover many times and she said she learned something new each time she read it

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