The Goodness of God: A Man on a Mission

The Lineage of Ezra — (Vs. 1-5)

Many times when we come to these parts of the Bible we like to skip over them don’t we?

We’re like, “why in the world is this here?” Name after name after name! But when you really set down, without being in a hurry and begin studying these names, many times your eyes will be opened as to why the Holy Spirit allowed them to be recorded!

You see, if you go back to Chapter 2 you will find that there were some priests in the Jewish remnant who couldn't prove their ancestry, but this wasn’t the case with Ezra. He had the best of credentials and could prove his lineage all the way back to Aaron, the first high priest!

Not only were these names recorded to prove Ezra’s Priestly lineage but when you begin to look at these specific men and the meanings of their names, you can begin to paint an even clearer picture of why they are listed here!

For instance:

Seraiah — means “Jehovah is ruler”

Azariah/Eleazar — “Jehovah has helped”

Hilkiah — “my portion is Jehovah”

Shallum — “Retribution”

Zadok — “Righteous”

Ahitub — “my brother is good”

Amariah — “Jehovah speaks”

Meraioth — “Rebellious”

Zerahiah — “Jehovah has risen”

Uzzi — “strong”

Bukki — “wasting”

Abishua — “my father is rescue or safety”

Phinehas — “mouth of brass” — his zealousness for the Lord averted a plague on Israel and gained him the promise of the Lord of an everlasting priesthood in his family.

Aaron — “light bringer”

When you begin to study the lineage of Ezra, you find that it wasn’t one or two men who shored up the foundation that would help form Ezra into the man he would become but an entire line of men who dedicated themselves and their lives to the work of God!

And here’s the take away of the lineage of Ezra…children are the majority of the time molded by the leadership and guidance they receive at home.

Don’t get me wrong, there are instances when children are reared in good Godly Christian homes and then when they become of age they get out in the world and never come back to God and sometimes we just don’t understand it.

But the majority of the time, a child is going to follow in the footsteps of what they have seen and learned from their parents and Ezra is a perfect example of this.

Generation after generation of the men in Ezra’s family had depended on God for all of their needs and stood up for God during uncertain times and their faithfulness was passed down from generation to generation and now, over two thousand years later, we are still reading and understanding about what formed this man Ezra into the leader we’re reading about today!

So, we see The Lineage of Ezra in Verses 1-5. Now I want you to look at the first part of Verse 6 as we see the Learnedness of Ezra.

The Learnedness of Ezra — (Vs. 6a)

I want to break this verse down into two parts. In the first part of Verse 6, I want us to see the Learnedness of Ezra.

Now, the Bible says here that Ezra was a Scribe. A scribe of the law of Moses was someone who recorded God’s Word and not only did they record it, they also taught it.

Not only does the Bible tell us that Ezra was a scribe but a “ready” scribe. The word "ready" comes from the word mahiyr {muw-here'} which means “quick, skilful, diligent, hasty, ready.”

You see, Ezra spent the majority of his time studying the law of God. He was like the Psalmist who wrote, "Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Ps. 119:97).

He had a passion for the law of God and he searched the scriptures to ensure that he knew them forwards and backwards. He wanted to be sure if anyone came at him with a question, he wouldn’t be standing there without an answer! He dedicated his time and his talents to learning as much about God’s law as he possibly could and was always on ready for any questions that might arise!

And I’m here to tell you this morning Church, we need to take some notes from ole Ezra, Amen!

2 Timothy 2:15 — Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The word "study" in this verse is from the word spoudazo {spoo-dad'-zo} which means, "be diligent, exert yourself, labor, make every effort."

We are to make a 100% effort to show ourselves approved of God. The word "shew" is a powerful word. It is derived from the word paristemi {par-is'-tay-mee} which means "to present a person for another to see and question; to bring into one’s fellowship and intimacy; to be available or at hand."

We ought to be studying our Bibles as if God Himself were about to give us a pop quiz! Let me ask you something this morning friend, if God were to give you a pop quiz this morning how well do you think you would do?

If you’re not to sure how you’d do, then chances are you need to be studying more, Amen!

And look why Paul tells young Timothy we are to study.

So that we need not be ashamed! You want to know why it’s so hard for us to share God’s word and the gospel with people? Because we’re afraid someone is going to ask us something that we don’t know and we’re afraid of being ashamed! Am I right?

Listen, there’s a remedy for that folks! It’s called studying!

Now, listen…there will always be some yayhoo that undoubtedly will come up and ask you some off the wall question about something that even God Himself is saying, “where exactly are they going with this.”

Listen, when this happens, just politely say, “you know what, that’s not something I’ve studied a whole lot on. Let me get back with you on that” and move on.

Don’t allow yourself to get caught up in nonsense. But that’s no excuse to simply be ignorant in God’s word.

We are to study to shew ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed…rightly dividing the word of truth!

The words "rightly divide" come from the Greek word orthotomeo (or-thot-om-eh'-o) which means "to cut straight, to proceed on straight paths, to hold a straight course, to handle aright, to teach the truth directly and correctly."

You see, a lot of people want to read a little here and a little there and then think they got it all figured out and they’ll go out talking to someone about something they don’t truly have any idea about!

Makes me think of those crazy commercials where it will say something like… “Hi, this is Mike. Mike likes to read part of this verse and part of that verse and in the end know nothing about either verse but go out and act like he knows everything about both verses. Please, don’t be like Mike!”

Y’all ever seen those commercials? Listen Church, we are to study the word of God so that we can be well versed in the word of God so that we might not be ashamed when questioned about the word of God!

The Bible says in...

1 Peter 3:15 — But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

Are you ready? If a stranger were to approach you immediately after church at the restaurant and start asking you questions about the Bible would you have an answer?

If not, dear friend take the example left behind for us here this morning in the Book of Ezra and apply yourself to better learning the word of God!

So, we’ve seen The Lineage of Ezra and The Learnedness of Ezra. Now, let’s look at the Leniency shown to Ezra in the second half of Vs. 6.

The Leniency shown to Ezra — (Vs. 6b)

The Bible says here that the King granted Ezra all his requests! Now, it’s one thing to ask your momma and daddy for something. It’s something else to ask your brothers and sisters or other family members for something. But to go to the most powerful man in all the world and make a bunch of requests…that’s something altogether different!

But Ezra had found grace in eyes of king Artaxerxes. How had this happened? Because more importantly he had found grace in the eyes of the Lord!

Look what the Bible says there… “according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him!”

Ezra found grace in the eyes of the king because he had first found grace in the eyes of the Lord and God’s hand was upon him!

When God is for you, not even the king over one of the most powerful empires this world has ever seen will prevail against you, Amen!

So, we’ve seen the Lineage of Ezra, the Learnedness of Ezra and the Leniency shown to Ezra. Now, let us look at the Leadership of Ezra.

The Leadership of Ezra — (Vs. 7-10)

Ezra leads a group of around 1500-2000 people on a journey that would take roughly 4 months to complete. I want you to notice here who this company was comprised of....priests, the Levites, the singers, the porters and the Nethinims.

The Butler Commentary says this about the group...”All the people listed here, who went up with Ezra from Babylon to Jerusalem, were involved in religious work. The "priests" and "Levites" administered the sacrifices and offerings at the Temple, the "singers" sang in the Temple, the "porters" guarded the entrances to the Temple, and the "Nethinims" were Gibeonites who were employed in the menial tasks in the Temple service. The group was a religious group.”

So, Ezra leads this religious group back to Jerusalem and notice what it says again here in Verse 9.... “according to the good hand of his upon him.”

Are you beginning to see the common theme here? Six different times does the Bible speak of the hand of the Lord being upon Ezra. But why? What was it that set him apart from everyone else? Why did Ezra find favor in the eyes of God?

Well, the answer to that comes next here in Verse 10 which is our highlight verse of today’s message. There’s 3 things that set Ezra apart from the rest of the pack and dear friend I want to say this before we get into these 3 things…if you will apply these same principles to your life, I believe with all my heart you will find the favoring hand of God upon your life as well!

1. The Apprehension of the Word — (Vs. 10a)

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord”

This my friend is where it all begins! With the heart! For out of it the Bible says flow the issues of life! The Bible also says the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?

Well friend, God knows a mans heart. He sees what’s deep down inside a man that drives him! And in Ezra’s case, the thing that drove him was his knowledge of God and His ways!

The driving force behind Ezra was his desire to know as much about God as he possibly could!

How many of us this morning can have that same thing said about us?

Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord! He was like the Psalmist who said in...

Psalm 139:23-24 — 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

In these times when the word heart was used it was also meant to mean mind. They were viewed as one in same. Whatever the intents of the heart were, that’s what your mind would be focused on also.

So, not only did Ezra prepare his heart to seek the law of the Lord, but his mind was continually set on the law of the Lord as well!

Psalm 1:1-3 — 1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Ezra set his heart and his mind to seek (diligently read, reread and study as if he were a man with questions seeking until he had an answer) the law of the Lord!

Can the same be said of you this morning? Where is your heart at?

There’s the Apprehension of the Word and then there’s the Application of the Word.

2. The Application of the Word — (Vs. 10b)

Knowing the Word is just half the battle! Ezra not only sought the Word but he sought to do the Word, to apply it to his life!

See, this in my opinion is one of the major downfalls of the Christian community today! We come in on Sunday mornings and we want to hear this beautiful message that the Pastor has prepared but that’s it.

We take it all in. We grow in knowledge but we never apply it! We don’t as I say here all the time “put it to practice!”

And this is a major problem for the Bible says in...

James 1:22-25 — 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Ezra wasn’t only a recorder of the Word or a hearer of the word but a doer of the word! He prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord & to do it and the good hand of the Lord his God was upon him because of it!

Can the same be said of you this morning? Are you a doer of the Word or a hearer only? Dear friend, if you want the good hand of our God to be upon you, you must be a hearer and a doer!

There’s the Apprehension of the Word & the Application of the Word and finally there’s the Administration of the Word!

3. The Administration of the Word — (Vs. 10c)

To know the Word and to do the Word is great but what good is it doing anyone but you unless you take it out!

Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it & finally to teach it!

Listen friend, gold & silver are precious gems in this world but there is nothing that can compare with the wealth and benefit that comes from knowing the Word of God! Isaiah said...

Isaiah 40:8 — The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

And it’s our duty to take this ever wondrous Word out to the World for the Bible says in...

Romans 10:14-15, 17 — 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Do you have friends who need to be saved? Do you have family members who need to be saved? Do you have co-workers who need to be saved?

Well, guess what…God allowed those people to be a part of your life for a reason…so that you could share His good news with them!

Be like Ezra this morning Church...prepare your heart this to seek the law of the Lord, to do it & to teach it and you shall surely see the good hand of our God upon your life!

There’s the Lineage of Ezra, the Learnedness of Ezra, the Leniency shown to Ezra, the Leadership of Ezra and then we come to the King’s Letter to Ezra.

The King’s Letter to Ezra — (Vs. 11-26)

When your life is a reflection of the God you serve other people will take note.

The Lord’s hand upon Ezra — (Vs. 27-28)

Ezra is a shortened form of Azariah. Ezra as well as Azariah and Eleazar, which we looked at in the beginning of this message, all mean "Jehovah has helped."

The hand of the Lord was upon Ezra because the heart of Ezra was set upon upon the Lord!

Where is your heart at this morning, friend? Is it set on God? Is it set on seeking the treasure His word and doing and teaching it to others or is your heart set on the treasures of this world that are sure to decay and pass away?

Alvin York, a poorly-educated, red-headed, strapping Tennessean whom his friends called Big 'Un, became the greatest hero of World War I.

On September 26, 1918, he and his men were ambushed by Germans in the Argonne Forest. His bunkmate was peppered with so many rounds of bullets that his uniform was torn off. Others dropped in the battle to York's left and right, and the surviving Americans were pinned down.

Rising to his feet, York stepped into the hail of whistling bullets and started firing. When his rifle ammunition emptied out, he drew his pistol. Bullets and bayonets rained down on him, but in the end, York miraculously didn't suffer a scratch.

He killed the nest of 24 machine gunners, captured 132 German prisoners, and singlehandedly saved his men. It was "the greatest single exploit" of World War I.

Many folks don't realize that York was a dedicated Christian who had originally requested exemption as a pacifist. The Sixth Commandment, "Thou shall not kill," seemed clear to him, and he had no desire to fire at anything more than rabbits and squirrels.

When his request was denied, York reported for duty. York wrote, "I knowed I would go to war. I knowed I would be protected from all harm, and that so long as I believed in Him, He would not allow even a hair on my head to be harmed."

God protected York and honored his faith in Him. God’s hand of favor was upon Alvin York. — Mattoon’s Treasures

York, like Ezra, was a man whose main focus was on the God he served.

For the saved this morning, where is your focus? What is your heart set on? Maybe you need to prepare your heart like Ezra did! If that’s you, when we give that invitation here in a moment I’m gonna ask you to come.

For the lost here today or watching online I want to close by saying this...

Ezra was a man on mission for God and a little over 450 years later would come another man on mission for God whose name was Jesus. He was and is the one and only Son of God.

His mission, much like the one Ezra set out on, was to do the will of the one who sent Him. Jesus said in

John 6:38 — For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

And that mission was accomplished on Calvary when He gave His life’s blood to make even the vilest sinner clean.

Jesus gave His life so that you and I might gain life! And if you will believe that this morning, and admit that you are in need of being saved due to your sins, you too shall inherit eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord!