Pursuing Ezra

Oh To Be like Ezra

Posted by David Kizziah , Sunday, May 30, 2010 2:11 PM

There are many heros that the Scriptures hold out for imitation and this is helpful. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth (Jn. 4:24). We can not see God with the naked eye yet we are told to imitate Him. He has told us things like, "Be holy, for I am holy" and Jesus  implied that we are to mirror the indiscriminate mercy of our heavenly Father who is merciful to the Just and the Unjust alike (Mt. 5:45). A few verses later He tells us to be perfect just as our Father in heaven in perfect.

So we are to be like God and pursue God with an aim of reflecting Him in this world. Indeed the main aim in life is to mirror His glory throughout the whole earth. How, then are we to imitate that which we can not see? The answer lies in looking to His image. Most notably this is in the Lord Jesus, who is the image of the invisible God and the exact imprint of His nature (Col.1:15, Heb.1:3). He is the Christian's truest pursuit. He is the great aim in life. To reflect Jesus Christ is to live life well.

If, however, we are honest this might seem daunting to us. I know it does to me. Even with my theological thinking cap securely fastened it seems, at times, to be daunting. Hebrews is very clear that though Jesus is fully God yet He became fully human as well. "Remaining what He was, He became what He was not" is the oft quoted and very accurate statement to have in mind when contemplating the two natures of Christ. Yes Jesus is fully man. Yet, this God man, being also fully God, never sinned. He never hit the canvass. He never fell of His bicycle spiritually. He never even needed training wheels!

In times like this it is encouraging to have other examples in the Scripture of men (and women), sinners though they were, who nevertheless by grace were able to live lives worthy of imitation. Men who haltingly navigated the path that Christ perfectly pioneered. Ezra is one of these men and hence the reason for this blog. Ezra 7:10 says three things about this man that is worthy of imitation.

First, he set his heart to study the Word!

Second, he ordered his life to obey that Word!

Third, he devoted his energy to teach that Word to others!

The order is very important. Study, Obey, Teach! Just as John Owen said thousands of years after Ezra breathed his last, "that sermon is best preached which is first preached to thine self". Ezra is worthy of imitation.

This blog will be devoted to pursuing what Ezra pursued. It will be an attempt to catalogue how, by the grace of God, I am attempting to follow the trail he walked; the trail cut by our Lord Jesus. I am pursuing Ezra and by doing so seeking to pursue my God who is perfectly reflected in the face of Jesus Christ. May God be gracious to me and all who may read this by speeding us on this glorious journey!

Soli Deo Gloria!
Amen!