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Ezra, Student and Teacher, September 10
Ezra ... prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it.
Ezra 7:10
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Born of the sons of Aaron, Ezra had been given a priestly training; and in
addition to this he had acquired a familiarity with the writings of the magicians,
the astrologers, and the wise men of the Medo-Persian realm. But he was not
satisfied with his spiritual condition. He longed to be in full harmony with
God; he longed for wisdom to carry out the divine will.... This led him to apply
himself diligently to a study of the history of God’s people, as recorded in the
writings of prophets and kings. He searched the historical and poetical books
of the Bible to learn why the Lord had permitted Jerusalem to be destroyed and
His people carried captive into a heathen land....
He studied the instruction given at Mount Sinai and through the long period
of wilderness wandering. As he learned more and still more concerning God’s
dealings with His children, and comprehended the sacredness of the law given at
Sinai, Ezra’s heart was stirred. He experienced a new and thorough conversion
and determined to master the records of sacred history, that he might use this
knowledge to bring blessing and light to his people.
Ezra endeavored to gain a heart preparation for the work he believed was
before him. He sought God earnestly, that he might be a wise teacher in Israel.
As he learned to yield mind and will to divine control, there were brought into
his life the principles of true sanctification, which, in later years, had a molding
influence, not only upon the youth who sought his instruction, but upon all others
associated with Him....
Ezra became a mouthpiece for God, educating those about him in the princi-
ples that govern heaven.... Whether near the court of the king of Medo-Persia or
at Jerusalem, his principal work was that of a teacher. As he communicated to
others the truths he learned, his capacity for labor increased. He became a man
of piety and zeal. He was the Lord’s witness to the world of the power of Bible
truth to ennoble the daily life
[260]
16
Ibid., 608, 609
.
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