“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” These words make the beginning of the first book of Psalms – Psalm 1. In that first chapter, the psalmist tells us that a person whose delight is in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields fruit in season, whatever they do prosper. The picture painted here is one of flourishing, where there is abundance and life. Although I appreciate these metaphors, often time, it is difficult for some of us to understand them because of the cultural differences, the context and quite frankly the lack of knowledge in a subject. However, using a real character to get a point across is always more efficient than simply an imagery. That is exactly what I found in the person of Ezra, as a better description of what that psalm looks like practically.
Ezra was a Jew in exile. He was probably born in Babylon so all he knew was exile life, life as an outsider, foreign from what his people, his family ever knew. I often wondered what that would have been like for those Israelites born into exile. However, that is not the most prominent fact about Ezra, no, what is extraordinary about Ezra is the fact that he was “a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses”. Later in the same chapter, Ezra is described as someone who “devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord.” As a matter of fact, this detail is repeated more than three times in that chapter. He must have been quite apart to be singled out in this manner. It is incredible to see that in a time when Judah had forgotten about its God, forgotten about its Maker, that a man like Ezra still had a desire for the law of the Lord and delighted in it. Indeed, not only did Ezra spend his time meditating on the law of God, he also devoted himself to teaching it to other Jews who did not know the Lord. Whether he was a scribe or simply a man who loved the law and wanted to pass it on to others, what he did was remarkable. Remember what Psalm 1 said about such people? They are like a tree planted by streams of water which yields fruit in season. Ezra had favour from God, as we are told that everything that he requested from the king he received (Ezra 7:6). I am no king but from what I have seen and read, kings, rulers or people with high authority usually don’t just listen to anyone’s requests how much more requests from men belonging to a subjugated nation! In all human wisdom, the king of Persia could not simply grant Ezra all his requests because he was from an enemy nation and to make matters worse, he was asking to go back to Jerusalem, the city where his people belonged to repopulate it and eventually establish themselves in there like old times. This is the city that was besieged and conquered by the Babylonians. Allowing such a request is not what a conquering nation does to the conquered nation. But that is precisely what the king of Persia, Artaxerxes allows Ezra to do. You can see the hand of God in all this because He orchestrated that and put it in Artaxerxes’s heart to grant Ezra the request to go back to Jerusalem and worship the Lord God in His city, and in His temple. In the king’s decree, he even ascribes to God the reason behind his doing. Moreover, Ezra, on top of asking to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem with every other Jew was able to get the money from the king to conduct the worship activities of the temple of God. Again, this is not normal, and it could only happen because the hand of the Lord was on him. Indeed, whatever he did prospered.
Once in Jerusalem, Ezra realizes that the people sinned against the Lord by intermarrying with foreign women. As a man well versed in the law of God, he knew his God was not going to be pleased with the people especially as they were now starting to reinstate the worship of God at the temple and live in accordance with the law of God. So, Ezra told the people to separate from their foreign wives and consecrate themselves to God, he told them to repent and do what was acceptable by law. What is even shocking about this is the fact that many of the people who married foreign women were priests! People who should have known better were the ones sinning so blatantly. But then again, it is not surprising as Israel had forgotten about his God and His ways. Fortunately, this was not so for Ezra, he did not defile himself in that regard, nor did he depart from the law of his God because he meditated on it day and night and made sure to follow it. Even in this incident, we see that Ezra prospered in all he did as the people actually obeyed him when he told them to repent and separate from their foreign wives.
Ezra loved his God. He knew the word of God and he took pleasure in it. His life shows the veracity of Psalm 1 which should encourage us who believe in the word of God that His word is true. Let us then love the word of God, meditating on it day and night and applying it to our lives. Being, doers of the word and not hearers only. Ezra was a doer of the word, he was not satisfied with simply learning it, he ensured his life showed its application and the result was simply marvelous!
A Word Aptly Spoken 