Growing up, I can remember listening to our preacher and hearing him tell us often to “check me on that,” or welcome someone to challenge him on his teaching. He was speaking directly from the word of God and with that comes great responsibility.
If you think back, you can probably remember a pastor issuing a similar challenge. To my knowledge, it wasn’t often someone dared to go toe to toe with the preacher. After all, he was seminary-trained and was the one with the mic, so he must know what he is talking about. Right?
Sort of.
Thinking the pastor knows it all and we shouldn’t be in the Word checking out what he says has paved the way for biblical illiteracy in today’s church.
Ezra was a man who, as the Bible tells us, was “skilled in the law of Moses.” This means he studied and knew the laws and word given by God. In fact, he knew it so well he traveled to Jerusalem to teach the laws to the people there.
Because of its descriptive nature, it’s easy to miss a lesson in Ezra. However, this book and these chapters can be applied to the modern church. Many of us listen to the word of God without knowing the word of God.
Ezra is someone we can strive to be like regarding our knowledge of God’s word and then teaching God’s word. Like Ezra, may we be people of the Word.
Pray God gives you a hunger for His Word—to know it, read it, study it, and share it with others.
Blessings
VC Devotionals 