Do you have a passion for the Word of God?

Posted on December 8, 2016 by .....

Ezra 7:10 – “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments”

Ezra’s reigning desire had been to study the divine law, its principles, institutions, privileges, and requirements; and now from love and zeal, he devoted himself, as the business of his life, to the work of instructing, reforming, and edifying others.

The order of things in this verse is very observable; first he prepares his heart to understand God’s law and Word, and that not for curiosities sake, but in order to practice it in his life; he then earnestly desires and labors to instruct others, that they also might know and do it. Ezra had prepared his heart to seek, do and teach the law of the Lord; he had set his mind and affections upon it, and made it his chief design and business. We need to all get the passion that Ezra had about the Word of God in our life and make it our life’s business to learn it, to observe its teachings and to instruct others in the same.

Ezra was intent upon the statement laid out in Ezra 7:10. He had his heart set on it, bending his thoughts and studies to it. The Hebrew word “cun” (which we translate prepare) signifies, to establish, to confirm, and to make things fixed and immoveable. Ezra set himself to “seek the law of the Lord,” that is, to inquire into it, and search after the will of God therein contained, that he might understand it himself; and then he set his heart “to do” what God commanded, and put in practice what he knew to be his duty, so that he was the better qualified “to teach” others what he knew and did himself.

Ezra was God’s man who led His people from captivity in Babylon back to the land which God had promised to their fathers. God’s judgment had resulted in the armies of Nebuchadnezzar obliterating Jerusalem, tearing down the walls surrounding the city, destroying the Temple and deporting the most influential people as slaves to serve in the pagan land of Babylon. Israel was completely embarrassed by defeat, made totally vulnerable by loss of status and reputation, plus they felt abandoned by God because their worship and spiritual identity had been completely lost. One word described Israel for 70 years, DEFEATED.

When God made a way for His people to return to their homes and renew their place as the people of God, He called Ezra to lead the way. Here is a description of Ezra’s qualifications: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Ezra 7:10. Ezra was a scribe who gave himself to the recording and maintenance of God’s Word. He loved the Word of God, protected it and provided for its preservation from generation to generation. He was a man of the Bible.

How about you? Do you love the word of God? Do you read it? Do you try to memorize important verses? Your attitude toward, and devotion to the Word of God will make a difference in the way God uses you in His service. Your love for the Bible will make a difference in the way people respond to your influence. King Artaxerxes, the king of Persia, said this about Ezra, “Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?” Ezra 7:12, 23. It could be that one reason today’s culture lacks respect for what God says is because we have lost our passion for the Word of God. Do you have a passion for the Word of God? – If not you should!

Someone recently submitted an interesting question to an online blog, “If someone from the 1950s suddenly appeared today, what would be the most difficult thing to explain to them about life today?”

One person responded, “I possess a device, in my pocket that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man. … Yet, I use it to look at pictures of cats and get in arguments with strangers.” – That is a sad commentary on the state of society today.

Do you spend more time online looking at pictures of cats and getting into arguments than you do reading the Bible and meditating on the Word of God? It may be when God asks us to explain why we watched our world slip into an obsession over cats and arguments with strangers we will be forced to admit our lack of passion for His holy Word. Renew your passion and love for the Bible. Your passion for the Word of God will make a difference in today’s society.