Ezra: A Godly Example We should Follow – Sunday Thought For The Day

We often hear or read that the church has lost its way.  To the extent that said observation is intended; I disagree.  The church has not lost its way on its own.  The church, i.e., the people, have been led astray by false teachers and preachers who are willfully disobedient to the Word of God.  This cannot be stated enough.

People sit in churches week after week being fed a steady diet of false teaching and encouraged to live in disobedience to the Word of God.  An even greater indictment of many ministers today, is their lack of concern for disobedience of the people to God’s word.

I have made the point many times over: Psalm 119:89 says: “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.” (KJV)  This means God’s word is immutable, i.e., unchangeable.   Disobedience is sin.  It was from the beginning and it is today.  We are instructed to trust Him; have faith in Him and to be obedient to His word.

Nowhere in scripture are we told it’s up to us to determine what part of God’s word we will obey.  Yet, every day of the week and certainly every Sunday, false teachers do that very thing.  Being able to quote some version of the bible, doesn’t make one a Godly preacher.  Being able to read a prayer out of a book of prayers compiled by other false teachers doesn’t make one holy.  False piety isn’t a form of righteousness.  It’s a tragedy of the days in which we live, that more church leaders do not view disobedience to God’s word as the prophet Ezra did.

When the church leaders came to Ezra and told of the people’s disobedience, it so appalled him that he tore his clothes and “plucked off the hair of [his] head and of [his] beard.” (Ezra 9:3 KJV)

True men of God are grieved by sin and disobedience, especially when it is church leaders.  Godly church leaders know they’re not perfect, but they are committed to being obedient to God to the best of their ability, by the power of the Holy Spirit in them.

Attending a church where the Pastor(s) and church leaders aren’t obedient to the Word of God is cause to leave that church; and denomination if necessary.  God has appointed pastors to be the shepherds over His flock.  If we’re not doing that we are failing in our calling.  Even worse, we’re leading people astray and/or encouraging them in their sinfulness.  Being a minister isn’t a job; it’s a calling.  We’re called to preach, teach and live the truth.  It doesn’t mean we won’t drop the ball from time to time; but it does mean that being faithful/obedient to the Word of God is our desire.

When Ezra was made aware of the disobedience of the princes, i.e., the church leaders, not only was he appalled, but in Ezra 9:4-6 we read: ⁴ Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat astonied until the evening sacrifice. ⁵ And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the Lordmy God, ⁶ And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

I submit that instead of spending our energy worrying about who will be elected, who should be elected and living in fear about a future that is already written; think for a moment what God would accomplish through us in the allotted time remaining we followed the example of Ezra and all those assembled unto him who trembled at the words of the God of Israel.  Ezra didn’t run from the sin nor did he ignore that the people had engaged in same.  He and the repentant gathered and confessed the sins; they remembered from whence God had delivered them and they were reconciled with God through confession and repenting of their disobedience.  Isn’t it time for us to follow their example?  (Read: Ezra 9:4-10:14 KJV)