Who are the role models in your life? It’s helpful to have people who can show us how to live. Years ago I coached young children playing soccer. If you were to watch these children playing soccer you would get a rudimentary idea of how the game is played but the herding instinct is quite strong and your knowledge of how to play soccer would be quite limited. To gain knowledge of how the game should be played and what is possible, then you would need to watch professionals who have dedicated their lives to playing soccer. We often have role models for our chosen profession, but who are your role models for life?

Nehemiah had built up the walls around Jerusalem, now Ezra had the task to build up the people. We see that Ezra was the ideal choice to disciple the people as we read this description of him,

For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. (Ezra 7:10)

Ezra had crafted a life so that God’s was at the center. How did Ezra design such a life? Let’s examine the verbs in this passage. Ezra was a student of God’s word. As a scribe he would have memorized the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) as well as many other passages. When you memorize God’s word, it is able to penetrate your heart and affect your behavior (Psalm 119:11).

God’s word was not simply head knowledge but Ezra put into practice what he had learned. One of the significant differences between the Western, Hellenistic, mindset and the Hebrew mindset is in the area of knowing and doing. The Hebrew mindset is concerned with practice whereas the Greek mindset emphasizes knowledge. Right conduct is the ultimate concern of the Hebrew, whereas right thinking that of the Greek. Ezra was not simply a hearer of the word, but he was an effectual doer of the word (James 1:23).

Finally, we see that Ezra taught God’s word to his people. Ezra dedicated his life to building the word of God into others. He modeled the command God gave to Moses to teach His word to His people,

You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. (Deuteronomy 6:7)

Ezra realized the positive aspects of Henry Adams quotation, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

Who are your role models? We can become sidetracked following popularity and power or we can follow Ezra and invest our lives in that which will last for eternity – God’s word and the souls of men and women.

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University

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