What's the point of stuffing the refrigerator stock full of veggies and meat and then not cooking and eating any of it? One would become rather unnecessarily faint and malnourished with hunger.
Similarly, when we stuff our minds full of God's Word from our personal reading, from years of Sunday School attendance, youth groups and church services but never obey the Word nor walk in the Lord's ways, our spiritual life will be rather weak to non-existant.
We may have come to Christ and go faithfully to worship the Lord and remember Jesus in His death through the Breaking of Bread and this is good, and should be. However, if we have been long time Christians but are still only 'drinking milk' we should reassess our stiuation. We should be able to teach the Word by this time. If we're not, all we supposedly learned and know is going to 'rot in the fridge' and we'll be milk drinkers instead of meat eaters of God's Word.
Of course we can't just teach off the top of our heads. We need to study the Word diligently and put it into practice - obey it, live by it, be guided by it and through listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Ah - then we can truly grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ ( 2 Peter 3:18).
Ezra of the Old Testatment is a wonderful example of this. He was a...
"...teacher well versed in the Law of Moses" (Exra 7:6 NIV)."Well versed!" How did that happen? He must have made a studiously deliberate choice and,
"He had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD..." (Ezra 7:9-10 NIV).
Do you see that? "Devoted himself...." Then, "study," which takes time and effort. Not only was he devoted and studious he "observed" what he had studied. In other words, he obeyed it, putting it into practice.
Once Ezra had established his spiritual health and level of maturity, look what he was enabled to do, and did do. He was also devoted,
"...to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel" (Exra 7:10 NIV).
Does this grab yer booties? It grabbed King Artaxeres' attention and he was a pagan man! God stirred his heart though to send Ezra the scribe back to Israel to teach the returned exiles these laws and decrees of their God! This is truly remarkable!
Often, the unsaved know what the saved should be doing better than the saved themselves. Don't let the shame of it get you down or rebel, though. No, apply your heart to what you "should be" doing and then do it.
Hebrews 5:12 has a warning injunction,
"In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's Word all over again...."
Ezra had not been slack. No. He may have been in a foreign land and could have used that as an excuse to not do as he did. However, he had studied, learned, and obeyed and was already teaching. The King noted this and gave Ezra the responsibility to not only go and teach the Word of God but to set up governmental bodies such as magistrates and judges.
What did they need those for? To address those who did not follow the laws, that's why! Of course, the people had to learn the law to know what and what not to do and that's where Ezra's job dovetailed. Furthermore, Ezra was to use various means of punishment, even captial punishment if need be (see Ezra 7:25-26 NIV).
It was indeed a very responsible position because he was faithful and obedient to God's word, in serving Him as well as the king (as a scribe who could read and write so may have been used in the palace offices, as suggested by Stephen Armstrong in his verse by verse talk, Talk 4 - Restoring God's Word). He had found favor with God and man.
Let's get back to these steps of restoration to the Lord and our relationship with Him after having gone through a time of discipline. Worship shows we are restored, or it should if we are being genuine, and getting to know more about the Lord and His ways, and obeying them is a second step towards a fuller trust in that relationship dynamic.
When we go to church on Lord's Days, that is worship but what about the rest of the week? A sustained interest, devotion and obedience to the Lord and His Word on daily, weekly, monthly and yearly bases for years and years of our lifetime will show we mean business and with our Lord and Savior Jesus, cherishing our relationship with Him. Our Lord and King will be able to use us in His service in teaching others to move from milk to meat.
If we don't use it, we'll lost it. Sad. We can't let what we know rot in that skull of ours. We need to take it out and use it. Have heart engagement with Christ our King. Accept and be well disciplined by our Lord and Savior and so give glory to God in a continued state of restoration.
Use what you got!
~ERC February 2022~
Based on Ezra 7; Hebrews 5:11-14.
Inspired by Verse by Verse Ministry, Restoring God's People series by Stephen Armstrong Talk 4 - Restoring God's Word.
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