LAW AND ORDER
LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE: EZRA 7:1-10, 23-26
KEY VERSE
“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
INTRODUCTION AND STUDY
The Study today has been written to make us remember that God created the entire universe and our world, and that He created human beings. He gave human beings instructions as to how to live a good quality life. When they live in the way He had advised God would bless them.God also has done great things for usG
We call these instructions from God the Commandments. These Commandments are so set up that it would mean there would be Law and Order and people would love each other and not abuse each other. There would be harmony.
In order to make this happen to the people of the nation of Israel God sent prophets and teachers to help guide them, but unfortunately they did not always listen and obey God. They were chased out their country by the people of Babylon and lived in captivity for 70 years. God had Jeremiah the prophet tell them this would happen but after they repented and 70 years were finished they would be allowed to return to their homeland. This Return happened on schedule and the people returning started to rebuild their destroyed country. But life was hard and the people who had moved in and lived in their deserted country resisted the efforts to rebuild.
God arranged it so that a Scribe, a person who had dedicated himself to study the commandments and so was skilled in teaching the Laws of God wanted to come to Jerusalem to help teach and guide the people there to follow God’s instructions.
But before he could do this he had to get permission from the king of Persia named Artaxerxes. He recorded the permission letter he gave to Ezra so we know what he said. This king thought highly of Ezra’s ability and the way he lived. Ezra had set his heart, his entire life, on studying the laws and rules of God and that impressed the king. So when this king was approached he realized that if Ezra and others went back to Jerusalem to teach the laws of God things would settle down. There would be much less complaints and hassles among the people.
God moved the heart of the king to understand that wisdom said he should allow the Jews to go back home for this would make his empire more peaceful. So he obeyed God and gave Ezra permission to return to Jerusalem.
He trusted Ezra and gave Ezra a great deal of power over the people in the land called Beyond the River.He gave him a great deal of silver and gold and other things to rebuild and maintain the Temple of God.
Many Jews, including women and children, went back to Jerusalem with Ezra and it took 4 months of travelling.
Ezra trusted in God to protect him and his fellow travellers and even though they had lots of treasures with them, Ezra did not even ask the king to send soldiers to protect him.
The job ahead of him would be great. But he knew God was with him since he had committed himself to study the word of God, become capable to teach it, and lived according to everything in the word of God that he was teaching. His teaching matched his actions.
We learn from this passage of Scripture that the blessing of God will come to those that study and obey the word of God. Not everybody will be able to teach the word of God like Ezra but the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit has given a gift or gifts to everyone who believes in Jesus. These gifts are more than normal talents which we have. These are supernatural abilities.So think about what the Holy Spirit has given you. God loves you and thinks highly of you when you accept Jesus as your Saviour. You are not inferior to other people. You are valuable to God and that is what counts.
So remember you must study to become a powerful servant of God and receive God’s special blessing.
God’s fingerprints can be seen in the life and achievements of Ezra and the trust the King of Persia placed in him. You too can achieve a lot even if it might seem difficult. God is there to help you all the time. So make sure you live the right way for if you do even the people who not believe in God the way you do will respect you and want to have you teach them more about God.
So trust God and study about God and let your life actions show this just as Ezra did. Then you will bring about Law and Order as the commandments of God wants where you are.