August 8 – Why does Ezra’s father sound familiar?

August 8
Ezra 7:1-8:20
1 Corinthians 4:1-21
Psalm 30:1-12
Proverbs 20:28-30

Ezra 7:1 – Don’t gloss over this genealogy! Who is Seraiah? The last high priest of Jerusalem (2 Kings 25:18, Jeremiah 52:24). They were executed as vanquished leaders (2 Kings 25:21, Jeremiah 52:27) by the Babylonians. But God has exercised judgment on the Babylonians and the Persians are in charge and they have a much different attitude to Ezra than to his father.

Ezra 7:5 – Remember Phinehas the Bold? Yes we have his descendant with us. Ezra the scribe, birthed to be high priest, descended from the valiant, studied in the law, favored by the king.

Ezra 7:9 – Ezra was in a 4 month long wagon train with thousands of his kinfolk, and we complain about rush hour traffic, delays boarding our seat on a plane, or flying international in just economy!

Ezra 7:10 – Great verse to memorize and to apply!

Seek it (Josiah upon discovering the law – 2 Kings 22:8-10)
Do it (James 1:22 – Doers of the Word, and not hearers only)
Teach it (1 Timothy 4:11 – These things command and teach)

Ezra 7:15 – Five surprising things in the Royal Letter:

The king is giving to the God of Israel silver and gold (Ezra 7:15)
The king is not specifying what can be purchased (Ezra 7:18)
The king is giving a blank check (Ezra 7:20, Ezra 7:22)
The king is giving tax exemption (Ezra 7:24)
The king is establishing a theocracy (Ezra 7:26)

1 Corinthians 4:7 – “What hast thou that thou didst not receive?” Everything we have is from God – why are we boasting in what we have and comparing ourselves?

1 Corinthians 4:10 – What does Christian love entail (John 13:34)? Appearing foolish, appearing weak, being despised, hungering, thirsting, being naked, beaten, homeless, earning your own pay, reviled, and persecuted, and giving their best (Timothy – 1 Corinthians 4:17). This is the love of their spiritual father, Paul (1 Corinthians 4:15).

Psalm 30:4 – Sing to the Lord and Be Not Silent is based on Psalm 30:4-5.