This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given, and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. Ezra 7:6
Earlier in this book, we encounter the prophets of Haggai and Zechariah, and their contributions to the building of the temple and the restoration of Godly order in post-captivity Israel. Now Ezra makes his appearance, and he is not a prophet but a scribe. If we understand the difference between a prophet and a scribe, we can see how important Ezra’s role is among God’s people today. A prophet brought forth new revelations from God. A scribe transcribed the existing revelations and words from God, made exact copies of the Scriptures, and was responsible for teaching and interpreting the Word of God. Although abused in future centuries, the role of a scribe was crucial to the preservation of the integrity of Scriptures and we owe much today to their diligent work. Ezra was not only a good scribe, he was also a man whose heart was prepared to seek the law of God, to do that law, and to teach others (verse 10). Ezra was not looking for new revelations; he could understand that the Word of God that already existed in his day was of itself in need of being understood and taught. And this he set himself to do. There is a need among us today for Christians who will take Ezra’s approach.
The Word of God is complete. You and I need no further revelations of truth from God beyond what is found in His Word. Cults and false religions such as the Mormons and the Mohammedans specialize in claiming to have received new revelations from God. But, like Ezra, we have all we need, and our approach should be to study and teach what we have been given. An old preacher used to wisely say ‘If it is new, it is not true; if it is true, it is not new’.
Consider, for example, the number of books in our Bible. These 66 books are often expanded by a system that divides the book of Psalms into five separate books. We can accept this, and recognize that there are actually 70 books in the Bible. Within the Bible, the number 70 is very important. Its typological or symbolical representation is totality. 70 books = everything God has revealed to man. So our study should not be to uncover new books, but to uncover the truths contained in the existing books. Great biblical scholars tell us such a pursuit will exhaust our lifetimes with little more than a dent in the surface of the vast treasure trove!
Ezra knew where to look for the Word of God. And he knew how to apply it. Shall we follow his example? -Jim MacIntosh