The Gravity of Understanding (Pt 2)

Part 1 may be read here.

To better understand this passage we must attempt at briefly knowing the reader of Law, namely Ezra. Also it would be beneficial to understand the time surrounding the reading of the Law

I. Who is Ezra and why is the first day of the seventh month important?

Ezra is the scribe of the Law sent and commissioned by Cyrus king of Persia to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. He returned to Jerusalem with a group of exiles in 458 B.C.; 13 years before Nehemiah returned to rebuild the wall. It is of an interesting note to me that the altar and the temple were rebuilt before the wall was. One might infer from this that it is the historical way of God to work from the inside out.

That he begins with the heart of the city, so to speak, and moves to the discipline of the outer wall only after the inner city has been changed. And so it is with a believer that their heart is first changed from death to life and then the self-disciplines of grateful obedience comes after and through time.

(But so as not to betray this point too much well continue with the background information and move to gleaning helpful information from the facts of Scripture after a canvas for the painting has been properly stretched.)

The date of the reading of the Law is of particular importance here.

The first day of the seventh month is The Festival of Trumpets, which is described in Leviticus 23:23-25, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, in the seventh month on the first day of the month you shall observe a day of solemn rest, memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present food offerings to the Lord.”

This solemn rest spoken is best seen in the rest afforded the soul in contemplation upon Scripture and the truths contained within its pages. This holy assembly which would begin the seventh month of the year, the month containing the Day of Atonement when the people of Israel had their sins placed on one goat which was sent to the wilderness, and the other was slaughtered for the remission of those sins.

It is important to see the reason for the Festival of Trumpets was to prepare the hearts of the people for the Day of Atonement. Thus here, in the reading of Law, the people will understand the necessity of this particular day, namely that importance of the innocent Lamb slain in their place.

It is thus reasonable to conclude that we as believers in the New Covenant ought to likewise strengthen our minds to be sharp for the proclamation of the Gospel -- which comes in every one of our services. To be praying and learning so as to be capable of wonderful application of the finished work of Jesus our Savior.

This simply means that we not only be in Scripture once a week, but rather constantly preparing our hearts to hear the good news of Jesus, who for the joy set before him endured the cross. We as well should for the joy of hearing and believing this Gospel, which is ever present in our lives, be striving to better understand the Bible, which speaks about this Gospel.

We often say we want the Gospel to be our love, but we do not desire to study it. A biologist studies biology, because he loves it. An engineer studies math because he loves order. An artist studies art because it is her passion. And so it should be that a Christian studies Christ because He is our ONLY hope.