There is something wonderfully satisfying when all the pieces of a puzzle finally fall into place, and the picture is complete – especially with those challenging puzzles that have no picture to follow for clues. I was persevering through one, once, when my nephews came to visit; with their fresh, young eyes they saw key pieces that I hadn’t, although the pieces had been there all along, and before very long the ‘bigger picture’ became apparent, rewarding endurance with an ‘Aha!’ moment.

 

God’s ‘big picture’ of salvation grew bigger and broader with Jesus’ coming to earth, fulfilling the many prophecies foretelling His coming, while His teachings confirmed His person and His presence from the very beginning. Isn’t it a delight to find these ‘Aha!’ moments as we read the Bible, and suddenly realise how people are connected, and its significance, or find a prophecy fulfilled, that broadens our understanding and makes our faith grow?

 

Ezra, in our verse today, distinguished from the many others at that time, is one such connection. His lineage went right back to Aaron, Moses’ brother; but that wasn’t the only reason that “the hand of the Lord his God was on him”. Not only did he read and teach God’s commands, but he believed them, resulting in him living a life of integrity, discerned by the king, winning his favour – “The king had granted him everything he asked” – and becoming key in God’s promise to the exiles being fulfilled.

 

The now well-known promise God had made to Israel, through Jeremiah, of having, “plans to prosper [them] and not to harm [them], plans to give [them] hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11) literally saw their captors sending them back to their rebuilt temple in Jerusalem, carrying offerings that they, themselves, had provided, along with the precious temple objects they’d carried away as spoil seventy years before. What an “Aha!” moment!

 

Though a captive in exile, Ezra continued to worship God faithfully in that foreign land, with a pagan people; and on return to Jerusalem, he continued, unchanged, faithfully devoting himself to restoring worship and making reforms. While there, Artaxerxes addresses him respectfully in a letter as, “Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven.” (Ezra 7:12)

 

Ezra’s integrity remained intact throughout and his bond with God never wavered, despite whatever happened in his life; unsurprisingly, he only glorified God for what He had “put into the king’s heart …[God] who has extended his good favour to me before the king and his advisors and all the king’s powerful officials.” (Ezra 7:27-28) What a difference for good a person with integrity can make when they revere God.

 

We don’t need to be Ezra to be used for His good purposes; each of us is a precious piece in God’s big picture, created to make a difference and be ready when He calls. Jesus said, “Blessed… are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”(Luke 11:28)

 

Prayer: Lord, help me to hear Your Word, and obey, and know Your blessing. Amen