As we have studied the lessons this quarter, I am sure that many of us have been struck by the leadership skills of Ezra and Nehemiah. Though the lesson covers leaders other than these two, I think it will be worthwhile to look at these two, one a priest and scribe, Ezra, and the other a cup-bearer to the King of Persia and governor in Judea, Nehemiah. What is it that made them strong leaders? I will let the Word speak for itself.
Ezra 10: 1 and 2 record the following, “1Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this.”
What would evoke this response in the people?
This is where a review of what we know of Ezra is helpful. Ezra 7:1 says “Now after these things…” After what things? Ezra 6 ended with the temple being completed and dedicated and the Passover being celebrated by the first to return from captivity. Fifty-eight years later Ezra comes on the scene and thus begins chapter 7 “Now after these things…” Verse 6: “this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.” Reading on in verses 9, 10, we see the following, 9 “On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, to do the Law of the Lord, and to teach these statutes and ordinances in Israel. The Servant of the Lord, Ellen White made these observations about Ezra in Prophets and Kings: “Born of the sons of Aaron, Ezra had been given a priestly training…But he was not satisfied with his spiritual condition. He longed to be in full harmony with God; he longed for wisdom to carry out the divine will. And so he "prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it." Ezra 7:10. This led him to apply himself diligently to a study of the history of God's people, as recorded in the writings of Prophets and Kings. He searched the historical and poetical books of the Bible to learn why the Lord had permitted Jerusalem to be destroyed and His people carried captive into a heathen land. {PK 608.1}.
To the experiences of Israel from the time the promise was made to Abraham, Ezra gave special thought. He studied the instruction given at Mount Sinai and through the long period of wilderness wandering. As he learned more and still more concerning God's dealings with His children and comprehended the sacredness of the law given at Sinai, Ezra's heart was stirred. He experienced a new and thorough conversion and determined to master the records of sacred history, that he might use this knowledge to bring blessing and light to his people. {PK 608.2}
Ezra endeavored to gain a heart preparation for the work he believed was before him. He sought God earnestly, that he might be a wise teacher in Israel. As he learned to yield mind and will to divine control, there were brought into his life the principles of true sanctification. {PK 608.3}.
This brings us to our earlier question. In Ezra 10:1-2, it seems that Ezra had a prayer meeting and “the people wept very sore.” What would bring about such a response?
Leadership. In Ezra 9, Ezra’s heart wrenching prayer is presented to us and demonstrates the eight points of leadership, just outlined. The prayer was brought about by his truly understanding for the first time, it seems, the reason for their captivity in Babylon all those years. I imagine that he realized the desperate urgency of their situation and the fact that if a change did not take place, they were doomed to repeat their history. Consider the following passage.
Ezra 9: 1-15 ”When these things were done, the leaders came to me [Ezra], saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, with respect to the abominations of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. 2 For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed is mixed with the peoples of those lands. Indeed, the hand of the leaders and rulers has been foremost in this trespass.” 3 So when I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked out some of the hair of my head and beard and sat down astonished. 4 Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel assembled to me, because of the transgression of those who had been carried away captive, and I sat astonished until the evening sacrifice. 5 At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the Lord my God. 6 And I said: “O my God, I am too ashamed and humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has grown up to the heavens.” 7 Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilty, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to humiliation, as it is this day. 9 For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia…10 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, 12 Now therefore, do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.’ 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this, 14 should we again break Your commandments, and join in marriage with the people committing these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant or survivor? 15 O Lord God of Israel, You are righteous, for we are left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before You because of this!”
What a prayer!! A good leader is a student of history. A good leader is not afraid to confront the truth and make tough calls. He said “Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilty…” Not just guilty, but very guilty. The people’s transgressions against the Law of God and His principles, resulted in their spending 70 years in captivity. And it seemed that they learned nothing from that experience. The joining together with other nations continued! One would think that being taken captive would result in self-reflection and repentance. But not so. Verse 1 of chapter 9 says “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands.” It seems that Ezra understood the gravity of the situation from God’s point of view. God’s greatest problem was not getting the children of Israel out of Babylon, but Babylon out of the children of Israel. So Ezra, because of the commitment to know the things of God and to do them and to make Israel a blessing, had to make a drastic decision. But he did not do this by pointing the finger. He did this by identifying with the people and prayed a convicting prayer of corporate repentance and the result: Ezra 10:1-12.
1”…a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. 2 And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God, and have taken pagan wives from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel in spite of this. 3 Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law. 5 Then Ezra arose, and made the leaders of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear an oath that they would do according to this word. So they swore an oath. 6 Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib; and when he came there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he mourned because of the guilt of those from the captivity. 7 And they issued a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the descendants of the captivity, that they must gather at Jerusalem, 8 and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the instructions of the leaders and elders, all his property would be confiscated, and he himself would be separated from the assembly of those from the captivity. 9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered at Jerusalem within three days… 10 Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have transgressed and have taken pagan wives, adding to the guilt of Israel. 11 Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land, and from the pagan wives.” 12 Then all the assembly answered and said with a loud voice, “Yes! As you have said, so we must do.
This was a tough call for Ezra. Nehemiah had a similar approach (See Nehemiah 1 and 13). Because of the 8 principles of leadership outlined above both, Ezra and Nehemiah were unwavering. They understood the implications of their history and recognized the need for an about face. It may seem drastic to put away the wives or else be separated from “the assembly of those from the captivity.” Why was this so crucial? History is crucial because it answers the questions, Where did we come from? Why are we here? And where are we going? The history of Israel was one of rebellion against God’s call on their lives to be a light to the nations, Isaiah 49:6 “Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
This was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. However, this was the call on their lives as well, and they failed. The issue here in the post-exilic period and before is that the people lost their identity. If you lose your identity, your mission is lost, and the goal is not achieved. They even lost their knowledge of the Hebrew language. In intermarrying, they assimilated the customs, beliefs, practices and idolatry of the nations around them and they forgot what God was like. Their concept of God was bound up with the culture of appeasement and self-indulgence.
How does that apply to us today? We as Seventh-day Adventists have a history and a calling. We have to admit that we have not lived up to our calling as a movement. We have rebelled. We now look so much like other churches, that we question our uniqueness and our relevance. We have thrown out doctrines which help put together a picture of what God is like and we wonder why He delays His coming. We need leaders “in Israel” like Ezra and Nehemiah. In the words of Ellen White, “In the existing state of religious declension, there is crying need of earnest, faithful Nehemiahs and Ezras -- men who will not shun to call sin by its right name, and who will not shrink from vindicating the honor of God. Those upon whom God has laid the burden of His work are not to hold their peace, and cover prevailing evils with a cloak of false charity. Men of courage and energy are needed to expose fashionable sins. Iniquity must not be palliated and excused. Those who lead the church of God to follow the customs and practices of the world, are not to be lauded and exalted. {ST, January 24, 1884 par. 9}.
As we face the General conference session 2020, I pray that it will be less of a cause for celebration and more of a time of self-reflection, of taking stock of where we are as a people. We know well our history, “The Lord in His great mercy sent a most precious message to His people through Elders [E. J.] Waggoner and [A. T.] Jones. This message was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Saviour, the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. It presented justification through faith in the Surety; it invited the people to receive the righteousness of Christ, which is made manifest in obedience to all the commandments of God.” {LDE 200.1}.
We have lost the plot as a people because this message has largely gone unnoticed. As we approach yet another GC session, I pray that all who are elected will, like Ezra and Nehemiah, 1) Long to be in full harmony with God; 2) Long for wisdom; 3) Apply himself diligently to a study of the history of the Advent movement; 4) Experience a new and thorough conversion; 5) Be determined to master the records of sacred history; 6) Use this knowledge to bring blessing and light to the people; 7) Seek God earnestly and 8) Desire to be a “wise teacher in Israel” so that there will be delay no longer.
