Read: Ezra 7:1-8:20; 1 Corinthians 4:1-21; Psalm 30:1-12; Proverbs 20:28-30
Ezra’s geneology was given to show that he was a direct descendent of Aaron qualifying him as a priest. Ezra left Babylon on Roshashana and arrived 5 months later. He had orders to pay all the expenses for sacrifices and the operation of the temple. All the priests were tax-exempt and provided for by the king. The king of Artexerxes wanted the law of God followed completely and was funding the whole thing. What favor!
Ezra was to take people with him that wanted to go back to Jerusalem. All the priests had to be able to prove by their genealogy that they were priests. I have heard that Levites can be identified by their DNA but I don’t know if that is true or not.
The priests were entrusted with the sacred things of God just as Paul reminds us that we as Christians are also entrusted with the sacred things of God. Those sacred things are the hidden things of God’s wisdom.
We all see each other in the natural, but God sees our hearts and when it is time, He will expose our motives. We should not exalt man but only God. Things are not always as they appear. One day, everything will be made known. Paul was telling them this because he had heard that some of the people had become arrogant and were exalting themselves above the Lord. Paul reminded them that everything they had came from God; they were nothing without him.
This is a good reminder to us. Everything in the world screams self-exaltation and performance. It is refreshing to see talented people give the glory to God because God entrusted them to carry the gifts they have. God is handing out gifts to us and it is so important to remember who gave them to us and why. Everything is to exalt God’s kingdom.
Lord, help us to do everything for your glory.
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