When it comes to putting things togetherâelectronics, furniture, and the likeâmy son and I have differing approaches. Steve is more mechanically inclined, so he tends to toss the instructions aside and just start in. Meanwhile, Iâm poring over the âRead This Before Startingâ warning while he has already put the thing halfway together.
Sometimes we can get by without the instructions. But when it comes to putting together a life that reflects the goodness and wisdom of God, we canât afford to ignore the directions Heâs given to us in the Bible.
The Israelites who had returned to their land after the Babylonian captivity are a good example of this. As they began to reestablish worship in their homeland, they prepared to do so âin accordance with what is written in the Law of Mosesâ (Ezra 3:2). By building a proper altar and in celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles as prescribed by God in Leviticus 23:33-43, they did exactly what Godâs directions told them to do.
Christ gave His followers some directions too. He said, âLove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.â And âlove your neighbor as yourselfâ (Matt. 22:37,39). When we believe in Him and come to Him, He shows us the way to live. The One who made us knows far better than we do how life is supposed to work.
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Twice in todayâs passage Ezra records that the people returning from exile did things âin accordance with what is writtenâ (vv. 2,4). However, what makes these statements impressive is what is found in the middle of the paragraph. They did all these things âdespite their fear of the peoples around themââthe residents of Judah who were not part of the returning exiles (v. 3).