Ezra 7:10: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”
You read about Ezra and the word that comes to mind is fanatic. This old boy devoted himself to the Word of God. Jewish tradition teaches that Ezra’s knowledge of the Torah was equal to that of Moses. Not only that he was determined to make sure he obeyed every letter of the law and make sure others followed the law as well. He was responsible for restoring the Jewish identity problem developed during the captivity when Hebrew men married non-Hebrew women. He ordered the men to divorce these wives.
He was such a fanatic that he insisted on leading 5,000 Israelites back to their homeland with the gifts and treasures of the King and without a military to protect them. He insisted that their only protection should come from God.
Yet, it was this fanatic who helped usher in one of the greatest revivals in Jewish history. What made this scribe so great is found in Ezra 7:10, he prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and teach it. Now think on that a moment. He prepared his heart to seek the law. This is where it all started, seeking the Word of God.
As I surf the internet and listen to the wide range of teachings on, about and in spite of the Word of God, I am becoming convinced we are a nation that has become Biblically illiterate. It is almost like the nation of Israel at the time of Ezra. People were seeking out the latest fads in how God works. There was only a superficial knowledge of the Word of God. Teachers were teaching what other teachers were teaching. Very few teachers really did any independent study of the Word of God. Yet, there was a raging hunger to really know the Word of God and when one little Scribe arose and said he would prepare his heart to seek the Word of God, a mighty revival broke out.
We may have no desire to lead a revival or to be another Ezra, but we do desire to do what Ezra did, which is, to prepare our hearts to seek the Word of God. Our desire is to know the heart of God and the secrets to His heart are found in the Word of God. So therefore we need to examine this idea of preparing our hearts. How do we prepare our hearts? Is that really the correct Hebrew word to use here. The word in Hebrew for prepare is kun which is found in a Hiphal form. So Ezra was highly motivated to prepare his heart. There are many, many usages for the word kun. It could be steadfast, firm, fixed, fashioned….
“Or none of the above!” said a voice. “Now who said that?” I asked as I looked down at my Hebrew Bible and saw kun (Kap, Vav, Nun) – prepared) missing. I looked over to my Looking Glass and there stood Kap, Vav and Nun (kun) standing there waving me over. Curious and anxious for a new adventure, I decided to step through the Looking Glass with Kap, Vav, Nun and when I did I found myself standing on a balcony of a high rise apartment building with Kap, Vav, Nun, looking down on crowd of people all looking up at Kap, Vav, Nun who stood waving to the crowd. Upon closer examination I discovered this crowd waving and cheering at us from below were made up of a throng of English words. Kap Vav and Nun waved and threw kisses and then stepped off the balcony back into the room connected to the balcony. “Who are they?” I asked. “Kap said they were all the English Words that at one time or another were rendered from them, KUN. I peeked out the window and I saw words like confirm, fixed, solid, approach, prepared, ready, stand, firm, steadfast, established, direct, found, ordered, ordained, placed, secured, unmoving, immobile, and many many others, all with the dream of on day becoming KUN.
“Wow,” I said, ‘How can I know which one fits Ezra 7:10?” “That’s why we brought you here so you can see our latest movie,” said Vav. “Movie? “You guys are movie stars?” “Sure nuf,” said Nun. “Come with us to the premier.” So we stepped out of the motel into a black limo and took off for the theater. We were greeted at the theater by even more English words all cheering and many wanting to just touch the famous Hebrew letters Kap, Vav, Nun (kun). “I don’t get it,” I said, “Why are you so popular among English words?” We are popular,” replied Kap, “because we form a picture that every one of those many, many words out there can relate to.”
With that I looked up at a poster and there I saw the name of the movie entitled, Jonah with a list of the stars. The first star was Kap (a vessel that needs to be filled) who plays the role of the fishes belly and is filled with the second star Vav which represents man and is pictured as a hook and plays the role of Jonah being hooked by God and brought into the whale’s belly. The final Nun is the Hebrew word for fish so of course the Nun stars in the role of the fish (kun – prepare). “You see,” said Kap, thinking my thoughts. “There is no one English word that fits Ezra 7:10 for the word prepare (kun). What you must do with your heart to seek the Word of God can only be seen in a picture, the movie Jonah starring Kap, Vav, Nun as in the word kun.
We went inside the theater and enjoyed the movie Jonah where we learned of the many ways in which we prepare our hearts to study the Word of God. After the movie was over Kap Vav Nun and I returned through the Looking Glass and Kap Vav Nun slipped back into my Hebrew Bible, but before they did Kap, Vav, Nun asked if I understood what it means to kun (prepare) my heart to seek God. I thought of the story of Jonah who ran from the presence of God because he did not want to hear God’s heart. He refused to go to Nineveh because he did not want God’s heart desire for Nineveh that they repent. But it was Kun’s starring role that reveals Kun’s true nature. It was in the fishes belly that Jonah learned God’s heart.
Ezra prepared (kun) to seek the Word of God, by confirming, being steadfast in his determination and hunger to know God’s heart. Once Ezra learned God’s heart through the study of His Word, he presented it to the people of Israel and a great revival broke out.
Why do we study the Word of God?” Is it find some special little gem or treasure that we can use to make us prosperous, famous or secure or is it to know His will, his desires, in other words, to know His heart? Ezra prepared (kun) his heart so he could study the Word of God to know God’s heart. When he discovered God’s heart, revival broke out.
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