Ezra 7:10 (NKJV)
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.

In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul instructs us to rightly handle the Word of truth. From a technical stand-point, we do that by keeping every passage we study in its context, knowing who the writer of the text is, when he wrote it, and why. This will keep us on the right track in properly understanding a passage. From a more practical standpoint, Ezra gives us a great example of how we should handle God’s Word. Ezra did three things with the Law of the LORD.

• He Prepared His Heart

The Word of God is not something we should take lightly. It is the most important revelation that man has ever received. Within it are the words of eternal life, but it is also a book that can be mis-interpreted, misapplied, and misused to one’s destruction. With the stakes being so high, the first thing we should do, every time we study God’s Word, is prepare our hearts as Ezra did. We should make sure that our minds are clear and that we go into the study with the proper reverence for the Bible. We should be determined that we are not going to add to it or take away from it (Revelation 22:18-19). I know that John was referring specifically to the book of Revelation in this text, but the principle applies to any portion of God’s Word

Deuteronomy 12:32 (ESV)
³² “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

• He Was Determined to Practice It

God did not give us His Word just to know it. Yes, He wants us to know it, that is why it is called revelation. And, while some parts of the Bible are meant to do no more than inform us, a large portion of it was given for us to put into practice. Every commandment was given for man to obey, and every instruction is meant to be followed. We should always be ready to learn and apply the Word of God whenever we study it.

Joshua 1:8 (ESV)
⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

• He Taught It to Others

Teaching others the Word of God should always be on our hearts. God’s Word is far too valuable to keep to ourselves. We should read and study it, not only for our benefit, but so that we can help as many as possible come to an understanding of the truth.

2 Corinthians 4:13 (ESV)
¹³ Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak,

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.