The scribes copied, counted, and taught the law.
Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach.
A scribe in Israel is a writer and teacher of the law. Ezra is a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, and he sets his heart to study it, do it, and teach it. Baruch writes Jeremiah’s words. By the time of Jesus, the scribes sit with the Pharisees as interpreters. He says they sit on Moses’ seat, so do what they say when they speak Moses, and do not do what they do when they load burdens. The church needs teachers of the text. It does not need a class that replaces the text.
- The early scribe is a servant of the book. The later scribe can become a rival of the Lord of the book.
- Jesus charges some with taking away the key of knowledge.
- Ezra remains the better pattern: study, do, teach.
Study the law, do it, and teach it.
They sit on Moses’ seat.
Do not follow the burdens they will not lift.
- Scribes copied and taught the law.
- Ezra is the model: study, practice, teach.
- By Jesus’ day they sit with the Pharisees as authorities.
- Moses’ seat is real. Their hypocrisy is also real.
- Some took away the key of knowledge.
- The text outranks the teacher of the text.
- The Pen – Copying the law.
- The Pattern – Ezra.
- The Seat – Moses’ seat.
- The Company – Often with the Pharisees.
- The Charge – Burdens, and a taken key.
- The Rule – Do the word, not the show.
- Ezra 7:6, 10 – “He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses… Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”
- Matthew 23:2-4 – “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do.”
- Luke 11:52 – “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge.”
- Jeremiah 36:4 – Baruch wrote on a scroll all the words of the Lord that Jeremiah spoke.
Ezra set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach.
The scribes sit on Moses’ seat.
Study, do, teach. That is the scribe’s work. A seat that will not lift its own burden is not the pattern.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.