The order in which certain actions are taken is important. This is true in everything from assembling a “put-it-together-yourself” project to following instructions in a new recipe. Problems arise when we disregard the prescribed order.

Spiritually speaking, God’s commands frequently require a specified order. This was true of many of the duties carried out by the Levitical priests. But, even in the New Testament, there are examples of things that must happen in their correct order. Paul’s questions in Romans 10:14 illustrate this point: “How will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” Hearing must come before faith as surely as belief must come before baptism (Mk. 16:16). When a particular order is required, true obedience cannot be carried out without respecting the order of God’s instructions.

The same is true in respect to teaching. Following Judah’s return from Babylonian Captivity, the good hand of God was upon Ezra to supply spiritual instruction to the people (Ezra 7:9). As a scribe, Ezra was “skilled in the law of Moses” (vs. 6). But, rather than trusting in what he had already learned, Ezra “set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (vs. 10). The order is significant because we cannot teach unless we first engage in study. Nor should we teach what we are unwilling to practice. The order is clear: study, practice, and teach.

Perhaps, this provides some context to James’ warning: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment” (Jas. 3:1). Teaching is preceded by a heart prepared to study and practice the message to be taught. The writer of Hebrews rebukes his readers, saying, “By reason of time you ought to be teachers…” (Heb. 5:12). The spiritual growth needed to become teachers had not taken place. They were “dull of hearing” (vs. 11). They were spiritually immature and lacked discernment (vs. 14). They were yet unfit to teach because they had not prepared their hearts through study and practice. One cannot effectively teach without such preparation.

–Glen Elliott–