Neh 8 — Ezra Reads the Law, Feast of Booths Celebrated
Neh 9 — The People of Israel Confess Their Sins
Neh 10 — The People and Obligations of the Covenant
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
My prayer is for you to join me on this journey. Subscribe to this blog below to get an email when a new post is available.
Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
“And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law” (Nehemiah 8:3). This must have been an amazing day. The temple was destroyed and people swept away in exile. Now reconsecrated and with walls to protect their city, the Jews can now remember and celebrate.
Imagine if we were not able to celebrate Easter for 70 years, then through some miraculous chain of events, we were able to once again sing “He Is Risen” and gather peacefully to remember Christ’s resurrection. Such joy would fill the hearts of those who longed to worship the Lord. So many would have forgotten the details, but Ezra is inspired by God, “making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read” (8:8). At the same time, there would be sadness in remembering the years lost, so Ezra implores them, “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (8:10). Thus the celebration is great, “the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great” (8:17). I can only imagine the sense of joy felt at this time. As I flip through the sports channels and watch people celebrate “their” teams victories, it’s apparent that deep inside, we have a great desire for celebration. Sporting events give us an opportunity to express that excitement, but I wonder sometimes how we displace the chance for real joy and substitute temporal happiness where God wants us to have complete joy.
The history of God’s people is summarized in Nehemiah 9:5-37 with the reminder, “You have kept your promise because you are righteous” (9:8) and “You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (9:17). Indeed, “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them” (9:20). Together, they renewed their minds with God’s Holy word and recommitted themselves “with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God” (10:29).
God used pagan leaders like Artaxerses and Nebuchadnezzar, but God restored them in the return to Jerusalem and filled them with joy. Lord, may we appreciate and worship you today, may we keep focused on your ways and avoid being exiled, avoid being separated from you for years, even decades. Help us to have complete joy by understanding what our ancestors did and how they suffered. Help us to remember and find complete joy in the reading of your word.