Nehemiah 8:1-12: “And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.” Israel and Juda had been conquered, and the people were taken away into exile due to their unfaithfulness to God and repeated violations of the covenant He had made with them. As Daniel observed the people had sinned, and God had dealt with them justly. Daniel prayed that god would have mercy on His people and fulfill the promise made through Jeremiah that after seventy years the people would return to Israel. God had faithfully answered that prayer by the time of Nehemiah, but Jerusalem was still without walls. So, Nehemiah, in order to restore the status of the city and nation, and above all to proclaim the glory of God, went to rebuild those walls.
Nehemiah 8:1-12 Meaning
Nehemiah found more than the walls in disarray when he arrived at Jerusalem. The people were repeating the mistakes of their forefathers, and neglecting the law of God. So, in chapter 8 of Nehemiah, we find him and other faithful men proclaiming and explaining the word of God to all the people who could understand. In other words, Nehemiah 8 is all about a service of preaching.
Now, narrative is not normative; it does not prescribe to us how we ought to live. This passage does not mandate services that last from early morning to midday. The narrative is illustrative, and what we have here is an illustration of what it looks like for a group of people to come together under the Word of the Lord. It is an example we might gain from as we see precepts demonstrated through the narrative.
It plays out like a preacher’s dream; all the people are of one mind bent on hearing the message. Everyone is paying attention, reverencing the reading, and worshipping God earnestly. The people come under powerful conviction, seeing the wrong they had done clearly, and being broken under it.
We would expect the preachers to leap at this moment, and press home their advantage, but that does not happen. There is no alter call, no time of response, no pledges, no oaths, nothing. Instead, everyone is told to stop weeping and celebrate.
Celebrate what? These people have just been broken by the law, and deeply convicted of their sins, and they understood what God said to them. That is worth celebrating, God spoke, and they heard and responded; rejoice! Not because they did the right thing just now, but because of who God is and what He was doing, celebrate because of God.
Paul tells us in Philippians 4 to rejoice always, and that includes those times when we have been broken and convicted. We have the full revelation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we know from Galatians and Romans, and all the rest that we are not saved by keeping the law, but by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can rejoice in God doubly for we know that as he convicts, He also forgives. See 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We know that if He disciplines it is in perfect love. See Hebrews 12:6: “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
Perhaps then God will chasten us with the example of Israel to check our hearts as we head towards church to hear His word, and as we leave to go back home. Paul says to the Corinthians that the Word of God is only understood by the grace of God through the Holy Spirit, so gratitude is to flow to God for our understanding. We never have a valid reason to pat ourselves on the back for gaining something of sacred knowledge. We should not feel smug, or proud; but grateful.
Notice that people shared their food, sending portions to neighbors so that everyone could participate. When we truly find something worth celebrating, we naturally share it. Think of the last really great restaurant you went to; did you keep quiet about to others who hadn’t gone? Did you perhaps even invite someone who hadn’t been before, or give a gift card to the restraint?
When your team wins do you talk about it? That is the sort of reaction we are seeing but dialed up past eleven because what has been received is far greater than anything else on Earth. They sent portions, and it doesn’t appear to have been something extraordinary to them, it was just a part of their jubilation.
The episode ends on a high note, but the story of Nehemiah goes on. There are ups and downs in the sections following. It is a reminder to us that faith is not a sprint, but a marathon. Hearing the Word once is not enough, that is why God established local fellowship and ordained regular preaching and teaching: see especially the pastoral epistles Hebrews 10 and Ephesians 4:11-16:
- Ephesians 4:11-16: “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”
It is why we have consecrated a service to come together in one accord and hear what God has said and rejoice in it each week. What joy!
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