Scripture Readings
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
8:1 all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel.
8:2 Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month.
8:3 He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.
8:5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
8:6 Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
8:8 So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
8:9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.
8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Reflections
Whenever we take the time to read the word of God, our hearts should be challenged, convicted and filled with joy. Here the people of God are being exposed to God’s word and as they are hearing the words being spoken, they are being transformed and changed. Their hearts are filled with a response that declares their understanding and a need for a Saviour. Verse 9 give us a picture of what true conviction looks like. They are weeping because they are overjoyed at what God has done for them in forgiving their sins and redeeming them as a nation. Their sins are met with forgiveness and they are made new again in the eyes of a loving God.
When was the last time you were reading the word of God that you felt that same emotion and conviction? I have to shamefully admit that I do not always take the time to read God’s word. When I do, that time is sometimes met with distraction and an urgency to get on with my busy schedule. I believe that this passage gives us a few practical ways on how the word of God deeply changes us.
- Increases our desire to know Him more (vs 5):Once Ezra begins to read they respond by standing up. This was a sign of respect and acted as they were in the presence of God Himself. It is interesting to note that the people also stood for hours and here they the entire time.
- Instills our desire to worship Him more (vs 6): Here we see a simple yet profound response to the reading of God’s word. It begins with a vocal response “amen” and a physical response “bowed down”
- Creates a sense of conviction and desire to change (v9-10): Here the response is to painfully confess their sin and joyfully celebrate the forgiveness and Grace being poured into their hearts and lives.
Most people don’t realize that many Israelites forgot the Torah while they were captivity for 70 years. This is why Ezra read and interpreted the law to the Israelites. Their reactions? They wept at hearing the word of God, knowing that they had not kept it. The same should be true of us.
We should be in the word of God everyday; using it show us where we need to grow and expand our faith. Because virtually everyone in the modern world can read and has access to a Bible, we have too much neglect of the scriptures. Like a fish in water does not know it’s actually in water, we are surrounded by God’s word and we miss an opportunity to be shaped and refined by the word each day.
Ask yourself a few questions. Are you taking advantage of the privilege that you have easy access to the scriptures? Are you using them each day and allowing the Lord to teach you? Are you focusing on fill your brain with sitcoms or are your filling your brain with things that you produce no fruit?
I know I can grow in this area; perhaps we all can.