Nehemiah 8
McGeeCHAPTER 8THEME: Great Bible reading led by EzraIn the previous chapter we saw that, after Nehemiah had made adequate preparations to guard the city, he appointed singers. He wanted Jerusalem to be filled with the joy of the Lord. Then he conducted a great Bible reading, which was essential to revival.
Nehemiah 8:1
Ezra is called to bring forth the book of the Law of Moses. There is going to be a great Bible reading.
Nehemiah 8:2
Notice that only those who could “hear with understanding” gathered. That means there must have been a nursery for the crying babies. Maybe Nehemiah took care of them, I don’t know; but proper preparation was made so that those gathered would be able to concentrate on what was being read.
Nehemiah 8:3
I don’t know where I could find a congregation who would listen to me read from the Bible from “morning until midday"I always had trouble getting them to listen for forty-five minutes. Their impression of my sermons was similar to that of the two little old ladies who were walking out of church one Sunday morning. One of them said, “My, that preacher certainly preaches a long time.” Her friend replied, “No, he really doesn’t preach a long time, it just seems like a long time!” To most people forty-five minute sermons seem like a long time. These Israelites who gathered to hear God’s Word read were really interested, however. They had been in captivity for seventy years and had never before heard the Word of God. It was a new experience for them.
Nehemiah 8:4
With Ezra stood these thirteen men.
Nehemiah 8:5
When Ezra opened God’s Word, everyone stood up, and they remained standing throughout the reading. While they listened from morn to midday they did not have soft-cushioned pews upon which to sit. First of all there was praise to God.
Nehemiah 8:6
This means that the people went down on all fours and touched the ground with their foreheads. That is the way they worshiped in that day. “And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God.”
Nehemiah 8:7
Here is another list of very important individuals. These are the men who will explain God’s Word to the assembled people.
Nehemiah 8:8
This great assembly of all the people was gathered by the water gate inside the walls of Jerusalem. The men mentioned in verse Neh_8:7 were stationed throughout the crowd. Ezra, the scribe, would read a certain portion of the Law and then he would stop while each of these men stationed out in the congregation would ask his group, “Did you understand what was read?” Probably most of them nodded in the affirmative. Maybe some of them raised their hands and said, “We do not quite understand what that means.” So the man assigned to his group would explain that portion of the Law to them. Then Ezra would read another section of the Law. Then he would stop while the people would ask questions, and their teacher would answer them. I wonder what would happen if we had a great Bible reading in our churches today. Someone could stand up and read God’s Word. You could have people stationed throughout the congregation to explain any questions that might arise from what was read. Suppose the first chapter of Ephesians was read. You would not have to read very far before a real problem would appear. Eph_1:4 says, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world….” This would raise questions right away. What does Paul mean? Is he teaching the doctrine of election? What is the doctrine of election? Perhaps a great Bible reading in our churches would lead to revival. This one in the Book of Nehemiah did. The reading of the Law, and the asking and answering of questions caused the people to understand the Law. They stood in their places and, when something came up that they did not quite understand, they would have it clarified. I personally believe that the entire Bible should be taught in this way, and that every unclear verse should be explained. I do not agree with this business of taking a text and preaching the gospel from it. That is the reason there has been such a lack of interest in the Word of God. I am not sure but what it is handling the Bible deceitfully to take a text or a theme, then launch out into the deep with no thought of ever coming back to the Scriptures to explain them. I believe God intends for us to read the Bible and attempt to explain it as we go along. There is another lesson in Neh_8:8. There are many methods used in preaching. There is the psychological approach, and the scholarly approach, and many go off on other tangents. A dear saint said to a president of a seminary that she was listening to me teach the Bible by explaining it verse by verse. He replied in a very casual manner, “Well, that is one way of doing it, I guess, but it certainly is not the scholarly and proper way to preach.” Well, that is the way the Lord is leading me to do it, and I believe it is the scriptural method. Here it is: “They read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” We need to understand what God is saying in His Word. I have occasion to speak in many places, and I have heard the Scriptures read in just about every way imaginable. Every now and then some brother gets up and reads the Word with great emphasis. He reads it as if it is the Word of God. But too often some fellow gets up and ducks his head as he reads so that nobody can hear him past the third pew. Or else he mumbles the words. Neh_8:8 says that the law was read distinctly.
That is how God wanted it done. Ezra and the other men did not have a course in homiletics or public speaking, but they believed it was the Word of God, and they read it like it was the Word of God. It is my understanding that this is the way God expects us to conduct a church service. I don’t care how loud the soloist sings, or how sweetly the organist plays, or how flowery the message, if the Bible is not read distinctly, and the sense of it is not given so that the people understand, the service is of no avail whatsoever. God wants understanding to come from the reading of His Word.
Nehemiah 8:9
Many of these people had never before heard the Word of God. The clear reading and teaching of the Law caused them to be convicted of sin. It caused a great emotional outburst and the tears of repentance to flow. Possibly it also caused them to weep for joy because they were so moved.
Nehemiah 8:10
This is social service for you. This is the social gospel. My friend, if the Word of God means something to you and you get something from it, it will make you want to go out and do something nice for someone. It will also make you want to do something for God. They tell a whimsical story in California which is a switch from the Boy Scout doing his good deed by helping an old lady across the street. They say that in one of the retirement areas for senior citizens someone came up with a new type of vitamin which was so effective a little old lady helped two Boy Scouts across the street! My friend, I tell you, the Word of God is a vitamin that will make you do a good turn for someone. “Send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared.” They were to do something for the poor. “Neither be ye sorry"rather they were to rejoice because the joy of the Lord was to be their strength. In Php_4:13 Paul said to believers, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” In Php_4:4 he said, “Rejoice in the Lord alway; and again I say, Rejoice.” Paul was telling believers that the very source of power was “joy.” The secret is prayer, but the source of power is joy. The Word of God should make you joyful. That is one reason why I feel there is something wrong if a church service does not make you happy and bless your heart. For over a period of twenty-one years in downtown Los Angeles, California, we had the privilege of having what was said to be the largest midweek service in America. Anywhere from 1,500 to 2,500 people attended the class. After the service, I followed the custom of going out on the front porch and shaking hands with the folk as they were leaving. I could always tell whether the Bible study had been a blessing or not. Sometimes folk would come out and sort of mumble as they shook my hand. I could tell right away that it had not been a blessing to them. Then others would be radiant as they shook my hand, and say, “Oh, I am rejoicing in the Lord.” And I would know that the Bible study had accomplished its purpose. The Word of God is supposed to bring you joy. That is one of the reasons John wrote his first epistle. In 1Jn_1:4 he says, “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” God doesn’t want you to have a little fun; He wants you to have a whole lot of fun reading and studying His Word. Studying the Bible ought to bring joy into your life. If it doesn’t, face up to it, friend; something is radically wrong with you. You ought to go to God in prayer and say, “Lord, I want your Word to bring joy into my life. Whatever cloud there is, I want it removed that I may experience the joy of the Lord when I study the Word.” That will make church-going a really happy affair. Have you ever seen a crowd going to a football game? My, it is like a holiday, with all of the rejoicing that goes on. Have you ever watched people coming into church on a Sunday morning? Boy, what a duty! What a burden! There are lots of folks with burdens, but the burdens should be lifted in the service. People should come out of the service with joy in their hearts.
Nehemiah 8:12
I hope this Bible study makes you happy. I read three letters recently. One was from a discouraged missionary to whom the Word of God is bringing joy. Another concerned a home which was about to fall apart. The Word of God brought joy. The third letter was from a man who had bitterness in his heart against me. He apparently was influenced by some people who are my enemies, but the Word of God began to work in his life. The Bible can have an effect on all of us if we will let it.
Nehemiah 8:13
The initial study of God’s Law caused many of the leaders to come to Ezra the following day for more instruction. During Bible conferences I am not much impressed when someone says to me on Sunday night, “This has been a great day. I have been greatly blessed.” I look for them on Monday night, and if they don’t come, I wonder if they were sincere on Sunday night.
Nehemiah 8:14
This is a celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. The dwelling in booths was to be a reminder to them of the fatherly care and protection of God while Israel was journeying from Egypt to Canaan. Here in Nehemiah’s day they are obeying the Law that had been read to them. They had heard the Word of God and are doing what it commanded. My friend, it is one thing to read and study the Bible and have it bring joy to you, but that joy will end unless you obey what you have read and let it have its way with you. In the following chapter we will see that the result of this great Bible reading was revival.