Attentive to the Book, As it is Written

Nehemiah 8:1-19 

    1 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

    4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 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. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God.  Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

    7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of   God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

    9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, 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 nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.  10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."  11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.

    13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. 14 And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written."

    16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. 17 So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.

Nehemiah gathered the people and called on Ezra the scribe and priest to step forward with God’s Book.  He read it in the open before all men and women old enough to understand the words, which meant most everyone heard the word of the LORD.  The listeners were very attentive to hear from God, and stayed riveted with ears and hearts to take in the words for a good part of the day.  Ezra stood on a podium so all could hear clearly, opening the Book in front of them as all stood to worship and say amen, then bow to the ground in honoring God.  They both stood and kneeled as examples for us to set our hearts on attentiveness and humility in the awe of our Lord, especially when we are hearing the Word read to us and explained to help us understand it.  This is expository preaching, reading clearly and in order as it is written, explaining as a studied scribe bring out things old and new (Matthew 13:52), and therefore helping the hearers to get the meaning of God’s messages, instructions, commands, and examples for us to live accordingly.  Ezra began this old tried and true approach, not because it worked, but because God gave the instruction and wisdom to Ezra for our example to imitate, just as Paul gave to us as hearers (1 Corinthians 11:1, Hebrews 6:12, Ephesians 5:1, 1 Thessalonians 1:6) to imitate or follow Christ as He gave the example in word and deed.  After this, Nehemiah then encouraged the flock to not be overcome with grief upon knowing how short they came to following His word in their disobedience, but to find strength in the joy of the LORD.  This is resting on His grace through forgiveness and mercy, just as we have in He Messiah now with full understanding because He has finally come to fulfill the Law for us and impute His righteousness to us to make us acceptable to the Father.  The people of God in this time of Nehemiah then applied obedience to their understanding by following the Book to keep the festival of booths, all the whole listening to the word preached from God’s Book and living accordingly.  We do not keep the festivals of the old Law (Ezra 3:5, Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 10:1), but of the sacraments in Christ, namely the Lord’s Supper and Baptism, but we do so according to the word of God in obedience and humility to honor Him just the same.   May we then listen attentively to God’s Book being read and preached by those given spiritual wisdom to understand it as it was written, and to explain to each of us that we may apply it to following Christ, as it is written on our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:3) by His Spirit who works in us mightily as the still small voice who leads us for His name’s sake (Proverbs 4:27,Isaiah 30:21, Philippians 2:13).