Nehemiah 8
Notes
Transcript
Title: Dedication to God’s Word brings revival
Text: Nehemiah 8:1-3,9,13,14, and 17
Nehemiah 8:1–3 (KJV 1900)
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. 2 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. 3 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.
Nehemiah 8:9 (KJV 1900)
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha (Gov.), 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.
Nehemiah 8:13–14 (KJV 1900)
13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even 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 in the feast of the seventh month:
Nehemiah 8:17 (KJV 1900)
17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
Introduction: To the one who asked him the secret of his service, George Muller said “There was a day when I died, utterly died;” and as he spoke, he bent lower and lower until he almost touched the floor – “died to George Muller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will – died to the world, its approval or censure – died to the approval or blame of my brethren and friends – and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God”
Israel from its youth was to be nothing like the world around it; a nation chosen of God set apart out of love. Israel, freed from the bondage of Egypt, set out on a great exodus to a promised land flowing with milk and honey promised to them by God. However, God put a stipulation on the nation, promising to bless it and protect them as long as they submitted to His rule. He gave them the Law through Moses and as long as they did not live like the surrounding nations the land they would enter into would be forever theirs. Israel was called to die to their natural desires and to live for God and His desires for them.
Difficulty was encountered as they were about to enter the land and God chastised them forcing them to wait forty years for God to fulfill His promise. Israel at times lived by God’s Law and they were blessed and at times they lived in disobedience which ultimately lead them once again into captivity. But God is faithful and after a certain time God brought about another “Exodus,” this time out of Babylon. Israel was to be a nation again and the promise still rang true; obey my Law and you will do well.
CPS: The Law called Israel to utter devotion to their Creator and Deliverer and this word was read to the people in celebration for deliverance. They were pricked to their heart and returned to the Law in obedience, obedience which showed themselves approved of God.
Making 2 points
1st Point: Ezra read the Book of the Law of Moses and the people were convicted. (vv. 1,2,3, &9)
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. 2 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. 3 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.
Nehemiah 8:9 (KJV 1900)
9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha (Gov.), 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.
The word of God is a marvelous gift with the power to show us that we are not righteous within ourselves
We stand in need of God and His righteousness through faith
It’s important for us to see that the people in our text assembled as one man
The Hebrew word for man “eesh” is a singular, absolute noun literally meaning the group of people assembled in one accord, in unity.
They assembled and asked Ezra the priest to read the Law of Moses to them as they began to celebrate the feast of the seventh month.
They had much reason for celebration including Gods command to celebrate the feast of the trumpets
A day of rest, a holy convocation for Israel
They had many reasons to be thankful,
God Sovereignly sent Nehemiah and the people back to Judah by putting it on the heart of king Artaxerxes of Persia
God had Sovereignly seen them through the 2nd exodus
The king not only sent them back to Judah, but gave letters to the local rulers granting passage,
sent an army with them,
and funded the journey as well.
God had sovereignly met their needs as they rebuilt the wall
He provided protection for them as they rebuilt the wall in Jerusalem
Protection from enemies who sought to obstruct the construction
But, Nehemiah is about more than building a wall, but God rebuilding a nation!
This feeling of thankfulness impelled them to the hearing of the Law,
For the purpose of making His Law their rule of life.
It is apparent the Law had not been kept as a nation for a length of time,
Jeremiah and Ezekiel preached judgment to the Exiles who were living wickedly
Neh. 1:7 We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.
The people had not kept the law….
But now …… Look at the attitude of the people in Neh. 8, the people were attentive to the hearing of the Law, vs 3
The people were eager to make the Law of God there standard again
Look at what the priest did as the law was read- in vs.7 and 8
the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place. 8 They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.
The Levite Priest helped the people to understand
Possibly by breaking it down into smaller segments, translating it from Hebrew to the common language of Post-exilic Israel, Aramaic
Some believe Ezra read a section of the Law, then the priest expounded the portion just read.
This is an act and a call for discipleship!
Look what happened next, at the hearing of the Law they were pierced through the heart and they responded with tears!
Neh. 8:9 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.
The people were convicted of their sin and they wept bitterly,
they were convicted of their LAWLESSNESS and it brought a feeling of distress.
The word wept Hebrew “Baw-Kaw” it means to cry freely and profusely from sadness or distress
Their heart burned for righteousness, the Law revealed to them they were not in good standings with God, they had been unfaithful!
The tears showed the message found in the Law was taken seriously.
It had penetrated their hearts!
God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword, it will cut you!
It will show that you are wrong, living wrongly in sin!
NB) But, if you abide in the word of God, He teaches you how to live by faith with Him in your midst!
Attentiveness to God’s word brings conviction of our sins
But Nehemiah, Ezra, and all the priest told them not to weep but to rejoice
This wasn’t a day for weeping, but for rejoicing!
Because this day was a holy day, because God had shown them the right way to live!
By Faith!
This was a gift to them by God and was to be celebrated
Neh. 8:12 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.
They were not to stay in a state of distress because what had happened to them was a marvelous thing!
They had understood the words of God, and that was a reason to rejoice
Illustration: I remember the first time I read a portion of the bible and I understood what I read and what I was called to do with it.
It was James 1:5, and it changed my life, I was in a time of distress and God’s word came and I was convicted that all this time spent in prayer, I was asking for the wrong thing
when I understood it, I knew everything would be ok.
It is a wonderful thing… being convicted of God’s word and understanding it.
WE KNOW THE PEOPLE HEARD THE LAW AND WERE CONVICTED, BUT HOW DO WE APPLY THIS TO OUR LIFE, HOW WILL THIS BRING REVIVAL HERE AND NOW?
Application: I hear Christians say and pray, LORD send revival!
Do we really want revival?
Our actions says no to that question!
You see, revival has to start somewhere, and that somewhere is in the heart of the Christian!
Before it can start in the Church it must start in the heart of man!
Before it can start in the nation it must be in the church!
It can start with you and me.
You say how so preacher?
As Ezra read the Law to Israel we too are to read God’s word.
We must focus on the word of God,
We have so many distractions, we must learn to turn them off if we want revival in our hearts, church, and the nation.
(?) How much time do we spend in the word of God a day?
Statistics say less than 20% of Christians read their Bible daily
(?) How much time do we spend watching TV each day?
Statistics show Americans watch 5 hours of TV a day
(?) How much time are we spending on social media?
Teen agers are spending around 8-9 hours a day on social media! 1/3 of a day!
Non Teen agers spend somewhere around 1 ½ to 2 hours a day on social media!
When is there time for God!?!
We have broken fellowship with God and made entertainment our God
Is it not the thing we spend the most time on that molds us?
If our time spent watching TV and on Facebook is greater than the time spent in God’s word then there is a problem!
A distraction from what is important!
Wake up each morning early, start your day in personal intimate fellowship with God,
Pray, then do a devotion, followed by reading God’s word and studying God’s word!
Then spend your day in reflection on what you have read,
meditate on the life-giving words of God.
If we want revival look at Ezra’s example!
“Ezra set His heart to learn the Law of the Lord, to do it and teach of His statutes and rules in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10,)
He set His heart to learn God’s law, it was His desire!
But He didn’t stop there, He did God’s law, He put it into action!
He taught God’s Law as we see Here in NEH. 8!
There is a distraction problem and there is also a discipleship problem.
God’s word convicts us of our trespasses against God, but we don’t always know what to do next.
Ezra set it in his heart to not only know God’s commands but to also teach them to the people.
People will sit under God’s word without living in it and it often takes someone to come beside them teaching what God desires for their lives.
As the priests did in the text, the believer is called to a greater task than telling others about what Jesus has done for them;
to teach them the ways of God.
I have five men in my life who came beside me helping me to grow in faith by showing me what to do next.
I was taught to not only read the Bible but to study it to show myself approved.
It was when Israel studied the Law it was realized the Feast of Booths had not been celebrated properly. As we will see in the next point.
It was then Israel came to a point of obedience.
Scripture study, memorization, and meditation on the Scriptures lead to understanding the Scriptures and leads to application of the Scriptures.
One way I have found to study and memorize is to write Scriptures on index cards and keep it with you at all times, reading it every chance you have.
You will find your mind being renewed leading to a transformed life.
If you are a faithful believer you are called to disciple those around you who may not be as mature in their faith.
I promise you when they read the scriptures or hear them preached they will have questions and problems dealing with conviction and because we love our Lord and our brothers we will be alongside them encouraging them to be disciplined and to persevere.
As Israel was convicted by the Law and rejoiced when they understood it the same will happen to you and your brothers as you are seen faithful.
Transition: That is when revival will start, when we are dedicated to God and it is our life’s desire to be obedient to His word,
spending more time with Him than anything else.
And when we earnestly teach others to chase after Him
I am convinced Revival will begin in our hearts, church, and nation
2nd Point: Israel returns to the Law in obedience. (vv. 13,14,& 17)
13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even 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 in the feast of the seventh month:
Nehemiah 8:17 (KJV 1900)
17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.
NASB reads they gathered together again to GAIN INSIGHT in to the Law of God
They had gathered to hear the word of God the day before, now the Elders have gathered to study the Law!
It was during a time of studying the Law it was discovered God commanded the people to live in booths,
God’s Law had been broken in regards to the feast of the seventh month for nearly 900 years.
The people were commanded to dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month.
Which was a celebration of the ingathering of the harvest, lasting seven days
and all people were to live in booths
so that all generations remembered that God made the people live in booths when He brought them out of Egypt
These booths were made of tree branches and they were constructed on rooftops and in the courtyards.
This festival was meaningful to the people because they had experienced the second “Exodus” from Babylon and as God provided for Israel in the wilderness He also provided for Israel during the rebuilding of Jerusalem.
The feast had not been celebrated properly since the days of Joshua.
The studying of the Law brought the keeping of the Law
The keeping of the Law brought great joy to the people as obedience to God’s word does
and the Law was read each day of the festival.
??? Is it Gods desire for us to read His word
??? Is it God’s desire for us to study His Word
Yes!
But, is it not His desire for us to obey His Word!
Illustration: Sir Leonard Wood once visited the king of France and the King was so pleased with him he was invited for dinner the next day.
Sir Leonard went to the palace and the king meeting him in one of the halls, said, “Why, Sir Leonard. I did not expect to see you. How is it you are here”
“did not your majesty invite me to dine with you?’
“yes the king replied, but you did not answer my invitation.”
Then Sir Leonard Wood uttered one of the choicest sentences of his life.
He replied, a King’s invitation is never to be answered, but to be obeyed.”
Application:
Along with conviction of sin comes a human response, obedience!
If we desperately desire Revival, we will be obedient!
How do we become obedient?
Obedience is when we come to the end of ourselves.
When I started to learn my life did not belong to me, but God,
and all that I have belonged to God,
it was then I came to the end of myself and began striving to live a life of obedience.
We learn in the New Testament, obedience is how we show our love for God and for others.
The Scriptures state, “by this we know that we love the Children of God when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”
Jesus told us the Law could be summed up in these two commands,
love God and others.
When I lived my life for myself I only loved myself, but the word of God showed me to turn away and to live in submission.
I used to be active in mixed martial arts and my favorite was Brazilian Jujitsu, many times I found myself on the ground “rolling” with another student ending up in an arm bar or some other form of submission, I would fight submission with all I had, but when I realized I could do no more and was at the end of my strength and skills I “tapped out” submitting to the other person.
God’s word reveals to us, our strengths and skills are not good enough,
but His riches abound in such depth we could never dream of beginning to ask God for all He is willing to do.
God is faithful and I will gladly submit to Him in obedience,
put to death the things in your life that are oppressing you and cling to the Lord by taking His word and putting it into action,
God’s word says to be a doer of His word, do it.
Replace what you would normally do with what God has instructed, for example if I feel the urge to speak evil of my brother, I know God’s word says to only speaking things good for edifying, building up, things which extend grace to all who hear.
When we become obedient to God’s word, we will find joy and experience revival just as Israel did.
Conclusion: Studying God’s Word, obedience to God’s Word, and diligent teaching of God’s word will bring about revival because these three things bring about an end to ourselves and our ways and usher in a complete reliance soley on God.
The abiding consciousness of the life is to be God, not thinking about Him.
