Nehemiah 8 | Bible
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INTRODUCTION:There is something 98% did today, and that was to look in the mirror. You might be part of the 2% that didn’t and let me just say, we know! haha.
Most of us would never leave without first looking at the mirror to know if we are presentable. Someones I forget to check my shirt and have kid snot on it.
Today we are going to look at a spiritual mirror. In the same way, the bible acts like a spiritual mirror to show us things about ourselves.
Study the Bible (8:1-8)
Study the Bible (8:1-8)
1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel.
Watergate- think of Nehemiah not Nixon.
Ezra - crossover like a movie character. This was all one book originally.
Ezra was a extremely brilliant and faithful priest who was sent just before Nehemiah.
Book of the Law of Moses - First 5 books of the Bible.
2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.
All who could understand - the kids were someone else. Why I love our kids ministry. They can learn. But as they grow older it is good to get them in here.
3 And 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.
Early morning to midday - likely from 7am to noon. and you thought I went long? haha
They were listening. Some for the first time.
4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood.
Ezra opened the Bible in front of all, he wanted them to know it was the Lord’s. Bring your Bible. Write in it, make notes.
Above the people, the honor was on the word of God, not on Ezra.
6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
They clearly weren’t a white church. haha. This was how they responded to worshipping and blessing the Lord. We don’t raise our hands becaues we feel like it, we do it becaues it s a posture of worship.
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
Helped the people - so they either went around and answer quesitons or read part of it, but they made sure everyone understood it.
Clearly - or line by line, with explanation. Which is what I am doing right now.
You can change your environment, but only the Bible can change you.
You can change your environment, but only the Bible can change you.
Celebrate the Bible (8:9-12)
Celebrate the Bible (8:9-12)
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 as they heard the words of the Law.
Holy - Set apart, separate.
Do not mourn or weep - This was their response to hearing the Word of God. Weep. Why? Because fro the first time in their life the are hearing how they have broken’s God’s Law. This should be our response as well. It is a mirror that shows us who we really are. Sometime we weep after looking at a real mirror?
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Eat the fat - My favorite command in teh Bible. Eat the good stuff. Drink the good wine, nothing out of the box.
Send portions - Take care of others.
joy of the Lord is your strength - What a wonderful reminder. Are you feeling discouraged? Ready to give up? Let the Joy of the Lord be your stregnth.
It’s miserable to confront your sin, until you meet the one who conquered your sin.
It’s miserable to confront your sin, until you meet the one who conquered your sin.
mirroy story (you wont like those mirrors when you get older) - and illustration - makes you cry.
11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.”
Be quite- quit crying and weeping.
12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
rejoicing - becuaes they had understood the words that were declared to them.
Obey the Bible (8:13-18)
Obey the Bible (8:13-18)
13 On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law.
Secdon day - so the next day. Now it’s not everyone but head of the father’s houses. The men, men are youar e studying the worrd?
God put a pastor in each family. That is the father. you are the one they come to. You should know the Bible better than anyone.
Beth training for half marathon. made me start to train for half marathon.
14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,
As they were reading they realized there was supposed to be a feast that very day. Now, I think Exra knew this, but instead of trying to argue and convince peiple, he brought themt ot eh Bibel. That is my philosphy, just bring people to the Bible.
Quit trying to win arguments, let the word do the work.
15 and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.”
They are sent out - mission statmenet again.
16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.
To truly believe the Bible means you obey the Bible.
To truly believe the Bible means you obey the Bible.
CONCLUSION: Mirror again???? - Date
James 1 mirror. Celebrated in New Milliumum.
1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And 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.
People gathered - they knew who they had from the last sermon.
As one man - they all came to together as one.
Ezra - crossover, like in a movie or show. Ezra, who was helping Isreal already come back to God, now is gong to do it for al the people.
Law of Moses - pentatuch.
To gather God’s people around God’s Word equipping them to fulfull God’s mission.
Assembly - another name for church.
Men and women -
all who could understnad what they heard - The little children. Just like we have kid’s ministry.
early morning until middday - and you thought I was long! Early morning til midday is a long service, adn in Levitituc no less - haha read out of lev 13.
4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood.
He got up high on stage and read the Bible. They stood for it. - Much our traditions for church actually come from Ezra dn this. When a large poriton of the congregation comes together. When the smaller church met in homes, it looked liked Communtiy Groups. You need both.
6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
haha - apperently they weren’t a white church.
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
So as they were listening to the words, these men would go around and answer questions and explain.
They read too
clearly - likely that means with explanation. They would read a little bit and say this is what this means, like what we are doing now.
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 as they heard the words of the Law.
wept - that was the respone. They heard the law and they saw how sinful they were and they wept alound!
MIRROR ILLUSTRATION.
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Put lev 13 here haha.
Holy day - was a day of celebration, we likely think. No holy means solom, but in fact it was a day of rejoicing. Bechaes they were hearing the words of the Lord.
11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
13 On the second day the heads of fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law.
Study The Bible (8:1-8)
Study The Bible (8:1-8)
You can change your environment, but only the Bible can change you.
You can change your environment, but only the Bible can change you.
Celebrate the Bible (8:9-12)
Celebrate the Bible (8:9-12)
Confonting your sin brings heartache, until you meet the one who conquered your sin.
Confonting your sin brings heartache, until you meet the one who conquered your sin.
Obey the Bible (8:13-18)
Obey the Bible (8:13-18)
To truly believe the Bible means you obey the Bible.
To truly believe the Bible means you obey the Bible.