The Joyful Strength: Embracing God's Joy in Our Lives
Notes
Transcript
1 all the people gathered together in the area in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Instruction scroll from Moses, according to which the Lord had instructed Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Instruction before the assembly. This assembly was made up of both men and women and anyone who could understand what they heard.
3 Facing the area in front of the Water Gate, he read it aloud, from early morning until the middle of the day. He read it in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand, and everyone listened attentively to the Instruction scroll.
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for this purpose. And standing beside him were Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his righthand side; while Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam stood on his lefthand side.
5 Standing above all of the people, Ezra the scribe opened the scroll in the sight of all of the people. And as he opened it, all of the people stood up.
6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all of the people answered, “Amen! Amen!” while raising their hands. Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—helped the people to understand the Instruction while the people remained in their places.
8 They read aloud from the scroll, the Instruction from God, explaining and interpreting it so the people could understand what they heard.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all of the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Don’t mourn or weep.” They said this because all the people wept when they heard the words of the Instruction.
10 “Go, eat rich food, and drink something sweet,” he said to them, “and send portions of this to any who have nothing ready! This day is holy to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy from the Lord is your strength!”
The Joyful Strength: Embracing God's Joy in Our Lives
The Joyful Strength: Embracing God's Joy in Our Lives
There was a preacher who was known for his long sermons. One Sunday, he noticed that the congregation was looking particularly restless. Jokingly, he said, "I'm thinking of going through the entire Bible today." The congregation laughed, and one person shouted, "Go ahead, Pastor! We'll wait for you at the end of Revelation!"
Can you imagine standing in a public square someplace just listening to someone reading the Bible from the early morning to late in the afternoon? While that person is reading others are explaining it to you.
How did this come about?
Nehemiah is the Governor of Israel. He had grown up on Babylon amongst the people who had been living in captivity. He long to go home to Israel, to a place he hadn’t lived.
God chooses him to lead a remnant of people back to Israel, to Jerusalem. They find the temple destroyed and the walls of the city torn down. Nehemiah organizes the people and they rebuild the walls to the city.
This wasn’t an easy process because the enemy was constantly harassing them and attacking them. That meant that only half of the men could work on rebuilding because the other half were defending the workers. Despite the resistance and constant attacks, they got the work done and then they settled back into their towns and homes.
In verse 73 of the previous chapter and into verse 1 of our text we read
73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns. When the seventh month came and the people of Israel were settled in their towns,
1 all the people gathered together in the area in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Instruction scroll from Moses, according to which the Lord had instructed Israel.
Notice what is happening here. The people had settled in their towns because the major construction project was completed. It was the seventh month or about September for us. This date had special significance. It is known as the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah. It was the beginning of the Jewish New Year.
God established this as one of the required special Sabbath’s that the people were to observe. In Leviticus 23:24-25 we read God’s instructions.
24 Say to the Israelites: On the first day of the seventh month, you will have a special rest, a holy occasion marked by a trumpet signal.
25 You must not do any job-related work, and you must offer a food gift to the Lord.
Trumpets were sounded and the people were called to assemble. The people from the cities, the people from the town and villages all gathered in front of the Water Gate.
The Water Gate was one of the principles gates for entering the ancient city of Jerusalem. It led to Solomon’s Temple.
This was a Holy occasion. All the people gathered, men and women, even children.
Notice what the people did. First they gathered. Secondly they asked Ezra who was the high priest to bring the Instruction scroll from Moses out and read to them. This Instruction scroll would have been the first 5 books of the Bible.
This is the first time since they were back home, back in the land that God had given them, that they were able to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets. They wanted to hear God’s word.
Look at verses 1-3
1 all the people gathered together in the area in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Instruction scroll from Moses, according to which the Lord had instructed Israel.
2 So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Instruction before the assembly. This assembly was made up of both men and women and anyone who could understand what they heard.
3 Facing the area in front of the Water Gate, he read it aloud, from early morning until the middle of the day. He read it in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand, and everyone listened attentively to the Instruction scroll.
Understanding Brings Joy
Understanding Brings Joy
This most likely wasn’t a spontaneous event because verse tells us Nehemiah 8:4 “4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for this purpose. ”
Ezra the High Priest brought God’s Word out before all of the people gathered, men, women, and anyone who could understand what they heard.
Here is the priest up on a platform at one of the principle gates into Jerusalem. The temple had been rebuilt. They had finished rebuilding the walls around the city and now they were gathered at the gate of the City and the High Priest, Ezra, is reading God’s word to them.
Can you picture that scene in your mind? Yes, they were supposed to be there, but this had special meaning. They hadn’t been able to celebrate this feast while they were in exile. There were probably people in that crowd who were hearing the Word of God read to them for the very first time in their lives.
There had to have been a heightened sense of anticipation. This was not just a routine reading; it was a rediscovery of God’s Word after years of neglect. The people's attentive listening signifies their thirst for divine wisdom and understanding.
The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:111 “Your laws are my possession forever because they are my heart’s joy.”
In that Psalm, the writer doesn't just see God's words as rules or a story from the past. Instead, he thinks of them as something very special and valuable, like a gift passed down in a family. This gift brings a deep and lasting happiness because it helps us really understand and follow the way God wants us to live. These teachings from God are like a light that shows us the right path in life. They're more than just instructions; they're like a map that guides us and makes us happy in a way that stays with us for a long time.
Think about a student who is having a hard time with a tough math problem. When they finally understand it, they feel really happy and proud. This is like the happiness we get when we understand what God is telling us in the Bible. It's like suddenly turning on a light in a dark room, which makes everything clear. This happiness is even deeper because it connects us to God and His great wisdom, not just a school subject. It's a special kind of joy that helps us understand big, everlasting truths about life.
6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all of the people answered, “Amen! Amen!” while raising their hands. Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
10 “Go, eat rich food, and drink something sweet,” he said to them, “and send portions of this to any who have nothing ready! This day is holy to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy from the Lord is your strength!”
Communal Joy Strengthens the Community
Communal Joy Strengthens the Community
One thing that has intrigued me about this event here in Nehemiah is that they were not at the Temple, the place of worship. They were at one of the city gates. They were at one of the places where people entered and exited the city on their way to or from the Temple.
Why does this intrigue me? It intrigues me because the Church is not really the church until we are living out what Jesus has done for us out there. The scripture from 1 Corinthians reminds us that we are one Body but we each have different gifts. God the Holy Spirit has gifted each of us and we should be using our gifts to edify or build up the Church and share the Good News out there.
We gather here to worship but then we Go. Shouldn’t we have some excitement that we get to serve God by using the gifts that He has given us?
Verse 7 of the text tells us that the Levites helped the people understand what was written in God’s Word. They explained it and interpreted it so that the people would understand what they were hearing.
What a great reminder of the importance of attending Church. I do get tired of people saying that they worship God in their own way. They say that they don’t need to go to church to worship God. Throughout the Bible there is no instruction on a person religion. Throughout the Bible from the very beginning in Genesis through the end of Revelations there is the fellowship with God. There is the gathering of families and communities to worship God.
The church is described as being made up of many parts in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. If it is made up of many parts how can someone be separated from the whole? It can’t! If I were to cut my arm off and lay it over there it would die. It cannot exist separated from my entire body. An individual cannot truly be a Christian separated from the Body of Christ, the Church.
I am so thankful for each one of you who attends here on Sunday.
Paul wrote in Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul just prior to this verse was talking about unity in the church and how we treat each other. One thing that we often miss is that we sometimes believe that joy and peace come from external events. The idea being that if things are going good then we have joy and peace, it things are not going so good then we don’t have that joy and peace.
Look at what Paul said there “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith.” Think about that for a moment. Joy and Peace come from God. It is God who fills us with “all,” not “some” joy and peace. God fills us will all joy and peace. We lack for nothing. There is a benefit of being filled with all joy and peace. Paul goes on to say “so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
It is not a little bit of hope that God gives us, but we “overflow” with hope.
Do you want to experience that overflow of hope? You need to spend time with God and His word. There is no substitute for it. If you want to have a closer and deeper relationship with someone you have to spend time with them. One hour on a Sunday is not enough, it’s a start, but it’s not enough.
9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all of the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Don’t mourn or weep.” They said this because all the people wept when they heard the words of the Instruction.
10 “Go, eat rich food, and drink something sweet,” he said to them, “and send portions of this to any who have nothing ready! This day is holy to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy from the Lord is your strength!”
Joy in Difficult Times
Joy in Difficult Times
Look at the last part of verse 9.
Nehemiah 8:9 (CEB)
all the people wept when they heard the words of the Instruction.
The people heard the Word of God and the explanation or interpretation of what it meant and the wept.
They were convicted of their sins. They were convicted because of how disobedient they had been to God. They were convicted because they had failed to follow God’s law.
On commentator put it this way:
They had heard the high standard of the Law and recognized their low standing before the Lord, and were convicted.
Isn’t that what the Bible should do?
These people obviously hungered for God’s word. When they heard the word they responded to the conviction of them failing God. They wept.
My prayer is that God would bring such conviction on the people in the church so that we would truly become the Church that He would have us be.
In Nehemiah 8, the people's reaction to the reading of the Law is deeply emotional. They weep upon hearing it, which reflects a profound realization of their past failures and shortcomings in following God's commands. This moment of sorrow and self-awareness is pivotal.
It's not just about grief; it's a transformative experience that leads to a deeper understanding and appreciation of God's grace and mercy. Their weeping turns to celebration, symbolizing the joy found in God's forgiveness and the renewal of their relationship with Him. This transition from sorrow to joy underscores the redemptive power of understanding God's Word: it brings clarity and healing, turning pain and regret into strength and hope. In this way, understanding God's Word is not just about intellectual comprehension; it's a journey that touches the heart, leading to spiritual growth and joy even amidst challenges.
Look again there at verse 10
10 “Go, eat rich food, and drink something sweet,” he said to them, “and send portions of this to any who have nothing ready! This day is holy to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy from the Lord is your strength!”
In Nehemiah 8:10, the idea is that the joy we get from knowing God isn't just about feeling good. It's actually like a special kind of strength for our hearts and minds. When people who believe in God realize they've made mistakes and feel sorry about them, they can still be strong because of the joy that comes from being close to God. This joy is based on understanding how much God loves us, forgives us, and takes care of us. It gives us the power to face tough times and keeps us going on our journey of faith.
In wrapping this up, let's focus on how the joy we find in God acts as a powerful force in our lives. This joy isn't just about feeling happy; it's a deep-rooted strength that guides us in living a life that aligns with God's teachings. When we understand and cherish the words of God, as we saw in the story of Nehemiah, we discover a joy that is far more than temporary happiness. It’s a joy that strengthens our hearts and minds, helping us to live in a way that honors God.
This joy comes from knowing that God loves us, forgives us, and is always with us. It’s like having a constant companion who gives us courage and strength, especially when we face challenges or tough decisions. Just like a tree that stands strong and tall because its roots go deep into the earth, our spiritual strength grows when we root ourselves in the joy of the Lord. This strength isn't just for ourselves; it spills over into our actions, our relationships, and the way we live our lives each day.
So, I encourage each of you to embrace this joy in your daily walk with God. Let it be the force that drives you, especially in difficult times. Remember, no matter what you face, the joy of the Lord is your strength. It can turn moments of sadness into celebration and weakness into strength. Hold onto this joy, share it with others, and let it guide you in living a life that is full of love, goodness, and true happiness.