Session 6: Praise
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Background
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After the completion of the wall, the Jews gathered at the Water Gate in Jerusalem and listened to Ezra read from the Book of the Law. Levites moved throughout the crowd and explained what the passages meant. From there, the people moved into a time of celebration of all that God had done. The people also took a vow of faithfulness to God before gathering to dedicate the wall and honor God’s work once again.
Background
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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. 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.” 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.
The Feast of Trumpets was to be a joyous occasion (). Mourning was unsuitable for a day of high festivity, the opening day of the civil year and of the sabbatical month, itself a sabbath or day of rest, and one to be kept by blowing of trumpets ().
5 But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
8 “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, 9 for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, 11 then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord. 12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you. 13 Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, 14 but at the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.
15 “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present, 18 but you shall eat them before the Lord your God in the place that the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake. 19 Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land.
9 “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. 11 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
13 “You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. 14 You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. 15 For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.
16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.
7 And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.
25 You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.”
24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.
1 “On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 3 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5 with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
Why do you think the people were grieving?
When you recognize the times in your own life when you have strayed, how does it make you feel? But should we stay that way? What’s the good news?
What does it mean to be holy?
This suggests that “holy” need not equal “somber.”
Tie the command of Ezra and Nehemiah to what pastor Bob has mentioned a few times about the somber look on the faces of the congregation
It was a reminder that this holy day, the Feast of Trumpets, was a festival of joy as well.Indeed, the people were commanded to go and eat, drink, and send portions (to those without the means to do so—him who has nothing prepared, v. 10).
The Lord delights in a repentant heart -
The Lord delights in a repentant heart -
8:9 The first of three times in this passage that the day is described as holy (, ; compare ; ).
7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
5 But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go, 6 and there you shall bring your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, your vow offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herd and of your flock. 7 And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your households, in all that you undertake, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
8 “You shall not do according to all that we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes, 9 for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But when you go over the Jordan and live in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and when he gives you rest from all your enemies around, so that you live in safety, 11 then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord. 12 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male servants and your female servants, and the Levite that is within your towns, since he has no portion or inheritance with you. 13 Take care that you do not offer your burnt offerings at any place that you see, 14 but at the place that the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I am commanding you.
15 “However, you may slaughter and eat meat within any of your towns, as much as you desire, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. The unclean and the clean may eat of it, as of the gazelle and as of the deer. 16 Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it out on the earth like water. 17 You may not eat within your towns the tithe of your grain or of your wine or of your oil, or the firstborn of your herd or of your flock, or any of your vow offerings that you vow, or your freewill offerings or the contribution that you present, 18 but you shall eat them before the Lord your God in the place that the Lord your God will choose, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your towns. And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake. 19 Take care that you do not neglect the Levite as long as you live in your land.
9 “You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the Lord your God blesses you. 11 And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your towns, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
13 “You shall keep the Feast of Booths seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. 14 You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns. 15 For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.
16 “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.
Mourning was unsuitable for a day of high festivity, the opening day of the civil year and of the sabbatical month, itself a sabbath or day of rest, and one to be kept by blowing of trumpets (, ; ).
Ver. 10.—Then he said. Either Ezra or Nehemiah, but probably the former, to whom it appertained to give religious directions. Eat the fat and drink the sweet. I. e. “Go and enjoy yourselves, eat and drink of the best—let there be no fasting, nor even abstinence, on such a day as this.” But at the same time send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared. Make the poor partakers of your joy. “The stranger, the fatherless, and the widow” should have their part in the feast (). And for yourselves, remember that the joy of the Lord, i. e. religious joy, constitutes your strength.
8:10 the joy of the Lord is your strength. As the people rejoiced in God and delighted in his presence, he would show himself strong to help them and defend them. “Joy” was a keynote because God had saved Israel, in both the remote and the recent past, and this story of salvation would have been told again in the reading of the Book of the Law.
Compare to ;
19 When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul.
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
8:12 eat … drink … send portions. These are important themes of worship in Deuteronomy, where worship was associated with God’s rich gifts and the privilege of sharing them (; , , ).
Ver. 9.—Penitential sorrow. “All the people wept when they heard the words of the law.”
I. A natural sorrow. “By the law is the knowledge of sin,” and this knowledge cannot but awaken sorrow as to—1. Guilt contracted. The law is seen to be “holy and just and good;” the Lawgiver righteous and benevolent; and so sin appears “exceeding sinful.” It is rebellion against authority the most just; hatred of the infinite Excellence; base ingratitude towards our best Benefactor; disregard of the rights and welfare of our brethren. 2. Good forfeited. Physical, moral, spiritual, eternal; in this case, national. The thought of what Israel would have been but for disobedience to the law would be most distressing to the Jews. So when we think of all we have lost through sin we may well grieve. 3. Evil incurred. Condemnation, remorse of conscience, degradation of nature, separation from God, shame and sorrow, diseases and death, the miseries of hell. What anguish and tears is the thought of the consequences of sin fitted to produce!
Revealing as it does the Divine and complete remedy for all that gives the conscious sinner pain—a glorious Saviour, a perfect atonement for sin, the Almighty renewing and sanctifying Spirit; and thus a free and full pardon, restoration to the Divine favour, renewal unto holiness, peace, hope, ultimate perfection in body and soul, eternal glory and blessedness.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Such joy, not sorrow, should be the predominant feeling of Christians, although sorrow has also its place. The consciousness of redemption, of pardon, peace with God, sonship, &c., should produce joy. Such joy, not sinful mirth, should Christians indulge.
Ver. 10.—A Christmas Homily.—The joy of the Lord. “Go your way, eat the fat … for the joy of the Lord is your strength” [stronghold]. The common opinion that the Jewish religion was gloomy and austere is erroneous. Its ritual and ceremonial observances were indeed minute, and in some respects burdensome, but there was much that was joyous. The private observance of religion consisted a good deal in offering sacrifices of thanksgiving, of which the larger portion was eaten by the offerer and his friends in a social festal meal (, expresses the spirit of the Mosaic law). The Sabbath day, as originally instituted, was far from being the gloomy season which some represent; and of the other seasons set apart for special religious observance, only one was a fast, all the rest were festivals for the commemoration of God’s goodness, and the offering of praise to him. The three occasions on which all the males were required to appear at the temple were all festivals, and how the festivals were to be kept our text shows. It relates to the feast of trumpets—the new year’s festival—as observed by the Jews after their re-settlement in Palestine (for the law, see Levit. 23:23). On this occasion the people were more disposed to mourn than rejoice, for the law had been read and expounded to them, and they were reminded by it of the nation’s sin and deserved punishment. But Nehemiah bids them not mourn, but rejoice, adding that the joy of the Lord would be as a stronghold to them. We may gather from his words hints on Christian joy and feasting.
Such joy, not sorrow, should be the predominant feeling of Christians, although sorrow has also its place. The consciousness of redemption, of pardon, peace with God, sonship, &c., should produce joy. Such joy, not sinful mirth, should Christians indulge.
Let’s move to
III. When it should be indulged. On days “holy to the Lord,” which every day should be. Then on days specially set apart for religious services—the Lord’s day, Easter, Christmas. Our special commemoration of God’s works should be with holy, not sinful, joy.
(see , ). Special suitableness of this at Christmas time, not only on account of the time of year, when the poor have to bear peculiar hardships, but on account of the event celebrated. The incarnation sanctifies human nature, uniting it to the Divine; teaching us to reverence, respect, care for all; furnishing a new and sacred bond of unity and brotherhood. It sanctifies poverty, as Christ was born of a poor woman, in a very humble lodging. He chose to be a poor man, and esteems kindness to the poor as kindness to himself, and vice versá. It affords us all ground for utmost thankfulness, which we should express by charity. Even selfishness might prompt benevolence at this season, for it will give zest to our own feasting to be conscious that others are sharing it through our gifts. Even if we must curtail our own feast somewhat in order to give to others, we shall be thus repaid. Finally, all joy should, and may, be a joy of the Lord. That which cannot is unworthy a Christian, and will lead to ultimate sorrow.
I. To whom this may be said. 1. To true penitents. Such as mourn over sin with a “godly sorrow,” and seek mercy through the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ; whether sinners first awakened, or Christians conscious of recent sin. 2. To all such. Even the chief of sinners, the worst of backsliders.
27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; 29 also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.
31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate.
II. On what grounds it may be said. 1. The assurance of forgiveness. “Though your sins be as scarlet,” &c. “He will abundantly pardon.” 2. The certain results of forgiveness. Adoption into the family of God. The enjoyment of his favour. The constant aids of the Holy Spirit. Support in conflict and trouble. The co-operation of all things for good. Life everlasting. In a word, salvation now and for ever. 3. The many injunctions to rejoice. 4. The injurious influence of over-much and over-prolonged sorrow. On him who cherishes it. Christian graces thrive best in an atmosphere of confidence and joy. Much sorrow blights them. On others. Discouraging inquirers. Repelling unbelievers. Bringing discredit on religion.
Celebrating God’s Presence
Celebrating God’s Presence
III. By whom it should be said. By ministers of the gospel, and by the Church in general. We should not be afraid to comfort mourning sinners. To others our exhortation should be, “Be ye grieved.” “Be afflicted, and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” (See more under ch. 2:3; 8:10.)
3. Purification of Levites, People, and Wall (12:27–30)
12:27–30. The dedication of the wall of Jerusalem by the restored priesthood and people of Israel, culminating with the reconsecrated temple, stands as the spiritual climax of the book of Nehemiah. The word dedication (v. 27) in Aramaic is Chanukah. The Jewish holiday of Chanukah is a celebration of the Jewish people’s later recovery and dedication of the temple from the Seleucids (165 BC). That celebration stands in the tradition of the dedication of Solomon’s temple (1Kg 8), the initial dedication of the Second Temple under Zerubbabel (), and this parallel dedication of the whole of the city and the people. Though some of the Levitical tribe had volunteered to live in Jerusalem, and others had been relocated to places of service throughout the land of Judea (recall for example 11:1–2, 36), the Levitical singers were summoned from throughout the land to participate in the celebration. Cymbals and stringed instruments (v. 27; harps had strings of differing lengths; lyres had strings of the same length with differing diameters and tensions) were common in religious services. Purification (v. 30) restored a person or object to ritual holiness after it had become unclean or unholy. The order of purification is important—only when first having been made clean themselves are the Levites able to extend the sanctification to the people, the gates and the wall (v. 30). This principle remains instructive for those in ministry today. This purification and dedication reflects an expanding idea of the “holy place” beyond the temple and the people to the whole of Jerusalem—a holy city.
Dedication of the wall (ch. 12:27–43). It is supposed by some that the author has here departed from the chronological order, and gone back to a date not much subsequent to the completion of the wall in September, b.c. 444, since the dedication of a work under ordinary circumstances follows closely upon its accomplishment. But no reason has been shown for the actual place held by the narrative in the Book upon this supposition, nor is it easy to imagine that the author would have separated the dedication of the wall from its completion by five chapters and a half, unless they had been separated in fact by an interval of some duration. The interval seems, by the notes of time contained in chs. 12, 13, to have been one of nearly thirteen years. Nehemiah’s religious reforms were certainly subsequent to the visit that he paid to the Persian court in b.c. 432 (ch. 13:6). These reforms grew out of a reading of the law which took place at the time when Nehemiah appointed the temple officers (ch. 13:1), and that appointment followed closely on the dedication (ch. 12:44). We may account for the long delay by supposing that Nehemiah was afraid of offending Artaxerxes if he ventured on a ceremony, to which the superstition of the surrounding heathen may have attached extreme importance, without his express permission, and that to obtain this permission his personal influence was necessary.
The dedication of a city wall was, so far as we know, a new thing in Israel; but it had been customary from a remote time to dedicate houses (); and natural piety extended this practice to aggregations of houses, and to the limit or fence by which they were practically made one. The priestly order had shown its sense of the fitness of such a consecration when they raised their portion of the wall, and had at once “sanctified it” (ch. 3:1). Nehemiah now, by the ceremony which he planned and carried out, placed the whole circuit of the wall under the Divine protection, confessing in this solemn act the intrinsic worthlessness of mere walls and bulwarks, unless God lends them strength and makes them a protection against enemies.
Ver. 27.—To keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgiving and with singing, &c. Solomon’s dedication of the temple was the pattern followed. As he had made the service altogether one of praise and thanksgiving (), and had employed in it cymbals, trumpets, psalteries, and harps (ibid. ver. 12), so Nehemiah on the present occasion.
13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the Lord,
“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever,”
the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud,
In verse 30, we see a purification ritual. Why? And what meaning does that have for us today? Look at ; ;
1 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Tie this to the concept of holiness
Ver. 29.—From the house of Gilgal. Rather, “from Beth-Gilgal,” which was the name now borne by the Gilgal due north of Jerusalem. Out of the fields of Geba. See above, ch. 11:31. And Azmaveth, Compare ; . Azmaveth was a Benjamite town, not far from Anathoth. The singers had built themselves villages round Jerusalem. Such of the singers as were not located in Jerusalem itself fixed their dwellings in the immediate neighbourhood, in order the more readily to attend the temple service.
Ver. 30.—The priests and the Levites purified themselves. On this occasion there is no preference of the Levites over the priests, as in and . Both classes were, it would seem, equally zealous, and equally forward to purify themselves.
34 But the priests were too few and could not flay all the burnt offerings, so until other priests had consecrated themselves, their brothers the Levites helped them, until the work was finished—for the Levites were more upright in heart than the priests in consecrating themselves.
20 For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves together; all of them were clean. So they slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the returned exiles, for their fellow priests, and for themselves.
Purification (v. 30) restored a person or object to ritual holiness after it had become unclean or unholy. The order of purification is important—only when first having been made clean themselves are the Levites able to extend the sanctification to the people, the gates and the wall (v. 30). This principle remains instructive for those in ministry today. This purification and dedication reflects an expanding idea of the “holy place” beyond the temple and the people to the whole of Jerusalem—a holy city.
When our hearts are made pure, we are ready to enter worship and celebrate what God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives
Purification (v. 30) restored a person or object to ritual holiness after it had become unclean or unholy. The order of purification is important—only when first having been made clean themselves are the Levites able to extend the sanctification to the people, the gates and the wall (v. 30). This principle remains instructive for those in ministry today. This purification and dedication reflects an expanding idea of the “holy place” beyond the temple and the people to the whole of Jerusalem—a holy city.
Group Exercise: Why do you praise God?
Group Exercise: Why do you praise God?
Takeaways
Takeaways
Holiness is to be celebrated and to lead us to rejoice
We are to teach others for understanding and spiritual transformation; not simply for academic knowledge
The Lord is to be celebrated and given thanks for the great things He has done in our midst
12:27 Gladness … singing is reminiscent of the joy at the completion of the temple (). Joy is the right attitude at all feasts of celebration before the Lord (see ; ; ).
12:27 The Levites’ role in singing was established in . The celebration anticipates the celebration and praise to God for the resurrection of Christ (; ) and for the consummation ().
12:28–29 Families of Levitical singers had settled in villages around Jerusalem to be near the place of their work. The Netophathites were from Netophah, near Bethlehem. Beth-gilgal is presumably the same as Gilgal, near Jericho (see ). Geba and Azmaveth were to the north of Jerusalem.
12:30 They had purified themselves, as in readiness for a solemn act of worship (see , ), perhaps by certain ritual acts such as washing clothes ().
12:31–37 Two great choirs symbolically enclose the whole city for the purpose of the dedication.
12:22–26 A record identifying the leadership of the land during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. The use of titles for each of these leaders reveals the official nature of this list. Although the religious leadership was not entirely faithful around this time (see ), the Levites and priests are once again commissioned as the spiritual leaders of the nation.
12:22 Refers to Darius II Nothus (424–404 bc).4:19;