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But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Email from VOM: When Poonam quietly left Hinduism in 2012 and placed her faith in Christ, her Bible immediately became her most prized possession. The young Indian wife and mother of three secretly read God’s Word in her home each day, growing in her understanding of God’s love for her. But she feared her husband would find out about her new faith, and he soon did.
After overhearing her praying a Christian prayer one day, he found her Bible and angrily tore it to pieces. “From today on you stop reading the Bible, and as long as you live in this house you better not pray!” he threatened.
When Poonam refused to stop praying to Jesus, her husband beat her and eventually kicked her out of the house, refusing to let her see their young sons and daughter. Following Jesus cost her everything.
In India, a rise in persecution of Christians has paralleled the rise in Hindu nationalism. Bibles are a precious resource that helps new believers to grow in faith amid persecution.
After losing her Bible and her family, Poonam stayed with relatives and prayed for the return of everything she had lost. A pastor and another believer who lived nearby visited Poonam regularly to pray with her. One day they gave her a new Bible provided by VOM, and she burst into tears of joy.
Over time, God has answered Poonam’s prayers, restoring her marriage and family. Her husband has not yet placed his faith in Christ, but his heart has softened toward Poonam and toward the Christian faith. He has even attended church a few times to see how Christians worship.
Poonam reads and studies God’s Word using her new Bible, but she refuses to give up the tattered, torn Bible that her husband tried to destroy. It is, after all, how she first learned about Jesus.
“My Bible is everything to me,” Poonam said. “It is the living word of God. Without it, I can’t live.”
Introduction:
Introduction:
The past offense
These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.
Nehemiah
And testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your law.
Yet they acted proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
Nehemiah 9:
The Occassion - The Feast of the Trumpets (), Yom Kippur (; ) and The Feast of Succoth (Booths)()
So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the Nethinim, and all Israel dwelt in their cities.
When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.
Nehemiah 7:73
On our calendar it would have been September-October
Seventh month 1st day Rosh Hashanah (Feast of Trumpets)
Seventh month 10th day Yom Kippur
Seventh month 15th day going for seven days Feast of Booths
From Chabad.org:
Sukkot is a weeklong Jewish holiday that comes five days after Yom Kippur. Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection G‑dprovided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt. We celebrate Sukkot by dwelling in a foliage-covered booth (known as a sukkah) and by taking the “Four Kinds” (arba minim), four special species of vegetation.
“Sukkot is a weeklong Jewish holiday that comes five days after Yom Kippur. Sukkot celebrates the gathering of the harvest and commemorates the miraculous protection G‑d provided for the children of Israel when they left Egypt. We celebrate Sukkot by dwelling in a foliage-covered booth (known as a sukkah) and by taking the “Four Kinds” (arba minim), four special species of vegetation.”
“But the holiday of Sukkot is pure joy. In our prayers, we call it simply “the season of our rejoicing.””
“But the holiday of Sukkot is pure joy. In our prayers, we call it simply “the season of our rejoicing.””
“One of Sukkot’s most joyous observances was known as Simchat Beit Hashoeivah, the Celebration of the Water-Drawing. When the Holy Temple stood, every sacrifice included wine libations poured over the altar. On Sukkot, water was also poured over the altar in a special ceremony. This ritual engendered such joy that it was celebrated with music, dancing and singing all night long.”
“One of Sukkot’s most joyous observances was known as Simchat Beit Hashoeivah, the Celebration of the Water-Drawing. When the Holy Temple stood, every sacrifice included wine libations poured over the altar. On Sukkot, water was also poured over the altar in a special ceremony. This ritual engendered such joy that it was celebrated with music, dancing and singing all night long.”
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 7:
Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. So Shaphan the scribe went to the king, bringing the king word, saying, “Your servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of those who do the work, who oversee the house of the Lord.” Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king.
Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes.
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The Bible is the only visible item we have of our faith
You can go to Israel and visit the Biblical sites and image but you cannot see the characters the Bible wrote about
The Church can’t remove or replace the Bible
Gathering around the word of God
Gathering around the word of God
The people called for the reading of God’s word
They made the effort to gather together
They were unified in their desire to hear the Law of God
They were without their own copy of the Law of God
They knew the importance of reading the Law of God
God commanded it
So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”
Read it so they might learn to fear the Lord and obey
Their previous generations failure to do this had lead to their present condition
Read it so that your children might learn it
God gave it to feed their soul
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
A desire wanting to know the plan and purposes of God
who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter
Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus
because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
1 Peter 1:1
They gathered to gain understanding from the word of God
They asked for the qualified teacher to read the word of God - Ezra
Ezra had returned to Jerusalem in 458 B.C.
He came through the line of Aaron, the high priest ()
He was a skilled scribe ()
A teacher of the Law
Made copies of the Law
Scribes and lawyers in the New Testament the same. Primarily public teachers of the Law
He was a humble man and a praying man
And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently, up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
His teaching ministry had motivated the people to want to know more of God’s Law
They had the ability to understand the reading of the law of God
They gave their full attention to hearing the law of God
The focus was on the word of God
Time was not a factor (About 6 hours to read)
No one was distracted
And testified against them,
That You might bring them back to Your law.
Yet they acted proudly,
And did not heed Your commandments,
But sinned against Your judgments,
‘Which if a man does, he shall live by them.’
And they shrugged their shoulders,
Stiffened their necks,
And would not hear.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Matthew 13:
And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’
Matthew 13:14-15
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’
Revelation
They gathered with respect for the word of God
Preparing to hear the word
The listening year of the people
The structure used for reading the Law of God was not mandated by God but was constructed in order that the word of God would have prominence and could be heard. The structure was built to enhance the hearing of the word of God
The 13 men who stood with him (6 on his right and 7 on his left
possibly to help with the scroll???
The scroll was opened so the people could see and would stand
He came through the line of Aaron, the high priest ()
Preservation of the scroll shows the Jewish people’s due diligence in protecting the scriptures from extinction.
The New American Commentary: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther 1. The Law Read and Explained (7:73b–8:12)
Standing in reverence and acceptance of God’s authority in the Scripture must have been customary.
The praise of Ezra
He was a skilled scribe ()
Praise that blessed the LORD, the great God
He was a humble man and a praying man
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer.
Ezra 8:
How great is God?
Praise that received a response of worship from the people
A worship from hearts agreeing with the truth proclaimed by Ezra
A worship that focused on God
A worship given with a humble spirit and their whole body and soul
The New American Commentary: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther 1. The Law Read and Explained (7:73b–8:12)
“All the people … responded” is a splendid example of unified worship as the leader raised his voice in praise and the people responded. They responded (1) by lifting their hands in worship and showing a sense of need; (2) by saying, “Amen! Amen!” and thus affirming their submission to the authority of Scripture; and (3) by bowing down to the ground with a sense of humility and submission before God.
Gleaning from the word of God
Gleaning from the word of God
Translating the Hebrew into the language the people spoke to make it clear(Aramaic)
the structure was built to enhance the hearing of the word of God
Communicate with the language the people use
Giving the sense or meaning of the text
Exposition
The New American Commentary: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther 1. The Law Read and Explained (7:73b–8:12)
All translations, however, are to some degree “interpretation.” But beyond that the exposition helps students of the Word understand the overall message and the implications of the text for doctrine and practice. Furthermore, although the message and content of Scripture does not change, it does need fresh application in every situation.
Application
The exhortation of the leadership
This day is separated (holy) to the LORD
This day is for joy for those with repentant hearts
The reading of God’s word brought mourning and tears
an emotional reaction of sorrow to a sad situation
note: often the sad situation is the death of a precious one, and is the ritual part of the burial process
The reading of God’s word brought tears
wail, cry, sob, mourn, i.e., to well-up tears in the eyes and have mild convulsions or spasms of the diaphragm, and often make vocal sounds of soft groaning or loud wailing, as a sign of sorrow and mourning
Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.
Luke 7:
So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it,
Luke 19:41
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.
Now it happened, when the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam the son of Shaphan, Achbor the son of Michaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying, “Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
2 Kings 22:
because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,” says the Lord.
2 Kings 22:19
This day is for celebrating with each other
This day is a reminder them that the joy of the LORD is your strength
The joy of the LORD is missing because we having dealt properly with our sin
The joy of the LORD is missing because we continue to dwell on the sin we dealt with properly
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Psalm 51:
The obedience of the people
The Levities bringing calm
Reminder the day is holy or separated it’s not to be filled with grieving
The people enjoyed each others company and helped the needy
The people had great joy because they understood the Law of God