Untitled Sermon (4)

Introduction

Worship brings about many responses and emotions. Worship is giving honor, glory, and praise to the God of the bible in the biblical sense. Worship however happens all around us. When worship happens it is when we give adoration and glory to someone or something. Worship is not limited to Sunday mornings at 10:30, nor is it limited to family or personal devotions. We are a people who worship all day long.

Worship in the work place may simply be, “Please let this day be over” and when it is, you rejoice that the stress is relieved. Worship can drive you to dress up in red, cheer and shout, and find your mood alters when your team loses. Worship

Nehemiah 8:1–18 ESV

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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, 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.” 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.

Nehemiah 8:1-

People of the Book

Festivals and seasons are not uncommon to us in the New Testament Church. However, the way life revolved around the worship of God and the carrying out of his law is something that is foreign to many of us. This section of Nehemiah is when the law and the festivals begin being held. The first thing done is to worship God as He prescribes in the OT.

Deuteronomy 31:11–13 ESV

11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 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 that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

This is the seventh month held significance in the jewish calendar. The first day of the month was the feast of trumpets. The tenth day was the day of atonement and on the fifteenth day the feast of tabernacles began.

For quick background, the feast of trumpets was the time that the new agricultural year began. It was a time to focus on the Lord’s provision for His people. It was announced by the blowing of trumpets, most likely a shofar, followed by no work, and a sacrifice and a meal.

The day of atonement is the ritual of the high priest making sacrifice for his own sin and the sins of the people. This is the only day the high priest is allowed to enter the most Holy Place and sprinkle blood for the atonement of sin.

The feast of tabernacles we will get to in a few minutes.

So the people gather in verse one. A key word in this passage is the word people. It is the most repeated word in the opening paragraph of chapter 8. What stands out about the people is they initiated the spiritual awakening that was about the happen. They had seen the hand of God so clearly. The wall was rebuilt, the enemy was kept at bay, the wrongs were made right concerning food and the selling of children.

They wanted to know God and hear what He had written to them and for their good. According to verse tow everyone who could understand or comprehend what was read was in attendance. This means the young to the old, both men and women. I want to make sure everyone understands that this verse is descriptive, it describes what is happening. This is not prescriptive, a command to gather everyone together. There are instances of that in scripture. However this verse shows the willingness to gather to hear from God.

Jews would soon become known as people of the book. This is really the beginning of the rise of the priests and levites focusing on the law to the point of constantly reminding people what God has said. The OT was to be known and used by all people not just the priests. For us, the protestant reformation put the scriptures back in the hands of the people. Sola Scriptura is our rally cry.

Now this happened on the first day of the month, the festival of trumpets. So it was a day of celebration. And to celebrate, the people listened to the word of God for six or so hours. Ezra read sections of the Law.

Notice the people, they were attentive to the book of the Law. They could understand and they listened to the book of the law. And as Ezra read the law, blessing the law, the people responded. The people worshipped, not the law, but God. Ezra blessed the Lord, their great God and the people responded, Amen, lifting up their hands, bowing their heads…they gave honor and glory to God. They were treasuring him above all things.

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.

Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 225). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Do you realize as Israel did here, that you are God’s people? This story is your story! God has spoken, will you take the time to listen?

In packing up the house I ran across a file folder that I have kept. It is a file folder that is very plain and unassuming. When you open it, it contains a few cards, notes, and letters from my wife. I have collected these precious words over the course of our relationship. And every now and again it is fun to go and read what she had written to me. I do not love the words because they are great words. I love the one who wrote the words, that is what gives the words contained in the notes power.

These words of scripture are just words. What gives them power is knowing the one behind the words. So perhaps this is a good time to ask, does scripture impact you?

Joy Instead of Tears

Remember this is a day of celebration. The festival of trumpets, a day off of work to worship the God who provides. As the words of the Law were being read, the people were being convicted. The standards of God revealed the sin within the people and their response was mourning and weeping.

I wonder when the last time the the people of God had heard the word and wept about their sin? When is the last time we as a church have been convicted about our sin?

On this day there would have been a sacrifice on behalf of the people. It was a peace offering or a fellowship offering. It would have been a joyful sacrifice. In the midst of sorrow over sin, the message of peace could be smelled throughout the city as the sacrifice was burned. In the midst of pain over sin, peace with God was ringing through the air.

The Leaders Celebrate

The Bible Guide The Feast of Tabernacles

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the Feast of Tabernacles begins (23:33–44). This feast lasts for eight days, beginning and ending with a day of rest. It is party time, with feasting and dancing to celebrate the ‘ingathering’—the end of all the harvests.

During this festival, the Israelites remember how their ancestors lived in tents in the wilderness. They build shelters or booths with palm fronds and leafy branches, and live in them for the week.

A great number of sacrifices are offered in careful sequence. Each day, two rams and fourteen lambs are sacrificed as burnt offerings, and a single goat is sacrificed as a sin offering. Bulls are also sacrificed as burnt offerings—beginning with thirteen on the first day and reducing to seven on the seventh. On the eighth day just one bull is offered, to bring the total to seventy (Numbers 28:12–28).

In the time of Jesus, the climax of the Feast of Tabernacles comes on its closing day. The high priest brings a golden pitcher of water in procession from the Pool of Siloam, and pours it out in front of the altar in the temple. He asks God to give rain for the coming growing season—and prays that he will pour out his Spirit on his people. It is a dramatic moment when Jesus stands forward and cries, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and … drink’ (John 7:37–38)!