Questions Nehemiah 8
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Discussion Starter
o What’s the best celebration you have ever been a part of? What or who made it the best?
o Describe the worst “party” you have ever been to. What or who made it that way?
Read
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.
o Notice that the text states that the people were attentively listening to the Book of the Law as Ezra the priest was reading it. What does this indicate about the people?
o It indicates that they were ready and willing to hear from the Lord.
o It indicates that they made time to hear from the Lord.
It indicates that the word of the Lord was extremely important to them.
§ In what ways do can we prepare your heart and mind to hear fromGod? What hinders you from this preparation?
Read
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.
o Why is it significant that all the people stood up in verse 5 when Ezra opened up the Book of the Law?
o It wasn’t so much that the people were showing respect for the Book of the Law itself but that they were showing respect and paying h honor to the One responsible for the Book of the Law. They were eager to hear what God had for them. While they didn’t know what God was going to tell them, they knew it would be good.
Read
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.
What do you think verse 5 and verse 9 should teach us today about how we receive and engage God’s word?
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o Notice that Nehemiah not only leads the people but also encourages the people in celebrating God and what He has empowered them to do.
Consider the following
questions.
o Are you extremely familiar with celebrating God? Why or why not?
o Do you believe you celebrate God well? How do you know?
o How can you more fully encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ to celebrate God well?
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.”
o What was the significance of the people making and going to live in temporary shelters during the festival?
Their actions were in accordance with what God had commanded in Leviticus 23:33-44 (the Feast of Tabernacles) to remember and celebrate how God had provided for the Israelites when they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years while leading them to the Promised Land.
§ Why is it important to daily remember and celebrate not only what God is doing but also what God has done for you?
§ What hinders us from remembering and celebrating what God has done for us?
Final Application
o What does this passage teach us about God?
o What does this passage teach us about mankind?
o What is a command to obey in this passage?
o What has God revealed in your life that needs changing?
o What truth can be applied to your life about the gospel?