Nehemiah 8

Understanding God’s Word

Nehemiah 8:1–8 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.

The reading of God’s Law by Ezra is an extremely significant event. To celebrate all that God had done, Nehemiah summoned all the people to a celebration and dedication service. The service was held in the town square in the seventh month after the returned exiles had settled down in their hometowns (7:73). The LORD had freed them from captivity under the Babylonians, enabled them to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem in just 52 days, and helped them to rebuild their homes. Under the leadership of Nehemiah, the LORD had blessed them richly. Once again the LORD had proven to be worthy of worship and praise, and the people owed Him their very lives and freedom, their worship and service.

The people assembled in the large public square at the Water Gate. Interestingly Ezra, not Nehemiah, led the worship service. Ezra was a priest and a scribe, a man who studied and taught the Word of God. God’s Holy Word at that time included the Law of Moses (the first five books of the Bible) and probably the other historical records that had been preserved and are included in our Bibles today. Although this is the first mention of Ezra in Nehemiah, remember that he had been sent to Jerusalem by King Artaxerxes some 15 years earlier (458 B.C.). His primary purpose for returning was to help rebuild the nation. Specifically, he was to establish true worship among the people and teach the Law of God so people would live righteous lives and build a law-abiding society. When Ezra had first arrived in Jerusalem, he found the people engaging in the detestable, immoral, and wicked behavior of unbelievers. They were following the evil lifestyle and false worship of their neighbors, a most discouraging scene. But Ezra was faithful to his call and commission: he began to teach the Word of God among the people, instructing them in the commandments of the LORD. As a result, the people were convicted and repented of their sins, and a spirit of genuine revival broke out throughout the nation (Ezr. 9:1–10:44). Apparently, the people continued to study the Law of God under Ezra’s teaching ministry. When Nehemiah arrived, the people readily responded to his leadership in rebuilding Jerusalem and its wall. There was no hesitation whatsoever in accepting this challenge. Their response was immediate, obviously because their hearts had been prepared by Ezra’s strong teaching of God’s Word. Ezra’s teaching ministry had been most effective in preparing the people for Nehemiah’s mission.

No doubt during the building project, the people were so busy they were unable to attend their Bible study sessions under Ezra. As a result, a great hunger for God’s Word had been gripping their hearts. Obviously, Nehemiah had sensed this deep hunger for God’s Word among the people, as had Ezra. This plus the fact that God’s Word had stirred the earlier revival under Ezra aroused Nehemiah to focus the celebration service on the Word of God. God’s Law was to be the very foundation upon which their nation was to be rebuilt. Thus Nehemiah turned the service over to Ezra, asking him to read the Law of God to the people.

Throughout these verses the focus is on the people understanding the Word of God. The people are referred to 15 times (vv. 1–12) and the word understanding is used 6 times (vv. 2–3, 7–8, 12–13). From the very beginning of Ezra’s ministry, Scripture gives a wonderful testimony about his dedication and commitment to God’s Word:

Ezra 7:10 ESV

10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

Set Apart as a Holy Day

Nehemiah 8:9–12 ESV

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.

Throughout the day as the Word of God was being studied, a phenomenal event took place. The people were being convicted of sin. Eventually, so many people came under conviction that their mourning and weeping began to disrupt the service. As a result, the leaders were forced to instruct the people to stop their mourning. This service was to be a time of celebration, a day that was holy, sacred to the LORD. Instead of mourning and weeping, they were to celebrate by feasting and sharing with those who were in need. The people needed to understand a wonderful truth: once they confessed and repented of their sins, the LORD forgave them. There was no longer reason for mourning and crying. Once forgiven, they were to stop grieving and give thanks and praise to the LORD for His forgiveness. But they needed to believe God, trust His Holy Word that He had forgiven them. And if they truly believed, they now needed to joy and rejoice.

With the Levites’ help, Ezra and Nehemiah conveyed this message to the mass of people. The people eventually quieted and calmed down, and they did as Ezra had instructed. They went home to celebrate a joyful meal, sharing some of the food with the poor who had nothing to prepare (v. 12; also see v. 10). Note the very important statement of Scripture, that the people now understood the words that had been taught from God’s Law, His Holy Word (v. 12).

Feast of Booths Celebration

Nehemiah 8:13–18 ESV

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.

With a craving hunger for God’s Word still gnawing at their hearts, the family head, along with all the leaders, returned to Ezra for more study of God’s Word (vv. 13–15). Evidently their yearning for the Word was so strong that they could not stay away. As head of their families, they wanted to be the kind of fathers they should be, giving guidance and discipline when needed. They simply wanted to apply the teachings of God’s Holy Word to their daily lives, learning how to build a loving and righteous family, living productive and fruitful lives in the midst of a corrupt world.

While studying God’s Word, they discovered God’s command to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles (Feast of Booths) during the seventh month (Le. 23:33–44). The Day of Atonement was to be celebrated on the tenth day and the Feast of Tabernacles on the fifteenth day of the month. By making this discovery on the second day of the month, the timing was perfect, for this gave the people just enough time to prepare for the festival. In reading the Scripture they learned that they were to live in temporary booths or shelters during the seven days of the festival. These temporary shelters were to be made of branches from trees and plants. Living in these temporary shelters, the people would be reminded of the wilderness journeys of their forefathers, the time when their forefathers had to live in tents after their release from Egyptian slavery. God’s people must always remember that they live in a temporary, fleeting world and that they are totally dependent upon the LORD’s guidance, provision, and protection. This festival was a definite reminder to the returned exiles that they were living in an unsettled, threatening, fearful, and temporary world. For years they had been captives in the land of Babylon, and although they had been freed to return to Jerusalem, they were still under the thumb of Persian authority. They were forced to live under the laws of the Persians and to pay taxes to them. In addition, when they returned to their homeland, it lay in utter ruin. They faced the awesome task of rebuilding their homes, cities, government, and economy. If any people have ever known just how temporary and fleeting this world is, the Jewish returnees knew. For this reason, the Festival of Tabernacles had a very special meaning for them.

As soon as the returnees discovered that God commanded them to celebrate the festival, they immediately set about to obey His Word (vv. 16–18). In fact, they left the meeting and went out to cut branches to build their temporary shelters. The families who lived in the city of Jerusalem built their shelters on their own roofs and in their courtyards. The priests built theirs in the courts of the temple; and the people from the countryside built theirs in the public squares of the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate (v. 16). Note that everyone who had returned from exile built booths and participated in the festival. For seven long days, they celebrated the festival with great joy. As Scripture says, the feast had not been celebrated this way since the days of Joshua. Through the years the people had apparently been faithful in celebrating the harvest season, yet they had been lax in making booths and living in them during the seven days. But not so during these days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Everyone participated and emphasized God’s hand of provision and protection in this temporary, fleeting world. In obedience, they lived in the temporary shelters during the entire seven days of the festival. For the entire seven days of the festival, they studied and celebrated the feast just as God’s Word instructed.

The emphasis of this point is obedience to God’s Word. The returned exiles obeyed God during the difficult days of Nehemiah and Ezra. Likewise, we must obey God’s Word when circumstances are troubling and we are under heavy fire. Above all else, God expects obedience. As a parent expects obedience, so God expects obedience of His children. The very purpose for the existence of law is to protect human life and property. So it is with God’s Law. He gives us commandments to protect us, our property, and our rights. Without laws and commandments, utter chaos takes over. There is little respect for life, property, and other people’s rights. Without law, the selfishness of human nature runs wild, and the rampage of wickedness and evil takes over. People lie, steal, cheat, abuse, assault, and in some cases even kill others. Without law, the terrible evils of rape, sexual abuse of children, enslavement, brutality, and savagery—the most deplorably wicked behavior—take place within society.

There is a dire need within society for Christian believers to study God’s Holy Word. It is His commandments that build up society, teaching people how to live righteous and law-abiding lives. And the wonderful truth of God’s Word is that it not only teaches God’s commandments but it also teaches how to keep His commandments. There is actually a power within God’s Word—a living power—that arouses us to obey His commandments. This living power stirs us to live righteous lives, loving one another and treating others as we want to be treated. It is the Word of God that arouses us to show mercy and compassion as well as justice in all of our dealings. God Himself—the Creator of the universe—has ordained that His Holy Word be the very foundation of human life and of society. But contrary to God’s purpose, we have turned away from God’s Word and corrupted this earth. Instead of living in love and righteousness, obeying God’s commandments and executing justice, we have become haters of others, abusing, assaulting, even killing our fellowmen. We have become an immoral society without conscience, a society that divorces hastily and easily, without regard for the consequences. We have become a society of thieves, stealing multiplied millions of dollars from one another, from businesses, and from other nations. We have become a depraved society all because we have rejected the Holy Bible as God’s Word.

There has never been a more urgent need for the study of God’s Holy Word than there is today. God’s Word can change the human heart, transform a wicked heart to live righteously. And by changing human hearts, God’s Word can change society. Any body of people—whether church or community or city or nation—can be radically changed for the good by turning to the Word of God, studying and living exactly as God dictates.