The Preaching of God's Word (Nehemiah 8:1-12)
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· 21 viewsGod uses the preaching of His word to bring people to Christ.
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Good morning, Grove Christian Fellowship! My name is Jason Soto, and I am happy to join you this morning. I am a pastor at Catalyst Church in San Diego. I am married to my wife Jeannette for 24 years, and we have two sons, Tyler, who is 23, and Kevin, who is 18.
I am honored to share God’s word with you today. This is such an important time at Grove Christian Fellowship, as you are praying about who will fill the role of the Senior Pastor. I’m sure you have heard a number of pastors now, and maybe you are wondering about what to look for in a preacher? I’m going to do something a bit different today. I am going to preach about preaching.
God uses preaching. God uses the preaching of His word to bring people to Christ.
I grew up in New York, and remember in 2005 going to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York. It was the final public crusade that Billy Graham gave. I wasn’t a believer then, but this crusade was an event in the city, and I decided to go. Up to the stage walked this older, feeble looking man, with gray hair and a kind but serious looking face. He preached this powerful message on John 3 about Nicodemus, and hundreds of people responded. This was a strong example to me of how God uses the preaching of His word to bring people to Christ.
What does the Bible tell us about preaching? What are we to look for in a preacher? How does God use preaching to affect people’s lives?
We are going to look at preaching through an Old Testament text in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah is in the Old Testament, between the books of Ezra and Esther. We will start in the last verse of Nehemiah 7, and read Nehemiah 8:1-12.
73 The priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,
1 all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given Israel.
2 On the first day of the seventh month, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding.
3 While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
4 The scribe Ezra stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up.
6 Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they knelt low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, who were Levites, explained the law to the people as they stood in their places.
8 They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.
9 Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
10 Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
11 And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, since today is holy. Don’t grieve.”
12 Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration, because they had understood the words that were explained to them.
Nehemiah was written about 420 BC, and may be the final book written in OT. Nehemiah 8 tells us about a priest named Ezra who had the people gathered together in front of a gate on the east side of Jerusalem.
Who is Ezra?
Ezra is a scribe, priest, and teacher of the Law. Ezra 7:6 describes Ezra as someone who was “skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given.” Ezra is someone devoted to study the word of God and teach it to others.
Why are the people gathered together?
In Nehemiah 8, the people are gathered together in this square on a particular date. They are there “on the first day of the seventh month” (Neh. 8:2). Ezra has gathered the people there on that day. As someone who has studied God’s law, he is gathering the people in obedience to Numbers 29:1.
1 “You are to hold a sacred assembly in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, and you are not to do any daily work. This will be a day of trumpet blasts for you.
Ezra and the Levites read the law of God and teach it to the people. There is this amazing response from the people, as they listen to the truth of God’s word.
What can we learn about preaching from this text in Nehemiah?
I believe there are four things that we can learn about the preaching of God’s word to people in Nehemiah 8. The first is this:
The preaching of God’s word should be clear and understandable.
The preaching of God’s word should be clear and understandable.
Preaching involves the communication of God’s word to people. Preaching needs to be clear and understandable.
The preacher should draw people in to listen to God’s word.
The preacher should draw people in to listen to God’s word.
Nehemiah 8:1 describes the people as asking Ezra to bring the book of the law.
1 all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given Israel.
Why do the people ask Ezra to bring the book?
What’s important to know is that the people are coming out of 70 years of exile in Babylon, and are descendants of a nation that had fallen into sin and apostasy. These are a people, much like people today, who did not know God’s word.
Ezra is a scribe and a teacher of God’s law. He was passionate about the Scriptures, and was obedient to them. Ezra 7:10 describes Ezra like this.
10 Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Ezra was committed to God’s word. Notice how the people respond to Ezra as he reads the Scriptures. Look at the last line in verse 3.
3 While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the law.
Why do the people listen attentively to Ezra?
The people listened attentively to Ezra. Why do they listen attentively to Ezra? There was a passion, there was a fire within Ezra, as someone who had set his mind and heart to study, obey, and teach God’s word, that drew in the listener. Ezra didn’t just speak God’s word, he lived and obeyed God’s word.
My son, when he was younger, was in the Boy Scouts. He went on a camping trip with the Boy Scouts, and I went with them. They set up a campfire, and my son was attracted to the flame like a moth. He would not get away from the flame. I would constantly tell him to not get so close to the fire, but he kept wanting to get close to the flame, because he was fascinated by it.
In the same way, a preacher needs to first be set on fire by God. God’s word needs to live so richly in him, that it draws people to listen when he preaches. The preacher should draw people in to listen to God’s word.
The preacher should explain God’s word with clarity.
The preacher should explain God’s word with clarity.
What is interesting in this passage, is that the Levites do not just read God’s word, but it says that they explain God’s word to the people (Neh. 8:7). In verse 8 it says:
8 They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.
In verse 8, what does it mean that the Levites were “translating and giving the meaning” of God’s word?
The Hebrew word that the CSB translates as “translating” is probably better translated as “explained.” It means:
פרשׁ (prš), VB. give a clear decision; be explained, decided; make an extempore translation of a text.
The preacher needs to explain God’s word with clarity. Note what it says in verse 8. They were “translating and giving the meaning.” The role of the preacher is not to give a text any meaning he wishes. God is a great communicator, and communicates His word in a way that people can understand. The preacher must preach a text according to its proper meaning.
The preacher must preach according to the text’s intended meaning, and be able to apply it to the context of the listener. The preacher says, “This is what God has said, and this is why it is important in your life.”
A preacher should do all he can to avoid confusion. In his book on preaching, Haddon Robinson said:
Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages Definition and Explanation
A mist in the pulpit can easily become a fog in the pew.
The preaching of God’s word should be clear and understandable. When God’s truth is communicated in a clear way, hearts are affected.
The preaching of God’s word should bring people to revere and worship God.
The preaching of God’s word should bring people to revere and worship God.
Notice the leadership of Ezra. There is an interesting detail about him opening the book in full view of all the people.
5 Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up.
6 Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, “Amen, Amen!” Then they knelt low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Effective preaching elevates the Bible because it is God’s word to people, and the truth of God’s word brings reverence and worship to God.
The word “amen” is a word of affirmation:
אָמֵן (ʾāmēn). adv. verily, truly, amen. Used in statements of affirmation in which the speaker accepts the truth of a statement.
This is an interesting response from the people. Ezra and the Levites have preached a clear message, and message that drew in the people to listen, and confronted them with the truth of God’s word.
When the God’s word is elevated above the people, God uses the truth of the message to confront people with His authority. The author of Hebrews says it this way:
12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The preaching of God’s word should bring people to revere and worship God, because it is effective and sharp. God’s word judges the intentions of the heart. His word points to His authority.
Preaching that does not bring people to worship God is counterfeit preaching. It elevates the speaker, and gets people to worship him, but does not have the power of God behind it.
You can tell a counterfeit. Years ago I was a bank teller in New York. I would handle money all day. I was used to the feel of money, and how it looked. Once in a while, someone would try to pass on a counterfeit bill. I had gotten good at detecting a counterfeit, because the bill didn’t feel right in my hands. It didn’t look right, the ink was smudged.
In the same way, preaching that does not elevate God’s word won’t feel right, because it lacks the power and authority of God behind it.
The preaching of God’s word should be clear and understandable. It should bring people to worship and revere God.
The preaching of God’s word should bring conviction to people’s hearts.
The preaching of God’s word should bring conviction to people’s hearts.
What has happened so far in Nehemiah 8?
Ezra has read from the law before the people. He drew them in to listen through the truth of God’s word. The Levites explained God’s word to the people, and applied it to their lives. They affirmed and acknowledged that God’s word is true. The authority present within the Scriptures drew them to revere and worship God.
All of that led to conviction in the people’s hearts. The preaching of God’s word brings conviction to people. Look at Nehemiah 8:9.
9 Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
Why are the people weeping?
The listeners have heard God’s word preached and understood the authority of God’s message. They were convicted of their sin before God. God uses the preaching of His word to pierce the heart of people.
You see this in other places in Scripture. John the Baptist, as he preaches to the people and quotes the prophet Isaiah, the people respond:
10 “What then should we do?” the crowds were asking him.
Peter preaches a message, referring to God’s word and how it speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at how they respond in Acts 2:37.
37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
The preaching of God’s word pierces the hearts of people, and causes a reaction within them to respond to God’s truth. God uses the preaching of His word to bring people to Christ. Preaching God’s word should bring conviction to human hearts.
What is conviction?
Conviction is “the state of being convinced of error or compelled to admit the truth.” Preaching God’s word convicts people of sin and judgment because it is God’s truth, and His truth never changes.
Truth does not need updating. There is a story of a man who came to his old friend, a music teacher, and said to him, “What’s the good news today?” The old teacher was silent as he stood up and walked across the room, picked up a hammer, and struck a tuning fork. As the note sounded out through the room, he said, “That is A. It is today; it was five thousand years ago, and it will be ten thousand years from now. The soprano upstairs sings off-key, the tenor across the hall flats on his high notes, and the piano downstairs is out of tune.” He struck the note again and said, “That is A, my friend, and that’s the good news for today.”
The preaching of God’s word brings conviction because His truth is timeless. The clear and understandable preaching of God’s word convicts human hearts and causes a reaction within them, because truth does not change. People respond to truth.
Finally:
The preaching of God’s word should bring joy in Christ.
The preaching of God’s word should bring joy in Christ.
The priests see the people weeping in response to God’s word. They are convicted of their sin before God because of the authority of God’s message. God uses the preaching of His word to bring people to him. Finally, the priests encourage the people that their sorrow before God is a reason for godly joy. Look at Nehemiah 8:10.
10 Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
What does “the joy of the Lord is your strength” mean?
The word for strength in verse 10 refers to a mountain stronghold, a place of refuge, a means of safety and protection. What he is saying is, “That grief that you are feeling about your sin? That is a godly grief, and it is a good thing, a great thing. Rejoice, because God has touched your life, and His work in your life is your place of safety, your strength, your stronghold.”
This is what Paul describes in the book of 2 Corinthians. Look at 2 Corinthians 7:9-10.
9 I now rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because your grief led to repentance. For you were grieved as God willed, so that you didn’t experience any loss from us.
10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.
There is a difference between worldly grief and godly grief. Worldly grief is about loss and stress, but godly grief is about my sin before God. The preaching of God’s word brings conviction of sin and godly grief. It is godly grief that produces repentance leading to salvation in Christ.
Repentance is a reason for joy, because repentance leads to salvation in Christ. There is joy in the Lord when a sinner responds to God in repentance and faith. Jesus told a story of a woman who was looking for a lost coin.
8 “Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?
9 When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’
10 I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
God uses the preaching of His word to bring people to him, and if you are in Christ, the joy of the Lord is your strength.
I heard of someone describe sin this way:
More Perfect Illustrations: For Every Topic and Occasion Sin: Hopefulness of Sin
Sin is the best news there is … because with sin, there’s a way out.… You can’t repent of confusion or psychological flaws inflicted by your parents—you’re stuck with them. But you can repent of sin. Sin and repentance are the only grounds for hope and joy, the grounds for reconciled, joyful relationships.
If you are someone convicted of sin in your life, that’s a good thing. The Bible says the Jesus died on the cross for your sins, and was raised to life so that you can have life in Him. Repent of your sins to God. Turn your life to Christ, and trust Him, believe in Him.
Conclusion
The preaching of God’s word should be clear and understandable.
The preaching of God’s word should bring people to revere and worship God.
The preaching of God’s word should bring conviction to people’s hearts.
The preaching of God’s word should bring joy in Christ.
God uses the preaching of His word to bring people to Christ.