Nehemiah 8: Attentive Listening

Intro:

How did you change this last week? In what ways did you become more like Jesus?

The next couple of chapters “reflects the suzerainty-vassal treaties of the ancient Near East (see comments on 9:5b–31). The covenant was to be read at regular intervals (chap. 8), sin was confessed (chap. 9), and obedience was promised (chap. 10).”

Getz, G. A. (1985). Nehemiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 689). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

God always intends for there to be a response to His Word. Intellectually, emotionally, and volitionally. In other words: Renew the mind, engage the heart, enlist the body

Outline:

Renew the Mind: “All the People Gathered” (vs. 1-8)

Engage the Heart: “This Day is Holy to the Lord” (vs. 9-12)

Enlist the Body: “So the People Went Out” (vs. 13-18)

Summary: The Word of God is meant to be heard, understood, studied, and lived out

Prayer:

Renew the Mind: “All the People Gathered” (vs. 1-8)

Gathering (vs. 1-3)

All the people gathered as one man- The “people” dominates this section, it is used 13x in 12 verses!

into the square before the Water Gate (SLIDE)- east wall

And they told Ezra the scribe- look at who is asking… “they” referring to the people. This is not initiated by the priests or temple ceremony. Ezra had returned 14 years earlier (458bc) with the specific goal to teach the Jews God’s Law.

to bring the Book of the Law of Moses (5 books Gen.-Deut.)

That the LORD had commanded Israel

So Ezra the priest brought the Law

Before the assmebly

Both men and women

and all who could understand what they heard- no one is left out or favoured!

on the 1st day

of the 7th month

And he read it- “in it” it is highly unlikely that he read the whole pentatuche in 6 hours. He likely read portions in it.

facing the square

Before the Water Gate

From early morning until midday

in the presence of the

men

Women

Those who could understand

And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law

Giving (vs. 4-6)

And Ezra the scribe

Stood on a wooden platform

that he had made for this purpose

Beside him stood

On his right hand

Mattithiah

Shema

Anaiah

Uriah

Hilkiah

Maaseiah

On his left hand

Pedaiah

Mishael

Malchijah

Hashum

Hashbaddanah

Zechariah

Meshullam

Ezra opened the book

in the sight of all the people

for he was above all the people (standing on his platform)

as he opened it all the people stood

Ezra blessed the LORD

The great God

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

Going (vs. 7-8)

Also, the Levites

Jeshua

Bani

Sherebiah

Jamin

Akkub

Shabbethai

Hodiah

Maaseiah

Kelita

Azariah

Jozabad

Hanan

Pelaiah

Helped the people to understand the Law- Some of them were probably a little rusty when it came to understanding Hebrew since they had been in captivity where it wasn’t the common language

while the people remained in their places

They read from the book

From the Law of God

Clearly- to make distinct or interpret, to translate from Hebrew to Aramaic

and gave the sense

so that the people understood the reading

Application/Implications:

How attentive is your ear toward the Word of the Lord these days? In what ways are you renewing your mind in His Word?

Men, are you seeking opportunities to hear/read the Word of God? Women, are you seeking opportunities to hear/read the Word of God? College students, teens, kids are you seeking opportunities to hear/read the Word of God?

There are two possitions mentioned here, “lifted hands” in agreement and “heads bowed” with “faces towards the ground”. It is not that much different the “all in favour?” or “let’s have a show of hands on who agrees”. In Baptist circles we do not want to appear to be “showy” yet at the same time we hesitate to show any kind of agreement with what is preached or sang. The most hand raising we have is in a quarterly business meeting.

Has God given you the opportunity or the gifting to help people understand or give sense to the reading of God’s Word? How are you using that gift in our growth groups, in mentoring someone that is struggling, etc?

Transitional phrase: As God’s people take the initiative to gather and give their support to the written word of God and help others understand it they also engage their hearts with what they hear and understand.

Engage the Heart: “This Day is Holy to the Lord” (vs. 9-12)

All the People Wept (v. 9)

Nehemiah

Ezra

The Levites

Said to the people

This day is holy to the LORD your God

Do not mourn or weep- the people were touched emotionally

For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law

Do not be Grieved (v. 10)

Then he said to them

Go your way

Eat the fat

Drink sweet wine

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

Not, the restriction of the Lord gives me strength

Not, the punishment of the Lord gives me strength

Not, the anger of the Lord gives me strength, or His displeasure, dissapointment,

All the People Went Their Way (vs. 11-12)

So the Levites calmed all the people saying

Be quiet

For this day is holy

do not be grieved

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

Application/Implications:

When was the last time you were moved emotionally, in response to reading or hearing the Word of God?

Rejoice! Eat good food! Drink good drinks! Be generous to others! Why, because this is a holy day! the Joy of the Lord is your strength. Maybe you have felt weary in well doing as of late. Can I ask you, who has been your strength? Beacause according to this, the Joy of the Lord is what is connected to strength.

.

Transitional phrase: Understanding the Word of God as declared to us should bring about an emotional response, a stirring of your heart’s affections

Enlist the Body: “So the People Went Out” (vs. 13-18)

Renew the Mind: Study (vs. 13-15)

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

And they found it written

in the Law

That the LORD had commanded by Moses

that the people of Israel should dwell in booths (temporary shelters)

during the feast of the seventh month (Lev. 23:37-43): Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Booths, Sukkot, “One of Israel’s three great annual festivals, celebrated at a time of the agricultural harves, in gratitude for Yahweh’s present and historical provision”.

and that they should procliam it and publish it

in all their towns

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”

Engage the Heart: Great Rejoicing (vs. 16-17)

So the people went out

and brought them

and made booths for themselves

each on his roof

in their courts

in the courts of the house of God

in the square at the Water Gate

in the square at the Gate of Ephraim

And all the assmebly

of those who had returned from the captivity

made booths

and lived in booths

for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day- that is a long time! since the Exodus and conquest!

the people of Israel had not done so

And there was very great rejoicing!- “Obedience to God as a community brings God’s blessing and great joy

Breneman, Mervin. 1993. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Electronic ed. Vol. 10. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Enlist the Body: They kept the Feast (v. 18)

and day by day

from the first day to the last day (of living in booths)

he read from the Book of the Law of God- this was to be done every 7 years

They kept the feast

seven days

on the eighth day there was solemn assembly

according to the rule

Application/Implications:

The people do what God had commanded in His Word.

They heard the Word, understood the word, studied the Word. Obeying it at each stage. We don’t have to wait until we have “studied the word” in it’s entirity before we start obeying it.

Renew the mind:

Engage the Heart:

Enlist the Body:

Transitional phrase:

Summary: The Word of God is meant to be heard, understood, studied, and lived out

Discussion questions

Worship- Renew the Mind (Scripture)

1. What passage of Scripture did we look at? Summarize it in your own words.

2. What did the people ask Ezra to do in verse 1? What does he do?

3. What is the heart’s response of the people to the reading of God’s Word in verse 9?

4. In what ways does the reading of God’s word affect the people? What changes in light of hearing it read?

Grow- Engage the Heart (Conversation)

1. How attentive is your ear toward the Word of the Lord these days? In what ways are you renewing your mind in His Word?

2. When was the last time you were moved emotionally, in response to reading or hearing the Word of God? Come prepared to share one time in the last year where this has taken place.

3. “They heard the Word, understood the word, studied the Word. Obeying it at each stage. We don’t have to wait until we have “studied the word” in it’s entirity before we start obeying it.” Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Serve- Enlist the Body (Action)

Where are you reading in God’s Word these days?

What are 3 things that you can rejoice in that God has done over the last 30 days?

Is there something that God has been provoking you to do in obedience to His Word? Ask the group to pray for you this week as you take active steps to do what is right.