In review, Nehemiah has asked the king of Persia for support to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, and in spite of regional opposition and threats, the project was successful.
For the first time the people of Jerusalem were able to live normal lives without fear of attack. However, Nehemiah’s goal was never just to strengthen Jerusalem’s security, but to revitalize a spiritual community. The wall was rebuilt, but a strong defense wasn’t enough. After reconstruction comes reinstruction. Israel needed to be strong in the Lord, and for that to happen, they needed to be a “people of the book.” They had lost touch with their religious heritage. Their distinctiveness as God’s chosen people could only be preserved by obedience to the Torah--the Law of God. So Nehemiah brought Ezra the priest and scribe, to read to the people the Scriptures. More people showed up than opening day at Fenway. Ezra began with prayer, he read the text, others translated it, and then they explained it…so the people could understand God’s will.
There was no new manifesto issued that day, but rather the historic foundational articles of the faith, presented with divine authority. Ezra read from the Pentateuch, the Five Books of Moses. It was their first exposure to sacred Scripture. The starting point for spiritual renewal is the Book of books. As Ezra read the words of life, it was like discovering a whole new world.
The people were hungry for God’s word; they listened attentively. Do you have a similar craving? Do you take time daily to read your Bible? The people of Jerusalem stood and listened for 6 hours; could you spare 20 minutes out of your day? That’s less time than a TV show. The Apostle Peter says that if you’re a Christian you crave Scripture like a baby craves milk (I Pet 2:2). 20 minutes…think of how, over time, you would gain a better understanding of your faith, not to mention the encouragement you’d receive.
God’s word directs our paths. “When all else fails, follow the instructions!” How do we respond to the reading of Scripture? Does it grip us, excite us, move us? If we’re going to be honest, we’re frankly unaccustomed to such hunger for the Bible. Yet I can remember passing out Spanish Bibles to Cuban refugees during the Mariel boatlift; you’d have thought I was passing out gold bars! The Bible was forbidden in Cuba…yet here in America with all our religious freedom, we take this treasure for granted. Do we love God’s word? Love for the Bible is normal Christianity; it may not be average, but it’s normal. We need to dust off our Bibles and read them. Do you want to hear from God? Do you want to know His will? Open the Book. A good place to start is Psalm 119, a poem in which each verse praises the value and significance of Scripture.
God seeks us--He calls us--by His word. “The Bible is an invitation to know God. If you wish to know God, you must know His word” (Spurgeon). Eugene Peterson writes, “The Bible is writing intended to change our lives and not just stuff some information into the cells of our brains.” Is that how we see it? Hebrews 4:12 calls the Bible a two-edged sword. For some, it’s a sword hung up in a closet and left to rust. God intends us to use His word as we battle with the world.
The people of Jerusalem responded in verse 6 with worship, by lifting their hands and crying “Amen”, letting it be known that they affirmed what was read. Exposition and adoration go together. By our “Amen” we are declaring that God’s decrees are established and sure, and we concur. The people of Jerusalem couldn’t help but worship after being stirred by Scripture. They showed they were teachable by submitting to God’s Law. And they were never the same people again.
This is what happens when we come under the conviction of the word. It leaves an indelible mark on us. Like those listeners in Jerusalem, we see the beauty of God and the ugliness of sin. The Bible is a mirror that shows us as we are. So many people were caught by conviction that in verse 9 they began to weep over their sinful neglect of God’s law. Their remorse was noted, but this was not a day to fast. Ezra and Nehemiah comforted the people and encouraged them to celebrate a sacred feast. They had feasted on the word, and now they were to put aside any regret and joyfully eat and drink together. They’re told to select the choicest foods, and to make sure the poor get a portion. The word that wounds also heals. God turns our mourning over sin into joy. “The joy of the Lord is our strength”, verse 10.
In verses 13-18, the heads of families do some more Bible study. They discover that a Jewish holiday is fast approaching, one that had not been observed for a long time, since the days of Joshua, who led Israel from bondage in Egypt…and now another generation has been led from exile.
So the people determined to reinstitute Sukkoth, or the Feast of Tabernacles, commanded in Leviticus 23. It is a week-long observance in which people live in simple huts or booths to remind them of the wilderness wanderings of their ancestors, to appreciate what they went through in the desert en route to the Promised Land. The people gathered branches and constructed simple huts on the roofs and courtyards of their homes. Hebrews 11:10 describes the attitude of the ancient Jewish wanderers; they were “looking forward to a city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Now the people of God had that city, and they fondly looked back on their history that led them to this hallowed occasion.
This reminds me of a discovery made by journalist A.J. Jacobs in his amusing book The Year of Living Biblically. A.J. admits he is not very observant; he says he is Jewish in the same way that the Olive Garden is Italian, and knew very little about his sacred heritage, so he set out to live according to the Bible for a year. To do so, he had to read it. Like the Jews of Nehemiah’s day, A.J. learned of the Feast of Tabernacles. But since he lived in an apartment in Manhattan, he built his hut in his living room. He purchased some lumber for the frame, and went to Riverside Park for branches to cover the top. After it was completed, he remained in it--reading, eating, and even slept in it; he invited his wife to join him…but she opted for the bedroom. Kids like it though; it’s like camping out in a tree house. While we might wonder if this was necessary, A.J. had it right in saying it was all part of “living biblically.” A flimsy hut is not a secure place to live; it reminds us of those precarious years in the wilderness, and how God supplies grace to prevail. It also anticipates a sheltered, permanent home, yet to come.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes about this feast: “Sitting in the booth underneath its canopy of leaves, I often think of my ancestors and their wanderings across Europe in search of safety; and I begin to understand how faith was their only home. Their existence was fragile, chillingly exposed to the storms of prejudice and hate. But it proved stronger than empires. Their faith has survived.”
An old hymn notes how “Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm.” When life gets tough, our faith will see us through, a faith only as strong as our grasp of God’s word. It’s been said that “for every sigh there’s a psalm” (Bill Gothard). And one of them reminds us that “God’s statutes are our delight; they are our counselors” (119:24).
For the rest of Nehemiah we have the dedication of the walls, a renewal of Israel’s covenant responsibilities, the establishment of policies and other reforms instituted by Nehemiah. I won’t be preaching on these, but I invite you to read over the remaining chapters. In God we trust, not our national defense. God is our strong and mighty fortress.
