Nehemiah
The Word of God
Nehemiah 8
September 14, 2003
Intro:
A. Unused Spiritual Resources
During Superbowl XXXVII, FedEx ran a commercial that spoofed the movie Castaway, in which Tom Hanks played a FedEx worker whose company plane went down, stranding him on a desert island for years. Looking like the bedraggled Hanks in the movie, the FedEx employee in the commercial goes up to the door of a suburban home, package in hand.
When the lady comes to the door, he explains that he survived five years on a deserted island, and during that whole time he kept this package in order to deliver it to her. She gives a simple, "Thank you."
But he is curious about what is in the package that he has been protecting for years. He says, "If I may ask, what was in that package after all?"
She opens it and shows him the contents, saying, "Oh, nothing really. Just a satellite telephone, a global positioning device, a compass, a water purifier, and some seeds."
Like the contents in this package, the resources for growth and strength are available for every Christian who will take advantage of them.
1. [Hold up Bible.]
2. We have the resources for growth and strength, but we must open the package!
B. Today as we come to the eighth chapter of the book of Nehemiah we see what happened when they decided to open the package.
C. [read text]
D. I see five things that happened when they opened the package….
I. The Book of the Law
A. Unity
Nehemiah 8:1 (NIV), all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.
1. All the people assembled as one man.
2. They assembled for the purpose of hearing the Book of the Law read.
3. Notice that Nehemiah did not say that everyone assembled, Nehemiah doesn’t say that each family assembled, Nehemiah doesn’t say that each tribe assembled.
4. They assembled as one man.
5. There was no division amongst them when it came to the Book of the Law.
6. They weren’t there individually, or by family, or by occupation; there was no division amongst them when it came to the Book of the Law of Moses.
7. I believe that everyone word in the Word of God is there for a reason and so I therefore believe that there is some significance to the fact that Nehemiah included the words “one man” in his description of this event.
8. Nehemiah could have just as easily have simply said that all the people assembled in the square before the Water Gate. (repeat)
9. But instead he included the words one man: all the people assembled as one man…
10. There was an unusual unity displayed when it came to the reading of the Book of the Law of Moses.
B. Attention
Nehemiah 8:3 (NIV), He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.
Nehemiah 8:13 (NIV), On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.
1. Nehemiah gave descriptive accounts of the first two days of this month.
2. He said this happened everyday for the entire month, but he only described the events of the first two days.
3. On both of those days, Nehemiah mentions that the people gave their attention to the Book of the Law.
4. On the first day in verse three he said, “And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.”
5. And on the second day in verse thirteen he said, “[they] gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.
6. Not only did they display unity at the reading of the Law, but they also displayed attention to the Book of the Law.
7. The people were united and attentive.
C. Worship
Nehemiah 8:6 (NIV), Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
1. Before they even began to read the Law, they began to worship.
2. Ezra, the priest (whose book precedes Nehemiah’s in the Bible), leads out in the worship by praising God.
8. Then the people followed by shouting, “Amen!”
9. And they bowed down and worshipped God with their faces to the ground.
10. They worshipped God because of the Book of the Law.
11. When it was announced that the book of the Law would be read and explained, the people assembled united, attentive, and worshipful.
D. Fellowship
Nehemiah 8:10-12 (NIV), Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." 11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve." 12 Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
1. After the first day of the reading of the Law of Moses, Nehemiah said they should go and eat well.
2. Nehemiah said they should go and enjoy choice food and sweet drink.
3. T-bone steak and fine wine.
4. Nehemiah said the day was sacred and that they should not grieve, but they should celebrate.
5. “…the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.”
a. I think all of you know that I work very hard at making the Word of God understandable.
b. Nehemiah 8:8 is a very important verse to me! They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.
c. Making it clear and giving meaning is very important.
d. Ezra and the Levites read the word and gave its meaning so that the people could understand God.
e. And when they had done this “…the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.”
6. The people celebrated and had great fellowship because of the Book of the Law.
E. Obedience
Nehemiah 8:15-18 (NIV), and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: "Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths"--as it is written. 16 So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great. 18 Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.
1. Nehemiah said on the second day of reading, they came upon God’s institution of the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths.
2. Many years before Nehemiah’s time, the Israelites were told to go out into the countryside and gather tree branches.
3. They were to use these tree branches to build booths or tabernacles to camp out in.
4. So when Nehemiah’s people read about it, they realized that they were in the seventh month and they should do what God had told the previous generations to do.
5. They built booths on their roofs and in their front yards and on the church grounds and downtown near the courthouse and out near Wal-Mart. J
6. They celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles just as they read about it in the Law of Moses.
7. Nehemiah said that it hadn’t been celebrated like that since the days of Joshua.
Transition:
1. Now let me point out something here…
2. Do you know where the Feast of Tabernacles is recorded in the Book of The Law of Moses?
3. It is recorded in the book of Leviticus! (Leviticus 23) Have you ever read Leviticus?!
4. It is the Word of God, but most Christians deep down inside would say that it is pretty boring!
5. Leviticus is the dos and don’ts.
6. Leviticus tells all that the people were supposed to do and not do.
7. Offerings (five of them), the rights and responsibilities of priests, clean and unclean food, how to wash your hands, how to purify after childbirth, how to take care of diseases, how to take care of mildew, how to take care of discharges from the skin, unlawful sexual relations, and various other laws, punishments for sins, rules for priests, unacceptable sacrifices, rules for the Sabbath, rewards and punishments, etc.
8. Look at how these people responded to the book of Leviticus!
9. How then should we respond to the gospel package?!!
II. The Gospel Message
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (NIV), Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
A. Unity
Colossians 3:11-16 (NIV), Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
1. Man if they could respond with unity over the book of Leviticus, how much more should we respond with unity to the gospel message!
2. Paul said there is no Greek or Jew, no circumcised or uncircumcised, no slave or free.
3. Today we would say there are no foreigners and Americans, no blacks and whites, no male nor female, no Baptist or Methodist.
4. We are all one at the foot of the cross of Jesus Christ!
5. Therefore since we are one, we should bear with each other.
6. Since we are one, we should forgive each other, just as Christ as forgiven us.
7. Since we are one, we should love one another, which will bind us in perfect unity.
8. Since we are one, we should let peace rule in our hearts in regards to others.
9. Since we are one, we should be thankful for others instead of gripping and whining about them.
10. Since we are one, we should let the Word of God dwell in us richly.
11. Since we are one, we should worship together in harmony.
B. Attention
Hebrews 2:1 (NIV), We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
1. Paul says that we should pay more careful attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away.
2. Paul made a similar point there in Hebrews as to what I’m making today.
3. There he referred to the Word that they had and the fact that they didn’t pay enough attention to it, but how much more we who have the gospel should pay attention to what we have heard.
4. And Paul says that we must pay more careful attention.
5. I believe that means that we should be paying more and more attention as we go.
6. We have the message of salvation and we need to be paying more and more attention to the Word of God every time we hear it or read it.
7. If Nehemiah’s people can pay attention to Leviticus, we can pay attention to the NT!
C. Worship
Hebrews 10:1 (NIV), The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.
1. Their worship was only a shadow of the good things that we now have!
2. Their worship was only a shadow of the good things that we now enjoy!
3. Their worship was only a shadow of the realities!
4. Their worship was only a shadow of our worship, which is the real worship!
5. But if the reading of Leviticus caused them to worship God, how much more the reading of the Gospel message should make us shout, “Amen!”
D. Fellowship
Acts 2:42 (NIV), They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
1. Now you’re in the flow of these points and you know exactly what I’m going to say…If reading the book of Leviticus caused them to want to fellowship together—how much more should we want to fellowship after reading the gospel message!
3. We want to hang out together and celebrate the gospel that we have!
4. We want to eat together and spend time together in our church building, in our homes, and in restaurants.
5. Reading the gospel message is a great time to go out and eat filet mignon and drink fine wine.
6. Of course fried chicken and Coca-Cola is fine dining for me!! J
7. And I want you to notice that this is one of the four things that the first NT church DEVOTED themselves to [re-read Acts 2:42].
E. Obedience
John 14:15 (NIV), "If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
1. Nehemiah’s people read Leviticus and knew they should obey it.
2. We live under the NT and we are not called to celebrate the feasts that they were called to celebrate.
3. But reading the good news of Jesus Christ should cause us to want to show the same kind of obedience that Nehemiah’s people did.
4. Notice what Jesus said…
a. Notice that Jesus is saying how to show that we love Him.
b. But notice exactly how Jesus said we are to demonstrate our love for Him.
c. Jesus said we demonstrate our love for Him by obedience.
d. Do we read what He says and then debate over whether it is the right thing to do or not?
e. Do we read what He says and then wait until we understand the reasons for it before we do it?
f. Do we read what He says and then ask Him whether He wants us to do that or not?
g. Do we read what He says and check with our neighbors to see if that’s what they think we ought to do!
h. No! We read what He says and we do it with all of our heart like it hasn’t been done by anyone else in years!
5. If they can read Leviticus and obey the way they did, how much more should we be obedient who have the gospel message?
6. "If you love me, you will obey what I command.”
Conclusion:
A. [Vintage Aircraft Crashes, source: komotv.com]
On June 23, 2001, the Boeing Company finished a labor of love—the complete restoration of the last existing 307 Stratoliner. It was the world’s first pressurized commercial airliner.
A New York company used a vintage loom to reproduce the original Pan Am wall fabric. An interior company put in the flooring, carpeting, and paneling. They even imported Scottish leather for the single-aisle and crew seats. All the light fixtures, bulkheads, and trims were manufactured from original engineering drawings. Everything was done to perfection.
Six months later the aircraft crash-landed in Seattle’s Elliot Bay. Were there problems with the ancient engines? Did the dated tail and wing controls fail? No, they worked without a hitch.
The problem was an operator error; the crew had failed to refuel the engines.
B. Are you running on empty? Do you need to open the package? Do you need to start doing what Nehemiah’s people did?
