Time For A Fresh Start Series

I've entitled this sermon “Time for a Fresh Start.” And you're going to see why. I want you to

stand with me while I read the first twelve verses of Nehemiah 8. Would you stand in honor of

God's word? I want you to notice as I'm reading the passage how there are similarities between

the saints there in Nehemiah’s time and the saints at GraceWay Bible Church.

Starting in verse 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. They want to hear the word and it’s the people asking for that. Verse 2 – So

Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could

understand what they heard. Who do you think those are? We’ve got men and women, and all

who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 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. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had

made for the purpose. And beside him stood these thirteen guys. Six on the one side, seven on the

other.

Down to verse 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 up. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great

God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” (just like we do here at GraceWay) lifting up

their hands (which we probably need to do more of). And they bowed their heads and worshiped

the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also these next thirteen guys were in the crowd and they

helped the people to understand the Law (these are like the Grace Group leaders), while the

people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and

they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

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. 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.”

So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.”

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.

Oh, this is so much stuff. I can hardly wait to get into it. Why don’t you go ahead and have a seat

there.

Picture the scene here. This is the seventh month, the first day of the month. This is New Year's

Day. This is the Feast of Trumpets. And you might be saying, well, how could it be New Year's

Day because New Year's Day would be the first day of the first month. But just like in our own

culture, we have this celebration or we start moving after summer into the fall. When we do, that

becomes kind of our new year. That's the civil new year for the people in Nehemiah’s time. So

they're celebrating the Feast of Trumpets. This is a really special day when the people are

coming together. They're thinking about the day that they had over this last year, all of the work

that they’d done. It took fifty-two days to build the walls. And then they stationed the guards and

the Levites and the singers, we read in the last chapter. We see that people are organizing and

moving in and houses are being built. Lots has happened in this last year. Often as we get to a

new year, we think about the previous year and what’s yet to come. This is where they are. They

come together at this place, the square outside of the Water Gate. And they're all together as one

person, as one man it says. Unified. And they call on the scriptures to be read on this special day.