The Word Must Be Elevated
There's one thing that has kept the work of God moving from the first moment of creation - the proclamation of His Word. Nehemiah may have built the walls, organized the people, and fended off the negative attacks from within and without but there's nothing more powerful than the Word of God to bring God's purpose to completion in God's people.
Nehemiah 8:1–3 (ESV) 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. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 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.
You have here a picture of two effects the Word has. It gathers us a "one" (see verse 1) and it is music to the people's ears (see verse 3). Notice also, that the emphasis in this passage is on the "understanding" of the Word. That's what the Word does. It brings "understanding to the simple" (see Psalm 119:130).
We Christians often let our opinion of the value of God's Word be shaped in our minds by how non-believers treat it. They mock it, belittle it, and try to eradicate it. For some reason, we allow them to make us doubt it. But the only ones who suffer when we do are us! We are made to hear the Word of God. We are made to understand it. Who cares what the non-believer or mocker says. This is our bread of life!
The next picture we have in this chapter is the elevation of the Word.
Nehemiah 8:4–5 (ESV) And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 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.
I think it's important to note they stood for the Word of God as Ezra opened it. We do that in our church today and it really separates the reading of the Word from the rest of the gathering. God's Word must be first in your life, dear Christian. Again, do not let the World devalue what God has given to bring you life.
Notice the next picture of the chapter:
Nehemiah 8:9 (ESV) 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.
I find this moment so relevant. The devil loves to get us "sorrowful" around the Word of God. He loves to point out how much we don't obey it and how much we fail. But that's the wrong reading of God's Word. Because God's Word is the narrative of His deliverance of our lives from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. We were saved from the penalty at the Cross of Christ. We are being saved progressively from sin's power through sanctification and we will one day be free from every stitch of sin's presence at the return of Christ. We have something to rejoice about in our past, our present, and our future.
Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV) 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.”
Notice the passage so familiar to us (verse 10) now in context. We have joy in what God has done for us which He has revealed in His Word toward us. And that joy is our strength in life.
The end result is a picture of feasting and community.
Nehemiah 8:12 (ESV) 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.
What else does the Word ultimately aim to do? It prepares God's people for the feast of heaven! And in the final portion of this chapter in Nehemiah, the people celebrate the "feast of booths" which is a picture of our heavenly abode prepared for us by Jesus (see John 14).
Nehemiah 8:17–18 (ESV) And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.
In sum, the Word is that which binds us together, brings us to mental clarity, turns our sorrow into joy, and aims us toward heaven. If these realities are not part of your life, open the Bible now and begin to read.
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