Seeing the Need
All the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the L
9 Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day is holy to the L
This reading of the Holy Scriptures takes place after the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt under the direction of Nehemiah. This event transpired “on the first day of the seventh month” Neh. 8:2; in other words, they did this only four or five days later after finishing the wall. Barely had the dust settled from the city walls project when their thoughts turned to religious observance. It’s important to note here that the reading of Scripture on this day did not come from Ezra the priest and scribe of his day, rather it came from the people. “They told Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses” Neh. 8:1. How remarkable! After centuries of relying on religious officials to take the leadership in spiritual life, the laypeople grasped that what they had accomplished–rebuilding the Temple and reconstructing the city walls– was from the hand of God; and it was they who instigated the reading of the Scripture and the religious observance of this special day.
To clarify even further, the reading began in early morning and continued until mid-day. As soon as Ezra started, the people stood up. So the reading took about six hours, and the people were standing the whole time; no music, no comfy chairs, no morning coffee. Yes it is possible to spend time with God, just you and Him in His Word!
As the reading proceeded, the men with Ezra began to explain the meaning of the texts, Neh. 8:8. As the people grasped the meaning of the law, they recognized how far they were from keeping it and began to weep. They could see now that their lives were not their own and that they had been living for themselves, and when aligned with God’s laws they were condemned. They finally knew the truth. The truth of how they were supposed to be living.
It is God’s truth that has the power to set you free or condemn you, depending on how you choose to live your life. They genuinely wanted to live for God because they loved Him. So they got together, found out what they were doing wrong and made that change for Him. Have you made that change for Him? If you really love God you too will do whatever it takes to live for Him. Ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing giving glory to God?” And ask it regularly.
Be the Blessing
