Today in God's Word—April 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
April 21, Nehemiah 8
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. - Nehemiah 8:2
The big jet backs away from the terminal. The captain eases the jet forward along the taxiway, rolling forward, stopping, then rolling again as the plane awaits its turn to take off. While the three hundred or so passengers on board wait for takeoff, a flight attendant goes over the safety instructions on the public address system. The passengers are divided into three groups by the flight attendant's words, Veteran travelers are already dozing or reading the book or magazine they brought onboard. Another group is composed of first-time fliers and those who are always anxious about flying. They listen attentively. They are not bored to hear about the location of the emergency exits or that their seat cushions can be used as floatation devices. They’re glad to hear that life jackets are stored under their seats, and what to do if those oxygen masks drop from the console above their heads. A third group is made up of those who are for some reason unable to understand the instruction. Perhaps they are hearing impaired, or too young to understand, Maybe some do not speak English and cannot make sense of the sounds they hear. If you were on that plane, in which group would you best fit?
After the wall was finished and the people settled into their daily routine lives, they asked Ezra the priest to bring and read the Book of the Law of Moses. A great assembly gathered at the newly completed Water Gate on the city's wall. Ezra stood on a raised wooden platform with thirteen other priests and read God's word to the multitude. When he opened the book, the people stood in reverence. They listened attentively from early morning until midday. They agreed with Ezra's blessing, raised their hands and bowed, with faces to the ground in
humble worship before God. As Ezra read, the priests helped the people understand what was read. Perhaps the Hebrew of the Law was difficult for those who only spoke the common Aramaic language. Maybe some passages needed interpretation or further explanation.
The people wept when they heard the Law. They were convinced of the great goodness of God, and convicted by their faithless disobedience to the Lord. Their consciences were cut by the words, and the warnings struck fear in their hearts. But Nehemiah and Ezra told the people not to mourn, but to celebrate instead of weeping. Their leaders told them that the joy of the LORD was their strength. So they feasted and gave gifts and rejoiced, because they had been reacquainted with the word of the Lord.
All this happened in the early days of the seventh month. From the reading, they learned that the LORD commanded his people to celebrate the feast of Booths or Tabernacles in that month. So all the people built booths or shelters and camped outdoors for a week, as God had told the Israelites to do to remember the wilderness wanderings. It was the greatest celebration of the feast of Booths since the days of Joshua.
This chapter should help you and me examine our own attitudes and reactions to the word of God. Are we bored and inattentive when the word of God is read or proclaimed? Do we dare show our disrespect? Are we thirsty to hear and learn more of God's will for our lives? Do we experience sorrow when a convicting passage pricks our conscience? Dees that sorrow bring repentance, relief and renewed joy? The gospel is good news. The New Testament is infused with joy from the angels’ announcement of the birth of Jesus to the worshiping throng around the throne in heaven. In between, God’s people enjoy the blessings of salvation, freedom from guilt, peace with God, and the fellowship of other believers. God’s word deserves our deep
respect, close attention and open hearts. If the ancient Israelites were so strongly affected by hearing the word of God, shouldn't we be as well? Our joy should be greater than theirs!
Thinking back to those three groups on the airplane, let’s turn the cabin of the plane into a church building where you gather with others for worship. From God’s word, the most important of all safety instructions are read there. The same three groups are likely present. Are you among the disrespectful and bored? Are you one of those who can’t understand without some help? Or are you eager to hear God’s word read, proclaimed and explained? Does the message bring you to tears and then to joy?
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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