Nehemiah - Celebrate

Question of the day:  What is your favorite sweet treat?

Good morning Class,

We are on week two of our new Zoom class.  I don't know about you but I am finding myself continually focusing on what it will be like when this "shelter in place" is lifted and we can reunite, and hug and study around our table with sweets and yumminess and a hot beverage of your choice!  Oh what a day that will be.  Every time I think about that I also think about how wonderful heaven will also be!  I can't wait!

READ:  Nehemiah 8

1 all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 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.

4 Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 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.

7 The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear[a] and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

9 Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy 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 holy 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.

13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. 14 They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month 15 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 temporary shelters”—as it is written.[b]

16 So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters 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 temporary shelters 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 festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.

This is absolutely one of my favorite stories in the bible.  This story has a good revival, coming together, large crowds, genuine confession, a huge celebration, an abundance of delicious foods, a festival, and great joy! 

Who initiated the reading of the law?

Ezra and Nehemiah come to Jerusalem to help with the rebuilding, Ezra the temple and Nehemiah the wall, and then the people come together and ask to have the law read to them.

What do we learn from this?

Who gathered to hear the law?

God's word, His law, all that He offers is for ALL!

Why did they need it explained to them?

They had been gone so long, without the ability to have the word read to them, so for many this was new.  Also some scholars write about how the intermarrying with other cultures even created language barriers to the written word.

What is their response to hearing the law?

The reading and understanding of God's word should bring correction and teach us of His way, but it should never stop there!  If it only shines a light on our unworthiness then it does nothing but condemn.  I like to think of it this way...  It shines a light on our unworthiness, our brokenness, and that must always lead us to the solution, the Redeemer.  We are not called to sit in our sorrow caused by sin, but to look into the face of our Savior.  "God's word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."  Sin is not light.  The path is to where?  The light (God's word,) takes us to Christ!  The direction, even correction, of the word takes us to Salvation, or the joy of the Lord.

"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

What is the joy that was set before him?

With this verse in mind, how would you define the "the joy of the Lord?"

חָדָה châdâh, khaw-daw'; a primitive root; to rejoice:—make glad, be joined, rejoice.

I wanted to show you the primitive root of the word of phrase, because I found this fascinating.

Make glad, be joined, rejoice.  (The joy of the Lord.)

I love that to be joined is in there.  Perhaps the best definition of the joy of the Lord is to be joined with us.  To be in relationship, to become part of humanity, the sacrifice that made our lives possible, that is the joy of the Lord.

To be in relationship, to be joined with Christ is our strength... that is not a hard statement to believe!

Nehemiah doesn't only tell them to let the joy of the Lord be their strength, he also gives them instructions, something they can actually do.

"Go and enjoy choice foods, and sweet drinks and share with those who don't have.... it is time to have a huge celebration, a party..

Ok, that is Beth's version, but I love that he doesn't just tell them what they are to be joyful about and he doesn't just say, "stop mourning and be happy," but he tells them to do something that will bring joy.

Perhaps we need to not just tell people what they need to be feeling or thinking and we need to also need to DO things that will help them experience it.

Example, we don't need to just tell them that God loves them, but let them experience God's love by how we love them!  We don't need to just tell people that their sins are not just forgiven but have been tossed in the depths of the sea never to be brought back up, but we need to demonstrate that by not bringing them back up again!

Praise and worship is another one.

Perhaps we need to make sure we are doing things that contribute to the feelings we should be having.

Right now, this is so relevant for me!

I can say, that I can and do have peace in this time, but what can I do that will promote or even bring me peace?


After the initial feasting what did they do next?

Can't you just see this festival!  I am sure it made all Hallmark movie festivals look like nothing!  I mean the shelters they built, must have been impressive to see and who doesn't love a good sleep over!  Basically this was a huge camp out or sleep over with the entire town with as many smores as you could eat!

What a time!

What was the reason for the shelters or tents?

While we shelter in place, what are somethings we can do to promote "the joy of the Lord?"

The last two weeks on the Monday night prayer line we have had 100 more people on the line than ever before. There is no question, that as we find ourselves facing challenging times, we also seek out God.  Here the Israilites were seeking God by asking for the law to be read.  They needed to know more and to understand more.   I know for sure that times like these should not be a time for us as believers to be sullen and down trodden but to be filled with the strength giving joy of the Lord!  People need it!  People are seeking it! Let's make sure that everything we share online, that in all our reaching out, that we are "eating choice foods and drinking the sweet." What do I mean by that? Well are we LIVING the Joy of the Lord?  Do those who see us see someone with peace that passes all understanding?  Do they see someone with joy?

I know, it is a scary and stress filled time of uncertainty, but we have a Savior who has joined with us! Who has given us all a hope and a future!  We have a Savior who HAS given us HIS joy!  Will you live it this week?