“Nehemiah said, “‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
– Nehemiah 8:10
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you try to read the Bible every day? Why do you think that it might be important to read the Bible every day? What do you think might happen if you read the Bible every day? Do you believe that the Bible is different than every other book that has ever been printed? Why do you think that some guys, gals and kids refuse to read the Bible while other guys, gals and kids look forward to reading the Bible? What do you think that it is that makes the Bible so different from every other book that has ever been bound? Do you believe that the words that make up the Bible are living words? Why do you think that the words that are found in the Bible elicit angst in some guys, gals and kids and bring hope to other guys, gals and kids? What do you think would create and enforce ethical and moral standards and norms for guys, gals and kids who are living on planet Earth to follow and to obey if the Bible did not exist? Nehemiah 8 has some of the answers to these questions. The day is October 8, 445 B.C. The city of Jerusalem is the site. 13 years earlier – in 458 B.C., a Jew scribe leaves the country of Babylonia with an assembled group of exiled compatriot Israelite people group guys, gals and kids – who had been exiled in the country of Babylonia, to return to his homeland – which is the land of Judah, and to his home that is in the city of Jerusalem. The scribe’s name is Ezra. A winetaster a couple of months earlier made the well over 600 mile trek from the city of Babylon to the city of Jerusalem. The winetaster’s name is Nehemiah. Nehemiah is also an exiled Jew. The Jews are God’s specially chosen guys and gals. When God’s specially chosen guys and gals got to where they were adulating idol gods instead of only Him – which is in 586 B.C., and their lifestyles got to where they were completely snubbing His laws and regulations that He had passed on to them through Moses – that God expected them to obey, God divinely directed Nebuchadnezzar – who is the king who is reigning over the guys and gals at this time who are living in the land of Babylonia, to capture and to exile His specially chosen guys and gals who are still alive in the city of Jerusalem and to completely raze and burn the walls that surrounded the city of Jerusalem. Ezra returned to the city of Jerusalem with a heart passion to restore the worship paradigm that is centered solely on God being the one and only Divine Being. Nehemiah returned to the city of Jerusalem with a heart passion to rebuild the walls that once surrounded the city of Jerusalem. Despite enemy forces opposing the reconstruction of the wall that surrounded the city of Jerusalem, it took Nehemiah and his volunteer work team just 52 days to finish the task. What would you do to celebrate a successful completion of a very difficult project? Ezra and Nehemiah choose October 8, 445 B.C. to begin a weeklong festival. The Torah– which are the five Pentateuch Books that Moses scribed, is read each day.
Even though October 8, 445 B.C. is Tishri – the seventh month in the Jewish calendar, this date is also the first day of the Jewish civil year. Even though Nehemiah has only been in the city of Jerusalem for probably a very short time, Nehemiah is named the governor of the city of Jerusalem. Ezra is by this time the resident priest and scribe in the city of Jerusalem. This momentous celebration festival takes place on the Water Gate square. Gals and kids who can understand what is being read join guys on the Water Gate square in the city of Jerusalem to hear the reading of the Torah – or the Book of Law of Moses. This is a break from tradition as only guys ostensibly will normally be the only ones allowed to hear the Torah being read aloud. Ezra begins reading the Torah – reading it from daybreak to noon. As Ezra read the Torah, the guys, gals and kids who are on the Water Gate square listening to Ezra will lift their hands in praise to God. As Ezra is reading the Torah, thirteen enabled Levi instructors – Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah, are mingling among the guys, gals and kids to clarify and/or give meaning to a guy, gal or kid who does not understand what Ezra has just read.
Suppose that you are one day in a place where you are totally into listening to the Bible being read aloud when God – as God the Spirit, suddenly begins to quietly prompt you in His still quiet voice with the realization that your thoughts, words and actions are not always honoring or pleasing to God, how will you react or respond to what you are hearing? God’s specially chosen guys and gals – as the Living Word is convicting them as Ezra is reading from the Torah aloud, begin on October 8, 445 B.C. to mourn and to cry. Verse 10 has what Nehemiah said to his people group guys and gals as they reacted to hearing God’s still quiet voice through the Torah convicting them to make changes in their lives, “Nehemiah said, “‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”’ Nehemiah has been for years one of your grandpaa’s Bible heroes. Your grandpaa thinks that Nehemiah lived his life on planet Earth believing that he is God’s sidekick. Your grandpaa through what he has been taught and what he has learned from the Living Word knows that God has hardwired him with an administrator motivational gift. What is God’s still quiet voice saying to you as you are reading His Living Word that has you filled with joy and peace?
Nehemiah 8 (1110)