By the opening of Nehemiah 8, the wall around Jerusalem was rebuilt and the people of Israel were settling into towns and homes (Nehemiah 6:15, 7:73). Recognizing that a great feat had been accomplished and that God had placed the exiles (over 40,000 of them!) back in their rightful place, the people filled a town square to hear Ezra the priest read aloud from the Book of the Law (Nehemiah 8:8).
Hearing the Law produced an atmosphere of worship that sparked mourning and repentance on the part of many. The people began to recognize that their time in exile not only separated them from their homeland, but also illustrated their collective rejection of God Himself. The celebration was quickly turning to into a sad scene. However, sensing that this was to be a day holy to God, Ezra and Nehemiah led the people to look beyond themselves to the faithfulness of God who brought them home despite their failures. “The joy of the Lord is your strength,” they told the people (Nehemiah 8:10).
So the people rejoiced and celebrated, because they understood what their leaders had said. As we focus on the importance of Bible Study this week, it is worth noting the centrality of the Law in this scene. The people’s initial reactions were appropriate but they were most God-honoring once they were informed by (and even corrected by) the Scriptures. This is what the Bible does in our lives.
Why do we need the Bible to inform our thinking and our emotions? Can you think of a time when your initial reaction to a circumstance has been corrected by something you read in the Scriptures?
Comments are closed