Nehemiah 7:4-8:12
Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament, which included
both the covenant and the laws that God had given to the nation of Israel.
These books are sometimes referred to as the Pentateuch today, which means
“five tools or books,“ or the Torah, meaning “the law or instruction.” When Moses
gave his book to the priests, it came with these instructions, “At the end of
every seventh year, the Year of Release, during the Festival of Shelters, you
must read this law to all the people of Israel when they assemble before the
Lord... Call them all together so that they may listen and learn to fear the
Lord your God and carefully obey the terms of this law. Do this so that your
children, who have not known these laws, will hear them and will learn to fear
God. Do this as long as you live in the land...” (Deuteronomy 31:10-13).
In our passage today, the people of Jerusalem were celebrating the
Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Shelters. When the trumpets were sounded, the
people were to gather with their families in the city for a solemn assembly.
The Feast of Shelters (sometimes called Feast of Booths or Tents) was a
celebration of their freedom from slavery in Egypt. The name was derived from
the tents they used in the dessert during the exodus, on their way to Canaan,
the Promised Land.
In accordance with the command of Moses, “the people asked Ezra the
scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had given to
Israel to obey... Ezra stood on a platform in full view of the people. When
they saw him open the book, they rose to their feet,” out of respect for the
words of God (8:1, 5). “From early morning until noon, Ezra read aloud to everyone who
could understand.” While he read, “the Levites instructed the people, clearly
explaining the meaning of what was being read, helping them to understand each passage” (8:3, 7, 8). The people wept
when they heard the words of God and recognized their disobedience to His laws.
Daily Reflection
What similarities do you see between this ceremony and our church
services today?
I liked that the ceremony ended at noon! Perhaps this is where we get
our modern aversion to any preacher that goes past lunchtime! We can’t seem to
focus on an empty stomach!
I found it interesting that while Ezra read the scriptures line by
line, word for word, they were explained to the people. He is the first
recorded person to practice exegesis or expository preaching, that of analyzing
the Word of God, breaking it down verse by verse, and carefully teaching it so
that people could comprehend and apply it. While this practice is not the most
popular in churches today, it is the most effective means of
helping Christians mature in their understanding of the Bible.
While there is nothing wrong with the occasional topical study of the
Bible, what do you see are the benefits of teaching the Bible like Ezra?
Are you seeking to understand God’s Word in this way? Are you exposing
yourself to expository preaching? Be a student. Go deeper!
BiAY.org |Day 262 — 103 Days to Go
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