The Law

The Law

(Nehemiah 7:73b-8:12)

Yearly Theme:  “Joy is…”

Series Title:  “Joy in Returning Home”

August 30^th, 2020

Something to think about:

Andy Stanley says, at “the end of any God-ordained vision is always God,”[1] and I would agree.  I also believe that the returning exiles in Ezra and Nehemiah (in the Old Testament) had come to profoundly experience this.  They had been following Ezra’s lead (and now Nehemiah’s) for some time now.  Nehemiah had been pointing them in a direction that God had planned for them.  And now they had come to the fulfillment of that vision with the towering walls and the secured gates. 

As they took stock of what they had accomplished together – this seemingly impossible task – things began to fall into place for them.  They realized that God had been the driving force all along; it was God who was their protection and strength.  And consistently, it was God who had drawn them together in unity under Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s leadership to stand proudly once again as the people of God.  The capstone on all that God had lead them to was the reading and living the Law of Moses once again as the binding covenant between themselves and God, and this was a cause for celebration and joy.  Which leads to our key point today…

Key Point:  “God’s law brings great joy.”

How did the people of Jerusalem respond when they had finished such a God-sized task?  We’re told that they…

Nehemiah 7:73b – 8:18 (NLT)

     In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, ¹ all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.
     ² So on October 8 Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand.  ³ He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.
     ⁴ Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. To his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.  ⁵ Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.
     ⁶ Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. 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—then instructed the people in the Law while everyone remained in their places.
⁸ They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.
     ⁹ Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
     ¹⁰ And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
     ¹¹ And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.”  ¹² So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Andy Stanley says, at “the end of any God-ordained vision is always God,”[2] and I would agree.  I also believe that the people in Jerusalem had come to a profound experience of this.  They had been following Nehemiah’s lead for some time now.  He had been pointing them in a direction that God had planned for them.  And now they had come to the fulfillment of that vision with the towering walls and the secured gates. 

How did the people of Jerusalem respond when they had finished such a God-sized task?  We’re told that they…

1. They assembled with a  : to hear the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had given for Israel to obey.

2. They all  as Ezra the scribe read the Book of the Law out loud.

3. They  and  the LORD with their faces to the ground.

4. They all  as they  to the words of the Law.

5. They went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to  with great  because they had heard God’s words and  

Something to take home:

Key Point:  “God’s law brings great joy.”

As the people of Jerusalem took stock of what they had accomplished together – this seemingly impossible task – things began to fall into place for them.  They realized that God had been the driving force all along; it was God who was their protection and strength.  And consistently, it was God who had drawn them together in unity under Nehemiah’s leadership to once again stand proudly as the people of God.

Today, if you believe in Christ and the sacrifice he made on the cross – if you believe he died and rose again – you no longer carry the weight and the burden of the sin and oppression that you once did.  It’s gone!  You are free; you are free indeed.  Just like the people of Jerusalem, this is no time for weeping, but a time for rejoicing!  Your foundation is sure.  God is your fortress!

[1] Andy Stanley, Visioneering (Multnomah Publishers: Sisters, Oregon, 1999), 237.

[2] ibid.