June 19, 2023

Nehemiah 8:1-18 (HCSB)
Public Reading of the Law 
When the seventh month  came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, 8 1 all the people gathered together  at the square in front of the Water Gate.  They asked Ezra the scribe  to bring the book of the law of Moses  that the Lord had given Israel. 2 On the first day of the seventh month,  Ezra the priest  brought the law  before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. 3 While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate,  he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively  to the book of the law.  4 Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform  made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted  all the people said, “Amen, Amen!”  Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah,  who were Levites,   explained the law  to the people as they stood in their places. 8 They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. 9 Nehemiah the governor,  Ezra the priest and scribe,  and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day  is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”  For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared,  since today  is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.”  11 And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still,  since today  is holy. Do not grieve.” 12 Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration,  because they had understood the words that were explained to them.
Festival of Booths Observed 
13 On the second day, the family leaders of all the people, along with the priests and Levites,  assembled before Ezra the scribe  to study the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month.  15 So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, just as it is written.”  16 The people went out, brought back branches, and made booths for themselves on each of their rooftops,  and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate,  and the square by the Gate of Ephraim.  17 The whole community that had returned from exile  made booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day.  And there was tremendous joy.  18 Ezra  read out of the book of the law of God  every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly, according to the ordinance.

Patrick Raley
I enjoy reading, and my books of choice are typically US history. My wife will tell you, after I finish a book, I will repeat facts I learned while reading that particular story. While random facts about history may not ever get me anything in life (unless I make it on Jeopardy), the Word of God has the power to radically change everyone’s life. In Nehemiah chapter 8, we have a wonderful story of the power of God’s Word. In this passage, we see the exiled people of Jerusalem back in their homeland, and they had a deep desire to hear the Word. They all assembled and asked to hear it, and when it was read, they listened attentively (vs.3), worshiped (vs.6), and celebrated (vs.12). Think about how you view the Bible. Do you see it as an old history book, or as the living Word of God, capable of changing a nation?
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