Read Nehemiah 8:4-8. How was the reading of the Law done?

There were two groups of 13 men who stood with Ezra during the reading. The first group of 13 (Neh. 8:4) helped to read the Word of God, and the second group of 13 (Neh. 8:7) helped with the understanding of the passages. We do not have any information about how this arrangement worked in the open square; however, the men who helped with the reading possibly held the Torah (Hebrew scrolls were heavy and needed to be unrolled by others) as well as read from it successively, alternating between the readers.

Reading the Word

Because they were reading from morning until midday, they had figured out a way to reach everyone in the square.

The phrases “they gave the sense” and “helped the people to understand the reading” (Neh. 8:8, NKJV) can either refer to interpretation or translation of the passages. Both are just as likely in this instance. The people had returned from Babylon, where they had lived for many years, and the primary language there was Aramaic. Therefore, hearing the Hebrew reading may not have been easy to understand for many, especially the younger generations. At the same time, readers of the Bible can benefit from explanation or commentary. Preaching and explanation make the text come alive and press hearers to apply the information personally.

Read Acts 8:26-38. What happened here that parallels what was happening in Jerusalem in the texts above? What lessons are here for us?

As Protestants, we understand that individual believers must know the Word of God for themselves, and that we must not blindly accept anyone else’s word on biblical truth, regardless of their authority. At the same time, who hasn’t been blessed by having someone help explain the meaning of texts? We need, each one of us, to know what we believe for ourselves, but this doesn’t mean that, at times, we can’t be enlightened by the teachings of others.

Amen!(0)

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Ezra “brought the Law” before the assembly to read. What did he read to them? Only the Ten Commandments over and over for half a day? The reference to the book of the Law is to be understood as the five books of Moses, Genesis through Deuteronomy, known as the Hebrew Torah. The term “law”, therefore, covers only a part of what was included in the reading; it would be better to translate it as “instructions”.

Hearing the Law

They are God’s instructions enabling us to know the path on which we should walk in order not to miss the goal. When Ezra read, the people heard about their history as the people of God, beginning with Creation through the time of Joshua. Through stories, songs, poems, blessings, and laws, they were reminded of their struggles in following God and of God’s faithfulness to them. The Torah includes “law”, but it is more than that; it incorporates the history of the people of God and especially reveals God’s leading. Consequently, it gave the community its roots and identity.

Read Nehemiah 8:3; Deuteronomy 4:1; Deuteronomy 6:3-4; Joshua 1:9; Psalms 1:2; Proverbs 19:20; Ezekiel 37:4; and Matthew 17:5. What do these verses teach us about how we are to interact with the Word of God?

That the people desired to hear the Word of God most likely was the result of Ezra’s reading and teaching the Word since his arrival in Jerusalem some 13 years before. He was dedicated to God’s work and determined to make a difference. The Word of God became real to the people as they kept hearing it from Ezra. As a result, they made a conscious decision to hear and to listen because they were interested in hearing from God. Thus, on this occasion, they approached the Torah with reverence and a desire to learn.

Saturating ourselves in the Word creates a deeper yearning for God in our lives.

Amen!(0)

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Read Nehemiah 8:1-2. What should this tell us about how important the Word of God was to the people?

When the Jews finally completed the building of the wall and moved into Jerusalem, they all gathered in Jerusalem’s open square in the seventh month.

The PeopleGather

The seventh month, the month of Tishri, was perhaps the most important month for the Israelites, as it was dedicated to the Feast of Trumpets (preparation for God’s judgment, 1st day of the month), the Day of Atonement (Judgment day, 10th day oaf the month), and the Feast of Tabernacles (remembering God’s deliverance from Egypt and His provision through the journey in the wilderness, 15th day of the month). The gathering took place on the first day of the month, on which the Feast of Trumpets was celebrated. The leaders called together the men and women of the nation for this special assembly in order, through the reading of the Law, to provide an opportunity for them to learn about their God and history.

The people invited Ezra to bring the book of the Law of Moses before them and to read it. They even constructed a platform, a pulpit, for the occasion. It was not something that the leaders forced on the congregation. On the contrary, “they”, the people, told Ezra to bring the Book. Most likely Ezra read to the people from the books of Moses, which included the law given to Moses on Mount Sinai.

Read Deuteronomy 31:9-13. What did the Lord tell them there, and what lessons can we take from that for ourselves?

In Deuteronomy 31:9-13, Moses told the Israelites that, during the Feast of Tabernacles, they were to gather and read together the Law of God, and it mentions the various groups that should gather: men, women, children, and foreigners living within their gates.

Amen!(0)

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Image © Pacific Press

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Neh. 8:1-8, Deut. 31:9-13, Matt. 17:5, Acts 8:26-38, Neh. 8:9-12, Lev. 23:39-43.

Memory Text: “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8, NKJV).

The Jerusalem wall was finished. With the placement of the gates, the Israelites, under the leadership of Nehemiah, had thus completed the main task. When the wall was completed, the surrounding nations were in awe and recognized that this “was done by . . . God” (Neh. 6:16, NKJV). The enemies realized that the God of Israel was real because, despite the incredible opposition and hatred the Israelites experienced, they still had completed the work they had set out to do.

Following the completion of the wall, Nehemiah appointed a governor of Jerusalem (his brother Hanani) and a leader of the citadel (Hananiah). Both men were chosen based on integrity, trustworthiness, and reverence for God (Neh. 7:2) rather than on genealogy. The wall was completed during the month of Elul (6th month; Neh. 6:15).

What was to be the next order of business? The following chapters of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 8-10) describe an important series of events in the month of Tishri, the 7th month (Neh. 8:2). In these texts we can see examples of how the children of Israel were determined to obey the Word of God and how they rejoiced in it.

Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 9.

Amen!(0)

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Earlier this summer I went to a baseball game with a friend who picked up the tickets earlier. I did not get the opportunity to pay him for my ticket the night of the game, so a few days later I took him to dinner. When the waitress  brought us the check, I took it and paid for both our meals. My friend asked me if I was sure I wanted to do that. I said, “Of course. Remember I owe you for the tickets.” He said, “Nobody owes me for anything.” Meaning he had an attitude of not keeping a record of debts. 

Tuesday’s section of this week’s lesson asks the question, “Have you done wrong to anyone? Most of us, if honest, would have to answer “Yes”. What’s stopping you, in whatever degree possible, from making restitution, even now?”

In 1946 Mora Gregg’s parents checked out a book for her from the Silver Springs Maryland library, called “The Postman.”  Mora, only a toddler fell in love with the pictures, so instead of returning the book, Mora’s family ended up taking the book with them when they moved to Canada. Over the years Mora would see “Silver Springs Public Library” stamped on the inside cover of the book. Finally 73 years later, Mora realized the book was not hers and needed to be returned. She returned the book with a letter of apology. The daily overdue rate would have had Mora owing more than $9,000.00 but it turns out there was a $15.00 cap for late fees. 

Has your conscience ever bothered you about something long ago that you just had to make right. For me it was a simple thank-you note. A lady in the church gave me a nice book journal when I graduated from high school. I failed to write her a thank-you note right away, and it got the point where it was too embarrassing or awkward to write a thank-you note. Over time, I kept thinking about it whenever I saw the book, and my lack of manners made me cringe. Finally in 2004, I was having dinner with friends in Florida and somehow the topic of my neglect came up. I told then how it was still bugging me  that I never wrote a thank-you note to that sweet lady. One friend suggested I go ahead and write a thank-you note now. That’s all the encouragement I needed. That night I mailed her a 20-year-overdue thank-you note. She did not respond to my late note, either because she was too old by then to write, or maybe she was waiting twenty years to respond. She has since passed away. As awkward as it may have been, I am glad I finally wrote the thank-you note. She knew I appreciated it, and it no longer bugs me like it did those twenty years. 

Paul says,

Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. Romans 13:8 NLT

I think this goes for gratitude and respect as much as it does for money and material items. We should not put off making things right today, no matter how we may have waited before.

On the other hand, what if we are the ones who are owed?

While conducting a grief counseling workshop, the issue came up  that sometimes people have guilt because they did someone wrong, and the person the person they did wrong died before they made things right. The survivor struggles with the guilt of never being able to tell them they were sorry and make things right. Matthew 18:21-35 tells the story about a servant who owed his master an incredible sum of money. Interestingly the servant never asks for the debt to be forgiven. He only asks for more time to pay the debt, but his master forgives him without even being asked. That reminds me of Jesus crying out from the cross, “Forgive them, Father!” even though no one was saying they were sorry yet! Peter, who had denied Jesus, was forgiven before he ever had a chance to say he was sorry. In Mark 16:7 an invitation especially mentions Peter, letting him know he  was forgiven before he even had a chance to say he was sorry. 

In the grief counseling workshop, scenarios were brought up, like a child talks back to his father as he leaves for school, and then his father dies in an accident at work before the child had a chance to say sorry. Now the child is left with the guilt of those cruel words being the last thing he said to his father. Sure, we can say the child should have been careful with his words because we never know when that will be the last time we talk to someone. Still, I think Jesus offers another way to heal those feelings of guilt and remorse. What if we were so quick to forgive, without even being asked, that even if we died before someone could ask our forgiveness, they would just know they were forgiven? This is why I think having a spirit of forgiveness is so important. This way if we don’t have the opportunity to formally forgive someone, they will still know they are forgiven, because we were always quick to forgive and never held grudges. 

Like my friend with whom I went to the baseball game and, more importantly, like Jesus, we need to pay our own debts, while freely forgiving all debts owed to us. 

Amen!(0)

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