Both nature and the Bible give compelling arguments that God wants to be known. He reveals himself.
It should therefore not surprise us that God reveals to us something about those very means of revelation. How else would we understand?
So, while it may seem circular to some, the Bible is a valid and rich source of information about how we should treat special revelation coming from God. The eighth chapter of Nehemiah is crammed with this sort of instruction.
In the Midst of Rebuilding
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are largely about new beginnings. A remnant of Israel has returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. They have rebuilt the altar, the temple, and the city walls, and they are rebuilding the city itself. In the midst of so much building, they are learning how to be God’s people again.
The occasion in Nehemiah 8 is a special month in the Jewish calendar. The first day of the seventh month is the Feast of Trumpets, and later we have the Feast of Booths. On the first of the month, the people call for Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law into the public square (Neh 8:1).
Learning about God’s Word
From the way the people handle, approach, and react to the Law, we can learn much about God’s word.
God’s word has divine authority
The scrolls that Ezra carried into the square before the Water Gate were not merely historical. The people were not just feeling nostalgic. This was “the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel” (Neh 8:1).
God’s word is preserved
The people called for the Law, and—rather remarkably—Ezra had it (Neh 8:2)! Between the devastation that Jerusalem experienced and the decades spent in Babylon, the existence of these scrolls is surprising. Because God wants to be known, he protects and preserves his word.
God’s word is meant to be understood
There is staggering emphasis on understanding the Law in this chapter. Those who gathered were those “who could understand” (Neh 8:3, 4). Levites “helped the people to understand the Law” after Ezra read it (Neh 8:7). “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (Neh 8:8). The people rejoiced greatly “because they had understood the words that were declared to them” (Neh 8:12).
The reading of the Law was no empty religious activity. The people wanted to understand the words from their great God.
God’s word demands sustained attention
Ezra read from the Law “from early morning until midday” and “the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law” (Neh 8:3). This is a long time to stand and listen, but this reading is worthy of such focus.
God’s word is honored
The Israelites constructed a platform for Ezra to stand on for this reading, so they were literally elevating God’s word in front of the people (Neh 8:4). When “Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people,” “all the people stood” (Neh 8:5).
God’s word leads to worship of God
Note what happened after Ezra brought out the scroll.
And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. (Neh 8:6)
God speaks and as the people learn from and about their Sovereign Lord, they are humbled and driven to worship him.
God’s word is understood in community
Trained ministers of the temple—the Levites—moved among the people to give instruction after the reading of the Law was over (Neh 8:7–8). The Israelites “remained in their places” while this happened, so this may have looked like teachers walking through a large crowd and stopping to help small groups.
In the West we sometimes overemphasize the individual nature of religious life. We’d do well to remember the blessings of being among God’s called people.
God’s word brings conviction
As the people heard the words of the Law, they wept (Neh 8:9). They were likely overcome by their sin and moved to confess their violations to God (see Neh 9:3). The Scriptures are not cold or dry. This living and active word sinks a hot poker into our hearts and points us to the deep mercy of God in our conviction.
God’s word is worthy of study
After a long day of hearing the Law and working to understand it, some of the Jewish leaders wanted more. They went back to Ezra the next day “in order to study the words of the Law” (Neh 8:13).
God’s word informs behavior
As a result of this study, the leaders realized they had not been keeping the Feast of Booths properly (Neh 8:17). There was immediate and fruitful application from this study of God’s word as the whole city was brought into obedience.
A Rich Word
There is more to say about the Bible than what is captured in Nehemiah 8, but this is quite a list. I was quieted and convicted as I read this chapter of God’s word, because I don’t always treat the Bible as it deserves. Perhaps you might benefit from a slower meditation on these truths about the Scriptures. Do you believe them? Do they shape the way you and your church approach the Lord?
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