Neh 8:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | After we have been through the rebuilding of the wall in Nehemiah 1-7, it is now the time of teaching God’s people. In Nehemiah 8 the Word of God regains its authority after the separation from evil represented in the rebuilding of the wall. When we are in the true position before God, His Word will touch our hearts deeper than when we are in a false position. We only gain insight into God’s thoughts if we are where God wants us to be. It is here that God’s Word is of use, with us as with God’s people in God’s land and in God’s city. There may also be souls in Babylon and Assyria who read the law of God. But there everything is so unnatural, so contrary to what the law says to God’s people. Circumstances make it impossible to give effect to many precepts of the law. The Word in those places does not make the same impression as when they are in a place where it is possible to do so. Truths of Scripture that people cannot live up to because they are outside the land, lose their power and speak little to the heart. Nehemiah 8-10 belong together. They form an intermediate sentence. In Nehemiah 11 the thread with Nehemiah 7:4 is picked up again. In Nehemiah 8-10 the people go through a spiritual process. This is necessary in order to live in the cities in the right spirit. The process begins with listening to God’s Word, which then has a deep effect on the conscience and leads to sanctification. When they examine the law ( ), they find, as it were, something of what they have lost. This is quite late when we consider that these are people who have lived in Israel for at least eighty years. So we are not dealing with people who have just returned from Babylon. In that circumstance we could understand because of their long stay in Babylon they have completely forgotten about the feasts. But even if the people have long since returned to the land that does not mean that God’s Word has authority over lives again and is being examined. Yet God blesses when there is faithfulness. The Israelites are back in their cities. They have regained their place in the land that God has allotted to them. Now they are in the right position to receive God’s blessing through His Word. God’s blessing is always connected with His Word. “All the people” gather ( ; ). The wall is no obstacle for the whole congregation to gather “as one man” in the square in front of the Water Gate. The wall is not there to separate the people, but to protect the house of God. In the same month that the first generation had returned and restored the altar ( ), the people were asking for the law. Divine worship, of which the altar is the symbol, and interest in the Word always go hand in hand. This is where Ezra is again coming forward. Nehemiah and Ezra complement each other and each acknowledges the place of the other. Ezra returned from exile to Jerusalem some fourteen years before Nehemiah. His teaching first had an effect ( ), but its influence slowly faded away. Ezra did not impose himself, but withdrew. Now that his service is being asked again, he is immediately ready to serve. Ezra is asked to bring “the book. It is not about the opinion of Ezra or the teachings of Nehemiah, it is about what God has said. It is a bad thing if human writings or opinions are aligned with Scripture. This is sometimes to be feared in relation to the writings of esteemed brethren. Then you sometimes hear of an appeal being made to what a gifted and authoritative brother has written, as if that were the end of all contradiction. All this time Ezra has been there, but there was no longing for God’s Word. Now that the Spirit is working in a man who is doing the work of God, there is a new longing among the people for the Word of God. Ezra and his ministry are brought in again. Happy is the servant who, like Ezra, can withdraw if his service is not asked for and who is willing to serve if one is ready and asks for it.

‏ Nehemiah 8:1-2

Introduction

After we have been through the rebuilding of the wall in Nehemiah 1-7, it is now the time of teaching God’s people. In Nehemiah 8 the Word of God regains its authority after the separation from evil represented in the rebuilding of the wall. When we are in the true position before God, His Word will touch our hearts deeper than when we are in a false position. We only gain insight into God’s thoughts if we are where God wants us to be. It is here that God’s Word is of use, with us as with God’s people in God’s land and in God’s city.

There may also be souls in Babylon and Assyria who read the law of God. But there everything is so unnatural, so contrary to what the law says to God’s people. Circumstances make it impossible to give effect to many precepts of the law. The Word in those places does not make the same impression as when they are in a place where it is possible to do so. Truths of Scripture that people cannot live up to because they are outside the land, lose their power and speak little to the heart.

Nehemiah 8-10 belong together. They form an intermediate sentence. In Nehemiah 11 the thread with Nehemiah 7:4 is picked up again. In Nehemiah 8-10 the people go through a spiritual process. This is necessary in order to live in the cities in the right spirit. The process begins with listening to God’s Word, which then has a deep effect on the conscience and leads to sanctification.

When they examine the law (Neh 8:13-14), they find, as it were, something of what they have lost. This is quite late when we consider that these are people who have lived in Israel for at least eighty years. So we are not dealing with people who have just returned from Babylon. In that circumstance we could understand because of their long stay in Babylon they have completely forgotten about the feasts. But even if the people have long since returned to the land that does not mean that God’s Word has authority over lives again and is being examined.

Yet God blesses when there is faithfulness. The Israelites are back in their cities. They have regained their place in the land that God has allotted to them. Now they are in the right position to receive God’s blessing through His Word. God’s blessing is always connected with His Word.

As One Man

“All the people” gather (Neh 8:1; Neh 8:3 ; 5 ; 6 ; 9 ; 11 ; 12 ; 13). The wall is no obstacle for the whole congregation to gather “as one man” in the square in front of the Water Gate. The wall is not there to separate the people, but to protect the house of God.

In the same month that the first generation had returned and restored the altar (Ezra 3:1), the people were asking for the law. Divine worship, of which the altar is the symbol, and interest in the Word always go hand in hand. This is where Ezra is again coming forward. Nehemiah and Ezra complement each other and each acknowledges the place of the other. Ezra returned from exile to Jerusalem some fourteen years before Nehemiah. His teaching first had an effect (Ezra 10:11-12 ; 19), but its influence slowly faded away. Ezra did not impose himself, but withdrew. Now that his service is being asked again, he is immediately ready to serve.

Ezra is asked to bring “the book. It is not about the opinion of Ezra or the teachings of Nehemiah, it is about what God has said. It is a bad thing if human writings or opinions are aligned with Scripture. This is sometimes to be feared in relation to the writings of esteemed brethren. Then you sometimes hear of an appeal being made to what a gifted and authoritative brother has written, as if that were the end of all contradiction.

All this time Ezra has been there, but there was no longing for God’s Word. Now that the Spirit is working in a man who is doing the work of God, there is a new longing among the people for the Word of God. Ezra and his ministry are brought in again. Happy is the servant who, like Ezra, can withdraw if his service is not asked for and who is willing to serve if one is ready and asks for it.

Ezra Brings the Law Before the Assembly

It is the first day of the seventh month. On that day the Feast of blowing the trumpet should be celebrated. Yet they do not come together for that. In a time of decay, the first thing to happen is not to restore the feasts, but to re-establish the authority of the Word over the consciences of God’s people.

Ezra comes without delay as soon as he is asked to come. He is as anxious as ever to teach God’s Word to God’s people. He brings the Word to the people, not his own thoughts about the Word. He does not present it as something on which everyone is allowed to have their own opinion; no, he brings “the law before the assembly“.

There is no separate teaching for each group. Men, women and children listen to the same part of God’s Word (Deu 31:12; cf. Jn 8:35). Together they form God’s people. To them, that is to say to everyone who can listen with understanding, Ezra brings the Word. It says nothing about the presence or absence of small children. Nor does it say anything about the possibility of coming together as men or as women or as young people. However, it emphasizes a meeting in which everyone who belongs to God’s people is present to listen to God’s Word. With every revival the Word gets the attention of all the people (2Kgs 23:2).

This is not about personal Bible study, which is also important, but about a meeting in which the whole assembly receives instruction from the Word of God. The shaping through God’s Word is not only focused on the individual believer, but also on the whole. Being engaged together with God’s thoughts is of immense importance for the experience of the unity of God’s people.

In order to listen fruitfully, ‘understanding’ is needed. That is not to say that God’s Word appeals to our intellect, but that a certain spiritual maturity and, above all, a spiritual mind is needed which makes it possible to absorb what comes to us from God’s Word. It does not necessarily mean that we understand everything. It is about the inner conviction that what we hear are words that God speaks, so that we will act accordingly.