Nehemiah 8
"The New Community "

Gospelcom Bible Gateway

^"1 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. ²So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. ³Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.⁴So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ⁵And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. ⁷Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. ⁸So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. ⁹And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. ¹⁰Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." ¹¹So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." ¹²And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. ¹³Now on the second day the heads of the fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. ¹⁴And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, ¹⁵and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written." ¹⁶Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. ¹⁸Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner."

INTRODUCTION:

A. There is a spiritual vacuum and spiritual ignorance in Jerusalem that was appalling

B. Do you read the Bible daily? When was the last time that you read it?

I. Rally together (1- 2)

A. Seventh month - Tishri - September

1. Yom Kippur

2. Rosh Ha Shannah (New Years is on the 7th day of Tishri)

B. The scroll is the Torah or Pentateuch

C. Men, women and all that could hear with understanding were listening

D. The entire family is involved and they will both hear and read the Bible

E. They loved the Word of God and the people initiated it

F. Are you concerned about the church in America today?

1. What does church mean to you today?

2. It is not centered on the hearing on the Word of God which leads to illiterate and apathetic believers

3. Are we being dummying down the Scripture

G. Gallup poll

1. 4:10 Americans know that Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount

2. 3:10 teenager know why easter is celebrated

3. Most people in America can't name the four gospels

H. My people perish for lack of knowledge not feeling, four times in the Gospel - "have you not read..", Acts 2:42

I. Spiritual ignorance needs to be corrected but Nehemiah waiting until the people asked

J. Ignorance is not bliss when it concerns

K. Paul said that he did not want us to be ignorant on ...the coming of the Lord, and spiritual gifts

II. Read the Bible (3-8)

A. Notice the length of the day 6 hours for a service

B. Nehemiah had 13 other people assisting him

C. The people were attentive for 6 hours

D. Many of them had not heard this type of teaching for many years and no one had ever heard this type of teaching before.

E. Proverbs 27 "To the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet"

F. Jeremiah 5

III. Revival Occurs (9-18)

A. Reverence for Scripture (5)

1. All genuine revivals being with the Word of God

2. Verse 8 is the hinge verse for expository preaching. The text is given and then the sense of meaning of the text is given

3. There is a big difference from Preaching from the Bible and Preaching the Bible.

B. They Worshipped God (6)

1. I would that every man would lift up holy hands without wrath or doubting

2. I surrender

3. They bowed

a. Sign of submission

b. Shechah - worship

1). Worship is the attitude of your heart over the body

2). The Bible does talk about using the body in worship

3). Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

C. Remorse over sin (9)

1. The preaching of the text was sufficient to strike a responsive chord in their hearts

2. The Holy Spirit was at work

3. They were able to compare their conduct with the standard of Scripture

4. This leads to them weeping and mourning

5. Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost - "the people were cut to the heart"

6. The Word of God cuts into our inner most thoughts and desires and exposes us for what and who we really are

7. When this happens... Let It happens... because God loves us and chastises those whom He loves.

8. It allows us and enable us to grow and mature

D. Joyful fellowship (10)

1. Nehemiah and ezra were encouraged to see the people's reaction but they wanted to encourage them

2. This day is Holy. What day was this? The seventh day of Tishri -- the Feast month. Feast of Trumpets, Feast of Tabernacles in booths, Rosh Ha Shannah, Yom Kippur..

E. Obedience (11-18)

1. Feast of booths - Building booths and live in it for a portion of the day for 7 days

2. This was to remind them of God's providential care while in the wilderness.

3. Every year for 7 days they were to do this (Leviticus 23) but they had not done this since Joshua the son of Nun they had not done this 1000 years with a whole hearted devotion.

4. They read it in the Law and they did it. This is a sign of revival

5. Do you put into practice what the Word of God tells you to do?

APPLICATION:

1. Gather together in your group and read through a book of the Bible in one setting.

2. Stop and discuss the meaning of each chapter

3. Spend an hour in prayer worshipping and adoring of our Lord

4. What did the Scripture reveal to you that you need to change in your life.

MEMORY VERSE: Nehemiah 8:8

⁸So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.