A few weeks back we were reading about how Haggai was called by God to
get the people back on track. They had laid the foundation of the temple but things
stopped there. The house of God sat for 16 years with no progress what-so-ever.
Haggai spoke the Word of the Lord.
Haggai 1:5
“5 Now, the Lord of Hosts says this: “Think carefully about your ways:”
God was telling His people to think about their priorities. They had
stopped lining up their priorities with God’s priorities; instead they were
focused on themselves and their needs. Haggai called to attention the error of
their ways, and we need to make sure to take time to examine our priorities and
make sure we are living our lives in a way that honors God.
This week we read about a revival that took place in Jerusalem among
the Jews who had returned from captivity. Haggai spoke to the first group of
exiles to return and they rebuilt the temple. Roughly 80 years later the second
group of exiles returned home under the leadership of Ezra, as was granted by
king Xerxes who had married Esther.
Ezra 7:6
“ came up from Babylon. He was a
scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given.
The king had granted him everything he requested because the hand of Yahweh his
God was on him.”
When Ezra and the second group of exiles returned it was not what they were
expecting. They had figured that the people of Jerusalem would have started
putting things back together and would be honoring God with their lives. Things
were so bad that Ezra not only ripped his garments as a sign of great sadness,
he also ripped out his hair and his beard. He pleaded with God and humbled
himself.
Ezra 9:6
“And I said: ‘My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to
lift my face toward You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our
heads and our guilt is as high as the heavens.”
Hearing how far they had fallen and Ezra’s crying to
the Lord, led the people of Israel to repent. As God’s people repented and
turned back to Him, His blessings began to fall on them once again.
This should be a great reminder to us of how GREAT
God’s grace is. Generation after generation of the Israelites had turned their
back on God; the people never seemed to learn from what their fathers and
grandfathers endured. Time after time they turned their back on God, yet He
still loved them. God believes in second, third, fourth, fifth, and even
hundredth chances. He was never once soft on sin, but He is soft on His
creation. He does not give us what we deserve. He loves us so much that when we
return to Him and repentant for our sins, He welcomes us with open arms.
Thirteen years after the return of the second group of exiles we find
some messengers from Jerusalem have come back to Persia and were talking to
Nehemiah. He was very curious about those who had returned and the state of
Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 1:3
“3 They said to me, “The remnant in
the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace.
Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down.”
This was horrible news. Back then the walls around the city were all
that protected it from those who wanted to raid and pillage. Jerusalem was in
bad shape and was at great risk of getting worse.
Nehemiah 1:4-7
“4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 I said, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands, 6 let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive to hear Your servant’s prayer that I now pray to You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against You. Both I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave Your servant Moses.”
The final group of exiles returned with Nehemiah with the blessing and provision of the king of Persia. From start to finish, regardless of all the obstacles they faced, the walls were completed in 52 days. They had people stirring up trouble trying to get them to not follow Nehemiah, they had to physically fight off people, and the people struggled to stay focused. Regardless of all that, the wall was complete in a whopping 52 days. Pretty amazing, sounds like they had help from the Man Upstairs.
As the wall was being rebuilt and seeing God work in their lives, the people began to see that they needed God. It has been one hundred and forty years since God’s people had assembled as a nation. Maybe it was a feeling that God was working with them, maybe it was having the sacrificial system in place again, maybe it was worshipping in the rebuilt temple, or maybe it was being reunited as a nation, whatever it was the people of God were seeking Him. They were primed, they were ready, and they asked Ezra to read from God’s Word.
Nehemiah 8:1-12
“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.”
Ezra read the scriptures, the Levites interpreted them, and the people understood and obeyed. After all these years and all the struggles, the people of God had returned to their King. Several things had to happen for the return or revival to take place.
The people of Israel had to come to a point where they wanted to hear God’s Word. To experience revival in our own hearts so that we can spread it we need to first and foremost remember that the Bible is not just a book. It is the Word of the Almighty God! Understanding that this book is filled with God’s words should drive us to respect it. That respect is what motivates us to read the Bible and to live by its teachings.
2 Timothy 3:16
“16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,”
NIV reads ‘All Scripture is God-breathed’
NKJV reads ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God’
Whichever translation you prefer, it is clear that the Bible is God’s book. If we are to experience a revival which must start in our own hearts, we need to treat God’s Word accordingly. We need to respect the Bible and listen to its teachings. We need to read it and live by it!
In our reading from Nehemiah we see the Levites translating what Ezra was reading to the people. See for the most part Hebrew people no longer spoke or understood the Hebrew language. After being in exile for so long, much of their language was lost. Hearing the words spoken was nice, but they had to understand it for revival to take place. The same can be said for us. If we want a revival here in Clark it needs to start with us understanding what the Bible teaches. I mean it is a great start if we can quote this verse or that verse, but knowing what it means changes lives. The people of Jerusalem needed to understand the law so they could see how far they had drifted from it. We need to understand the Bible so we can know where we have fallen short, but also so that we know just how much grace we have been given. They had the Book of Law, we have the entire Old Testament and New Testament. We have the ability to Understand what has happened and what is going to happen. It is through this understanding that leads to action.
So we need to respect the Bible as God breathed Words, we need to understand the Bible, and we need to Obey the Bible.
As the people of Jerusalem was listening to Ezra read the Book of Law they learned that they should be celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. This was to remember the 40 years spent wandering in the wilderness.
Nehemiah 8:13-18
“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.”
When they read about the feat and understood what they were supposed to do they obeyed God and celebrated it. It is not enough to hear the Word of God, it must be obeyed.
James 1:22
“But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
The people of Jerusalem understood that God’s Word called them to do something, to obey. That same message is clearly laid out to us repeatedly in the Old and New Testaments. It is not enough to come to church on Sunday and hear God’s Word. Hopefully you are reading your Bible regularly, but that too is not enough. We need to be ‘doers of the Word.’ It needs to lead to action.
How can you Obey the Word and let it drive you to action?
Respect the Word as God Breathed!
Understand the Word and let it Move You!
Obey the Bible and let it lead to Action!
Respect, Understand, and Obey.
Thank You for Reading!
Our journey through the Old Testament has been wonderful!
Blessings,
Robert
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