1 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:11,200 As you're being seated, good evening and open your Bible, 2 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,480 please. The Old Testament Book of 3 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:19,040 Nehemiah, chapter 8 tonight. We've been teaching through the 4 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:23,600 Book of Nehemiah since the tail end of last year, took a break 5 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,640 over Christmas and we'll be finishing it this year. 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:30,040 Obviously. We find ourselves in Chapter 8 7 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:31,640 tonight. The title of the message is 8 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:39,920 People of the Word. I have a question for you. 9 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:44,400 Are you a good listener? We can hear things, but 10 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,160 sometimes we have selective hearing. 11 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,840 I think we often will listen to what we value the most and 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:52,920 things that we don't see as important we're a little more 13 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:59,840 flippant or disregarding of. There's a comic strip called 14 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:04,879 Calvin and Hobes and we find in the 1st frame Calvin is running 15 00:01:04,879 --> 00:01:10,680 around the house chasing Hobes. As we move to the 2nd frame we 16 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:13,200 observe Calvin's mother shouting. 17 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:15,800 Calvin quit charging around the house. 18 00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:20,760 And then of course in the 3rd frame the inevitable happens. 19 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:24,280 We read, we see crash, bash, Biff, bam, all of that. 20 00:01:24,960 --> 00:01:28,440 The cloud of chaos. And then as we come to the 4th 21 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,520 frame, there in the middle of the mess of the disaster, the 22 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,560 broken lamps, the dishevelled furniture, we find Kelvin and 23 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:37,760 his mum yelling. What did I tell you? 24 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:42,040 Kelvin responds. Beats me, weren't you listening 25 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:46,800 either? I think that we've all been 26 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:51,680 there, tuning out the things that we we don't really value. 27 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,400 It always amazed me how in tune my wife was to the cries of our 28 00:01:55,400 --> 00:02:00,040 children when they were younger, you know, and I'd wake up in the 29 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:01,480 morning and I'd say, how did you sleep? 30 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:03,160 So did you not? Not here. 31 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,440 I was up 3-4 times through the night with so and so and and 32 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:11,680 such and such. But she was in tune because she 33 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:14,400 valued, you know, the health and welfare of our children. 34 00:02:14,400 --> 00:02:17,640 Not to say that I didn't, but somehow, conveniently, I slept 35 00:02:17,640 --> 00:02:23,120 through selective hearing. But in Nehemiah chapter 8, my 36 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,840 point is this, that after the walls are rebuilt and it's been 37 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,840 somewhat of a physical miracle, you know, 50 days it took for 38 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,960 Nehemiah and, and the citizens of Jerusalem to be about this 39 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,480 task. But there's a spiritual vacuum. 40 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,240 And the second part of the book now is really about rebuilding 41 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:41,240 the people. And that's what's most important 42 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,600 because you can have all the structures in place, but unless 43 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,800 the people have a heart after God, they won't stand firm. 44 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,520 And ignorance of God's word had left them very vulnerable. 45 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:55,600 It had LED them to the predicament that they found 46 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,280 themselves in some 100 odd years earlier with the captivity into 47 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:01,200 Babylon. And now having returned, 48 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:05,240 Nehemiah sees it as as vastly important that they not repeat 49 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,880 the problems of past generations, that this current 50 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,760 generation prioritised the things of the Lord. 51 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:18,280 And Nehemiah records here for us that actually the people of 52 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:24,800 Jerusalem, the Hebrews, they actually want to hear God's 53 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,360 word. And there's almost like this 54 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:32,680 week long Bible conference that we read of here and a fellow 55 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:37,200 called Ezra who we've kind of had mention of and maybe some of 56 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,320 you are familiar with him. He had come before, but he's a 57 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:44,640 priest and a lawyer, knows the Bible. 58 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:47,960 Well, we could, we could say he stands up before the 59 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:52,840 congregation of some estimates have about 50,000 people and 60 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:55,040 preachers and teachers God's word to them. 61 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:59,600 And they want more and they desire it and they discover some 62 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,960 things that they've not heard before and effects them and they 63 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:06,200 realise we need to change and they want to repent before God. 64 00:04:06,200 --> 00:04:09,560 And there's this wonderful revival that breaks out in the 65 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:13,800 people of Jerusalem. And the main idea that we'll see 66 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,680 in this passage is that true revival comes from God's people 67 00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:22,640 and their hunger for God's Word, a desire to understand it deeply 68 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,040 and to obey it joyfully. That's where transformation 69 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:28,640 comes in hearts and in communities more broadly. 70 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,040 And again, as I've been saying all through the book of 71 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,360 Nehemiah, the temptation is to look at it as as ancient history 72 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,320 as as things that happened. But the Bible tells us things 73 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,040 that always happen. And so we can learn from it 74 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:45,320 tonight about if we were to prioritise in our hearts God and 75 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:48,520 his Word and, and what truth is revealed in there and obey it 76 00:04:48,520 --> 00:04:52,560 when we hear it, when, when we receive it, then watch what 77 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:56,600 revival breaks out. And there's a wonderful result 78 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,120 of this at the end of this chapter in verse 17. 79 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:02,120 And I'll get you to jump ahead there and we'll kind of find 80 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,280 that the answer to it. There's this wonderful thing 81 00:05:05,280 --> 00:05:07,760 that happens in the very last sentence that says, and there 82 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:12,600 was also very great gladness. There was this vibrancy of life 83 00:05:13,280 --> 00:05:16,080 that returned to the city of Jerusalem and the people of God 84 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,680 because their hearts had been turned towards God. 85 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,720 And now there was this injection of just life and living for the 86 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,560 Lord. It was as a consequence of 87 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,040 hearing God's word, of understanding God's Word and 88 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:29,880 obeying God's word. And I don't know about you, but 89 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:34,240 man, that is one of my, my heart's desires is to not just 90 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,760 live life surviving, eking out in existence day after day after 91 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:41,400 day and the next minute while there's another year that's gone 92 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:47,040 by, but rather have my life be 1 of thriving in the Lord, of 93 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:50,480 experiencing the wonder and the joy and the presence of God at 94 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,400 work in my life and in my family's life. 95 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,880 Not to say that there will be bad times, that there won't be 96 00:05:55,880 --> 00:05:58,960 bad times rather than that there won't be difficult times because 97 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:02,080 there will be. But to know that despite those 98 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,880 that the joy of the Lord is my strength and this is the people 99 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:08,960 of Israel here where we catch them in the story and we're 100 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:12,120 going to as we read through Nehemiah exposition verse by 101 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:14,720 verse. See 3 movements broken for us in 102 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,200 verse one to six, the hunger for hearing the word. 103 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:21,800 Secondly, the help for understanding the word in verses 104 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,840 7 to 12. And then thirdly, the heart for 105 00:06:24,840 --> 00:06:27,000 obeying the word verses 13 to 18. 106 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:31,120 Let's consider the first. The chapter opens with revival 107 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:32,760 spark. It's the people's hunger for 108 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:36,400 hearing God's word. Verse one I'm reading out of the 109 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:39,840 new King James Version, Nehemiah 8 says now all the people 110 00:06:39,880 --> 00:06:43,440 gathered together. So there's this massive crowd 111 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:47,120 and they've gathered in this place, it's called the 112 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:50,600 Watergate, as one man in the open square that was in front of 113 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,840 the Watergate. And they told Ezra the scribe to 114 00:06:53,840 --> 00:06:55,480 bring the book of the Law of Moses. 115 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:58,400 That's what we call the Pentateuch, the first five books 116 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,320 of our Old Testament, and then other aspects of what we call 117 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,520 the Torah, which the Lord had commanded Israel. 118 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:09,760 So there's this assembly, there's gathering this this vast 119 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:13,000 body of people, some 50,000 like I said before. 120 00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:17,440 And their unified cry here reflects what we read of the 121 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:22,840 psalmist and the psalmist in Psalm 42 verse as the deer pants 122 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:26,520 for streams of water. So my soul pants for you, my 123 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,720 God, My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 124 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:33,800 And in this post exile context of the building, yes of the 125 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:37,400 walls, there's a stirring up in the hearts of the people. 126 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,520 There's got to be more to life than what we've experienced and 127 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,000 to what got us here as a people in this first instant that we 128 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,760 can affect change and and be the generation. 129 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,160 That is the stopgap. And they realise we need to hear 130 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,440 God's word. And so they call, well, where do 131 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,000 we hear God's word from? Let's call the preacher Ezra. 132 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,920 Bring the skulls, bring God's Word and let us hear Ezra. 133 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,440 You preach and teach us what is in God's Word. 134 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,920 And interestingly, they gathered in a place called the Watergate. 135 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,920 And the Watergate was a place of refreshment near a spring, which 136 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,120 physically, yes, was the case, but now indicates what 137 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,880 spiritually will happen in the hearts of the people. 138 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,400 This refreshing of God's Word upon them as they now come 139 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:25,040 across foundational covenant instructions, long neglected, 140 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,720 but now revived in their midst to be obeyed. 141 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:31,400 Verse 2. So Ezra, the priest brought the 142 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:36,600 law before the assembly of men and noticed women and then look 143 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:39,159 and all who could hear with understanding. 144 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,600 That means that there were children present as well. 145 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:46,480 So this is families gathered, anyone that was of an age to 146 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,000 understand what was being declared by Ezra here and then 147 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,640 later we'll see explained by the Levites and the priests as they 148 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:55,720 would assist Ezra in this capacity. 149 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,960 What a wonderful thing it says on the first day of the month of 150 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:04,840 the 7th month that Ezra brought the law, the assembly of men and 151 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,760 women and all who could understand the timing aligns 152 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:11,760 with a festival that they celebrated called the Feast of 153 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,000 Trumpets, which was interestingly a call to 154 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,600 repentance and new beginnings. We were associated with our new 155 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,240 year. When you start to think about a 156 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,320 New Year's resolutions and go, OK, there's the year that's gone 157 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,840 by and now looking ahead, how are we going to make the most of 158 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:29,800 what lies in front of us? And and that's kind of the 159 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,680 sentiment of the people gathered at this point in time. 160 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:37,680 Notice again the inclusive gathering, everyone capable of 161 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:40,920 comprehension. That is why we promote so much 162 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:43,760 that when parents, your children are an age where you feel like 163 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:47,840 they can join with you as a family in our midst and hear and 164 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:51,080 understand God's word as it's declared man make it happen. 165 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,320 Have them sit here and understand God's word. 166 00:09:54,320 --> 00:09:57,960 But that's also why we recognise that sometimes it needs to be at 167 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,720 their level in the children's church and the kids ministry to 168 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,480 break it down and help them understand a little further. 169 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:08,560 It's one of the the sort of text that we use for what's called 170 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:12,360 expositional preaching here in Nehemiah chapter 8, and also the 171 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:15,840 differentiation of the ministry of God's word appropriate to 172 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:21,520 understanding levels. Verse 3 we read and it says then 173 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:25,040 he read from it in the open square that was in the front of 174 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:27,000 the Watergate. And look at this from morning 175 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,840 until midday. Do you know how long that is? 176 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:37,960 6 hours, I get it, Like, you know, Sunday night is the end of 177 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:40,800 a long day and you're thinking about the week ahead and we go 178 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,880 for an hour and, and it sometimes feels like 600 hours, 179 00:10:44,880 --> 00:10:48,440 doesn't it? But for them, six hours felt 180 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,920 like and seemed like nothing. There was such a hunger for 181 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:56,800 God's word in this gathering, this group of people six hours 182 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:00,560 of sustained focus. The Hebrew word for attentively. 183 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:03,920 I haven't read it yet, but let me do that says before the men 184 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:07,080 and women and those who could understand and the ears of the 185 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:10,200 people were listen to this attentive to the book of the law 186 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:15,320 for six hours that the Hebrew word attentive means this that 187 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:22,640 their ears were strained forward hanging on every word as Ezra 188 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:26,360 was reading out of the law as later on we'll see that the the 189 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,200 priests were describing and unpacking it for them. 190 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,920 They they go, what was that? Oh, let me hear it more. 191 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:35,120 I was like hang on a minute. Let me hear more and they were 192 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:40,440 just dialled in to what was being declared on this occasion 193 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:46,760 and consider in an era without amplification that their 194 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:52,000 attentiveness here underscores such a deep spiritual famine and 195 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:53,880 a thirst within themselves for God's way. 196 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:58,560 Could you imagine the equivalent up the stadium with some 50,000 197 00:11:58,560 --> 00:12:00,840 people? I don't know if you've ever been 198 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:04,400 with a sporting event or so on and the noise of just people 199 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:09,280 present, but 50,000 people that that many embody and and an 200 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,560 individual in the middle of the Oval speaking without 201 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:17,600 amplification and the crowd gathered so hushed and hanging 202 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:21,640 attentively on every word. That's like there's no way 203 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:24,920 that's going to happen. But that's that's the miracle of 204 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:28,120 what we're reading here that they're so desperate to hear 205 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:32,200 God's word declared unto them that they're hanging on every 206 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:37,560 word for six hours in tune. Amazing what we're reading here 207 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:42,480 and verse 4. So Ezra the scribe stood on a 208 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,800 platform of wood which they had made for the purpose. 209 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:48,640 So beforehand it shows some deliberate intent on their part 210 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:54,080 with this occasion ahead of them and beside him at his right hand 211 00:12:54,080 --> 00:13:00,400 were these other individuals which names I won't read, but it 212 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:06,360 describes Ezra on what we might consider a stage and a pulpit. 213 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,720 So these more visible and there's a little amplification 214 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,040 maybe and greater projection of his voice. 215 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,520 But again, the platform crafted specifically for this moment 216 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,400 reflects an intentional preparation on behalf of of 217 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,120 Nehemiah and the other leadership indicated by those 218 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:28,120 names that I didn't read as if they were setting aside time 219 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:30,000 deliberately to study God's Word. 220 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:33,480 It had priority and importance and value to it. 221 00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:40,520 Verse 5 and Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, 222 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:42,880 for he was standing above all the people. 223 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:45,680 And when he opened it, all the people stood up. 224 00:13:46,960 --> 00:13:50,240 That's why we start our services the way that we do when we open 225 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:52,360 with God's Word. Let's stand, let's give 226 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:57,040 reverence to God's word as we read it and declare it together, 227 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:01,160 but captures this moment here, verse 5 as Ezra opens the book, 228 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:05,680 people standing the significance of the reverence physical 229 00:14:05,680 --> 00:14:09,400 posture now mirroring what's going on inside their hearts as 230 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:15,120 they're hungry and thirsty. And and this act see a bit more 231 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,480 like a maybe like a a royal procession. 232 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:22,960 If you're familiar with any of those types of scenarios where 233 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:29,920 people with with deference and a desire to show almost like how 234 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:31,960 we stand for dignitaries respect. 235 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:37,080 This is what's going on in this occasion, sense of all, a 236 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:40,000 reminder that the Scriptures are God's word and this isn't just 237 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:43,160 like a casual reading, but a divine encounter. 238 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,800 And Ezra verse 6, bless the Lord, the great God. 239 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:52,840 And then all the people answered Amen, Amen. 240 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,920 In the Scriptures, Amen is a declaration of so be it. 241 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,760 We're in agreement. When Ezra starts to praise God, 242 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:00,000 they're going, yes, that's right. 243 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,320 This is what we're about. This is what we want to do. 244 00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,720 And there's this progression here from hearing to worship. 245 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:10,120 And they bowed their heads and worship the Lord with their 246 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,680 faces to the ground. Do you see the occasion? 247 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:18,320 You sense the awe, the reverence that the miracle that is taking 248 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:20,720 place? All of this that we've just read 249 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:24,640 in these first 6 verses is, is like a pastor's dream come true. 250 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:31,760 Open your Bible and everybody's always opening the Bible and 251 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,040 they're reading and they're hanging on every word. 252 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:38,280 If I could show sometimes the faces that are coming back from 253 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:41,280 me on a Sunday night on the big screen. 254 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:50,560 I love that you hear and I love that you're you're attentive to 255 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,880 God's Word and that you see it as important that that you value 256 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,920 it. Let me tell you something a 257 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:00,160 great Bible commentator, Warren Wisby said, if you can ever get 258 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,600 your hands on any of his common treats, particularly his B 259 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,880 series thoroughly recommended to you. 260 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:11,120 He said this when God's people get away from loving, reading 261 00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,920 and obeying the word of God, they lose the blessing of God 262 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,600 upon their lives. And this is really now what 263 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:23,080 we're seeing in, in the lives and the hearts of the people of 264 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:26,960 Jerusalem and, and of the Hebrews as a whole, there is a 265 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:33,400 return to valuing God's word and a desire to hear it and hunger 266 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:37,120 and a thirst for it. Now, as a, as a pastor, I've, 267 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,040 I've taught the Bible a lot of Sundays. 268 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:43,080 And my desire is that when you come to church that you hear the 269 00:16:43,080 --> 00:16:47,880 word of the Lord, not, you know, pithy, cute sayings, and not 270 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,280 just the philosophies of men, and not just story after story, 271 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:55,800 but that the Bible is opened. The Bible is read from, 272 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:58,480 expounded upon and applied to your lives. 273 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:02,480 And again, that's that's why we do what we do here and why we 274 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,440 value the preaching and teaching of God's Word. 275 00:17:06,079 --> 00:17:07,560 But you know, that's not enough either. 276 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:10,200 You need to take your Bible home. 277 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,680 You need to read it and be in it every day. 278 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,520 If we want to be like what the psalmist declared in Psalm One, 279 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:23,200 verse 2, that we need to delight in the law of the Lord and in 280 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,440 his Lord. Does he meditate day and night 281 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:28,079 and be like the fruitful trees that the psalmist writes of? 282 00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:31,440 Then, then we've got to be people of the Word, hungry and 283 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:35,960 thirsty for the Word. Incidentally, I heard someone 284 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,120 speaking about this at the beginning of the service. 285 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:44,040 The word in Psalm 1-2 that's used here for meditate, you 286 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:48,320 know, is the same word used for a cow when when chewing its cud 287 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,400 and just through that three stomach system that they've got 288 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:55,720 of regurgitating and just getting every ounce of nutrition 289 00:17:56,600 --> 00:17:58,200 out of that that they're chewing on. 290 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,120 And, and when we meditate on God's word, the purpose of 291 00:18:01,120 --> 00:18:03,920 reading it is to go. What is it that God has for me 292 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:08,120 in the Scripture that I need to know that is going to provide 293 00:18:08,160 --> 00:18:11,880 spiritual nutrition for the most important part of me, my 294 00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:17,680 spiritual man? Feeding upon the word of God and 295 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,560 letting it be absorbed into your life is so important. 296 00:18:21,480 --> 00:18:24,320 And it's important to note here that Ezra and Nehemiah put the 297 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:29,840 word of God first in the lives of the city and what happened. 298 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:35,400 As we'll read the future chapters in this pivotal moment 299 00:18:35,400 --> 00:18:39,560 in Jerusalem and the life of the people there is a byproduct of 300 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:41,280 their response to the Scriptures. 301 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:45,960 Another Bible commentator, preacher Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones, 302 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,600 said this, that the primary task of the church and of the 303 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,840 Christian minister is the preaching of the word of God. 304 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,320 And then making a comment on history, he said that the 305 00:18:56,320 --> 00:19:00,400 decadent periods and eras in the history of the church have 306 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:03,320 always been those periods when preaching had declined. 307 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,760 So in our personal lives, you know, you're gathered here 308 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:10,280 tonight and you're going, OK, what? 309 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:13,800 What do I need to learn out of this to apply to me 310 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:17,680 specifically, you and I? We need to, and I hope you're 311 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:21,840 seeing it, we need to have the same hearts cry and desire and 312 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,760 yearning of the people of Nehemiah's day here. 313 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,440 Oh, give me God's word. Oh God, I need your word that 314 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:33,920 that's in essence what they're about here. 315 00:19:34,360 --> 00:19:38,720 And we need to bring back the book into our homes, the book of 316 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:47,160 the Bible and God's Word to have devotions be a priority to go to 317 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:51,160 God's word in our decision making with our problems when 318 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,960 when seeking wisdom for things that we don't know what to do. 319 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,840 God, what does your word say? Help me instruct me in that. 320 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,000 Help me to know how to live. You know, as husbands, the 321 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:06,760 Bible's very clear for us on on how we're and what our 322 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:11,400 responsibility is to our wives. And as wives, the Bible is very 323 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:15,280 clear about how we're to live and what our responsibility is 324 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:20,560 to husbands. How do we relate to one another 325 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:22,960 in a marriage relationship? You know what the Bible tells us 326 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,800 that as a parent, the Bible tells us how to raise our 327 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:30,120 children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, tells us 328 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:33,200 how to love them, how to disciple them, how to discipline 329 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:35,920 them, how to train them, how to bring them up. 330 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:41,120 And if we're, we're single, if we're, we're working in in all 331 00:20:41,120 --> 00:20:44,240 phases and stages of life, you can go to God's word and find 332 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:50,600 relevance to what you need. The Bible tells us what is right 333 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:52,880 and what is wrong. The Scripture is up for you to 334 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:54,880 see. But in second Timothy chapter 3, 335 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,400 verse 16 and 17, it says all Scripture. 336 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:02,320 That's all of the Bible. It's given by inspiration that 337 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:06,640 that it comes from God. It's profitable. 338 00:21:06,640 --> 00:21:08,440 That means beneficial for doctrine. 339 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:10,880 That is what is right. I mean what, what do I do? 340 00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:15,560 How do I, I, I need to know the Bible has it for reproof. 341 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:18,360 What, what do I, I not do? What? 342 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:21,440 What do I avoid? What is wrong for correction? 343 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:23,360 How to get right? OK, I know what's right and I've 344 00:21:23,360 --> 00:21:26,000 been doing wrong. How do I head towards what is 345 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:27,880 right? God help me in that the Bible 346 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:31,280 has the answers for instruction in righteousness. 347 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:36,040 How do I make that doing this right, not a one off so that I'm 348 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:40,720 always living right before God and here's the goal of it that 349 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,360 the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all 350 00:21:44,360 --> 00:21:47,920 good works. The Bible tells us what we need 351 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,680 for life and godliness. Second, Peter one verse 3 352 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,480 indicates that I don't know if you've ever taken a trip 353 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:57,080 somewhere as you've been driving and you didn't know how to get 354 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:59,400 there. So if you use some kind of AGPS 355 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,760 navigation in the old days, you pulled out the map or the street 356 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,560 directory. I remember when first getting my 357 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,720 licence of, you know, pouring over that and having my piece of 358 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:11,240 paper with the lefts and the rights at this street and so on. 359 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,680 And that was the path that I was going and didn't matter what was 360 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:16,560 happening because that was how it was written down. 361 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:20,880 But then, you know, people who refuse to look at any kind of 362 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:24,440 GPS or map, don't they? I'll just, I'll just find my way 363 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,280 and, and, and you know, we'll get there eventually. 364 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:31,440 I just think that's so dumb. And yet how many people live 365 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:35,880 their lives like that? You know you get married, have 366 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:41,840 children, don't know what you're doing, go to work, don't know 367 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:45,240 how to relate to your boss, don't know how to live lives 368 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:49,120 when all the while the instruction manual, the Bible is 369 00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:52,640 there collecting dust on the shelf or on the coffee table and 370 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:58,120 the whole life is falling apart as a consequence, taking a 371 00:22:58,120 --> 00:23:02,440 massive detour and the instruction manual for all of 372 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,680 life is neglected. God's word. 373 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:09,960 And so this week in considering all of that and what we've read 374 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:14,600 in these first 6 verses and the importance of God's Word, I 375 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:20,240 encourage you to live it, You know, cultivate a hunger for 376 00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:24,200 God's Word this week by preparing intentionally. 377 00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:26,680 And we saw that they had prepared intentionally. 378 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:28,920 They built the platforms. Ezra, this is where you're going 379 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:30,280 to preach. And we know that there's going 380 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:33,000 to be thousands of people gathered and we need in advance 381 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,480 some some thought to it. And you know, we can do that. 382 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:36,880 We can be deliberate about going. 383 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:39,800 You know what, I'm going to tomorrow read God's Word. 384 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,200 I'm going to open up to what I read tonight. 385 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,640 I'm going to set a little place aside and, and have that be 386 00:23:45,640 --> 00:23:49,640 intentional, a sacred space, maybe even read aloud God's 387 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,680 word, stand up like they did and, and show the reverence. 388 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:57,680 I don't know what whatever it takes for you to prioritise a 389 00:23:57,680 --> 00:23:59,440 hunger and a thirst for God's word. 390 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,800 You know, if distraction creeps over and you know you're tired 391 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:06,160 in the morning and you're tired in the evening when you read the 392 00:24:06,200 --> 00:24:09,560 the Word and your eyes start to fog over, you know, as that 393 00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:15,520 brain cloud settles in Psalm 119, verse 18, maybe even pray 394 00:24:15,520 --> 00:24:20,560 this, open my eyes, O Lord, that I may behold wondrous things out 395 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:25,680 of your law. You know, hunger isn't 396 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:29,680 accidental. It's pursued and it starts 397 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:34,920 revival in your heart today. Well, they've got that hunger, 398 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:37,640 but there's something that needs to be done with that hunger. 399 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:40,320 And so there's a help for them now in understanding the Word. 400 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:46,120 We see that in verses 7 to 12, Verse 7, I'm going to try and 401 00:24:46,120 --> 00:24:50,840 read these names also, Jeshua, Bani, Sharabaya, Jamin, Akubh, 402 00:24:51,280 --> 00:24:55,240 Shebathai, Hodaja, Messiah. Now I'm going to stop. 403 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:00,880 But I do want to read this. And the Levites says help the 404 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:05,640 people to understand the law and the people stood in their place. 405 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:12,480 Ancient times when God's word would be read out, the people 406 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:14,840 would stand. We kind of have it in reverse 407 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:18,920 that we sit and, you know, the preaching happens with the one 408 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:23,360 person standing. There's a listing of these 409 00:25:23,360 --> 00:25:27,800 Levites, some 13 named and they help to circulate and break down 410 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:31,240 what Ezra is reading and declaring into smaller groups 411 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:35,080 for those gathered and present. And this collaborative effort 412 00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:40,640 has this idea of ensuring that no one is left behind, that 413 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,560 maybe, you know, in the the 50 odd thousand that are gathered, 414 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,640 that they've been short of hearing something that that 415 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,320 relay effect has gone on. But there's more to it in this 416 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,160 this sense that there's this modelling of a communal 417 00:25:53,760 --> 00:25:57,520 corporate gathering experience like what we're participating in 418 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:02,520 tonight and doing verse 8. This is one of my favourite 419 00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:06,840 verses that says this. So they read distinctly from the 420 00:26:06,840 --> 00:26:13,680 book in the law of God and they gave the sense and help them to 421 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:19,160 understand the reading explains they read from the book. 422 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:24,920 So the Pentateuch, the Torah made it clear, OK, did you catch 423 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:26,680 all of those words? This is what I meant. 424 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:27,960 What? What does that word mean? 425 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,000 OK. And now made the meaning so that 426 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:33,600 they understood what was in the law. 427 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:38,400 And this is going beyond recitation that they're doing 428 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:40,200 here. This is what we call exposition, 429 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:47,520 dividing sections, translating maybe the the post exile, the 430 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:50,640 more Aramaic in understanding and language. 431 00:26:50,840 --> 00:26:53,760 The Hebrew is now becoming a priority, interpreting the 432 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:57,040 context of the passages of what was read, applying principles. 433 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,280 The Hebrew in the phrase that we have in English where it says 434 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:05,120 gave the sense suggests a careful passing like dissecting 435 00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:08,600 a complex text. So it's quite high level 436 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,040 analysis of the Scripture that is taking place here in this 437 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:15,400 gathering, in this group. Sometimes there's been 438 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:19,440 criticisms of of church in, in our teaching here of oh man, 439 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,520 they just break it down and belabour the text and analyse it 440 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:24,680 too deep. No, This is why we do what we do 441 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:28,280 here because it's biblical comes out of this verse and it's 442 00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:30,600 important for us to understand the text. 443 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,040 Just as these 50 odd thousand people were having broken down 444 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,120 the text of Scripture back then for them some thousands of years 445 00:27:37,120 --> 00:27:43,760 ago, and this time of spiritual ignorance is now making way for 446 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:46,360 them hearing and understanding God's word. 447 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,880 And they were what Second Timothy 215 calls us to do 448 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:55,480 rightly now dividing the truth, being diligent to present 449 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:58,200 themselves approved to God, a worker who does not need to be 450 00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:00,840 ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 451 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:05,360 So verse 9 records that Nehemiah, Ezra and the Levites 452 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:08,160 say this day is holy to the Lord your God. 453 00:28:08,760 --> 00:28:11,440 Do not mourn or weep. Because as the people were 454 00:28:11,440 --> 00:28:14,560 hearing God's word, many for the first time, you know what was 455 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,120 happening. They were realising, oh man, 456 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:20,760 I've blown it here, I've blown it there, I've blown it there. 457 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:23,560 I've blown it in this and God is going to judge me. 458 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:25,520 I'm freaking out. I'm crying out. 459 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:29,560 God, God saved me, God help me. They're mourning and repenting 460 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:32,840 for what they out of their ignorance of God's word hadn't 461 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:34,320 heard. And now they're hearing and 462 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,680 it's, it's hitting and impacting them like the two edged sword 463 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,640 that God's word is penetrating deep to the soul asunder. 464 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,640 You see, the law exposes sin, stirs conviction in our hearts 465 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,200 like a mirror revealing flaws and the people rightly react in 466 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:54,760 this way. But you know what Nehemiah and 467 00:28:54,760 --> 00:28:58,760 Ezra and the other leaders, they redirect the holiness and the 468 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:01,680 response of the people to the day and to the occasion that the 469 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,280 trumpet feast, which was to be a celebration of joy. 470 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,600 And so in verse 10 we read. Then he said to them, go your 471 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:12,720 way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to 472 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:14,400 those for whom nothing is prepared. 473 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:16,600 For this day is holy to our Lord. 474 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:21,640 Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength near 475 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:24,920 my commands of celebration. I get that you're broken, that 476 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:28,160 you're you're now hearing God's word and it's doing what it 477 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,440 needs to do. But let's now turn that 478 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:34,880 repentance to the joy that can be found in God as our Saviour. 479 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:37,800 That's really what's what's underneath all of this in verse 480 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,320 10. The joy of the Lord is strength. 481 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:43,960 This count as the despair as the Lord is convicting, but God's 482 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,720 joy, his delight in them and his delight in US. 483 00:29:47,040 --> 00:29:52,080 Zephaniah 317 empowers them and this strength can only flow out 484 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:56,520 from rejoicing in the fact that God ultimately forgives sinners 485 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:01,760 who seek repentance because of Jesus finished work on the cross 486 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:04,800 and that's you and I tonight as believers. 487 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:10,400 Verse 11 and so the Levites quieted all the people saying be 488 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:12,720 still for the day as holy do not be grieved. 489 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:16,040 Verse 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to 490 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:19,720 send portions and rejoice greatly because they, as a 491 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,120 result, understood the words that were declared to them. 492 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:30,520 So this is a model, these verses for any who would teach and 493 00:30:30,520 --> 00:30:33,840 preach the Bible. Again, this is what we call 494 00:30:33,840 --> 00:30:40,680 expository preaching. Read OK, read it, explain it, 495 00:30:41,040 --> 00:30:45,080 understand it, now apply it, live it out. 496 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:51,280 So as a pastor, it's always my job to read the Bible, to 497 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:57,200 explain the Bible, and to help apply the Bible for you. 498 00:30:57,720 --> 00:30:59,240 Again, it's why we do what we do. 499 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:04,040 In verses 237 and eight, you find the word. 500 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:07,440 I've got it highlighted in my Bible understanding. 501 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,480 We all need to understand the Bible. 502 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,800 It's not just for the pastor. Well, you know, he's the one 503 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:17,200 that that needs to understand it. 504 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:21,560 We all need you need to understand the Bible. 505 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:26,480 It's for every believer to know the Bible, and the Bible should 506 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:34,080 be read for all and sundry. There's this wonderful story, I 507 00:31:34,080 --> 00:31:38,040 love it, about a guy called William Tyndale, who's a priest 508 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:40,200 in the Catholic Church who believed that the Bible should 509 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:44,920 be read by all people and understood by all people. 510 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:51,000 It was actually against the law back then for the church, the 511 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,160 Catholic Church, to print the Bible. 512 00:31:53,520 --> 00:31:58,720 And so he left England and printed Bibles in Germany and 513 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:00,320 then smuggled them back into England. 514 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:06,640 And his goal in life was that the average farmer, the average 515 00:32:06,640 --> 00:32:12,040 worker, not just the the educated elite few, would be 516 00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:15,280 able to know the Bible as well as the priest in the local 517 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:19,160 church. And through William Tyndale's 518 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,800 efforts in ministry, the Word of God saved England from civil war 519 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:26,520 that was about to erupt, even though it cost him his life. 520 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:30,280 That's how dedicated and devoted he was to this ministry. 521 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:34,440 It's up on the screen. Woodrow Crowell. 522 00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,400 In his book, Back to the Bible, he lists three things that you 523 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:41,600 and I need to stop the spread of biblical illiteracy in its 524 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:43,760 tracks. You need #1A book. 525 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,920 You need a Bible. Seems so obvious for us as 526 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:51,680 Christians, but make it your best friend. 527 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:58,040 Spend time with it, he says. Secondly, you need a nook. 528 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:04,120 It's kind of old antiquated language for us, but a place 529 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:09,840 where you can actually get alone with God and spend quality time 530 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:13,320 in His Word. Do you have a space in your 531 00:33:13,320 --> 00:33:17,800 house somewhere where that is where you go when, when you need 532 00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:22,040 to press in to God? You know, that's that's where I 533 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:24,200 read the Bible. That's that's just a special 534 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:27,280 sacred space for me. Not that other spaces aren't, 535 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:31,320 but it's a particularly set aside place where now this is my 536 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:36,520 my nook where I take the book, the Bible, and I can now look 537 00:33:36,520 --> 00:33:40,680 and spend time thirdly, looking into the word of God. 538 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,480 So live that out this week. You're hungry, you're thirsty 539 00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:48,560 for God's Word. Great. 540 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:53,120 Secondly, seek understanding. OK, I need to know your word 541 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:56,920 more. I need to be a person that has 542 00:33:56,920 --> 00:34:03,280 devoted a student of the word. So may I state the obvious, Read 543 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:07,760 the Bible. Read the Bible. 544 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:14,840 And if I had a dollar for every time I asked somebody, have you 545 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:17,520 been reading your Bible this week and they said no, I would 546 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:21,159 be a wealthy man. But read the Bible. 547 00:34:21,679 --> 00:34:25,080 Read the Bible now. We've got so many aids in our 548 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:29,360 modern day and age at our fingertips to be in God's word. 549 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:32,960 Well, I'm not a reader. Hey, guess what, there's audio 550 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:36,600 versions of the Bible. Well, I just don't like pages. 551 00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:38,600 Hey, guess what? The digital versions of the 552 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:43,199 Bible can have it on your device and you can have great Bible 553 00:34:43,199 --> 00:34:45,320 teaching available to help you understand. 554 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:48,679 And there's podcasts and you know YouTube is filled with many 555 00:34:48,679 --> 00:34:50,400 great teachers and preachers of God's Word. 556 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:53,560 If you're not sure who to listen to, hey, come and ask and I'll 557 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,239 point you in the direction of some that would be valuable to 558 00:34:56,239 --> 00:35:03,160 help you understand God's Word. And then when you read the Word 559 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:07,720 and something out of the word comes and it will happen and you 560 00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:11,440 begin to like the people start to mourn and and break for the 561 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:14,680 things that are that are being revealed to you about the the 562 00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:17,960 contrast in your life to what you know you should be living as 563 00:35:17,960 --> 00:35:21,520 God's word reveals it. Then stop, pivot, repent, go. 564 00:35:21,520 --> 00:35:24,520 God, help me now to live and obey your truth. 565 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,760 How do you do this? And so if God is speaking to you 566 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:35,000 through his word and and you listen and you repent and you 567 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:36,920 confess your sin, Oh God, that's me. 568 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:39,920 That's, that's what I'm doing. And or God, that's not what I'm 569 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,760 doing and I should be doing. I confess that to you. 570 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:47,160 You know, for example, you find yourself not loving, loving your 571 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:51,600 wife as God wants you to be. Then ask God forgive and then 572 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:54,480 help me now to put into practise what I need to be living. 573 00:35:56,840 --> 00:36:00,000 Ask God to forgive and then to start by being obedient. 574 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,200 Do what the Bible says. And when you do that, you know 575 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:06,280 what happens is the joy of the Lord is your strength to do 576 00:36:06,280 --> 00:36:08,840 that. There's this wonderful thing 577 00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:12,200 that comes over you of, of going, yeah, it is right, it is 578 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:13,920 good. It is it is proper and 579 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:15,880 appropriate for me to now be doing this. 580 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:19,120 And there's this energising that takes place. 581 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:21,520 It's the joy of the Lord that is now your strength. 582 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:29,440 Warren Weersby said again, it is wrong to mourn when God has 583 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:33,640 forgiven us, just as it is wrong to rejoice when sin has 584 00:36:33,640 --> 00:36:37,560 conquered us. But you know, Psalm 30, verse 5 585 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:40,280 puts it this way. Weeping may endure for a night, 586 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:44,520 but joy comes in the morning. Trust that God will do the 587 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:48,560 transformation in your life when you surrender and submit to Him 588 00:36:48,560 --> 00:36:52,560 and say, God now enable me and empower me and strengthen me to 589 00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:55,080 be obedient to what Your Word says. 590 00:36:57,760 --> 00:36:59,520 So May God help us to understand. 591 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,320 May God help us to obey His work this week. 592 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:07,320 And then lastly, this point here, from verses 13 to 18, 593 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:10,080 we'll move through quite quickly the heart for obeying the word. 594 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,120 There's this spark now in the people as they come across 595 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:17,560 things that well, we'll read it as understanding ignites a heart 596 00:37:17,560 --> 00:37:19,360 within them for obeying the word. 597 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:25,120 Verse 13 now on the second day, the heads of the Father's house. 598 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:30,280 So now all of the elders, all of the leaders, anybody who's a 599 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:35,200 who's who in society realises, man, we need to get things 600 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:37,920 right. And so they gather and they see 601 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:41,600 how important it is. And it says that they come with 602 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:43,960 the priests and the Levites. They were gathered to Ezra the 603 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:45,720 scribe. In order to understand the words 604 00:37:45,720 --> 00:37:47,840 of the law man, we need to know this. 605 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:53,520 Ezra, help us in verse 14, they found written in the law which 606 00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:56,640 the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel 607 00:37:56,640 --> 00:37:59,440 should dwell in booths during the feast of the 7th month. 608 00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:02,320 So there's something that they ought to have been doing now in 609 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:05,760 their 7th month that they weren't doing and then we'll 610 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:09,040 read later that they had not done since the time of Joshua. 611 00:38:09,960 --> 00:38:13,880 So think about this. All of the time of the judges, 612 00:38:14,080 --> 00:38:17,480 all of the time of King Saul, King David, King Solomon, all of 613 00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:20,800 the kings in Israel in the north, and kings in Judah up 614 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:23,880 through into the captivity. Up until now, the people of 615 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:27,120 Israel had never observed this feast of Booths. 616 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,040 Now that we're going to read of that, they're realising we ought 617 00:38:30,040 --> 00:38:32,040 to have been doing in this the 7th month. 618 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,160 Because it's written in God's Word we need to obey it. 619 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:39,120 So this feast of booths feast of Tabernacles. 620 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:45,000 It's also called was a time to remember God having delivered 621 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,040 them out of Egypt as they were travelling through and 622 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:51,800 Tabernacles speak of a temporary living and existence and and 623 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,960 these booths here, but it had been neglected for generations. 624 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,320 And so it sparks this immediate action on their part going well, 625 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:03,280 we need to effect some change. And so they proclaim at verse 15 626 00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:06,840 that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and 627 00:39:06,840 --> 00:39:09,120 in Jerusalem saying go out to the mountain, bring olive 628 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:12,640 branches, branches of oil trees, Myrtle branches, palm branches, 629 00:39:12,640 --> 00:39:15,600 branches of leafy trees to make booths as it is written. 630 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:20,120 And then the people went out, verse 16 and obeyed basically 631 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:25,640 and made all of these in their rooftops, the courtyards, the 632 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:28,920 courts of the House of God, the open square of the Watergate, 633 00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:31,440 the open square. So you can see it just permeates 634 00:39:31,720 --> 00:39:35,800 everywhere in society. Everybody is obeying. 635 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:39,080 There's revival sparks in the midst of the people. 636 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,600 So the whole assembly, verse 17 of those who've returned from 637 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:46,240 the captivity made booths and sat under the booths for since 638 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:49,200 the days of Joshua, the son of Nun, until the day the children 639 00:39:49,200 --> 00:39:55,600 of Israel had not done so. And again, there was very great 640 00:39:55,600 --> 00:40:00,320 gladness. And then look verse 18 and also 641 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:04,040 and it's almost like Nehemiah adds and a little by the by. 642 00:40:04,840 --> 00:40:08,160 While this is happening, let me tell you what also was going on. 643 00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:11,600 And he says, and then day by day from the first day. 644 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:16,560 So when Ezra was invited to read at the beginning until the last 645 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:18,760 day, he read from the book of the law of God. 646 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:21,400 So all the while that this is happening, Ezra's up there on 647 00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:24,520 the platform reading and preaching and teaching God's 648 00:40:24,520 --> 00:40:28,120 Word. A A7 day, week long Bible 649 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:32,320 conference taking place in their midst and they kept the feast 7 650 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:35,360 days and on the 8th day there was a sacred assembly according 651 00:40:35,360 --> 00:40:40,920 to the prescribed manner. Wow, you feel? 652 00:40:40,920 --> 00:40:45,240 Do you see the transformation here in the people from 653 00:40:45,240 --> 00:40:49,520 ignorance to tense, from rediscovery to rejoicing? 654 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:56,520 I've got to admit, in studying this through this week, it was 655 00:40:56,520 --> 00:41:00,600 pretty convicting in many respects and reading this 656 00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:05,600 chapter it caused me to ask the question, do I obey God's word 657 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:12,320 as promptly as I'm reading they do here or do I rationalise 658 00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:16,160 delay some? Sometimes, you know, I'll get 659 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:19,880 round to it or yeah, I can. I can kind of see the truth to 660 00:41:19,880 --> 00:41:21,880 it, but you know, I'm not convinced yet. 661 00:41:22,040 --> 00:41:27,480 I need more convincing, but it's also inspiring too. 662 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:29,400 In reading, man, I was looking at it and going. 663 00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:33,680 I was trying to picture myself in in that setting and in my 664 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:38,760 family in that moment and of me being in the crowd as Ezra is 665 00:41:38,760 --> 00:41:41,760 preaching, as the Levites are making the understanding, the 666 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:44,640 explanation known. And where would I be in that 667 00:41:44,640 --> 00:41:47,800 picture and finding myself asking the questions and, and 668 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:51,600 how would I react and seeing my neighbours hungry and thirsty 669 00:41:51,600 --> 00:41:54,840 for the things of God, of seeing my children hungry and thirsty 670 00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:57,840 for the things of God of my brothers and sisters and, and 671 00:41:57,840 --> 00:42:00,400 all of the people that I live with, just this hunger and 672 00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:01,360 thirst. And you know what? 673 00:42:01,360 --> 00:42:05,200 You got me excited of going. Why not here? 674 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:09,720 Why not now in our midst, in our day? 675 00:42:10,720 --> 00:42:14,120 And, and I'm so thankful for what I'm seeing tonight of 676 00:42:14,120 --> 00:42:17,120 people gathered, hungry and thirsty for God's word, of what 677 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:20,200 I'm seeing God do in our church when we're we're gathering on a 678 00:42:20,200 --> 00:42:23,280 Sunday morning of when we're gathered in a Wednesday evening, 679 00:42:23,280 --> 00:42:25,840 of what God's doing in the hearts of the youth on Friday 680 00:42:25,840 --> 00:42:28,680 when they gather and when the ladies gather on Tuesdays. 681 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:30,840 And you know what? I want more? 682 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:33,280 You know what? God wants more. 683 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:36,840 And God desires for us to be people who are hungry and 684 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:40,240 thirsty for His Word, to understand it and to be obedient 685 00:42:40,240 --> 00:42:41,080 to it. Why? 686 00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:44,960 Because there's such a blessing to be found for us in it. 687 00:42:48,040 --> 00:42:51,320 I love talking to some of the more seasoned Saints in our 688 00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:56,240 midst who've lived long lives serving the Lord and who can 689 00:42:56,240 --> 00:43:00,640 tell you story after story of God's faithfulness, of how God 690 00:43:00,640 --> 00:43:03,240 has loved them, how God has been with them, of how God has 691 00:43:03,240 --> 00:43:06,920 nurtured them, and of how God's Word has come alive in times of 692 00:43:06,920 --> 00:43:09,680 difficulty in their in their lives and experiences they've 693 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:14,720 gone through. What a wonderful testimony to a 694 00:43:14,720 --> 00:43:18,000 life lived that is hungry and thirsty for God's Word, that 695 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:20,480 desires to understand it and is obedient to it. 696 00:43:23,680 --> 00:43:27,760 So Nehemiah chapter 8 ignites a revival in the hearts and lives 697 00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:32,400 of the people through hunger for hearing the Word, the help that 698 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:36,640 came for understanding the Word, and then the heart for obeying 699 00:43:36,640 --> 00:43:40,440 it. You know, all of this, as I do 700 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:42,960 each week, needs to come back to Jesus. 701 00:43:43,640 --> 00:43:47,200 And this isn't just a a token thing at the end of our messages 702 00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:49,800 through Nehemiah that I want us to see, but I want us to 703 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:53,520 understand that our focus, that our priority is Jesus. 704 00:43:54,560 --> 00:43:58,080 Here's the living word. The Bible tells us that, you 705 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:01,640 know that the Bible tells us that Jesus also hungered for 706 00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:05,800 Scripture. We read in in Matthew chapter 4 707 00:44:05,800 --> 00:44:10,480 when he was tempted 40 days in the wilderness and the enemy 708 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:14,360 came right when when Jesus was at his weakest physically and 709 00:44:14,880 --> 00:44:18,600 and most vulnerable. And what did Jesus say each time 710 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,160 that Satan came? Jesus counted with the 711 00:44:21,160 --> 00:44:23,080 scripture. It looks like he was probably 712 00:44:23,080 --> 00:44:26,080 meditating on Deuteronomy at that time because he quotes 713 00:44:26,080 --> 00:44:29,640 Deuteronomy each occasion. But he says this man shall not 714 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:35,840 live by bread alone, but by every word proceeds in the mouth 715 00:44:35,840 --> 00:44:39,880 of God. And Jesus explained it deeply. 716 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:43,760 There's this wonderful story after Jesus resurrection on the 717 00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:48,160 road to Emmaus when two downtrodden, disheartened 718 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:51,360 disciples who are thinking man, that following Jesus guy was 719 00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:54,680 such a waste of time. And Jesus encounters them as 720 00:44:54,680 --> 00:44:57,840 they're on that road to Emmaus. And we have this wonderful verse 721 00:44:57,840 --> 00:45:01,360 there where it says that Jesus opened the scriptures to them 722 00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:03,760 and explained everything that pointed to him. 723 00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:06,160 My paraphrase out of the Scriptures. 724 00:45:08,040 --> 00:45:11,400 He explained it deeply. He obeyed perfectly. 725 00:45:11,400 --> 00:45:16,520 Hebrews chapter 5, verse 8 and 9 says though he was a son, yet he 726 00:45:16,520 --> 00:45:19,200 learned obedience by the things which he suffered. 727 00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:22,960 And having been perfected, he became the author of eternal 728 00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:27,360 salvation to all who obey him. You know Jesus, obedience to the 729 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:30,360 Word of God brought about our salvation. 730 00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:35,640 And I'm so thankful for Christ's obedience to God's Word. 731 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:40,800 And then he washes us with the word, Ephesians 526, which helps 732 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:45,080 empower our obedience to God's word when we read it. 733 00:45:47,480 --> 00:45:50,280 So practically before we pray, let me leave you with this 734 00:45:50,280 --> 00:45:55,720 tonight. If your word hungry, commit now, 735 00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:58,960 maybe even come for prayer afterwards. 736 00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:02,640 So man, I, I want, I want to know God's word more. 737 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:05,120 Will you pray for me? And I'll do exactly that. 738 00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:10,240 Maybe this week. Read Nehemiah 8 again. 739 00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:15,160 Go over it, discuss it with someone. 740 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:20,200 Obey it. Whatever scripture you come 741 00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:28,400 across, read, understand, obey, read, understand, obey. 742 00:46:28,480 --> 00:46:30,280 OK God, you've said it in your word. 743 00:46:30,280 --> 00:46:33,480 I understand it. Help me now. 744 00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:38,560 Obey it and live it and then I guarantee it because God's word 745 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:45,240 says it verse 17 that the result will be such joy that springs 746 00:46:45,240 --> 00:46:48,920 forth in your life because the joy of the Lord is your 747 00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:52,440 strength. See what revival is sparked in 748 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:56,400 your heart for the things of God and and a Group, A body of 749 00:46:56,400 --> 00:47:02,720 believers all doing the same. And I can't wait for the future 750 00:47:03,600 --> 00:47:07,840 of what God's going to do in our hearts and lives if we would 751 00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:11,000 grab a hold of that as a group. Let's pray. 752 00:47:12,000 --> 00:47:14,960 Lord, I thank you for your word tonight. 753 00:47:14,960 --> 00:47:19,960 Such a wonderful, convicting, yes passage, but inspiring also. 754 00:47:21,520 --> 00:47:28,360 So please stir up a hunger in our hearts for Your Word, grant 755 00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:34,280 understanding to us as we read. Holy Spirit, enable us and help 756 00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:38,840 us in that. And then, Lord God, fuel our 757 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:41,040 obedience and strengthen us in that. 758 00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:50,570 I pray now your blessing over your people gathered here 759 00:47:50,570 --> 00:47:55,370 tonight, every household. I thank you for them. 760 00:47:59,770 --> 00:48:03,530 In whatever we find ourselves doing this week, wherever we 761 00:48:03,530 --> 00:48:10,160 find ourselves, may Lord God you go before us, may your presence 762 00:48:10,160 --> 00:48:15,640 be evident. Grant unto us your wisdom to 763 00:48:15,640 --> 00:48:19,520 live lives that honour you and bless your great name. 764 00:48:21,040 --> 00:48:25,080 These things we pray in Jesus name and God's people said Amen, 765 00:48:25,480 --> 00:48:25,880 Amen.