Now They Understood the Words

I would like to depart this week from my usual foray into the world of prophecy and current events, to examine a passage of Scripture that I read this morning that intrigued me greatly. It is found in Nehemiah 8. First let me establish the context. Nehemiah has come to Jerusalem with the express purpose of rebuilding the walls of the city which, although the people had been back in the land from exile for nearly 100 years, the walls remained as they had since that fateful summer day in 586 BC when the armies of Nebuchadnezzar had pulled them down. Through some extra-ordinary leadership skills, Nehemiah witnessed the rebuilding of those walls. Now it was time to celebrate.

The people gather before the Water Gate and Ezra, the scribe, brings out the Law of Moses to read before the people. The text tells us that it was the first day of the seventh month - the month that includes Rosh Hashanah, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Situated on a high platform where he could look out over the people, Ezra began reading from the Law. But, in addition to just the reading, I noticed in verse 8 that Ezra and others made the Law clear and gave meaning to the words so that the people could understand what was being read.

The people responded with weeping when they heard the words being read and the explanation being given. In other words, the Scriptures had spoken to their hearts. Ezra and Nehemiah shared with the people that it was not a time for mourning and weeping but for joy and celebration. Then I read verse 12: "Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them." "Now they understood the words" - this phrase grabbed my heart. How liberating it is when we understand the Word. Then I found verse 17: "The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great."

Here is what the Lord seemed to lay upon my heart: How many times do we get involved in ritual with understanding? The people of Israel had celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles for almost one thousand times since the days of Joshua and the conquest. But the celebration had become one that had lost its purpose. They did it because the Law demanded it, but they did not understand its significance. Don't we do the same in the Church today. We can even celebrate Communion as something we "always do" and when Communion is not at its regular time each month we complain. We often just go through the motions. Communion for us has become more a matter of time and place than of purpose with understanding.

As a Bible-teacher God impressed upon my heart this morning that my role is that of Ezra of old - to help people to truly understand what the Word of God has to say. Worship will then acquire a new meaning. Communion will take on a new meaning. The Word will become more exciting because people will begin to have an understanding of it.

Friends, don't go through the motions of a ritual; instead, ponder its significance for your own heart. Linger in a text until you truly understanding its meaning. Seek someone's guidance to help you in your understanding. Then true joy will come to your heart and soul.