SERIES: The Book of Nehemiah
TEXT: Nehemiah 8:1-12
MESSAGE: “Renewal Under the Word”
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” — Romans 15:4 ESV
1. Embrace the Word (v. 1-4)
“And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.” — Deuteronomy 31:10-13 ESV
“Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book…” — 2 Kings 22:13 ESV
“However we formulate our doctrine of the Word of God in detail, it is abundantly clear both from this chapter and from many others that orthodoxy in this realm is of little practical benefit if the proclamation of that Word is not met by such an attitude as is here exemplified, even the ministry of Jesus Himself was frustrated on occasions by a lack of responsive faith. Expectancy should mark our approach to the reading of God’s Word, and responsiveness our leaving it to reenter our daily lives, if it is ever to be allowed to accomplish its primary purpose.” — HGM Williamson
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” — Hebrews 4:12
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” — Psalm 5:3 (NIV)
“Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth.” — John 17:17
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” — Romans 10:17
“It is not the bee’s touching of the flower that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian.” — Thomas Brooks
“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” — Isaiah 55:11 ESV
“Mindless superstition was the mark of paganism, and had been the downfall of an apostate Israel…this day was to prove a turning-point. From now on, the Jews would be predominately ‘the people of the book.’ At the dedication of Solomon’s temple there had been glory and beauty, natural and supernatural, to overwhelm the worshippers. Here the focus, apart from the wooden platform, was a scroll — or more exactly, what was written in it.” — Derek Kidner
“Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities.” — Lamentations 5:7
2. Revere the Word (v. 5-8)
“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” — Luke 10:38-42 ESV
“Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found…” — King 22:13a ESV
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” — Hosea 4:6a ESV
“It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing.” — CS Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
“Their children, who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord…” — Deut 31:13 ESV
“These expressions of tenderness and conviction may be an early fulfillment of the new covenant promise that ‘they shall know me’. They are not only attentive to the Word; they also obey its neglected instructions. These responses are inexplicable apart from the work of the Spirit of God. The acts of the people in this chapter (gathering, instruction, response) must characterize all who embrace Christ as Savior and Lord in every cultural and historical setting.” — W. Brian Aucker
3. Joy of the Lord (v. 9-12)
“And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.” — Nehemiah 8:12 ESV
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” — Isaiah 55:7 ESV
“And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.” — Luke 15:20-24 ESV
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” — Zephaniah 3:17 ESV
“14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth…16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” — John 1:14, 16-17 ESV
“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” — Jeremiah 31:31-34 ESV
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples…11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” — John 15:7-8, 11 ESV
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” — Isaiah 40:8 ESV