Nehemiah 8 (Part 1) Bible Study (Ezra Reads the Law) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (10/2/26)

Good evening. It's good to see you tonight. Oh, there's so many places that we can go as a call to worship as we prepare our hearts to seek the Lord on this Friday evening. If you can turn with me to Hebrews and let's look at these verses together. Very familiar passage in Hebrews chapter five and beginning in verse 11.

Listen to what the author says, ultimately, the Holy Spirit to these Jewish believers who were tempted to return to the Levitical system. He writes about this, we have much to say and it is hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child.

But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of the sermon trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Oh, there's so many things that can be said here. The one thing I wanna draw to your attention and I hope it pulls on your heart in a special way is that God expects his people who know the truth to somehow some way to some people teach the truth. By this time you ought to be teachers, and what that shows us is that when we receive divine revelation, God expects us to share it. He expects us to extend it to others.

He expects us not to just contain it for ourselves and relish in in on our own, but to actually go out and to find other believers who are willing to also receive what you have received. And I believe that's a helpful way to begin this meeting because you and I tonight are not here to just be moved. We're not here to just... Whatever your motive may be, I wanna remind you that one of the things that God expects of each of us is to be equipped. Yes, to personalize these truths, but also from there to ask the Lord to be a conduit of the same truths that you and I are about to experience.

And so my desire before we hear one note from our Bible study is to ask the Lord to give us that kind of a heart, to give us that kind of a mindset. Lord, that you would equip me and more than just equip me that you would use me to be able to transmit these truths that I'm about to receive from your hand tonight. Can we do that together? Lord, we thank you that you expect growth from us as a good father should, and Lord, we want to grow. And so we pray that you would give us the appetite and the maturity and even the mindset to know that you desire for us to share the very things that we are about to receive from you.

So we pray, oh God, that these things would so overflow in our hearts that they would spill over into other people's lives, that they would be the subject matter of our conversation with our spouses, with our children, with our coworkers, with our siblings, whoever is willing to receive and willing to hear it, show us oh God that we may multiply the truths and multiply the fruit that you desire to create in us. Lord, we've come believing that we are in your presence with your people. Manifest your glory before our eyes. Bring us, oh God, near to thee. We we hunger for you, Lord.

This is why we are here, and we ask that you would meet us in a special way, that you would reward us for coming here this evening. We believe that a reward awaits us, and we thank you for it in advance. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Amen. It is an absolute privilege to be with one another in this place, isn't it?

Well, why don't we stand and thank God for it in song. Let's worship the living God together.

Lord, our feet have wandered all the dry. So we turn our eyes to cry star treasure. There is none like you. Precious Jesus, true. Every blessing, joy abounding here in knowing you.

Grace for the guilty. Help for the needy. Grieving.

Heavenly Father, thank you for gathering us here tonight. We are only here by your grace, oh Lord. You've given us everything we need and have just given your mercy, Father, each and every day day for us to be here. And it is our joy to come together and worship you and to sing praises into your name and to draw a close to you, Lord. And to hear from you, Lord.

We want to hear your word loud and clear, speak to our hearts and our minds. And we ask that you would stir our hearts again, Father. Stir our hearts afresh that we would just have greater love and be built up tonight in our... We would, just be overjoyed, Father, from hearing from your word again. And so we look to you now, and by your spirit, Lord, would you lead this meeting and lead the preaching of your word.

We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Well, please greet somebody before you're seated. Take a moment to say hello to somebody. Again, I can say it over and over again, what a joy it is to be gathered together as a family to receive from the Lord and to give to the Lord ultimately. And we do that in song, we do that in observing and hearing and obeying his word but we also do that in our giving. And so the ushers will help us now in our act of worship of giving if it is on your heart to contribute to the ministry here at Embassy, ultimately to the Lord.

But what the Lord is doing in and through this ministry, through the teaching, through the fellowship, partnership with other gospel centered ministries that are reaching the nations. We are so appreciative of your partnership in this way. We're so grateful for your contributions in this manner. And while that is taking place, allow me to not be too long winded here with the announcements, but just to remind you of some things so that you don't miss out on what, we have planned in the coming weeks. First thing to bring to your attention is for the ladies specifically on October 10, which is on a Saturday at 10AM.

We have our first, we have our launch really of our woman's breakfast, and it will be taking place on October 10 at 10AM. Here's why it's a little different than what we've done in the past. We'll actually be starting a series of studies, regarding a different woman in the Bible. So it's not going to look like what we've done before where we have testimony times, it's gonna be more devotional, there will be still time of fellowship, there will be food of course, there'll be breakout sessions, conversations, questions answered, and prayer for one another. So ladies, please, that is coming up next Saturday.

We're excited for that. We're excited for you. Besides that, we also have our fall fest on October 18, which is for our little ones, and that is after the Lord's Day service on October 18. And that will be immediately after the service downstairs, and if the weather permits, we'll be there in the amphitheater area on the patio section, and there'll be crafts and activities and games that our wonderful Sunday school teachers have organized and always prepare every year this time of the year. This is a chance for parents to mingle and get to know other young families and maybe even for your children to play with other children.

So we hope that serves you well. Besides like that, on October 18, we also have on the twenty fourth, we've done this in the past before and it's been so effective. Just something outside of our services for both men and women to fellowship and get to know one another. This is not a league. This is not a tryout for anything.

This is just a way for us to be able to, invite others and also guys from within to be able to just, know their names and be a little competitive, I guess, and just have a chance to know other brothers in this house. And so that is on the twenty fourth. There's a sign up sheet there in the lobby on the on the desk, the only desk there really by the TVs, and you can put your name and your information. That way, David Chamberlain will be able to text you and invite you to the group chat that has all the information leading up to that day. So we hope that serves you well as as well and we trust that God will use all these things to knit our hearts closer together in love.

That is the ultimate goal here. So all these things will be able to bring us closer to one another as we seek to love the Lord and worship the Lord in our lives and with each other's help and hope and grace. And that is all I have for you. Thank you for for being patient with those announcements, and I would love for us now to turn together to the book of Nehemiah. The book of Nehemiah, and let's meet there in chapter eight.

Nehemiah chapter eight. And can we pray together one more time? Lord, we thank you once again that we have the oracles of God in our hands. Thank you that we have what you have preserved for generations with us in mind, to show us yourself, to reveal what you have prepared for us, what you desire of us, who you are, how we can know you. And so, Lord, we we begin with gratitude overflowing from our hearts, but we also recognize that these things are spiritually discerned.

They cannot be cracked open with carnality or with the flesh or with human reasoning and philosophy. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. So we gladly confess our neediness, and we pray that you would help us unfold these truths so that we can see more of Christ, and that we can know you in a deeper way for our sake. And Lord ultimately for your glory, we pray that you would help us and guide us now in Jesus name. Amen and amen.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Nehemiah after completing the rebuilding of the walls demonstrated to us that he wholeheartedly believed that the prosperity and the preservation and the flourishing of the people of God in Jerusalem would not rest upon any physical structure. It would ultimately depend on the obedience of God's people. And that is why from chapter six onward, this man of God shifts his leadership focus from rebuilding a wall to shepherding the convictions of those who lived within those walls. And one of the primary ways Nehemiah is going to make this crucial investment in the hearts of God's people is found here in Nehemiah chapter eight. The same governor who rallied together this people to restore the ancient walls is now going to call them again to build them up with the Word of God.

If you wanna know the essence of Nehemiah chapter eight, it's quite simple. It showcases to us that the covenant community of Christ, past, present, and future, must center their life and their fellowship on the scriptures if they desire to experience the transforming glory that emanates from the Word of God. Now, most professing Christians would readily accept that, but is it that simple? Is it enough for a ministry to adhere to a creed or to create a statement of faith and call people to pledge their allegiance to it? Is it enough for the Bible to be referenced in meetings like this from time to time just so that we have some evidence to point to that we are distinctly Christian?

Or is there something more that is required to be a people who are truly shaped by the word of God? Well, I want to prove to you today that simply believing the Bible is God's word is not enough. Owning a Bible is not enough. Having a Bible on a pulpit or in pews or projected on a screen is not enough. No.

Instead, if you and I want to experience the renewing force of the word of God both in our own lives and as a community, it will require a different kind of approach. And my goal this evening is to hopefully show you from this chapter, at least the first part of it, three essential convictions that every single one of us must possess if we actually want to tap into the treasures of this word. But before we look deeper into these requirements, I simply want to read what we will be studying because one, it will help us get ready to dive in, but also just the plain reading of it shows us that this is one of the most remarkable revivals in the history of the Jewish people. This is something splendid. This is something so refreshing after so much persecution and turmoil and trials that this man and the people with him experience.

God has visited them afresh, And I want us to look at it now together in Nehemiah eight beginning in verse one and we'll read down through verse eight. And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the water gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the water gate from early morning until midday in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand.

And the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. And Ezra the scribes stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattathiah, Shema, Aniah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand. And Padiah, Mishael, Malkiah, Hashum, Hashpadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people.

And as he opened it, all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, amen, lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also, Jeshua, Bani, Cherubiah, Yemen, Akub, Shabbathai, Hodiah, Maesiah, Kalita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites helped the people to understand the law while the people remain in their places. They read from the book, from the law of God clearly and they gave the sense so that the people understood the reading.

You and I are gonna see more of the fruit that's going to transpire from this wonderful visitation from God the Holy Spirit. Clearly, he is at work in the hearts of this people, but for now we want to consider how we must approach God if we desire to unlock the the blessings that are reserved for those who approach it in this manner. So there are three things, and they're not limited to these things, obviously, but they're the things that are presented in this text. The first thing that you and I must possess if we are going to maximize all the beauty and the power and the wisdom and the insight from this book is this, we must hunger for God's word. We must hunger for God's word.

Now face value, you and I reading this, may think that what just happened, this event is a spontaneous thing. It just kinda combusted or maybe it was the efforts of a few people who came together to stir something and hopefully create a spark throughout the city. But if you read more carefully, you understand that this was actually planned. This was thoughtfully organized. This is not something that just happened suddenly.

This is something that the people of Judah knew in advance. And it's very likely that Nehemiah was the one who was behind it. Now, how do we arrive to that conclusion? How do we know that what we just saw here was something that was orchestrated beforehand? I think there are a few clues.

Number one, look here in verse one again. It says here that the people gathered as one man into the square before the water gate. That's showing us that this is a unified movement, and it's showing us that they all are going to a designated spot. This is something that they were all aware of. Second, look at verse four again and notice how there was a large wooden platform that had been built specifically for this occasion.

It wasn't like there was a platform there all along and they just utilized it. No. It was built for the purpose. It was built for this reason. So somebody must have built it.

Somebody knew that this was going to happen. Thirdly, look again at verse two in the final part. It says here that this gathering took place on the first day of the seventh month. Don't bypass those details. Don't skip over dates and months and days of those months.

Why is this date important? Thank you very much. Because according to the law, we know that the first day of the seventh month observed the feast of the trumpets, and we don't have time to unpack the feast of the trumpets and what that meant and what that means for us as believers in Jesus Christ. Instead, I just wanna highlight that the feast of the trumpets from Leviticus twenty three twenty three through 25 called for a holy convocation. In other words, when it came to this time of the year, the people of God had to gather together for a holy assembly.

So this is expected to some degree. And I point all of this out to hopefully convey that this is something that was planned. And most likely, it was because of the leaders of Judah, including Nehemiah, who wanted to see something happen. Remember, Nehemiah is now trying to help the people establish a fresh foundation in their walk with God. That was going to be the secret to their longevity in Jerusalem.

However, there is one small detail in this section of scripture that reveals something very unique about this gathering. It actually shows us that this is more than just attending a tradition. This is more than just honoring a law for the sake of just performing what God had asked. There's something far more profound taking place here. Reread with me Nehemiah eight one, and read it slowly now.

And all the people as one man, gathered as one man into the square before the water gate, and they told Ezra, the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses and the Lord had commanded Israel. Who are the they in this passage? The people. Not the priest, not the governors, newly appointed, the people. It was the people of Judah who made this eager demand for this meeting to commence with the proclamation of God's word.

And they are they are standing there at the break of dawn. They are standing there early in the morning, longing for the word of God to be heralded. This is something quite amazing, and it's worth noting how many times the people are mentioned in the verses that we are studying this evening. Nine times in eight verses. The people, the people, all the people, the people, all the people, all the people.

Clearly, the Holy Spirit wants to tell us that they play a significant role in this momentous occasion. The people. And it teaches us many things, and one of the things that it presses is that as much as preachers and teachers have a very weighty responsibility in bringing the word of God prayerfully and patiently, there is also a responsibility that those who hear God's word possess and have. Those who regularly receive the word of God also have a responsibility in order to connect with the truth that's being transmitted in that moment? And I can't think of a more valuable attitude to ask the Lord to create and cultivate in us than a hunger for God's word.

This is a very enthusiastic and ambitious group, isn't it? They are showing how desperate they are for the truth to be revealed to them. And we have every reason to believe that they hungered not just for for content, but for God himself through the word. Can I show you one way we know that? Look again at verse one, and they told Ezra, the scribe, to bring the book of the law of Moses.

Now, it could have stopped there, but it goes on. And what does it say? That the Lord had commanded Israel. The last part makes the request more personal and relational. Instead of it just saying, they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law, full stop.

They go on to say that the Lord had commanded Israel. So they were not just interested in information from an ancient text. No. They they wanted to know what their covenant God desired of them. They saw the law as the expression of God's mind.

They saw it as a window into His heart, and they saw that His word was actually a means for intimacy, not just for information. We wanna know what the Lord is saying. We're not just after rules and regulations and maxims and proverbs. What does God wanna say? And that is always important to keep in mind if you wanna keep your hunger for God's word alive.

You are not approaching a textbook. You are approaching the voice of God. You are not approaching black ink on white pages. You are approaching something that God has breathe into. Something as I said earlier, he has preserved from generation to generation and had you in mind to open up, to read, to digest, and to be transformed by.

These people understood that this is God's book and they wanted to know all that they could from it. In fact, their awareness of this becomes even more clear later in this passage. Revisit verse five with me of Nehemiah eight. Notice what happens after Ezra opens the book. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people.

And as he opened it, all the people stood. Some churches have that tradition that when the word of God is being read, people stand. For what reason? Out of reverence. Out of recognition that this is something that is otherworldly.

This is not something that is human. This is something, yes, that God has used through people, but this is ultimately originating from God himself, and so they stood. And this is a genuine demonstration that Ezra was about to reveal to the people something from heaven. And so even this posture says something about their hunger. They understood that this is this is much more profound, this is much more deep.

This is the most unique thing that anybody can get their hands on, and that awaken their spiritual appetite. That truth alone did something for them to crave, and to ask, and to wait, and to ultimately even stand as long as they needed to stand in order to experience. If you view this merely as an ordinary book, it will be very difficult to expect anything extraordinary to happen in your life through it. We have to set a basis here, and it's something that we have to remind ourselves from time to time. This is God's word.

Do you remember how Paul commended the Thessalonians? I mean, he had a lot of wonderful things to say about that church and those believers. But I want you to turn with me to first Thessalonians chapter two to see a specific, wonderful, praiseworthy thing about this group of believers that is relevant to this truth. And first Thessalonians chapter two, and I will wait for you to arrive at verse 13. First Thessalonians chapter two.

May this be said of us. Chapter two verse 13 reads, and we also thank God constantly for this, that when you receive the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. Here's what Paul is saying. The believers here viewing the word of God, and this is primarily speaking about how they heard the gospel, but it's a general conviction that they possessed. And he wants to remind them that them viewing the word of God, as it really is, the word of God, was a necessary component to opening themselves up to the work of God, the work of God in them.

Where did it start? By recognizing that's divine truth, by recognizing that is something from the throne of God. That is something from the mind of God. And this group of Nehemiah had the same awareness, and that awareness created spiritual appetite that would lead to further transformation. Now, before we move on, I wanna also show you back in Nehemiah eight how this group's hunger was not just made manifest through their awareness of the nature of this book, but also through their attentiveness to it.

Come back with me to Nehemiah eight and look at verse three with me once more. And he read from it facing the square before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the woman and those who could understand, and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book. This again emphasizes, listen, our responsibility in our engagement with the word of God. Ezra and the other Levites, we're gonna get to them in a moment, but the people receiving it have a duty. And here's one of them, paying attention.

Is it possible to read something? Is it possible to listen to something and not really pay attention to it? Come on. Be honest. I'm with you.

And although that can often be an innocent slip of the mind, if it becomes a habit, it can become extremely costly. For the Holy Spirit to emphasize that the people paid attention to the word of God as it was being read, shows us just how vital it is to be disciplined in a moment like this. In fact, a failure to be disciplined in this area can actually be one of the reasons why you never see growth in your Christian walk. I didn't say it. Jesus said it.

I'm reminded of what we looked at many many months ago from the gospel of Mark. In Mark four verse 24. Let me read this to you. And he said to them in Mark four twenty four, pay attention to what you hear. Jesus Christ knows us better than we know ourselves, and he understands that we can be hearing, but not really listening.

Pay attention to what you hear with the measure you use, it will be measured to you and still more will be added to you. Sounds a little cryptic, doesn't it? But it isn't. It's actually quite simple. Here's what the Lord is essentially saying.

The standard of action, the standard of action and attention you give to anything will determine the level of gain you will receive in return. The standard of action and attention that you give to an object of your desire will determine what you receive in return. And in this case, he's speaking about the truth, God's word. Pay attention to what you hear. Do you think the devil uses distractions in settings like this?

Have you ever found yourself, once you've determined, I'm going from this day forward, I'm going to read this book at this time every day, and before that, you never received phone calls. All of a sudden, everybody wants to talk to you. Things happen around the house. Chaos ensues. Demands are made.

That's not coincidental. Thank God it doesn't happen all the time. But from time to time, it does, because Satan knows the drawing power of distraction because he also knows the power of paying attention, leaning in, praying, asking, revisiting the text that you read over. But if you're honest, you were thinking about your laundry. You were thinking about the grocery list.

You were thinking about the meeting, and you go over it again. Lord, I wanna pay attention. I wanna pay attention. I wanna pay attention. And when the Lord sees that kind of intentionality towards his word, he rewards it.

He rewards it. Forgive me for referring to this example time and again. I can't help it. It moved me when I realized this many, many years ago. If you read Exodus chapter three very carefully, the incident of the burning bush calling for Moses, you'll see that it was not until Moses turned and paid attention to that burning bush for God to speak to him and call for his name.

Read it on your own time. Look at the first few verses. You'll find there that it says, when the Lord saw Moses turning, he spoke. Moses, Moses. That burning bush was there all along.

What did Moses have to do? Well, he was tending his father in law's sheep, but he had to make a willful decision. I'm going to turn away from this, and I'm gonna give my gaze on that. And once he did, God spoke. Don't expect God to speak to you if this word is in competition with your Instagram account every morning.

It's not gonna happen. You might be able to check off I read something and you'll walk away with nothing. No. For Jesus to say pay attention to what you hear is a matter of the will. It's an...

It's a conscious choice that I will remove myself from all distractions outside and from within in order to do what I can to focus carefully and wholeheartedly on what is before me. So you see all these components of one main thing. In order to benefit from the word of God as this group did, we must have a hunger. We must have a hunger. And one way to awaken that hunger is again to realize this is God speaking, to realize this is the word of God, to realize that all he asked for me is is just time and attention and a prayerful spirit, and an expectation, and he will reward that.

Paul told Timothy, think over what I say, and the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Think, that means you have to actually meditate, contemplate. But Paul never promised Timothy when the revelation was going to come. He just said it would come. I'm not saying every time you come to this book, you're gonna have some explosive insight into something.

What I am saying though is that when you give the diligent attention that this book deserves, God will reward you eventually. We must hunger for God's word. That's what we find here. But secondly, we must have understanding of God's word. We must have understanding of God's word.

So I told you earlier how the word people appears over and over in this text, but there's another word that appears over and over again. It's the word understanding. Understanding or understood several times in the first few verses and more in the rest of the chapter. Unfortunately, you have some people who have the strange idea that as long as the Bible is simply read or recited, that something supernatural will take place on their behalf. And though there is power in the word of God just being declared and just being exposed surely, The Holy Spirit reminds us here of the necessity of the word of God to be comprehended.

The heart changing power of this book is ultimately realized when you and I know the intended meaning of the passage and the appropriate applications. And since we're looking at this text, showing us how the the scriptures are expressed and experienced within the context of a community of a congregation, I want us to stay there and see some practical ways that the word of God can be grasped. In a meeting like this, in your own life, connected to the local church. And one thing I see here in Nehemiah chapter eight, and perhaps the most obvious observation, is that if we're going to get understanding of God's word, then we must be willing to identify and accept that God has gifted and raised up certain people to teach us the word of God. I'm stunned sometimes hearing from some people who who actually believe that no growth can be known from anybody or anything else except from themselves.

That if they're gonna have any kind of growth in this this book, in God's word, it's completely divorced from any assistance, from any support, from any giftedness, and other members of the body of Christ. Nehemiah didn't believe that. Do you know how Nehemiah didn't believe that? Did you notice here in Nehemiah eight that Ezra has introduced us for the first time in his book? It's here.

They were contemporaries. Now remember, Ezra arrived at Jerusalem thirteen years before Nehemiah did. Nehemiah comes and he arrives on the scene. He obviously is led to rebuild the walls, but after rebuilding the walls, again, he shifts his focus on the spiritual nourishment of the people of God, And though this man was educated in his own right, though this man was insightful and familiar with the truths of God, when he recognized the need of the people and for them to be ultimately blessed and helped in this area, do you know what he did? He stepped out of the way.

And he elevated Ezra to take the stage and the microphone and to exercise his gift for the sake of the people and the glory of God. And this makes me love Nehemiah even more because he shines with humility and he actually teaches us what true leadership looks like. You know, true leaders understand their limitations. True leaders know their weaknesses. They know their strengths, obviously, but they all don't...

They also understand where they might not be as strong. But more than that, they're able to scale and survey those that God has placed in their lives and to be able to mark out where they may be strong and not only mark that out, but help them nurture that and even express that gifting. Even if it means them taking a back seat, even if it means them being removed from the spotlight, so to speak. Why? Because of God's glory.

Why? For the work of God to be advanced and enriched. This is not an insecure man. This is not an insecure leader. This is somebody here who recognizes that God uses others to help and that's what he was looking for, and that's what he found.

And I see it in Ezra himself. Did you notice the two different list of names that we read in these first eight verses? There's one there in verse four, one there in verse seven. Why are they mentioned? To show us that Ezra shared the platform with other capable teachers.

Ezra himself understood, I can't do this on my own. There's too many people here. I have to delegate. I have to share this responsibility. If I'm if I'm really going to see the people grow and be blessed and challenging comforted, it's gonna require more voices.

Now, if you want to discern here, whether a man is gifted in the area of teaching, is actually called by God to display the truths of God. To our benefit, there's one clear mark, and it is this, they make the word of God clearer and easier to understand. I want you to see how the ESV renders this in verse eight of Nehemiah eight. It says here, they read from the book, from the law of God clearly. Clearly.

Now your translation might have might have a different word, and it's because the Hebrew is ambiguous. It's not an easy word to pin down. It's quite broad. But the ESV, I believe, is doing a good job here. Clearly, look at the next part, and they gave the sense.

Now that is a shared phrase among most translations. They gave the sense so that the people understood the reading. Nehemiah here didn't just want the people to hear the word of God, he wanted them to understand it. That takes more time. That actually determines how the word of God is expressed and experienced.

And it also reminds us here the sign of an effective preacher. The sign of an effective preacher or teacher is not that he moves you emotionally. Emotions are good. They're not sin, but that's not the ultimate mark of an effective communicator of God's truth. The sign of an effective teacher or preacher is not that he keeps your attention throughout the service with personal stories or theatrics.

The sign of a effective preacher or teacher is not that he impresses you with his speaking ability. No. The proof that somebody is handling the word of God in an honorable way and in a beneficial manner is that when you leave that session, you are more confident in what God has said, and you know how to apply it to your life. Ezra was such a man. These Levites were such men.

Nehemiah had that insight, and even in the New Testament, the great Apostle Paul wholeheartedly believed that as a preacher and as a missionary for the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of my favorite prayers in the area of preaching is in Colossians chapter four. I would love for you to see it with me. Turn with me to Colossians four. Anybody here who aspires to teach God's word in any capacity, I I desire for you to make this your prayer also on a regular basis.

Make it your prayer for your spouse, make it a prayer for your children, make it a prayer for your bible study, for your women's group, for your Sunday school ministry. Look at what Paul, this mighty man of God said to the Colossians in Colossians four verses three and four. He writes, at the same time, pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ on account of which I am in prison. Verse four, that I may make it clear. That I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak.

Now some translations may have the word manifest. Right? It's the same idea that I may unravel, that I may remove the curtain so to speak, so that you can actually perceive the glories of God's truth. You know, I've sat through some meetings where whoever was up there preaching was so impressive, so intellectual, so captivating, But then you walk out and you think that was something, but you don't remember a thing that was said. Have you had that experience?

I've had that experience. Now that may happen from time to time, especially if it's a subject that you're not familiar with. But when it when it describes your preaching ministry, there's a problem there. And sometimes people don't wanna humble themselves from the pulpit to make that their ambition, to make the word of God clear, to break it down, even if it takes time, even if it's not as moving, so to speak. Now, a person who who has this post senses the great responsibility of nourishing the people of God, instilling in them the truths that are here so that they they leave with actual energy that they have they have a a boldness in the truth.

They leave with a greater security that I'm that much closer to knowing the will of my father. And people have this notion that if you just give pure scripture, that's not really gonna last long. It's not gonna even have people coming back again. How dare you think that way? You think you have something better than this?

You think you have something better to offer the people of God than this? Shame on you, actually. Shame on you. You're deceived. You've gotten your cues from the world.

You followed a different voice. You've received your commission from somebody else and not from the great shepherd of souls himself. I have not seen anything else move people souls and their emotions and their lives ultimately better than the word of God. Why? Because your soul is designed for it.

A born again follower of Jesus Christ craves this book, and when they lose touch with it and when they become numb and when they begin to feed on things that are not what they're supposed to feast on, it's the preacher is supposed to come and remind them. Let me tell you where you find your true food, dear precious brother and sister in Christ. And that is what these men did. They understood that the people needed to understand the scriptures. But I also wanna mention that there are other practical things being done in Nehemiah eight, things that we might not even think about That help create the right setting for God's word to be read, to be explained, and to be received with unnecessary distraction.

For example, consider the location. Where is this meeting being held? At the temple? Look back at verse one, and all the people gathered as one man into the square before the water gate. We studied the different gates earlier in Nehemiah.

Why the water gate? Oh, there's a picture there right of the word of God washing us. We find that in the New Testament as well, and sure that there's much that can be said there, but I think it's much more practical than that. What's there at the water gate? It's in the same verse.

There's a square. It's a broad place. It's a spacious place, And it's quite possible the reason why they didn't meet in the courtyard of the temple is because the second temple was far less ideal than Solomon's Temple. How grand it was. Right?

How marvelous that structure was. Well, remember the reaction of the people when they rebuild the second temple, they they were weeping some of them. What is this? So perhaps the second temple didn't facilitate or couldn't accommodate a crowd this size, And so the leadership said, it'd be better for us to meet the needs of these people, for them to be comfortable to meet at the water gate. And what else was there at the water gate?

Well, with this size of a crowd of this gathering, look again at verse four, there's the mention here of a wooden platform that was built for this purpose. Why did it take the time to do that? Well, because again, with this kind of attendance, not everybody's gonna be able to see the speaker. So what do they do? They added a few steps like this.

And surely that would help with the projection of the voice of the the teacher of God's word as well. What about the organization even at the meeting? There there are a few things here. Look at verse seven, for example. There's an enforcement here of actual structure.

Last part of verse seven in Nehemiah eight, while the people remain in their places. So we're not sure exactly how these other Levites helped Nehemiah while he would read. I'm sure he paused after certain portions of the law being read and allowed these teachers to go around into groups perhaps and to explain to them, this is what it means here in Deuteronomy. This is what it means here in Exodus. This is what it means here in numbers.

But there is order. Here's what we need to recognize, physical comfort, the amplification of the voice, and the positioning of the teachers and the people were carefully considered. It was all planned. It was all thought about. Why?

For one main reason, to ensure that there was no unnecessary obstacles to the word of God being heralded and being heard. And for some reasons, there are some believers who think that these practical considerations are insignificant. You have people who say things like, it doesn't matter where we worship. It doesn't matter what kind of equipment we use in our worship service. Really?

It doesn't? It doesn't if we don't have a choice. If our government hunts down Christians and we are persecuted severely, you don't have a choice of where you can meet. You're gonna take whatever you get. But if we have the liberty to actually select and be discerning and to have the choice, why wouldn't we do so with prudence and wisdom?

Are we more spiritual tonight if we have this bible study in the parking lot, in the cold, with no voice amplification, with limited lighting? Does that make us somehow more godly? No. It just invites hindrance and it makes it more challenging for the ultimate goal of a meeting like this, and that is for the truth to be drilled in our hearts. And so if we have the choice, and I'm sure that this truth can be stretched and abused by people who go above and beyond what is necessary for a church meeting.

I'm aware of those kind of people, but I'm not speaking about those kind of people. I'm speaking about the mindset that says, what can we do to limit distractions and help assist and support the ministry of the word of God? If we have the funds, and if we have the ability, and if God makes a way, it's okay to have cushion seats. It helps people sit there longer. Doesn't it?

Maybe they're too comfortable some... Sometimes. And so I just throw that out there because you have some people who who who think very strangely about Christian ministry. We must have an understanding of God's word. Here's the third and last thing.

If we want our approach for the scriptures and towards the scriptures to be truly effective, there must be patience for God's word. There must be patience for God's word. There's no doubt that this scene can be categorized as a genuine revival, and listen, any true revival centers on God's word being preached and understood. There are a lot of claims of revivals in our nation and news spreads really fast with shorts and clips and interviews. Revival is happening here, revival is happening there.

Listen, if God's word is not being honored, if people are not being convicted, if people are not being drawn towards sacred scripture, you can question that revival. You should question that revival. People mix up revival with emotionalism, and I'm not saying that God can't spontaneously visit a people with conviction, but it it must ultimately draw us to this. It has to. And so we see here something very special in Judah's history.

At the same time, this passage contains principles of our regular engagement with God's word. And after all, that is the purpose of revival. It is to bring us to that state. It's to bring us to that condition that God desire for us all along. You're reviving something to come back to where they were supposed to be.

That's what revival is. So revival is primarily for the people of God, and sometimes a move of God in the church can spill over into the community. But when we speak about revival, when we pray about revival, we're asking God to resuscitate, to bring the church back on the path and on the pursuit of the maturity that she was supposed to be pursuing all along. But even within this unusual move of God amongst the covenant community, we can see the importance of patiently allowing the word of God to work over time. Look here at verse three again in Nehemiah eight, and he read from it, facing the square before the water gate from early morning until midday.

And the presence of the men and the women and those who can understand, and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law from early morning till midday. It's safe to say that this meeting, at least the initial part of it, was initially five to six hours long. Five to six hours of straight scripture being read. If that's not revival, I don't know what is. What a meeting.

Imagine that. Nobody was looking at their watch. They demanded for the scriptures, and once it came, they said, yes. Keep going. You know, revival is visiting a church when people are not content just with Sunday morning and Friday night and Wednesday night.

When revival hits, people say, what's going on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday? Can we squeeze something in on Saturday? Notice here in verse 18, we didn't read that far, but just to give you an idea of what's happening here with the word of God. Nehemiah eight verse 18, and day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day, there was a solemn assembly according to the rule.

So we're looking at the feast of trumpets, and there are other feasts in the in the seventh month as well as we're going to discover. But notice here, Ezra was reading the scriptures every single day. Can the Lord bring a sinner under conviction after a few minutes of scripture being proclaimed? Absolutely. He can do it.

Can the Lord embrace a wounded child of his and infuse their hearts with real comfort with a single verse? Sure, he can. But I find it striking that this revival began not merely with the people demanding the word of God to be read, but hearing it being read for hours and hours and hours, and it didn't stop there. Ezra kept reading every single day. What do we make of this?

Like any other worthwhile endeavor, it requires time, sacrifice, and exercise on our part for the treasures of God's word to be open to us, and for us to know the enrichment that comes from it. People become very impatient with God's word. They want something overnight. They want something in two weeks. They'll only open it up when the feelings are there to motivate them.

You will only know stagnation and little spurts of growth in your lifetime, if you don't know how to believe that patience is an absolutely necessary discipline in how you engage with God's word. There's a proverb that came to mind when I was reflecting on this earlier today. It's very easy reference or scripture reference more specifically to remember. Proverbs twenty three twenty three. Buy the truth, and do not sell it.

That's the first part. Buy the truth, and do not sell it. What do you mean by the truth? He's speaking metaphorically here. He's not actually speaking about paying money for some medium of truth.

Now instead, what he is saying here is that truth, wisdom, sound instruction are worth whatever cost may be required of us in order to obtain it and to align your life according to it. In order to attain it and to secure it, don't sell it. What does he mean by don't sell it? Don't ever compromise it. Don't ever betray that truth for a temporary pleasure or limited gain or a lie.

Don't sell the truth. Once you have it, don't sell it ever. But notice what he says earlier, buy the truth. Buy the truth. To buy the truth means that you're willing to pay a price again to gain it, to grow in it, to live by it.

Many people are not willing to buy the truth, but I'm convinced that some of you here are. In fact, I believe that all of you are, because some of you had to surrender a little bit of convenience in time to get here to this Bible study tonight. Right? You're not very close to this place, are you? And I hope the reason why you're willing to make such a sacrifice is because you're here to buy the truth.

I want more. If that if that is a place where God's word is being honored and explained and heralded with reverence and joy, and God's power by his grace, I'm willing to buy the truth. And Proverbs repeatedly reminds us that making the investment, whether that's time, whether that's comfort, whether that's surrendering your pride, whatever it means to buy the truth, is far more profitable than buying any material possession, any experience that this world has to offer. You find that throughout the book of Proverbs, by the truth. Let that be your priority.

Let that be your goal in every season of your life. Whatever it demands of me, I will give in order to gain, and that's what we're finding here with this group in Nehemiah chapter eight. They're making that investment. They're there early. They're standing there for hours.

They are there day by day by day, and listen, when you make such an investment, results will follow. They will follow. Eventually, they will come, and I wanna show you some of them in Nehemiah chapter eight. Come back with me here to this text. Look here what transpires in verses five and six.

What happens if you buy the truth? What happens when you invest in the truth, and you protect the truth, and you you don't sell it, and you stick with it and you are regularly coming to it, what begins to take place? Some of the things that we find here. Verses five and six. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was above all the people, and as he opened it, all the people stood.

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, amen, amen, lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. I see at least three things that are taking place in the hearts of God's people after receiving God's word in this way. Number one, there's a greater concern for the glory of God.

Ezra did what? He blessed the Lord, the great God. And how did the people respond? Amen. Amen.

Not just one, two amens. What does amen be? So be it. So be it. So when Ezra blessed the Lord, they heard it and by saying amen, they're responding in the following way.

Ezra, we agree with you and we desire for the Lord to be blessed. We want the Lord to be blessed. We want him to be pleased. We want him to take delight in our words and with our lives. Here's what happens when you begin to expose yourself to God's word over time.

There's a reorientation in your priorities and your ambitions, and everything will begin to orbit around this one thing, glorifying God. Your thinking begins to change. Your convictions begin to change. Your standards begin to change, and the heartbeat of your life becomes stronger in this area. I want my life to bless the Lord.

You realize why you live, you realize why you were created, you realize what the future holds for you, and you say, oh, as we sing often in this place, his glory is my good. Secondly, a patient investment in God's word will produce a greater sense of worship for the Lord. Notice it says here that they lifted up their hands. This is a physical response to the revelation of God's majesty and his beauty. Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and they said, amen and amen.

But, yes, also, they lifted up their hands. What do we make of that? Some people feel nervous doing that, but it's a biblical posture. And what we find here is that throughout the scriptures, the lifting of hands signifies different things, but ultimately, it's when God's truth so moves you that you can't contain it, but must express it physically. Always in an honorable manner, always in a dignified way.

Yes. And one of those ways is the lifting of the hands. I mean, that says many things, doesn't it? I won't get into the different reasons for it or what this might communicate to God, but it's a beautiful posture. It's something that's found in the scriptures again.

It's it's it's to say what's taking place in here, I can't contain it. I have to show it another way before the Lord. So here... Here's my hands or the empty handed. I'm reaching out to you.

I'm surrendering to you. And that's not to say that's not to say people lift their hands. It means they're more spiritual and more worshipful. I'm just saying this is one way that it is expressed. I know some people who lift hands, but Paul warned, lift holy hands.

Don't just lift your hands. They have to be holy hands. This is genuine. This isn't artificial. This isn't a show.

This is real. Oh, we lift our hands to worship you. This is what the word of God does. It should create worship. If it makes your head heavy and not your heart tender, there's something wrong in how you're reading the Bible.

It's worship. Worship. Thirdly, and finally, a long term investment. Not just an emotional one, not just a momentary one, not just a seasonal one, but a long term investment in the world will eventually create a greater sense of humility. They bowed their heads with their faces to the ground.

They just stood under hours of God's word being read and most believe Ezra was focusing on Genesis through Deuteronomy. And they could not help but bow down under the weighty glory of God's truth. If you know somebody who's extremely knowledgeable in God's word, pay attention to their humility. They see themselves in a lesser light. They see God in a greater measure.

They look at others also the way God sees them and that will ultimately produce humility. If they're puffed up, they're arrogant, if they beat people up with the truth, I don't care how much they know. It means nothing to God, and has nothing to offer God's people of lasting value at least. Patience. Don't give up.

Don't be frustrated with your with your growth. Trust the process. Where else are you gonna go anyway? Buy the truth. Don't sell it.

Like any other investment, you have to wait sometimes before you see the return on that investment. But here's how I wanna end. Notice carefully that the word of God impacts the whole person. What do we see here? They vocalize their adoration.

Amen. Amen. They express their surrendered submission by lifting up their hands. They humbled themselves by laying their bodies low to the ground as a demonstration of humility and lowliness. And as we're going to learn later on, they're even allowing the mind to be renewed as further clarity and comprehension follows the scene that we just read together.

All to say that when you and I come to God's word with hunger, and to seek understanding and be patient in that process. God's word will transform you completely. God's word will permeate every facet of who you are. God's word can bless every area of your life, but it requires hunger, and it requires something more than just a surface level engagement and, oh, it requires patience. May the Lord bring revival.

This nation needs it, and as as I've said before, the greatest revival we need is a revival of the Bible. Not just a recapturing of the inerrancy of God's word, virtually every ministry has that on their website, but a recovery of the sufficiency of God's word, big difference. Is it sufficient? Do you believe it satisfies? Do you believe it is the means by which the people are sanctified?

Do you believe that it inspires worship and humility and a life that will glorify God? This book, do you believe it can generate that? If we don't, then God must, oh, would he bring revival? It may hit the pulpit first. Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you. We thank you for being with us this night. We thank you for a group of people who on a weekly basis want more of the truth. They want to buy the truth, and we pray, oh God, that we would never ever sell the truth. Lord, you've brought this church to this point, this building, this location, and we ask, oh God, that nothing would change in terms of our conviction of this book.

That we would always rely on its power, and we would always believe that what it has to say is all that we need to be who you've called us to be and to win a lost world to yourself. Lord, we pray. Oh, how we pray that you would awaken a fresh hunger for the word in our own lives. And we pray, Lord, that you would give us the grace to understand, and thank you, Lord, that if there are people in our lives that help us understand it, that's an extension of your mercy, and we thank you for it, Lord. May we never overlook it.

And, Lord, we pray for patience for those who had that ambition, who who had that drive, Lord. Oh, may this be a reminder that you take your time to make your men and to make your woman. So help us trust as we invest. Lord, we love you, and we thank you that we have this book at our disposal. We thank you, Lord, that we have all the resources more than any generation to know the truth.

May we not become distraction, but distracted and waste the opportunities that are available to us. Lord, we honor you and all we pray that the result of this bible study in this moment would be that we would sing to you and honor you in song. Be glorified. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen and amen.

Amen. Let's stand together church. God has given us his truth. We are people of the book, and he has brought us thus far in it. Let's give him all the praise and honor.

Your words are wonderful, can we go? Where else can we go? You have the words of life. The words

I have homework for you. From time to time, I try to revisit Psalm one nineteen, and I read it in one sitting. It's a long chapter, but I wanna challenge you to do it. If you've never done it, between now and next week, I'm not gonna approach you and ask if you did it or not. But for your own benefit, find a place by yourself.

Get alone. Just cut out thirty minutes of your day and read Psalm one nineteen in one reading, and just... You can't do that without being moved when you see the hunger and the pursuit and the faith that the psalmist has regarding the word of God. And in my last time doing this, I noticed something, and I think you will too. And I'm I'm looking forward to hearing how how you will notice different things.

But for me, I recognize that one of his repeated prayers in Psalm one nineteen is give me understanding. Give me understanding. Let me read these verses to you. In verse 99, I have more understanding to all my teachers. And you see later on here in verse one twenty five, I am your servant.

Give me understanding. Verse one forty four, your testimonies are righteous forever. Give me understanding that I may live. And he does this frequently. Give me understanding.

I don't, I I just don't want to be familiar with the content. I want to know what it means, Lord. Give me understanding. And so I challenge you to do that, and I and I know that you will be blessed. I know that you will sense a cleansing force and that you will leave with a greater stirring for the things of God, primarily the Word of God.

Thank you for giving us understanding tonight, Lord. Thank you for giving us greater clarity about this book, Nehemiah, his character, his mission, how he reflects you, how he points to Christ in different ways. Lord, we are blessed, and we are eager again to return to this place to receive even more, but Lord beyond these meetings help us continually buy the truth, and to protect the truth, and to never sell the truth. Teach us what that means, and may we never be unashamed to teach others what's available for them in this book. We give you all glory and thanks.

In Jesus' name we pray, amen and amen. Until next time, God be with you. Lord willing, we will gather together this Sunday in the book of Revelation as we look at heaven. God bless you. Have a wonderful weekend.