Nehemiah 8 (Part 2) Bible Study (This Day Is Holy) | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (10/9/26)

It's amazing when you read the book of Deuteronomy how life changing it can be. I mean, Jesus quoted from it every single time Satan tempted him in the wilderness. It was all from Deuteronomy. That says something. And in Deuteronomy as the Lord was preparing the people to go into the land of promise, he already predicted and knew that they were going to fail him.

He knew that they were going to deny him and follow false gods and adopt the ways of the nations and at one point he tells them the reason for the departure. Listen to this in Deuteronomy 28 verse 47, because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart because of all the abundance of all things. Notice he didn't say because you did not serve the Lord your God. He says you didn't do it with joy. You can't survive in ministry if you're not doing it out of the place of joy.

It's impossible. You can't endure if you're not doing it from the place of gladness in Christ. It will not work. I've shared this before, forgive me for sharing it again. I remember talking to my dad some years ago, I forgot the conversation, but this one thing he said stood out to me.

When he was first in the Lord and he didn't really have any ministry, one of the things that he did for some time was go far and drive somebody and pick them up and bring them to church and he barely had money to get gas. He's like, I did it frequently. I did it regularly. I wanted this brother to to grow in their knowledge of Christ. And he looked at me and says, you know what motivated me to do it when I didn't really have much in my own possessions?

He said, I told myself I was going to pick up Jesus. That changed everything. That changed everything. I'm going to go and pick up Jesus. I think that is an insight into what it means to serve the Lord with joy, including the Lord in it, making it personal, understanding that we're serving a God who actually brings delight to us when you know him.

I wonder how that would change for you leaving this place. Ask God to give you the wisdom and the eyes to see, oh God, how do I know more joy in my walk with you? Help me see you, help me hear you, help me include you, help me invite you, help me sense you, and he's willing to do it. May joy be your portion from this day forward, and may it only grow more and more. Why?

Because the joy of the Lord is your stronghold, and it's mine as well. Let's thank him for it. We bless you, Lord. We thank you that there are many other religions out there that have different motivations for serving their gods. But Lord, you've given us joy.

You've given us joy. Oh, Lord, may we do all things in that joy. May we nurture that joy. May we strengthen that joy. May we protect that joy.

May we always believe that this joy in you... Of you is greater than anything else that this world has to offer, joy of your grace and power, and we thank you for We thank you for this lesson. We thank you for enlightening our eyes, and may it live in our hearts. We ask in Jesus name, amen and amen. May the Lord be with you, and we'll see you this Sunday if he permits.

Have a wonderful weekend in him. Take care now. Bye bye. Full of body but cannot destroy the soul, rather fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. And the honest reader going through the scriptures might ask themselves or others, how can God give orders concerning what I feel?

Aren't my feelings spontaneous? Aren't they involuntary to some extent? But clearly, the Lord wants to show us that what we feel is considerably influenced by what we think and what we believe. And the more you shape and renew your mind through the truth, the more that will have and influence the way you feel things and about things. And so we see here that that same principle is being applied in Nehemiah chapter eight, the people are mournful.

And what does Nehemiah and the others do? They say, This is what God's word says about this day. Stop it. Now, we have to be careful because, that doesn't suggest that our emotions will never arise spontaneously. It doesn't mean that we will never be surprised by certain sentiments.

That's not realistic. However, this is a helpful observation to... Even though we may be entering into a certain pattern of thinking or something that, we're fearful of because we know that these emotions can get the best of us, what we find here in this incredible text is that we do not have to become slaves to our feelings, and that is really good news. The scriptures are so authoritative, the Bible is so persuasive that when it is rightly believed, rightly applied, rightly understood, it can actually put a harness on the way we feel. Meaning we don't have to act on our feelings every time we feel them.

And so many people justify their actions because of what? Well, that's what I was sensing, that's what I was moved to do, that's what something I couldn't control. Well, Nehemiah shows us that God's word can actually help you control it. Distance yourself from this book and you'll find yourself more and more submitting to your emotions instead of the truth. But the closer you are to God through his word, the more you'll be able to realize this wonderful, wonderful restraint and not just a restraint, a sanctification of your feelings and mine where we grieve about the right things and we rejoice over the right things.

And we not completely stop perhaps, but we know a greater grace over things that we shouldn't be grieving about and we know a dimming in the things that we shouldn't be so happy about. Do not grieve. It's said over and over again. Why? This day is holy.

How did they know this day was holy? God's word said it. God's word said it. And this is hope for those who think to themselves and even tell others, I can't just help. I can't help.

I'm an emotional person. Okay. Well, do you think Jesus can't sanctify that part of who you are? Of course, he can and he's given us the means through his word. But look with me now in Nehemiah eight verse 10 and I want you to see a third wonderful outcome for those who take the word of God seriously.

Nehemiah eight verse 10, look at the first part. We won't consider the last part just yet. Then he said to them, go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready for this day is holy to our Lord. Again, Nehemiah's instructions here are grounded on the fact that this day is holy to the Lord. And because this is a feast, there is exhortations here to eat of the best food and to drink of the best drink Because a lot of these feasts called for such participation, this was a way of responding to God's faithfulness and his covenant.

This is a celebration again and most celebrations include food, don't they? And again, we have to remember like in first Samuel chapter one, these feast invited the worshipers to actually partake of the very food that they were giving to God at the house of God. There was almost like a meal being shared between the worshipers and the Lord himself. And so God wanted many of these feasts to be connected to actually tasting and delighting and replenishing and refreshing. But notice how Nehemiah not only encourages them to eat and drink but to also do what?

Send portions to anyone who has nothing ready. Now, at first glance, this may be a command that's stemming from Nehemiah's own thoughtfulness and his mindfulness of others. Remember, we saw that he was a leader who was very much concerned about those who were the least fortunate. But you also remember here that his actual reasoning is because this day is holy to the Lord, and he is bringing to mind to these people something that they might have come across while Ezra earlier that day was reading through the law of God. So here's an example of it.

In Deuteronomy chapter 15, I'm sure that they heard words similar to this at some point on that wonderful day. In Deuteronomy 15, you don't have to turn there, just listen to these two verses. Chapter fifteen seven and eight, If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, and any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God has given you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need whatever it may be. Interestingly, in Leviticus 23 where you have the calendar of all the feasts that were to be observed by the people of God. You have this instructions that's tucked sandwiched between the feast of weeks and the feast of trumpets, which is being recognized here in Nehemiah chapter eight.

The Lord slips something in that again showcases his heart for those that we can easily overlook while we are worshiping the Lord. Listen to this. In Leviticus 23 verse 22, after explaining what they were to do in the feast of weeks and before he goes into the Feast of Trumpets, the Lord says, and when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, nor shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner. I am the Lord your God.

And if still you're not convinced on your own time, go to Deuteronomy 16. I know I'm giving you a lot of scripture here, but it's Bible study. And there as the Lord elaborates on some of these feasts, He includes with these people who are coming to make pilgrimage, the fatherless, the widows, the sojourners. So virtually, every time in in these texts that we're bringing up here, the feasts are mentioned, there is also this recognition for those who may not have the means to be able to worship like the average Israelite. And he puts the responsibility on the Israelites to go and take care of their neighbors, your heart.

When we come to these oracles of God with a desire to understand, when we come to the sacred, those wonderful treasures that we can guarantee if we do... When you and I come with humility, patience, when you come to this book, when you hear it, when you rehearse it, all of which have foundational relevance to the Feast of Trumpets. The sorrow that the people were expressing in Nehemiah eight was reflecting on God's goodness and his faithfulness. So rather than allowing the grief to dominate the occasion, the leaders now step in and they redirect the people here. We understand that God's holiness is bearing upon you and showing you where you have fallen short, but this day is holy.

Emotions were, this is real, this is raw, this is revival. The people had to choose not to allow their grief to dictate how the Lord prescribed them to worship Him on this particular day. And remarkably, the people listened to a standard that was greater. As real as their emotions were when they learned what God asked of them, they did not act upon what they were feeling, they bowed their hearts to truth which brings us to our second thought. Remember, we're considering the fruit that awaits those who come to God's word with hunger and the desire to understand and a patient spirit.

We can expect it to cut our hearts regarding our sin and that's a gift in itself. But secondly, as we progressively grow in God's word, we can expect it to govern our emotions, to govern our emotions. There is a similar command that's repeated in these short verses that we read. Look at it again in verse nine, do not mourn or weep. Verse 10, do not be grieved.

Verse 11, do not be grieved. I mean, it's repeated over and over again. Stop weeping. Stop being sorrowful. Stop mourning.

And each time that command is given, it is grounded in this very reason, this day is holy, each time. That is amazing to me because it shows that the people sorrow had to surrender to God's desires for them. What was taking place in their hearts was to be guided by the truth that God had already established in His word. That is fascinating. Generally speaking, our emotions are largely driven by what we think.

And while circumstances certainly have a way to stir our emotions, the way we perceive them and the way we process those experiences ultimately shapes the way we feel about them. And that does not mean that the more we grow in God's word, the more our emotions are suppressed, not at all. What it does show us, however, is that spiritual maturity is proven when our feelings are incrementally and progressively being influenced and trained by God's revelation. That is how you know God's word is working in you in a very deep way. Have you ever meditated how much in the Bible commands the way we should feel?

Do not be anxious about anything. Rejoice in the Lord always. Even in Matthew 10. It's amazing when you read the book of Deuteronomy how life changing it can be. I mean, Jesus quoted from it every single time Satan tempted him in the wilderness.

It was all from Deuteronomy. That says something. And in Deuteronomy as the Lord was preparing the people to go into the land of promise, he already predicted and knew that they were gonna fail him. He knew that they were going to deny him and follow false gods and adopt the ways of the nations and at one point he tells them the reason for the departure. Listen to this, in Deuteronomy 28 verse 47, because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of all the abundance of all things.

Notice he didn't say because you did not serve the Lord your God. He says you didn't do it with joy. You can't survive in ministry if you're not doing it out of the place of joy. It's impossible. You can't endure if you're not doing it from the place of gladness in Christ.

It will not work. I've shared this before, forgive me for sharing it again. I remember talking to my dad some years ago, I forgot the conversation, but this one thing he said stood out to me. When he was first in the Lord and he didn't really have any ministry, one of the things that he did for some time was go far and drive somebody and pick them up and bring them to church and he barely had money to get gas. He's like, I did it frequently.

I did it regularly. I wanted this brother to to grow in their knowledge of Christ. And he looked at me and says, you know what motivated me to do it when I didn't really have much in my own possessions? He said, I told myself I was going to pick up Jesus. That changed everything.

That changed everything. I'm gonna go and pick up Jesus. Think that is an insight into what it means to serve the Lord with joy, including the Lord in it, making it personal, understanding that we're serving a God who actually brings delight to us when you know him. I wonder how that would change for you leaving this place. Ask God to give you the wisdom and the eyes to see, oh God, how do I know more joy in my walk with you?

Help me see you, help me hear you, help me include you, help me invite you, help me sense you, and he's willing to do it. May joy be your portion from this day forward and may it only grow more and more. Why? Because the joy of the Lord is your stronghold and it's mine as well. Let's thank him for it.

We bless you, Lord. We thank you that there are many other religions out there that have different motivations for serving their gods. But Lord, you've given us joy. You've given us joy. Oh, Lord.

May we do all things in that joy. May we nurture that joy. May we strengthen that joy. May we protect that joy. May we always believe that this joy in you, of you is greater than anything else that this world has to offer.

And may this church, by your grace and power, be filled with people who serve the Lord with joy. Joy, real joy, spiritual joy, spirit induced joy. We believe you, Lord. We thank you for this lesson. We thank you for enlightening our eyes, and may it live in our hearts.

We ask in Jesus name. Amen and amen. May the Lord be with you and we'll see you this Sunday if he permits. Have a wonderful weekend in him. Take care now.

Bye bye.