WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.719 is a good prayer as we prepare to approach God's Word. Would you turn with me to Nehemiah? 00:00:08.380 --> 00:00:16.000 Nehemiah chapter 8. If you are looking in the Pew Bible, it is 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:26.320 after Ezra, before Esther, page 375. It's good to be back from vacation. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:32.000 Thank you all for the ways that you are supportive of each of us as pastors getting away with 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.640 our families for sometime each summer. It's a blessing to be able to do so. 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:44.340 But we are continuing in our series in the book of Nehemiah, reading chapter 8 today. 00:00:44.460 --> 00:00:53.320 I'm going to read the entire chapter as we begin. Nehemiah chapter 8, beginning at verse 1. 00:00:53.320 --> 00:00:57.380 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the water gate. 00:00:58.179 --> 00:01:03.939 And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 00:01:04.859 --> 00:01:09.159 So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could 00:01:09.159 --> 00:01:13.719 understand what they heard on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it, 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:19.079 facing the square before the water gate from early morning until midday in the presence of the men 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:24.039 and the women and those who could understand. And the heirs of all the people were attentive to the 00:01:24.039 --> 00:01:30.019 book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. 00:01:30.920 --> 00:01:40.299 And beside him stood Mattathiah, Shema, Eneiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Masaiah on his right hand, 00:01:40.299 --> 00:01:48.920 and Padaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashem, Hashbadanah, Zechariah, and Mishalom on his left hand. 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:52.519 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, 00:01:52.599 --> 00:01:56.859 and as he opened it, all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, 00:01:56.900 --> 00:02:02.459 and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and 00:02:02.459 --> 00:02:09.919 worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also, Joshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, 00:02:10.680 --> 00:02:21.859 Akub, Shabbathai, Hodiah, Masaiah, Kelita, Azariah, Josabad, Hanan, Peleah, the Levites, 00:02:22.019 --> 00:02:25.060 helped the people to understand the law while the people remained in their places. 00:02:25.659 --> 00:02:29.579 They read from the book from the law of God clearly, and they gave the sense so that the 00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:35.260 people understood the reading. And Nehemiah, who is the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:39.620 and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the Lord your God. 00:02:39.680 --> 00:02:44.600 Do not mourn or weep, for all the people wept as they heard the words of the law. 00:02:45.600 --> 00:02:50.439 Then he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink sweet wine, and send portions to anyone 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:55.960 who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the 00:02:55.960 --> 00:03:03.000 Lord is your strength. So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, Be quiet, for this day is holy. 00:03:03.340 --> 00:03:08.819 Do not be grieved. And all the people went their way to eat and drink, and to send portions, 00:03:09.260 --> 00:03:14.219 and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. 00:03:15.219 --> 00:03:19.540 On the second day, the heads of fathers' houses of all the people with the priests and the Levites 00:03:19.540 --> 00:03:24.840 came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the law. And they found it written 00:03:24.840 --> 00:03:29.319 in the law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths 00:03:29.319 --> 00:03:35.840 during the feast of the seventh month, and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:41.580 their towns and in Jerusalem. Go out into the hills, and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, 00:03:41.740 --> 00:03:47.500 palm, and other leafy trees to make booths as it is written. So the people went out and brought them 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:52.080 and made booths for themselves, each on his roof and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of 00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:57.160 God, and in the square at the water gate, and in the square at the gate of Ephraim. And all the 00:03:57.160 --> 00:04:03.500 assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths. 00:04:03.760 --> 00:04:08.080 For from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. 00:04:08.500 --> 00:04:14.960 And there was very great rejoicing. And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:20.240 the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:32.660 assembly according to the rule. This is God's word. What are some things that bring you joy 00:04:32.660 --> 00:04:39.259 and delight? For myself, I can think of a few things, many of which I've experienced recently. 00:04:39.420 --> 00:04:46.340 I can think of natural beauty, looking up at towering trees, driving through rolling hills, 00:04:46.339 --> 00:04:54.399 seeing refreshing waters. I think of friendship. Recently I've had the opportunity to have good, 00:04:54.739 --> 00:04:58.639 long conversations with friends who I hadn't seen in several months or years. 00:05:00.019 --> 00:05:07.699 I think of generosity, the feeling of receiving an unexpected and yet thoughtful and generous gift. 00:05:07.699 --> 00:05:17.099 I think of food. I like food. Slow-cooked chicken on a charcoal grill, a fresh salad with homemade dressing, 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:24.719 an ice cream cone. I think of the joys of family, getting a bear hug or a snuggle from one of my kids 00:05:24.719 --> 00:05:28.740 or seeing them weather a challenge that a year ago might have thrown them off track. 00:05:28.740 --> 00:05:36.519 I think of accomplishing something when we finally reached Columbus, Ohio after we had left Jackson, 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:41.160 Mississippi at 3.30 that morning. Yes, we did a lot of driving in the last couple weeks. 00:05:42.319 --> 00:05:47.980 There are all kinds of things in God's creation, large and small, that bring us joy, that refresh us, 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:54.120 that give us energy and strength to keep on going in our lives. But this morning's passage shows us 00:05:54.120 --> 00:06:04.939 an even greater and more enduring source of joy, and that is the Word of God. What we'll see in our 00:06:04.939 --> 00:06:13.620 passage this morning is that understanding and obeying God's Word brings joy. Verses 1 to 12, 00:06:13.699 --> 00:06:19.540 we'll see how understanding God's Word brings joy, and then verses 13 to 18, we'll see how obeying God's 00:06:19.540 --> 00:06:28.360 Word. It brings, produces joy. So first, understanding God's Word produces joy. Now, before we jump in, 00:06:28.400 --> 00:06:33.080 let me remind you of where we are in Ezra and Nehemiah. The book of Ezra began with the rebuilding 00:06:33.080 --> 00:06:38.960 of the temple, restoring the worship of God, and the book of Nehemiah began with rebuilding of the city 00:06:38.960 --> 00:06:46.140 and its walls carrying out the work of God. But in both books, after they finish these major 00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:54.219 projects, they turn to the Word of God. And these next three chapters, Nehemiah 8 through 10, 00:06:54.560 --> 00:07:00.599 focus on the people's response to God's Word. Today, we'll see that the Word of God produces 00:07:00.599 --> 00:07:07.180 great rejoicing over God's grace. Next week, we'll see that the Word of God produces godly sorrow. 00:07:07.879 --> 00:07:13.759 The people recognize their sin and how they've fallen short. And then in chapter 10, we'll see that 00:07:13.759 --> 00:07:18.719 the Word of God produces covenant renewal. In other words, a renewed resolve to obey. 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:29.399 Now, let me make a brief digression before we jump further in, but just to let you know about 00:07:29.399 --> 00:07:35.539 a scholarly issue. So, some scholars have looked at these three chapters, Nehemiah 8 through 10, 00:07:35.980 --> 00:07:39.899 and they've noticed some parallels with the second half of Ezra, Ezra 7 through 10, 00:07:39.899 --> 00:07:45.060 because in both cases, Ezra comes on the scene, he comes to teach the people, and he leads them in 00:07:45.060 --> 00:07:51.839 repentance and renewal of their covenant with God. And these scholars also noticed that so far, 00:07:51.919 --> 00:07:56.819 the book of Nehemiah has focused on Nehemiah. But in these three chapters, Nehemiah fades into the 00:07:56.819 --> 00:08:04.139 background. Ezra appears for the first time, and Nehemiah only becomes prominent again in chapter 12 and 13. 00:08:04.139 --> 00:08:09.959 Now, for these reasons and some other reasons, some scholars have suggested that chronologically, 00:08:10.959 --> 00:08:19.099 Nehemiah 8 through 10 should actually describe what happened in Ezra 7 through 10, that it fits 00:08:19.099 --> 00:08:24.300 right between Ezra 8 and 9, and these chapters ended up here for thematic rather than chronological 00:08:24.300 --> 00:08:31.519 reasons. Now, it's true that Ezra and Nehemiah is not always arranged in strict chronological order. 00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:36.899 Sometimes the author arranges things thematically. So, we can't just throw this theory out in 00:08:36.899 --> 00:08:44.639 principle, but on balance, whenever scholars have attempted to cut and paste portions of the Bible 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:49.419 and say, this part doesn't really belong where it is, it really belongs somewhere else, 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:55.559 or when they've proposed what they call emendations, which basically means rewriting a word or phrase, 00:08:55.559 --> 00:09:02.679 with little or no actual textual evidence, they almost always end up creating more problems than 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:09.079 they solve. So, for one thing, Nehemiah's name appears right here in verse 9, and then again in 00:09:09.079 --> 00:09:15.259 chapter 10, verse 1. And as far as we know, Nehemiah wasn't there when Ezra first came to Jerusalem 00:09:15.259 --> 00:09:21.139 13 years ago, as was recorded in the book of Ezra. So, that's a problem for this theory. 00:09:21.139 --> 00:09:27.799 The main thing is, just because Ezra came to Jerusalem in 458 BC and taught God's word to 00:09:27.799 --> 00:09:32.000 the people and led them in repentance and said, you need to change, doesn't mean that he ain't 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:37.819 going to come back 13 years later and do about the same thing. We always need to hear God's word, 00:09:37.939 --> 00:09:43.919 and we probably always need to keep changing. Ezra might have been in Jerusalem all along, 00:09:44.039 --> 00:09:47.759 preaching for 13 years, or he might have gone back to Persia. We don't know what he did in between. 00:09:47.759 --> 00:09:53.939 But either way, I think we can be fairly confident that these chapters belong just where they are, 00:09:54.279 --> 00:09:59.279 both thematically and chronologically. Now, end of brief scholarly digression, 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:04.860 back to the main point. Understanding God's word produces great joy. Notice how the chapter begins. 00:10:05.840 --> 00:10:12.259 The people want to hear the word. They gather together. They tell Ezra, bring the book. 00:10:12.259 --> 00:10:19.879 Read to us. Teach us. And notice in verse 1, the book is described both as the law of Moses, 00:10:20.100 --> 00:10:25.559 in other words, indicating that the Bible was written by human authors in their native languages, 00:10:25.980 --> 00:10:32.919 in their own cultural and historical context, and it is also what the Lord commanded Israel. 00:10:32.919 --> 00:10:41.799 The Bible, at the very same time, is God's inspired and infallible, and we would even say inerrant word. 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:48.979 That simply means it's entirely trustworthy and divinely authoritative in all that it affirms. 00:10:51.259 --> 00:10:55.179 Now, this wasn't a completely spontaneous gathering. It wasn't like the people were just 00:10:55.179 --> 00:11:01.439 hanging out and said, hey, Ezra, come and tell us something. No, verse 4 tells us they had constructed 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:06.400 a wooden platform that was big enough for Ezra and 13 other guys who were helping him. 00:11:07.220 --> 00:11:11.480 So, most likely, they had designated a place large enough to accommodate all the people. You know, 00:11:11.540 --> 00:11:17.120 they didn't meet in the temple. Ezra's preaching on the street here. He's preaching in the park, 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:22.660 right? And they set up a stage. There's plenty of space. For everybody to come, it'd be like 00:11:22.660 --> 00:11:31.240 preaching on the New Haven Green or some other large outdoor space. But the people wanted to be there. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:36.960 And they wanted to hear the word. And notice that everyone was there. Verse 1 says, 00:11:37.080 --> 00:11:42.820 all the people gathered as one man, that is in unity. Twelve times in this chapter, 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:53.520 Ezra, the people are referred to using the word all. All the people. Verse 2, both men and women, 00:11:53.519 --> 00:12:02.860 and all who could understand what they heard. So, it wasn't just the men. It wasn't just the adults. 00:12:03.299 --> 00:12:10.360 But all who could understand. Now, children, I know there are some of you here. I want you to look 00:12:10.360 --> 00:12:20.019 up at me for a moment if you are a child. God has a message for you when you come to church. 00:12:20.019 --> 00:12:28.399 Now, some of you might hear that message at times in your classes next door. But I want all the 00:12:28.399 --> 00:12:35.879 children to know that God has a message for you when we are gathered here in this room. When someone 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:41.059 stands up here and reads from the Bible or when the pastor preaches, God is speaking to all of us, 00:12:41.059 --> 00:12:51.039 and that includes you. So, for one thing, pay attention. Now, I know for some of you, it might 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:56.559 be really hard to pay attention for the whole long sermon. That's okay. You know what? Some of the 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:04.599 adults can't pay attention for the whole sermon either. But here's what you can do. Start by 00:13:04.600 --> 00:13:11.720 listening for one or two things in the pastor's sermon each week. When you hear something that 00:13:11.720 --> 00:13:16.500 seems important, if you can write it down, if you've learned to write, you can write it down on 00:13:16.500 --> 00:13:22.220 your bulletin or if you have a notebook, or you could draw a picture. So, today you could draw a 00:13:22.220 --> 00:13:27.899 picture of Ezra standing on a stage and his 13 helpers, even if you want to draw all those guys, 00:13:27.899 --> 00:13:34.600 who were helping him to read the Bible to the people. Now, there might be things you don't 00:13:34.600 --> 00:13:40.240 understand, and that's okay too, but the more you listen, the more you will understand as you grow 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:46.439 older. And if you have trouble understanding, you can always ask your parents. You can say, 00:13:46.539 --> 00:13:51.459 what was the pastor preaching about today? I was trying to understand and I was having some trouble. 00:13:51.460 --> 00:13:57.240 Or you can come to me or to Pastor Matt or Pastor Nick. You can always ask us, 00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:06.480 what were you preaching about today, no matter what your age is? All right? All right. So, 00:14:06.519 --> 00:14:10.480 everyone was there, men, women, and all the children who are old enough to understand. 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:18.420 And they paid attention, not just for 30 to 45 minutes, but for six hours from early morning to 00:14:18.419 --> 00:14:27.159 midday. That was a long reading. That was a… And they were serious. Probably that's why Ezra had 00:14:27.159 --> 00:14:31.979 13 helpers, so they could take turns, so his voice wouldn't get tired out because he didn't have a 00:14:31.979 --> 00:14:39.620 microphone. Now, it takes about 12 hours if you read straight through the law of Moses, the first 00:14:39.620 --> 00:14:44.899 five books of the Bible. So, he wouldn't have gotten all the way through, and they stopped to explain it, 00:14:44.899 --> 00:14:51.919 but they could have gotten through some substantial chunks of it. So, people wanted God's Word. They 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:56.559 all gathered together. They honored God's Word. Verse 5 and 6 shows how they honored God's Word by 00:14:56.559 --> 00:15:02.159 standing in verse 5, by lifting up their hands to God in praise, by bowing down to the ground in 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:10.500 humility. In verse 6, the people treated God's Word like they would have treated a king who had come to 00:15:10.500 --> 00:15:19.919 visit them, acknowledging God's speaking to them through His Word. There was a sense of reverent 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:25.379 expectation. And then verse 7, we see that there was another group of helpers, the Levites, who helped 00:15:25.379 --> 00:15:30.240 the people to understand the law. It seems like the Levites sort of went back and forth. This is 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:36.039 probably a crowd of several thousands of people. We don't know exactly how many, but there were about 00:15:36.039 --> 00:15:41.559 50,000, 40, 50,000 who had returned from exile, settled in Jerusalem, at least at the beginning. 00:15:41.659 --> 00:15:47.219 We don't know exactly how many there were here, how many gathered here. But again, likely several 00:15:47.219 --> 00:15:54.559 thousand, and there were these 13 or perhaps even more Levites who would have circulated in the crowd, 00:15:55.480 --> 00:16:02.699 answering people's questions or giving further explanation. And verse 8 summarizes what happens. 00:16:02.700 --> 00:16:07.840 They read from the book, from the law of God, clearly. That's probably referring to Ezra and 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:14.259 his helpers up front who read the scrolls, and second half of the verse, and they gave the sense 00:16:14.259 --> 00:16:17.840 so that the people understood the reading. That's probably referring to the work of the Levites who 00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:26.660 were sort of circulating among the people when they paused in the reading. Now, the word clearly in 00:16:26.660 --> 00:16:32.180 verse 8 literally means distinctly or separately. So, it could mean that they articulated clearly, 00:16:32.179 --> 00:16:37.979 so that people could understand their words, or it could also mean that they read part by part, 00:16:38.539 --> 00:16:47.620 section by section, as we read chapter by chapter. Now, either way, throughout this section, 00:16:47.699 --> 00:16:51.599 we see the importance not just of reading and hearing the word of God, but also systematically 00:16:51.599 --> 00:16:58.719 explaining and teaching it. And this is one of the reasons why our normal practice at Trinity 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:04.600 is to preach through entire books of the Bible, chapter by chapter, section by section. 00:17:05.559 --> 00:17:10.579 Okay, we don't just preach random verses or themes that happen to come to my mind during the week, 00:17:11.120 --> 00:17:15.079 or one of the other pastor's minds. We want to honor the word of God by intentionally and thoroughly 00:17:15.079 --> 00:17:20.940 exposing ourselves to it and letting it speak to us in all its parts. 00:17:20.940 --> 00:17:28.779 Then, verse 9 to 12, we see the people's response to God's word. Now, their first response in verse 9 is 00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:33.480 to weep. It says, all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 00:17:37.240 --> 00:17:44.340 Why did they weep? Well, most likely because God's law… because they realized we haven't obeyed this law. 00:17:44.339 --> 00:17:53.819 Boy, we didn't even pay attention to some of this. We've been neglecting and disobeying God for years. 00:17:56.459 --> 00:18:02.259 Now, as we'll see in the next chapter, there are times and places for weeping, mourning, fasting, 00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:06.579 praying, repenting in response to the word of God. So, this is not an inappropriate response 00:18:06.579 --> 00:18:13.939 to God's word. But notice, Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites respond in what I thought was a rather 00:18:13.940 --> 00:18:22.460 surprising way. They say, don't weep. You see, three times. They say, don't weep or mourn. Don't be 00:18:22.460 --> 00:18:30.620 grieved. No, they say, this day is holy. In other words, it's a day that's set apart to the Lord. 00:18:31.279 --> 00:18:37.779 Now, notice in verse 1, it says it was the first day of the seventh month. And if you read in 00:18:37.779 --> 00:18:44.859 Leviticus, the first day of the seventh month is called the Feast of Trumpets. So, they would sound 00:18:44.859 --> 00:18:49.460 the trumpets throughout the land, and the people were required to gather together for an assembly. 00:18:51.059 --> 00:18:55.460 And why did they sound the trumpets? Well, they were probably sounded for three reasons, sort of 00:18:55.460 --> 00:19:01.720 a past, present, and future reason. They were a reminder of when God had spoken to the people on 00:19:01.720 --> 00:19:07.639 Mount Sinai, and they saw the fire of God come down on the mountain, and they heard the loud blast of 00:19:07.640 --> 00:19:14.100 a trumpet. So, it was reminding them that God had spoken to them in the past, and it was summoning 00:19:14.100 --> 00:19:18.440 them. The trumpets, I mean, you've got to pay attention to a trumpet, right? Trumpets playing, 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:25.520 you can't stay asleep. It means you've got to get up. They're a summons saying, come and hear the Word 00:19:25.520 --> 00:19:35.220 of God. And also, the trumpets were in anticipation of a day when God would come and reveal Himself in power 00:19:35.220 --> 00:19:42.299 once more. The New Testament says when Jesus comes again, He will come with a loud blast of a trumpet. 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:48.519 So, Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites told the people, this is a day to celebrate. 00:19:51.799 --> 00:19:59.360 To celebrate. Because it's a day to remember the grace and provision and revelation of God. 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:05.099 He says, it's not just a day to lament how unworthy you are and focus on all the ways that you've failed. 00:20:05.379 --> 00:20:10.939 He says, no, it's a way to remember the overwhelming grace and provision of God that He has spoken to 00:20:10.939 --> 00:20:20.619 you. And He has chosen you and set His love on you. God has spoken to us. God has saved us. God has 00:20:20.619 --> 00:20:25.539 sustained us. And God will bring to completion what He has begun. So, Nehemiah says, it's a day to eat the 00:20:25.539 --> 00:20:33.399 best food. And drink sweet drinks. Make it a party. And don't be selfish about it. He says, bring portions 00:20:33.399 --> 00:20:41.420 to anyone who doesn't have or hasn't prepared. Now, isn't this why we gather together every Sunday? 00:20:42.639 --> 00:20:49.920 Why do we meet on Sundays? We meet on Sundays for one reason. Because Jesus Christ triumphed over death 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:58.740 and rose from the dead and began the new creation on that resurrection Sunday morning. 00:20:59.340 --> 00:21:06.180 And ever since then, Christians have gathered on Sunday to remember and to proclaim and to celebrate 00:21:06.180 --> 00:21:13.820 that and to anticipate what He's going to do in the future. We know that because Jesus lives, we too 00:21:13.819 --> 00:21:22.519 shall live and we can go from here to bring the feast to others. Verse 10 says, the joy of the Lord 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:29.579 is your strength. That word strength can also mean sort of stronghold or protection. And interestingly, 00:21:29.819 --> 00:21:35.519 the Apostle Paul says a similar thing in Philippians chapter 3. He says, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in 00:21:35.519 --> 00:21:43.639 the Lord. And he says, to write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Isn't that 00:21:43.639 --> 00:21:50.839 so interesting? He says, it's safe for you or a safeguard for you to be rejoicing in the Lord. How is the 00:21:50.839 --> 00:21:58.599 joy of the Lord a safeguard or a protection or our stronghold? Well, the joy of the Lord protects us 00:21:58.599 --> 00:22:08.359 from being overwhelmed by our own problems, our own failures, our own anxieties, and every, all the crud in the 00:22:08.359 --> 00:22:16.059 world around us. The joy of the Lord points us out of ourselves toward the God who has revealed himself to us 00:22:16.059 --> 00:22:23.399 and saved us, and it points us to the glory and beauty and strength and joy of God himself. In fact, those are 00:22:23.400 --> 00:22:29.920 four of the words that are most commonly associated with God's holiness in the Bible. Glory, beauty, 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:37.380 strength, and joy. And when the joy of the Lord also overflows to others, because when the joy of the 00:22:37.380 --> 00:22:44.440 Lord is in us, we want others to share in that joy too. We can't just keep it to ourselves or be selfish 00:22:44.440 --> 00:22:52.759 about it. Right? Now, sometimes we are tempted to seek pleasure in ungodly ways. 00:22:53.400 --> 00:23:03.560 Right? Just indulging ourselves excessively, just following our impulses, but that always ends up 00:23:03.560 --> 00:23:11.200 being empty and self-centered. Sometimes it's an attempt to escape from reality, but when that pleasure 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:19.019 wears off, we're left feeling even more empty and desperate and anxious. But God's joy is a greater 00:23:19.019 --> 00:23:27.000 and deeper and more lasting joy. Psalm 4 verse 7 says, you have put more joy in my heart than they have 00:23:27.000 --> 00:23:34.119 when their grain and wine abound. It's not bad to rejoice in the good things that God has created, 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:42.700 but God's joy goes far deeper. You know, Christian rejoicing is not a superficial thing. 00:23:42.700 --> 00:23:50.819 Some people think that Christian rejoicing means putting a fake smile on your face when you're 00:23:50.819 --> 00:23:58.420 feeling all broken up inside. That is not true. Again, as we'll see next week, there's a time to 00:23:58.420 --> 00:24:04.420 express sorrow and weeping, and there's plenty of psalms that can help you do that and affirm that. 00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:10.059 Christian rejoicing has seriousness and depth to it because it's rooted in the character of God. 00:24:10.059 --> 00:24:18.480 God takes delight in us as His people. And through His Spirit, God pours His own joy into our hearts. 00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:27.299 It's not primarily based on our circumstances. It's a joy that comes from trusting and hoping 00:24:27.299 --> 00:24:35.359 in the character and goodness and faithfulness of God. And you know, what we'll see next week is that 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:42.599 when Christians weep and repent and lament, it's not the same thing as self-loathing or despair. 00:24:44.099 --> 00:24:49.939 Sometimes we're afraid to honestly face the depths of our sin because we believe that doing so will 00:24:49.939 --> 00:24:57.019 only ever lead us where it has always led us to a place of overwhelming shame and self-condemnation 00:24:57.019 --> 00:25:07.660 and simply defeat. But Christian repenting and sorrowing over our sin always has what I would 00:25:07.660 --> 00:25:15.480 call a hopeful horizon because we believe in a God who restores what is broken and who rebuilds what 00:25:15.480 --> 00:25:21.740 is ruined. And so we can face the depths of our sin not because it will lead us to despair, 00:25:21.740 --> 00:25:28.740 but because it leads us to the God who restores and rebuilds and gives hope. We'll see more on that 00:25:28.740 --> 00:25:35.259 next week. But here, verse 12, the conclusion of this first section, all the people went their way 00:25:35.259 --> 00:25:41.839 to eat and drink and send portions and to make great rejoicing because they had understood the words 00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:46.700 that were declared to them. Do you see how understanding the Word of God produced joy? 00:25:46.700 --> 00:25:52.059 And today we have reason to rejoice. Amen? 00:25:54.539 --> 00:25:58.180 All right, so that's the first point, understanding the Word of God produces joy. The second point will 00:25:58.180 --> 00:26:05.900 be a little shorter, obeying God's Word produces joy. Verse 13, next day, some of the heads of 00:26:05.900 --> 00:26:12.220 fathers' houses, priests, and Levites come to Ezra to study the words of the law. Now, you see, it was 00:26:12.220 --> 00:26:19.420 important for everyone in the community, men, women, and children alike, to hear and understand the Word 00:26:19.420 --> 00:26:25.279 of God. But here we see some of the leaders of the community taking initiative to dig deeper so that 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:31.819 they in turn would be equipped to lead and teach others. Now, the priests and Levites were responsible 00:26:31.819 --> 00:26:36.779 for teaching God's people when they gathered together, sort of like pastors and elders are today. 00:26:36.779 --> 00:26:43.359 And the heads of fathers' houses had the responsibility of leading their families spiritually and teaching 00:26:43.359 --> 00:26:51.259 them at home. And we see them taking that responsibility seriously. They don't just attend 00:26:51.259 --> 00:26:58.079 the regular gatherings along with everybody else and then go home. They go one step further. They go to 00:26:58.079 --> 00:27:07.599 Ezra and say, teach us more. We want to study so that we can teach and bless and help the people who 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:14.159 are entrusted to our care. Now, if you are a Christian and if you are a husband or father, 00:27:15.199 --> 00:27:23.279 God has given you the responsibility of spiritually leading and caring for your family. Are you taking that 00:27:23.279 --> 00:27:33.680 responsibility seriously to pray with your wife and with your kids and to speak God's blessing over them, 00:27:34.220 --> 00:27:42.839 to remind them of the truth of who they really are as image bearers of God? And if they trust in Jesus as 00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:53.220 people who belong to Jesus? Do you read the Word of God in your home? Talk about it with your family. 00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:56.640 They see that your family life is shaped by it. Now, there are different ways to do this, 00:27:57.160 --> 00:28:04.039 but none of them happen automatically. You know, you will not become a godly and wise husband or 00:28:04.039 --> 00:28:10.900 father just by coming to church each Sunday and doing nothing else. You need to go one step further 00:28:10.900 --> 00:28:18.740 like these men did, to dig deeper into the Word of God so that you can have something to share with 00:28:18.740 --> 00:28:24.440 the rest of your family that will help each of them become all that God wants them to be. If you don't 00:28:24.440 --> 00:28:29.640 know where to start, come and talk to one of the elders or find a godly man that you trust and say, 00:28:30.039 --> 00:28:33.819 teach me. I'm trying to figure this out and I don't know where to start. 00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:42.140 And of course, this applies to all of us in the other people that God has entrusted to us. Maybe 00:28:42.140 --> 00:28:48.620 you're a Bible study leader. Maybe you're a mom. Maybe you're a mentor to younger Christians, 00:28:48.940 --> 00:28:54.440 right? There's all kinds of ways that God has given us responsibilities and opportunities to 00:28:54.440 --> 00:29:00.140 build up and encourage others in the body of Christ. And if you're in that place, be encouraged 00:29:00.140 --> 00:29:07.060 to take the steps you need to learn more. So, leaders come to Ezra. They dig into the Word together. 00:29:07.059 --> 00:29:13.899 Then they notice something. They have an insight. Verse 14, they notice, the Lord had commanded by 00:29:13.899 --> 00:29:19.859 Moses that the Feast of Booths in the seventh month should be a nationwide camping trip. 00:29:21.059 --> 00:29:26.200 They should all live in temporary shelters, what they call booths. Now, when I hear booth, 00:29:26.299 --> 00:29:35.019 I think friendlies. Not quite right. Think tent with not quite all, maybe not with a very solid roof. 00:29:35.019 --> 00:29:44.460 But think like walls and somewhat exposed to the outdoors. Okay? And the point was, 00:29:44.599 --> 00:29:51.019 they were supposed to live in these temporary shelters because the Feast of Booths was a reminder 00:29:51.019 --> 00:29:57.379 of the journey that their people had made centuries ago through the wilderness and how God had provided 00:29:57.379 --> 00:30:03.759 for them when they lived in tents in the wilderness. Temporary shelters that they could pick up and bring 00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:10.259 to the next place whenever they had to move. And the feast was a reminder that God had brought them 00:30:10.259 --> 00:30:16.900 through that hard time and that He had provided for them every day. 00:30:16.900 --> 00:30:24.680 So, they had celebrated this festival before. Zerubbabel celebrated it in Ezra 3, but they had neglected 00:30:24.680 --> 00:30:30.880 this part of it. And so, they go out to the people and they say, we got to gather some branches and 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:35.420 build these shelters and enjoy a camp out. Now, I have to say, if I was a kid back then, I would have 00:30:35.420 --> 00:30:43.960 been like, this is cool. Right? We get to camp out for a week. But camping out and feasting together 00:30:43.960 --> 00:30:49.200 was a way of reenacting and reliving the story of God's faithfulness through a time in the past. 00:30:49.380 --> 00:30:54.019 And it was a prayer that God would continue to provide and be present with them as He had way 00:30:54.019 --> 00:31:00.480 back then. So, verse 16 through 18 show us their response to this insight, and their response is 00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:07.319 immediate, prompt obedience. They say, let's do it. Let's build the booths. They celebrate the feast. 00:31:07.319 --> 00:31:14.639 So, when we look at this chapter as a whole, we see a whole person, well-rounded response to the 00:31:14.639 --> 00:31:18.779 Word of God. We see understanding, people understanding God's Word with their minds as 00:31:18.779 --> 00:31:24.379 it's explained and read and taught. We see people responding emotionally to God's Word. First, 00:31:24.500 --> 00:31:32.259 they weep, and then they rejoice. And finally, we see the people obeying, putting into practice what 00:31:32.259 --> 00:31:39.900 they've learned. And we need all three of these, understanding that leads to emotion and that 00:31:39.900 --> 00:31:48.740 leads to obedience. Now, churches tend to specialize for whatever reason. Sometimes churches tend to be 00:31:48.740 --> 00:31:54.140 imbalanced, right? Some churches emphasize the understanding part. So, there's lots of teaching 00:31:54.140 --> 00:31:58.660 and explanation and understanding. But if you start weeping, or you start jumping up and down, 00:31:58.660 --> 00:32:04.320 or visibly rejoicing, or raising your hands, then people look at you and think you're a little weird. 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:13.800 Maybe you've been there. Other churches are on the other end, full of emotion, jumping and dancing 00:32:13.800 --> 00:32:18.880 and laughing and all kinds of things, but you sort of wonder, like, what are they rejoicing about? 00:32:20.860 --> 00:32:24.840 Do people even know what they're rejoicing about? 00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:32.059 And as James reminds us, we can hear the Word and understand it. We can even respond emotionally to it. 00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:38.699 But if we don't obey, we're just like somebody who looks at ourselves in the mirror 00:32:38.699 --> 00:32:42.399 and sees we're having a bad hair day and doesn't comb our hair. 00:32:45.519 --> 00:32:48.099 You see something, and you don't do a thing about it. 00:32:48.099 --> 00:32:50.379 It's called stupid. 00:32:53.679 --> 00:32:54.699 We've all been there. 00:32:56.980 --> 00:32:59.159 But this is a well-rounded response. 00:32:59.439 --> 00:33:01.819 Understanding, emotion, obedience. Or as Chris Wright puts it, 00:33:01.879 --> 00:33:07.740 reading and listening, explaining and teaching, weeping and rejoicing, finding and doing. 00:33:07.740 --> 00:33:15.539 And if you look at verse 17, end of this section, it says not just that there was great rejoicing, 00:33:15.620 --> 00:33:19.759 like there was in verse 12, but there was very great rejoicing. 00:33:20.779 --> 00:33:25.259 Because the people not only understood God's Word, they were obeying it. 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:31.900 And Jesus said, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it. 00:33:31.900 --> 00:33:41.060 And that word blessed, it means more than happy, but it's not a bad, it sort of does mean happy in a sense, right? 00:33:41.980 --> 00:33:44.460 Happy are those who hear the Word of God and obey it. 00:33:44.780 --> 00:33:47.700 There's a joy that comes from obeying the Word of God. 00:33:47.800 --> 00:33:50.660 Now, for some of you, you might be listening to this whole sermon, 00:33:51.280 --> 00:33:55.680 and you might think, obedience produces joy. 00:33:57.180 --> 00:33:57.580 What? 00:33:58.940 --> 00:34:01.460 Like, that doesn't make any sense. 00:34:01.900 --> 00:34:09.519 Right? For many people today, obedience or submission to God is at best a necessary duty, 00:34:09.720 --> 00:34:12.260 and at worst, it's oppressive restriction. 00:34:13.079 --> 00:34:16.940 How can obeying someone else's commands promote my own happiness? 00:34:19.800 --> 00:34:24.980 But do you see who it is that is giving these commands? 00:34:26.260 --> 00:34:31.800 From the very beginning, the Bible tells us that the God who commands us is the God who created us. 00:34:31.900 --> 00:34:34.800 In other words, he's the architect who drew the plans. 00:34:36.119 --> 00:34:38.119 And so, he knows how the building should go up. 00:34:39.139 --> 00:34:48.820 He's the potter who's molding the clay, and he has an idea in his mind of the beauty that he is fashioning out of each one of us. 00:34:49.599 --> 00:34:51.280 He's the author of the story. 00:34:52.680 --> 00:34:54.480 He can see beyond the present. 00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:58.320 The maker's laws are always for his creature's good. 00:35:00.139 --> 00:35:07.659 But, you know, when we go ahead to the New Testament, the New Testament shows us something even more moving and even more powerful. 00:35:07.659 --> 00:35:18.079 Because the New Testament shows us that the same God who spoke with authority and who commands us to obey and who is limited by nothing outside himself, 00:35:19.659 --> 00:35:23.339 chose to become a limited human being. 00:35:23.340 --> 00:35:38.120 You see, the Son of God, who had authority over everything, put himself in a position where he was required to obey every single one of the laws that were binding upon his people. 00:35:40.240 --> 00:35:48.360 Jesus obeyed God even when it cost him his reputation and his comfort and ultimately his life. 00:35:48.360 --> 00:36:00.500 You see, when Jesus died on the cross, he willingly took the punishment that disobedient rebels deserved in order to open up a way for us to come back to God 00:36:00.500 --> 00:36:04.760 so that everyone who believes in him would become, would be made new. 00:36:04.760 --> 00:36:12.320 And so when Jesus calls us to obey, and it's Jesus who's speaking to us through all of the scriptures, 00:36:12.460 --> 00:36:18.460 when Jesus summons us to obey, he's not asking us to do anything that he hasn't already done himself. 00:36:20.900 --> 00:36:30.080 And he promises that just as his death led to resurrection and victory, that every death we die in union with him, 00:36:30.079 --> 00:36:40.360 every death to our own impulses, our own desires, our own hopes and dreams that sometimes get shattered on the rocks, 00:36:41.699 --> 00:36:46.779 that every death that we entrust to his hands will lead to a resurrection. 00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:55.259 You see, it's his voice that calls us to obey, and it's his voice that promises us very great joy 00:36:55.260 --> 00:36:59.320 as we understand and obey his word. 00:37:00.220 --> 00:37:00.900 Let's pray. 00:37:03.400 --> 00:37:07.680 Oh God, we thank you for speaking to us through your word. 00:37:09.100 --> 00:37:16.360 And we thank you that you made us and you designed us to find our greatest joy 00:37:16.360 --> 00:37:20.960 in knowing you and living in line with who you've made us to be. 00:37:20.960 --> 00:37:27.340 Lord, forgive us for thinking that you don't want our joy. 00:37:28.380 --> 00:37:31.280 Forgive us for thinking that you are an obstacle to our joy. 00:37:32.420 --> 00:37:34.320 Forgive us for thinking that we know better. 00:37:36.480 --> 00:37:42.820 Oh God, would you pour out your joy into our hearts by your Holy Spirit 00:37:42.820 --> 00:37:49.880 that sustains, would you sustain us and energize us and fill us in a fresh way? 00:37:49.880 --> 00:37:49.980 Amen. 00:37:53.280 --> 00:37:54.380 We thank you for Jesus. 00:37:54.880 --> 00:37:56.160 We pray these things in his name. 00:37:56.380 --> 00:37:56.640 Amen.