On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand. On the first day of the seventh monthThis date corresponds to the Jewish New Year, known as Rosh Hashanah, a time of spiritual renewal and reflection. It marks the beginning of the civil year in the Jewish calendar and is a time of gathering and celebration. Biblically, the seventh month, Tishri, is significant for several festivals, including the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These festivals are times of repentance, atonement, and thanksgiving, setting a fitting backdrop for the public reading of the Law. Ezra the priest
Ezra was a scribe and priest, a descendant of Aaron, who played a crucial role in the spiritual reformation of the Jewish people after their return from Babylonian exile. His priestly role underscores the importance of spiritual leadership and the teaching of God's Law. Ezra's dedication to studying and teaching the Law (Ezra 7:10) highlights the importance of scriptural literacy and understanding in maintaining covenant faithfulness. brought the Law
The Law refers to the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, which contain the foundational legal and ethical instructions given by God to the Israelites. Bringing the Law before the people signifies a return to covenantal faithfulness and a desire to align the community's life with God's commandments. This act of public reading and teaching is reminiscent of Deuteronomy 31:10-13, where Moses instructed the Israelites to read the Law every seven years during the Feast of Tabernacles. before the assembly of men and women
The inclusion of both men and women in the assembly emphasizes the communal nature of the covenant and the importance of everyone, regardless of gender, in understanding and adhering to God's Law. This inclusive gathering reflects the egalitarian aspects of the covenant community, where all are called to participate in the spiritual life of Israel. and all who could listen and understand
This phrase indicates that the assembly included not only adults but also children and others capable of comprehension. It underscores the importance of understanding in the practice of faith, as knowledge of the Law is essential for living according to God's will. The emphasis on understanding aligns with the biblical principle that faith involves both hearing and doing (James 1:22), and it highlights the role of teaching and interpretation in the community's spiritual life. Persons / Places / Events 1. Ezra the PriestA scribe and priest who played a crucial role in the spiritual renewal of Israel. He was responsible for teaching the Law to the people. 2. The AssemblyThis refers to the gathering of men, women, and children who were capable of understanding the reading of the Law. It signifies the inclusivity of the community in spiritual matters. 3. The LawThe Torah, or the first five books of the Bible, which contains the laws and commandments given by God to the Israelites. 4. The First Day of the Seventh MonthThis date is significant as it marks the beginning of the Jewish civil year and the Feast of Trumpets, a time of gathering and reflection. 5. JerusalemThe city where this event took place, serving as the spiritual and political center for the Jewish people. Teaching Points The Importance of Scripture in Community LifeThe public reading of the Law underscores the centrality of Scripture in guiding the community's spiritual and moral life. Inclusivity in Worship and LearningThe assembly included all who could understand, highlighting the importance of making God's Word accessible to everyone, regardless of age or gender. The Role of Spiritual LeadersEzra's role as a priest and teacher emphasizes the responsibility of spiritual leaders to faithfully communicate God's Word to the people. The Significance of Sacred TimesThe timing of this event on the first day of the seventh month shows the importance of aligning spiritual practices with God's appointed times for reflection and renewal. Understanding and ObedienceThe emphasis on understanding the Law points to the need for comprehension as a precursor to obedience, encouraging believers to seek clarity and insight into God's Word. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the practice of reading Scripture publicly, as seen in Nehemiah 8:2, influence our understanding of communal worship today? 2. In what ways can we ensure that all members of our community, regardless of age or background, have access to and understanding of God's Word? 3. What role do spiritual leaders play in helping us understand and apply Scripture in our daily lives? 4. How can we incorporate the observance of sacred times and seasons into our spiritual practices to enhance our relationship with God? 5. Reflect on a time when understanding a specific passage of Scripture led to a change in your behavior or perspective. How can this experience encourage others in their faith journey? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 31:11-12This passage commands the reading of the Law to all Israel, including men, women, and children, during the Feast of Tabernacles, emphasizing the importance of communal learning and understanding of God's Word. Joshua 8:34-35Joshua reads the Law to the entire assembly of Israel, highlighting the continuity of this practice as a means of covenant renewal and commitment to God's commandments. 2 Kings 23:1-3King Josiah gathers the people to hear the Book of the Covenant, demonstrating the power of God's Word to bring about national repentance and reform. People Akkub, Anaiah, Azariah, Bani, Ezra, Hanan, Hashbadana, Hashum, Hilkiah, Hodiah, Hodijah, Israelites, Jamin, Jeshua, Joshua, Jozabad, Kelita, Levites, Maaseiah, Malchiah, Malchijah, Mattithiah, Meshullam, Mishael, Nehemiah, Nun, Pedaiah, Pelaiah, Shabbethai, Shema, Sherebiah, Uriah, UrijahPlaces Gate of Ephraim, Jerusalem, Water GateTopics Able, Assembly, Bringeth, Congregation, Ezra, Intelligent, Law, Listen, Meeting, Month, Priest, Seventh, Understand, Understanding, WomenDictionary of Bible Themes Nehemiah 8:2 5393 literacy
7377 high priest, OT
8270 holiness, set apart Nehemiah 8:1-4 5514 scribes Nehemiah 8:1-8 1690 word of God Nehemiah 8:1-9 7209 congregation Nehemiah 8:1-18 1640 Book of the Law
7464 teachers of the law Nehemiah 8:2-3 5175 reading Nehemiah 8:2-6 7359 Feast of Trumpets Nehemiah 8:2-8 1614 Scripture, understanding
7456 synagogue
7756 preaching, content Library January 29. "Send Portions unto them for whom Nothing is Prepared" (Neh. viii. 10).
"Send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared" (Neh. viii. 10). That was a fine picture in the days of Nehemiah, when they were celebrating their glorious Feast of Tabernacles. "Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared." How many there are on every side for whom nothing is prepared! Let us find out some sad and needy heart for whom there is no one else to think or care. …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth The Joy of the Lord
'The joy of the Lord is your strength.'--Neh. viii. 10. Judaism, in its formal and ceremonial aspect, was a religion of gladness. The feast was the great act of worship. It is not to be wondered at, that Christianity, the perfecting of that ancient system, has been less markedly felt to be a religion of joy; for it brings with it far deeper and more solemn views about man in his nature, condition, responsibilities, destinies, than ever prevailed before, under any system of worship. And yet all deep …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Reading the Law with Tears and Joy
'And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. 2. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. 3. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate, from the morning until midday, before …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Joy of the Lord, the Strength of his People
LAST Sabbath day in the morning I spoke of the birth of our Saviour as being full of joy to the people of God, and, indeed, to all nations. We then looked at the joy from a distance; we will now in contemplation draw nearer to it, and perhaps as we consider it, and remark the multiplied reasons for its existence, some of those reasons may operate upon our own hearts, and we may go out of this house of prayer ourselves partakers of the exceeding great joy. We shall count it to have been a successful …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871 The Original Text and Its History.
1. The original language of the Old Testament is Hebrew, with the exception of certain portions of Ezra and Daniel and a single verse of Jeremiah, (Ezra 4:8-6:18; 7:12-26; Dan. 2:4, from the middle of the verse to end of chap. 7; Jer. 10:11,) which are written in the cognate Chaldee language. The Hebrew belongs to a stock of related languages commonly called Shemitic, because spoken mainly by the descendants of Shem. Its main divisions are: (1,) the Arabic, having its original seat in the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Twenty-First Day. Holiness and Happiness.
The kingdom of God is joy in the Holy Ghost.'--Rom. xiv. 17. 'The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Ghost.'--Acts xiii. 52. 'Then Nehemiah said, This day is holy unto the Lord: neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. So the Levites stilled the people, saying, Hold your peace; for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to make great mirth, because they had understood the words.'--Neh. viii. 10-12. The deep significance of …
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ John's First Testimony to Jesus.
(Bethany Beyond Jordan, February, a.d. 27.) ^D John I. 19-34. ^d 19 And this is the witness of John [John had been sent to testify, "and" this is the matter of his testimony], when the Jews [The term "Jews" is used seventy times by John to describe the ruling classes of Judæa] sent unto him [In thus sending an embassy they honored John more than they ever honored Christ. They looked upon John as a priest and Judæan, but upon Jesus as a carpenter and Galilæan. It is probable that …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Healing a Demoniac in a Synagogue.
(at Capernaum.) ^B Mark I. 21-28; ^C Luke . IV. 31-37. ^b 21 And they [Jesus and the four fishermen whom he called] go into { ^c he came down to} Capernaum, a city of Galilee. [Luke has just spoken of Nazareth, and he uses the expression "down to Capernaum" because the latter was on the lake shore while Nazareth was up in the mountains.] And ^b straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. { ^c was teaching them} ^b 22 And they were astonished at his teaching: for he taught …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel The Scattering of the People
[Illustration: (drop cap A) The Fish-god of Assyria and Babylonia] At last the full punishment for their many sins fell upon God's chosen people. The words of warning written in the fifth book of Moses had told them plainly that if they turned aside and worshipped the wicked idol-gods of Canaan, the Lord would take their country from them and drive them out into strange lands. Yet again and again they had yielded to temptation. And now the day of reckoning had come. Nebuchadnezzar, the great king …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
The Median wars--The last native dynasties of Egypt--The Eastern world on the eve of the Macedonian conquest. [Drawn by Boudier, from one of the sarcophagi of Sidon, now in the Museum of St. Irene. The vignette, which is by Faucher-Gudin, represents the sitting cyno-cephalus of Nectanebo I., now in the Egyptian Museum at the Vatican.] Darius appears to have formed this project of conquest immediately after his first victories, when his initial attempts to institute satrapies had taught him not …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 Its Effects.
Among the effects and benefits which in this life accompany and flow from being filled with the Holy Ghost, may be mentioned the following:-- 1. Courage. "Oh, I could not do so and so--I have not the courage," is a reply frequently made by Christian people when asked to undertake some piece of service or other for the Master. The first point to be settled is, "Is that the Master's will for me?" If so, lack of courage is a confession to the lack of the "Fullness of the Holy Ghost." The Spirit-filled …
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible Of the Public Fast.
A public fast is when, by the authority of the magistrate (Jonah iii. 7; 2 Chron. xx. 3; Ezra viii. 21), either the whole church within his dominion, or some special congregation, whom it concerneth, assemble themselves together, to perform the fore-mentioned duties of humiliation; either for the removing of some public calamity threatened or already inflicted upon them, as the sword, invasion, famine, pestilence, or other fearful sickness (1 Sam. vii. 5, 6; Joel ii. 15; 2 Chron. xx.; Jonah iii. …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Joy
'The fruit of the Spirit is joy.' Gal 5:52. The third fruit of justification, adoption, and sanctification, is joy in the Holy Ghost. Joy is setting the soul upon the top of a pinnacle - it is the cream of the sincere milk of the word. Spiritual joy is a sweet and delightful passion, arising from the apprehension and feeling of some good, whereby the soul is supported under present troubles, and fenced against future fear. I. It is a delightful passion. It is contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Assurance
Q-xxxvi: WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS WHICH FLOW FROM SANCTIFICATION? A: Assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. The first benefit flowing from sanctification is assurance of God's love. 'Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.' 2 Pet 1:10. Sanctification is the seed, assurance is the flower which grows out of it: assurance is a consequent of sanctification. The saints of old had it. We know that we know …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Man's Chief End
Q-I: WHAT IS THE CHIEF END OF MAN? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. Here are two ends of life specified. 1: The glorifying of God. 2: The enjoying of God. I. The glorifying of God, I Pet 4:4: That God in all things may be glorified.' The glory of God is a silver thread which must run through all our actions. I Cor 10:01. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.' Everything works to some end in things natural and artificial; …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Nehemiah 8:2 NIVNehemiah 8:2 NLTNehemiah 8:2 ESVNehemiah 8:2 NASBNehemiah 8:2 KJV
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