Context of the Passage:

The gathering of the people in Nehemiah 8 is different from, subsequent to, and dependent upon the gathering pictured in 7:5.  Once the people were brought back (in fulfillment of God’s promise) to Jerusalem, they could be brought together for the purpose of renewal.

Outline of the Passage

1-6 – Ezra read from the Word

7-8 – The Priests and Levites explained the Word

9-12 – The appropriate response to the Word

13-18 – The Response of the People to the Word

Exegesis of the Passage

8:1 – “All the people”

The word “people” is key in this passage.  It occurs 13 X in ch. 8. Nine of those occasions, it occurs in the phrase, “all the people.”

“As one man”

• The unity of the people is emphasized here.  They all came with the same motivation
  • There were not individual agendas

Note – the people told Ezra to bring the Book of the Law

• They had a desire to hear a Word from the Lord

8:2 – “All who hear with understanding

• ALL who could hear with understanding
  • Cf. 8:3 – “who could understand”
• This assembly included every person (men and women; young and old) in the community who had the capacity to understand the Word

8:3 – Ezra read from the book

• From morning to mid-day
  • Ezra read the Law for 6 hours
• The ears of the people were attentive
  • The people listened carefully

8:4 – Ezra stood on a platform clearly made for this event

• This emphasizes the preparation involved to prepare for God to work among His people
• Ezra was flanked by 13 Priests and Levites; 6 on his right side and 7 on his left

8:5 – Ezra opened the book and the people stood

• The people stood in honor of the Word
  • We see that again in 9:3 – standing out of respect for God’s Word

8:6 – Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God

• All the people responded,
  • By shouting “Amen!” in agreement with Ezra’s blessing
  • By raising their hands
  • By bowing before the Lord with their faces to the ground

8:7 – The Priests and Levites “caused the people to understand the Law”

• As Ezra read from the Law, a second group of Priests and Levites (cf. 8:4) helped the people to understand it

8:8 – “They read distinctly”

• This verse adds the qualification of the care that was given to the reading and explaining of the Word
• The Hebrew (maporash) carries the idea of dividing into sections (as in Ezek. 34:12) or making something distinct (Lev. 24:12); or to explain something (Num. 15:34)
  • So, the Priests and Levites were adding clarity to what Ezra was reading
  • This could carry the idea of translation. [rep]Breneman, 226.[/rep]
    • Here, the subject is plural – “They read”
      • So, the Priests and Levites were adding clarity to what Ezra was reading
      • To read the Word of God distinctly ought to be the goal of every preacher!

• • The effort of the Priests and Levites caused the people to understand
    • Their work was successful

8:9 – Do not mourn

• When the people heard the Law, they understood their sin and began to mourn
  • The idea of repentance is understood in their response
• Nehemiah, instead called for rejoicing
  • It was the time of the Feast of Trumpets – a day of rejoicing
  • The people had heard and responded to the Word

8:10 – The Joy of the Lord is your strength

• The celebration and feast was to remind the people that the Word of God provided their spiritual strength

8:12 – The people understood

• The efforts of Ezra in coordination with the Priests and Levites was effective in helping the people to understand the Word of the Lord

8:13 – On the 2nd Day

• The celebration continued for a 2nd day
  • See Joel 1 and 2 where Joel also describes a Solemn Assembly that took place over two days
• To understand the words
  • The people hungered for more of the Word of the Lord

8:14 – The “found” in it

• When the people listened carefully to the Word, they discovered what God wanted from them
  • The Word wasn’t hidden; it was simply unread
• The people discovered the instructions for celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles

8:16 – The people responded in obedience

8:17 – There was great gladness

• In response to their obedience, the people were glad

8:18 – on the 8th Day there was a Solemn Assembly according to the prescribed manner.

• See Lev. 23:39 for the “prescribed manner.”
• “Day by Day”
  • Every day the people continued to gather to hear from the Lord
• For another picture of a Solemn Assembly see Joel 1:14; 2:15; Acts 2:14-47
  • The Solemn Assembly was a day that generally included abstinence from all normal activity, fasting, and confession of sin. [rep]For more information see Deron J. Biles, A Suggested Hypothesis Concerning the Historical Development of the Solemn Assembly in the Biblical Period (1300 B.C. – 100 A.D.). PhD Diss. Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1997.[/rep]

Sermon on the Passage

This passage suggests three things we’ve got to get right to get right with the Lord

• Passion for God’s Word
  1. The people initiated the Reading of the Word (1)
     • Ezra read from the text for 6 hours!
  2. The people were attentive to the Word (3)
     • Lit. “The ears of the people were TO the Book of the Law.”
     • NOTE: A platform was built – careful preparation was made for this event.
  3. The people showed honor to the Word (5)
     • We see that again in 9:3 – standing out of respect for God’s Word
• Reverence for the Lord
  1. The people responded their affirmation of the word — “Amen” (6)
  2. The people bowed in worship (6)
• Obedience to the Word
  1. The people Learned the Word (8-9)
     • Exp.  Around Ezra were 13 men (probably priests or Levites — teachers)
  2. The people responded to the Word (9)
  3. The people were Obedient to the Word (10-12)
     • The people did as they were instructed (10)
     • Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles restored (14-18)
     • 8:18 – A Solemn Assembly was held “according to the prescribed manner.”
     • In fulfillment of Lev. 23:39

Application:

The people heard the Word, learned the Word, were moved by the Word, and obeyed the Word