#619 Tuned

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. 2 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. 3 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. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 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. 6 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. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites,[a] helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,[b] and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

This Day Is Holy

9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 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. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

Feast of Booths Celebrated

13 On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. 14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths[c] during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. 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. Nehemiah 8 ESV

They asked to hear the Word of God, the books of Moses, the Pentateuch, Genesis through Deuteronomy. He read to them from early morning, sometime after the sun came up to read by, and on till midday. This represents hours, maybe as many as six, and I struggle, my whole family struggles to pay attention to a chapter a day. We are looking for a house now, before that a car, I am looking for a new neurologist since mine has retired. Somewhere in the middle of it one of my kids ask what is for dinner tonight? We made a point to be here, but our minds are elsewhere. Listen, if the people ask you, your children are asking you to read, they are focused during prayer, hanging upon each and every word from the Bible, then it is an act of God. The Holy Spirit is moving, reviving, awakening, helping you take captive your every thought. I thank God for those times, because there are so many things that compete for our hearts, so many things that need to be set aside for the moment, to know, that this is God talking to me. God, help me understand, let me know reverence, don't let me waste this time. If you are just starting this with your family, even if it is a chore and messy at first, (I got a lot of rolling eyes and Breakfast Club antics, but it will get better), here are a few small helps:

1. It is good for you to pray alone before you deal with them.
2. Change up who reads. It is good for them to read out loud anyway, but also the reader will often remember more. She will also relate better to the struggle later, "Excuse me, are you paying attention?"
3. I think it's good to read through the whole Bible, but I started my kids off with the NT, while my personal study is in the old. This helps me to gain study time ahead of them, before they do the OT and it will help you explain points in the NT where they mirror or fulfill prophecy.
4.We use a study Bible that has good theological notes, so after the person reading finishes the chapter, they or someone else goes through the notes and we discuss. This helps bring more clarity.
5. We pray together and often apply these things to our prayer.
6. Don't make stuff up, if you don't know the answer to your kid's question, tell them that you don't and spend some time looking into it.  

It is cool to see Ezra again, he is a scribe and spiritual leader, and now there are also those who explain the law to the people. This is truly a gift, and there are men like John MacArthur and R.C. Sproul, who have helped me so much over the years with a careful and fearful exegesis of the scripture. John has referred to it as a time machine, and as kid who grew up in the suburbs of Orlando and New Smyrna, it was a different place that he described, not just foreign, but alien to me. Most prefer self help guides and enrichment classes, and I myself would come to hate these men for a time, because I preferred a much more watered down gospel, but John, R.C., Spurgeon and others dissected every word, seeking the Author's intent.

The work of Nehemiah continues the work of Ezra, it provides protection to the work of Ezra, a wall to those who are weary and oppressed. This is the venue, a safe place, cast all your cares aside and focus on things of eternal implication. Blessed are those that mourn and the Bible and the preaching of the Word had that effect on them, but do not cry forever, for they that mourn shall also be comforted. Take great comfort and joy in your sorrow, for it is over that sin which God hates, but if you hurt over it then rejoice for this is God doing a work in you. He Who has begun a good work in you will also be faithful to complete it.

This is awesome, they had not kept the feast of Booths the way it is described by Moses, but as soon as they discover this in the law, they want to do it. There is a joy indescribable in obedience, and it goes missed most of the time, most of the world over; no one naturally thinks that it would ever make them happy.  

Booths