By Kevin Ivy
Pastor, First Baptist Church, Tullahoma
Focal Passage: Nehemiah 6:1-3, 15-16; 8:1-3, 5-8
Sanballat and Tobiah had decided that since they could not prevent the building of the wall by harassment and the threat of war, they would try to stop the work with a lie. Their plan was to attempt to lure Nehemiah away from the work and into an “important” discussion. There was nothing to discuss in reality however. They simply wanted an opportunity to attack Nehemiah. There was no other foreseeable way to stop the work than to take out the leader. Nehemiah recognized their plan and refused to step away from what God had commanded him to do in order to fraternize with the enemy.
What a lesson for us! We must learn to stay focused on the task that God has given us until the work He has given us to do is done. Our enemy will do his best to stall and/or stop the work. He will gladly take out any and every leader he can. It is our responsibility to stay focused and faithful to the last assignment God gave us. This is exactly what Nehemiah did (Nehemiah 6:15-16). The wall was eventually completed and the nations that surrounded Jerusalem “lost their confidence” because they knew that only God could have accomplished this (v. 16).
They were finally experiencing a measure of revival in the land because the city was secure, their enemies were quiet, and God had been faithful to finish what was started. It was an exciting time to be a resident of Jerusalem. In response to the blessings of God upon them, they turned their attention to the Word of God. They all gathered together as Ezra read the law of God from early morning until midday. Ezra was a scribe (Nehemiah 8:1) and a priest (v. 2) who had given his life to study, practice and teach the people (Ezra 7:10).
As he shared from God’s Word, the people were attentive (Nehemiah 8:3). God’s Word deserved their attention, not only in the difficult times when they were filled with questions and needing direction, but also in the victorious times when things seemed to be going positively. God’s Word must be central to our lives if we are to truly serve Him.
We need the Scripture, not to decorate our book shelves and end tables, but to fill our hearts and minds. God’s Word is to be read and studied by His people (vv. 5-8). The Jews honored God’s Word so much that they positioned Ezra, as he read, above all the people. They were so expectant of what God would say to them through His Word that they prepared themselves to hear.
When the book was opened, they rose to their feet, cried amen and lifted their hands to heaven. They bowed low with their faces to the ground and worshiped (v. 6). Imagine if we took such care in preparing ourselves to read and hear God’s Word today. Imagine how differently our quiet times and worship services would look if we were this serious about hearing God’s Word.
As Ezra read the Scriptures, the Levites explained the law to the people (v. 7). They read the Scripture, explained the Scripture, so that everyone could understand what was read. They were basically preaching and teaching verse by verse through the law of God. This is the catalyst for revival: God’s Word being taught and applied verse by verse to a people who are fully prepared and excited to hear. May that be us this Sunday and every Sunday!
