Are your legs aching yet?

 

In the world we live in, the majority of us have grown accustomed to comfort. We love to be comfortable. We avoid discomfort. We don’t seem to have the stamina of our ancestors who pioneered before us, venturing into uncharted territories on horseback or bouncing across uneven terrain in a wagon devoid of suspension through all kinds of weather.

Okay, before I go all Little House on the Prairie on you, let me bring it forward to present day.

How often do you find yourself groaning inwardly when the Pastor or visiting speaker asks the congregation to stand for the reading of the Word, be it only 5 verses? Guilty? Yep.

I am working my way through the book of Nehemiah and I’m finding it such an interesting book. If you’re familiar at all with it, you’ll know that Nehemiah was the King’s cupbearer. Word reached Nehemiah that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the city was left unprotected. He was saddened by this news and his anxiety showed upon his face as he served the King. God answered Nehemiah’s prayers, and he was given permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild it.

Months have gone by, the city is rebuilt, the people are settled and Ezra the priest comes on the scene. Both Nehemiah and Ezra play pivotal roles in this part of history. Nehemiah built the walls and Ezra restored the worship.

Ezra had an important job to do. That of restoring the worship, teaching the Word of God and leading spiritual revival in Jerusalem.

Fast forward to chapter 8. Read along with me.

Nehemiah 8:1-3 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.

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.

And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

We see in these verses that Ezra begins to read the book of the law to the people. He read from morning until midday. It was a long service! AND the people were attentive! The Hebrew word for attentive has the idea of hanging upon the lips of the speaker, hanging upon every word, pricking up their ears, listening intently, paying close attention.

Not only were they listening to a very long reading lasting for a few hours, but they were also attentive. But wait. There’s more!

Nehemiah 8:5-6 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

Did you catch that? ALL the people stood up. They stood in their place.

So, from morning to midday, the people stood for the reading of the Word. It wasn’t just a few verses. It was a whole book of the law. It was hours long. AND they were attentive.

I bet our Pastors would love to see some dedication like that from their congregations today.

When you come down to verse 18 you see that the people kept the feast seven days and each day there were public readings of the book of the law. How often they stood listening and learning during that time I’m not sure, but I do know that the people were interested in hearing from God and repenting from sin.

Nehemiah 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

And I think that there was some ‘preaching’ going on too, not just reading.

Nehemiah 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

There is so much more in this book of the Bible and a lot to be said about the Feast of the Tabernacles and the whys and hows but I was just so impressed by the people’s dedication and reverence for the Word of God that it really spoke to my heart about the importance I place on the book we often take for granted.

When we hear the Bible read aloud in our churches, do we understand its importance? Do we stand in awe? Or has it become ritualistic and do we see it as just something to endure when long portions are read?

The Word of God holds power. It is wisdom. It is love. It is grace. It is truth. It is light. It is enduring. It is sustaining. It is alive. It is God-breathed.

The Bible is an amazing book. Some books can change your thinking. But the Bible is the only book that can change your nature! It has the ability to transform you from the inside out.

The origin of success is the BIBLE. The Word of God. (Joshua 1:8) Applying the Word of God. Reading with attentiveness and obedience.

Success begins with following God’s Word.

But we can’t follow God’s Word if we don’t know it.

And we won’t know God’s Word if we don’t read it.

The Bible is a book about God. When we study the Bible and look at a passage, we need to ask ourselves, “what does this passage teach me about God and his character?” before we ask it to teach us anything about ourselves.

We are to imitate Christ.

We can’t do that if we don’t know him.

And we can’t know him unless we learn about him.

 And we can’t learn about him if we are not in the Word of God, studying it, meditating on it, memorizing it, applying it, obeying it and letting God reveal himself to us through it. 

As the people in Nehemiah’s day heard the book of the law read, they learned of God’s character and it revealed their own character and shone a light on their sin, causing them to repent and change their ways.

So, the next time you are tempted to groan as you stand for a short reading, spare a thought for the Israelites who stood in awe, reverence and worship, honouring God and listening attentively.

Maybe our comfort zones need ruffling. Maybe our legs need to ache. Maybe we need to stop grumbling. We really don’t have it that bad.