God's Word Stands Forever Preservation of the Law of God And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles, when all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.—Deuteronomy 31:10,11 A verse by verse study of Nehemiah 8 Shortly after Israel left Egypt for the promised land, God gave them a law at Mt. Sinai. At the end of their forty-year wandering in the wilderness, Moses gathered the people together in the plains of Moab and repeated the precepts of the law (Deuteronomy 1:1-3). After seven decades of captivity in Babylon, the Hebrew people once again returned to their homeland, and once again the law was read to them in an open assembly. That is the subject of this study of Nehemiah 8. As a result of three successive invasions of Jerusalem by the forces of Nebuchadnezzar, perhaps as many as 70,000 Jews were deported to Babylon.* When Cyrus made his decree permitting their return some seven decades later, some 42,000** took up the challenge and went back to rebuild their beloved capital city (Ezra 2:64). The years of captivity in Babylon had a profound effect upon the exiles from Israel. As Dr. Foakes-Jackson has noted, "With the captivity the history of Israel ends, and the history of the Jews commences" (Biblical History of the Hebrews, p. 316). Placed in the midst of heathen and idolatrous surroundings, the Israelites recoiled from the abominations of their neighbors and clung to the faith of their fathers in the God of Abraham. Scorned for their beliefs, they cultivated an exclusiveness of faith and beliefs. Deprived of the right to offer their ritual sacrifices, they learned to prize the spiritual lessons from their traditions and history. Another writer observes: "Within [a] hundred years the teaching of Moses was established as the basis of the national life, the first steps were taken toward the formation of a canon of Scripture. Jewish society was molded into a shape which succeeding centuries modified, but did not essentially change. During this period the Judaea of the days of our Lord came into being. Within this period the forces which opposed Christ, and the forces which rallied to his side, had their origin. This century saw the rise of parties which afterward became sects under the names of Pharisees and Sadducees. It laid the foundation of Rabbinism. It fixed the attitude of the Jews toward the Gentiles."—Dr. P. Hay Hunter, After the Exile, I, xvi. It was just this sense of community that made the returning exiles so enthused about returning. Although the rigors of living in the desert outpost (which Jerusalem had become) and the fears of antagonistic neighbors had diminished their original zeal, Nehemiah met the challenge and gave them fresh vigor. The rebuilding of the walls was only one of his accomplishments. With the aid of Ezra the returned exiles were purged of their pagan wives and had the vision of a law-abiding nation restored to them. It is of this activity that we find the narrative of the re-reading of the law in Nehemiah 8. At the Water Gate—Nehemiah 8:1-4 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 hadcommanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men andwomen, 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. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. The timing of the event was the "first day of the seventh month." This was the beginning of the civil year at the feast of trumpets, an event we know today as Rosh Hoshanah. It was only one week after Nehemiah had finished the construction of the wall around Jerusalem in 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15). Although our theme text specifies that the annual reading of the law was to be on the feast of tabernacles, it was probably moved forward on this occasion so they would be able to recognize the importance of that feast. Apparently this feast had fallen out of favor during the Babylonian captivity. The place was at "the street that was before the water gate." This gate lay south of the temple and led eastward to the water supply of the springs of Gihon in the Kidron Valley. The word translated "street" would be better translated "courtyard," and was a wide, open area specifically designed for addressing a large audience. It was actually part of the temple complex and is called "the open square of the house of God" in Ezra 10:9 (NKJV). The congregation was "all that could hear with understanding." Although men and women were alike present, it is doubtful that small children were encouraged to attend this particular assemblage since the readings would last several hours and the natural demands of children would be distracting in the discussions of the law. It was, however, the responsibility of the parents to fully inform the children of their responsibilities under the law. The leader of the congregation was Ezra, whose lineage is traced through the high priestly line all the way back to Aaron. It was inhis role as scribe and copyist that Ezra is credited with laying the foundation for the canon of the Old Testament. James Orr, in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia notes: "The age of Ezra and Nehemiah, therefore, is not that of the beginning, but, as Jewish tradition rightly held (Josephus; 2 Maccabees 2:13; Talmud) rather that of the completion, systematic delimitation, acknowledgment and formal close of the canon." The subject was "the book of the law of Moses." It is debatable whether this refers to the entire Pentateuch or merely the book of Deuteronomy which Moses had instructed be kept "in the side of the ark of the covenant" (Deuteronomy 31:26). It is most likely that it included all of the first five books of the Bible, since special information about the use of booths was included in the reading and those instructions are only found in Leviticus 23:42, 43. The assembly gathered early, for the reading was to begin at dawn. For six hours the willing crowd gave rapt attention. It is not likely that it was a drawn-out monologue, but rather that the thirteen other priests that shared the platform with Ezra took their turns in the reading. The readings of the law may have also been interrupted with translations and explanations. Reading of the Law—Nehemiah8:5-8 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. 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. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. The session opened with prayer and the audience stood with bowed heads and hands lifted in reverence. An example of such an introductory prayer is found in the words of David in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, "Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name." The double "Amen" of the audience indicated the fervor of the occasion and their willingness to not only hear, but seek to follow the words of the law being read to them. The activities of that fateful morning were broken into three parts:
It was thus that the integrity of the precepts of the ancient Mosaic law was preserved, even after seven decades of virtual disuse. The Feast of Trumpets—Nehemiah 8:9-13 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law. The origins of the title "Tirshatha" are obscure. However both of the two most prominent explanations are appropriate descriptions of Nehemiah’s office. The linguist Lagarde derives it from the Bactrian antarekshatra meaning "he who takes the place of the king," a most appropriate designation in the light of the commission given in Nehemiah 2:6-9. The reading of the law had a profound effect upon the assembled people. Being convicted of their failure to keep the law, they wept profusely. Perhaps they also realized that their recent captivity had been as a direct consequence of their neglect of their religious responsibilities toward God. Both Nehemiah and Ezra remonstrated against such weeping, not because it was improper, but that it was inappropriate on this joyous festival day. The Day of Atonement which was some ten days yet future, was the proper time for such repentant sorrow. Now it was the time not to look back on their past sins, but to rejoice in the future prospects ahead of forgiveness and a renewed opportunity to attempt to keep the law. Even sorrow for sin must not grow so obsessive as to hinder our joy in God and our cheerfulness in his service. This Rosh Hoshanah was to be an occasion for true New Year resolutions. Their rejoicing, however, was not to be self-centered nor in the immediacy of the bounties on the festive table, but it was to be a joy of a renewed relationship with God; it was to be "the joy of the Lord" that would give them strength to carry out the resolutions they had made. Their "mirth" was not to be based on eating, drinking, or making merry; rather, it was the rejoicing of a heart uplifted by "understanding" the laws of God. As the psalmist phrased it, "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm 119:165). Nor were they to be unmindful of those not privileged to be at the feast, but were to take some of the bounties and send it to them. These would include not only those too sick to be at this assembly, or those in remote villages who could not come, but undoubtedly included their fellow countrymen back in Babylon. This lesson should not be lost on today’s Christians who may, being free from mystic Babylon, forget their less fortunate brethren who may remain behind for one reason or another. Such customs of sharing the bounties of their festivals were not uncommon to the Jewish people (see Esther 9:19-22; Luke 14:13). As the first day of the New Year was a celebration of the Law for all the people, so the second day was a day of instruction for the leaders of the various tribes, the priests, and the Levites. Ezra became their teacher as he informed them of their unique responsibilities in maintaining the purity of the Jewish religion. It has been just this care over the word of God that has preserved the integrity of the Bible over the many centuries of its existence. Feast of Tabernacles—Nehemiah 8:14-18 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. 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. The statement in verse 17 that from the time of Joshua "the children of Israel had not done so," should not be understood as meaning that the nation had not observed the feast of tabernacles. There are references to them having held such observations in 2 Chronicles 8:13 and 1 Kings 12:32. Rather, it indicates that they had not followed the custom of building booths during these occasions although this had been commanded as part of the celebration in Leviticus 23:42,43. The three main Jewish festivals were all commemorative of historic events related to their exodus from Egypt: Passover celebrating their departure; Pentecost, the giving of the Law at Sinai; and Tabernacles, their safe arrival in the promised land. The antitypes were likewise progressive: Passover, picturing the death of Christ; Pentecost, the giving of the holy spirit to the church; and Tabernacles, showing the entrance of mankind into their eternal inheritance. (Each of these feasts was also a harvest festival: Passover for the barley harvest, Pentecost for the wheat, and Tabernacles for the grape vintage.) In Nehemiah 8 the feast of tabernacles is stressed mainly because it was the first occasion to observe one of the features of the Law which they had just rehearsed in such great detail. However it is also suggestive that the return of Israel from Babylon may foreshadow the return of the Israelites to their true prophetic position after they return to the Lord at the end of their Diaspora. The booths were primarily to show how the people had been protected in their temporary dwelling quarters during the wilderness wanderings. The booths were patterned after the temporary shelters for "the watchmen of the vineyards and melons, and maize fields, protecting them against thieves, herds, and wild beasts. . . . [and] only slightly put together" (Keil & Delitzsch). They measured about eight feet square and could go as high as 15 feet. It is the temporary nature of booths that is stressed in Job 27:18, "He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh." The booths also indicated an isolated condition: "Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city" (Isaiah 1:7,8). All of these lessons were particularly appropriate to Israel in the days of Nehemiah. As the Lord had led them safely from the land of Egypt to the promised land, so now they had been returned to Jerusalem from their captivity in Babylon. It will thus be appropriate in that future reality when they shall have returned from their dispersion throughout the earth, and once again hear and give heed to the Word of the Lord, that Jerusalem becomes the permanent capital of the earth (Isaiah 2:2-4). And so the people went to work and filled Jerusalem with booths—on the housetops, in the temple square, in the plazas, and even in the streets. As the Wycliffe Commentary notes, "Probably the inhabitants of the city built their booths by their own homes, the priests and Levites built in the temple courts, and non-resident laymen in the open places." But such activities formed only the setting. Their real activity was seven days of studying and meditating on the law of God. What a beautiful picture we have here of the Messianic kingdom when, for a thousand years, mankind shall read and contemplate the laws of a perfect God so that, keeping them, they may live forever. The Bible, which has been so faithfully preserved since its inception, will still be the divine standard for all men for ever. It was on the eighth day that they removed their huts and returned to their dwelling places. So it will be that, after God’s 7,000-year plan for mankind shall have wrought its perfect work, all men will receive their eternal inheritance (Matthew 25:34). As the booths fade into the realities of life again in their own possession, may it ever be a reminder that "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand for ever" (Isaiah 40:8). * A cursory reading of Jeremiah 28-30 might imply a captivity of only 4,600. However this is in direct conflict with 2 Kings 24:16 where the number of landowners and metal-workers alone was 8,000. The total number including women and children, according to D. George Adam Smith, may have been between 62,000 to 70,000, nearly half the residents of the country, leaving only the poor to tend the land (Jerusalem, volume 2, pp. 268-270). ** Although the number of Israelites had undoubtedly swelled to many more than the 70,000 taken captive, many were too old to return, others because of health reasons or other commitments did not feel ready to leave, and some had become assimilated into the Babylonian culture. |