Are Talkin' to Me?

(How to Get the Most from the Preaching of God's Word)

 

by Samuel E. Ward

Introduction

 

Warren Wiersbe writes in his commentary on Nehemiah chapter . . .

 

French author Victor Hugo said over a century ago, "England has two books, the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare but the Bible made England." Supporting that view, historians tell us that Elizabethan England was indeed a country of one book, and that book was the Bible.

 

When they arrived in America, the Pilgrim Fathers brought with them that same reverence for the Word of God. "The Bible came with them," said American statesman Daniel Webster, "and it is not to be doubted that to the free and universal reading of the Bible is to be ascribed in that age that men were indebted for right views of civil liberties." President Woodrow Wilson said, "America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the relevations of Holy Scripture."

 

Whether the Bible is "making" any nation today may be debated, but one thing is sure: The Scriptures helped to "make" the nation of Israel. They are a "people of the Book" as no other nation has been, and the church today would do well to follow ancient Israel's example. When God's people get away from loving, reading, and obeying the Word of God, they lose the blessing of God.[1]

 

--Warren Wiersbe, "Nehemiah"

 

This message is important to our series on Current Issues Facing the Church because it presents exactly the attitude that must be within the church when it hears God's Word concerning these issues.  Believers must understand that God is not presenting alternative moral views from which we may choose.  He is revealing what is truly moral because it is by His design what is truly best for those who inhabit His creation.

God has claimed His right to govern the actions of mankind because He is the Creator of mankind.  He has determined that morality shall have as its basis His own holy character.  It is within His Word that His character is revealed.  He has also declared that when His righteousness laws and principles are followed, mankind is most at peace with himself and others.

The Israelites have been allowed to return to their land after their seventy year captivity, a captivity which was the direct result of their ignoring God's Word.  They are well aware of this fact, especially having been reminded of it under the teaching ministry of Ezra.  For fourteen years before Nehemiah's coming to Jerusalem, Ezra had faithfully called God's people to separate themselves from their pagan practices and devote themselves to their God.  The people responded by returning to God which accounts for their readiness to follow Nehemiah's leadership in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

After devoting themselves to the rebuilding effort amidst great challenges and threats from neighboring peoples, they complete the walls.  The work had produced a camaraderie that was ready to rebuild spiritually after seeing God's hand at work among them during the reconstruction process.  No wonder they were so hungry to know more about this God Who had been with them in this great feat that they "told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses." 

And here we have the first of at least six necessities to getting the most from hearing God's Word proclaimed.

I.  You Have to Be Hungry for God's Word.

 

Nehemiah 7:73b-8:1(NIV) ^7:73b When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns,  ^8:1 all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

 

A. David Knew Where the Knowledge of Truth and Righteousness Resided.

 

Psalms 119:142 (NIV) Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

 

Psalms 119:160 (NIV) ¹⁶⁰All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. 

 

B. Jesus Commended a Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness and Promised it Would be Satisfied.

 

Matthew 5:6 (NIV) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

 

C. The One Who Was the Word of God (Jesus) Was Listened to with Delight.

 

Mark 12:35-37 (NIV) ³⁵While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ^£ is the son of David?  ³⁶David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:  "'The Lord said to my Lord:  "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."' ³⁷David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"  The large crowd listened to him with delight.

 

II. You Have to be Attentive to God's Word.

 

Nehemiah 8:2-3 (NIV) So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.  He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

 

They had good reason to listen attentively to the Book of the Law.

 

Exodus 23:21-22 (NIV) ²¹Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.  ²²If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 

 

A. God Would Forgive Their Rebellion.

B. God Would Be an Enemy to Their Enemies.

C. God Would Oppose Those Who Opposed Them.

 

How important is this?  Consider . . .

 

Romans 8:31 (NIV) ³¹What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

 

III. You Have to be Communing with the God of the Word.

A. The Preaching of God's Word Should Evoke Praise to its Author.

 

Nehemiah 8:4-6a (NIV) ⁴Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.  ⁵Ezra opened the book.  All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.  ⁶Ezra praised the LORD, the great God;

 

B. The Praise of God Should Evoke Agreement with its Author.

 

Nehemiah 8:6b (NIV) And all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

 

C. The People of God Should be Moved to Reverent Worship of its Author.

 

Nehemiah 8:6c (NIV) Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

 

IV. You Have to Be Able to Understand God's Word

 

Nehemiah 8:7-8 (NIV) ⁷The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.  ⁸They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.

 

Good teachers are able to . . .

 

A. Read the Word

B. Make It Clear

C. Give the Meaning

 

What the Levites did was what Christians have had to do over the centuries, and that is to make God's Word available in language that people can read with clarity so that they can understand and apply it.  The Levites, because few people could understand the Hebrew of the Scriptures, had to have it translated for them.  When they were able to understand it, then they could live it and be held accountable to God to do so.

 

V. You Have to Experience the Joy of Being Reconciled by God's Word,

 

A. Hearts Broken by God's Word Can Lead to Restored Lives, 8:9

 

Nehemiah 8:9(NIV) ⁹Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, "This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

 

B. Lives Restored by God's Word Should Lead to Celebration.

 

1. Celebrate the joy of being reconciled.

 

Nehemiah 8:10a (NIV) ^10aNehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared.  This day is sacred to our Lord."

 

Heaven rejoices when sinners repent.

 

Luke 15:7 (NIV) ⁷I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety–nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

 

2. Celebrate the joy that brings strength from the LORD.

 

Nehemiah 8:10b (NIV) ^10bDo not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

 

3. Put your grief behind you and let peace return to your spirit.

 

Nehemiah 8:11 (NIV) ¹¹The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve."

 

C. Understanding God's Word Brings the Joy of Knowing God's Will.

 

Nehemiah 8:12 (NIV) ¹²Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

 

V.  You Have to Be Ready to Obey God's Word.

 

A. They Were Sensitive to the Will of God.

 

1. When they became aware of God's will, they were moved to obey it immediately.

 

Nehemiah 8:13-15 (NIV) ¹³On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.  ¹⁴They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month ¹⁵and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: "Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths"—as it is written.

 

2. When others find that God's will gets in the way of their desires, they seek to justify themselves.

 

This was one of Christ's criticism of the Pharisees who loved money so much that they found ways to add to or circumvent the Law to acquire it.

 

Luke 16:13-15 (NIV) ¹³"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."  ¹⁴The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus.  ¹⁵He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God's sight.

 

B. They Were United in Their Desire to Obey God.

 

Nehemiah 8:16-17a (NIV) ¹⁶So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.  ¹⁷The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them.

 

C. They Were Blessed with the Joy that Accompanies Obeying God.

 

Nehemiah 8:17b-18 (NIV) ^17bTFrom the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.  ¹⁸Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.

 

Jesus stressed the blessedness that comes with obedience to God's Word.

 

Luke 11:27-28 (NIV) ²⁷As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you."  ²⁸He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

 

Conclusion:  Be Careful of the "Wear-Off" Effect

 

I close as I began with a comment from Warren Wiersbe.

 

Did the blessings of the celebration last? Yes, for a time; but then the people became careless again, and the leaders had to bring them back to the Word of God. But the failure of the people is not an argument against special times of Bible study or celebration. Someone asked evangelist Billy Sunday if revivals lasted, and he replied, "No, neither does a bath; but it's good to have one occasionally!"

 

From time to time in the history of the church, God's Spirit has burdened people to pray, search the Scriptures, and confess their sins; and from these sincere spiritual exercises, He has seen fit to bring fresh life to His people. It happened in Nehemiah's day, and it can happen again today.

 

Can God begin with you?[2]

--Warren Wiersbe, Be Determined

 

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV) ¹⁴If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 

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[1]Warren Wiersbe, Be Determined, Scripture Press: Wheaton, IL, 1992.

 

[2] Ibid.