The people all stood up

Nehemiah 8:1-10

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.

“…as one man.”  I love this.  What brings people together?  Only reverence toward God, and obedience to his calling.  “.. stand firm in one spirit, contending together as one man for the faith of the gospel,” as Paul wrote in Phil 1.27. Or as Jesus said: in John 17:21, “ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Or, the picture of the early church, “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.” (Acts 2.42).  The picture of God’s people, gathered “as one man,” standing together under the proclamation of the word of God: this is the picture of humanity God wants to see, and must be the priority of every Christian—to BE a unified, word-centric community together.

² 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. ³ 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. ⁴ Ezra 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. ⁵ Ezra 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. ⁶ Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; 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. ⁷ The 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. ⁸ They 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. ⁹ Then 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. ¹⁰ Nehemiah 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. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

It’s interesting that it says, “Ezra the priest brought the Law” (v. 2).  What he brought was the Book in which was written the Law (i.e. the Torah), but to the people it amounted to pretty much the same thing.  They did not have a copy of it. Probably, many of them would not have been able to read it even if they did.  The only way for them to get the word of God was to have someone like Ezra read it for them. That they all stood as Ezra opened the book was likely out of sheer spine-tingling excitement as much as reverence.  Reading this text last night brought unexpected tears to my eyes. I picture them, still dusty from just finishing the wall, standing to their feet almost in reflexive response to the WORD OF THE LORD about to be proclaimed to them, trembling with awe and anticipation, … then Ezra’s voice ringing out, “Hear O, Israel, the Lord your God is one …” and the Levites shouting it out down the ranks so the furthest reaches can hear, and the people—men and women, and older children, everyone who could understand—their eyes widening, their pulses quickening, jaws clenching. Here and there silent streams of tears start to flow, and their shoulders start to heave, as desire for God’s holiness, and grief over their sins, and the sense of God present in their midst in his word addressing them, all mingle together and erupt in loud weeping. Almost I can sense their joy and grief, being “wounded” with God’s words, and being transported to “regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness,” as Tolkien says in LOTR, because when the word of God pierces you like a sword, it’s painful and joyful at once, and your tears are tears of blessedness.

…

I have 9 nicely bound copies of the bible—each full of features like helpful articles and explanatory footnotes (my own team of Levites) and colored charts and maps–in 3 different translations within arm’s reach in my office. My Logos 4.2 bible software serves up many more, in nice parallel windows and all instantly searchable. For me, the word of God is literally pixels on a screen.  I don’t stand in awe or bown down with my face on the ground before God’s word.  I casually take it off the shelf, plop down on my couch, and lean back to read. Compared to the returned exiles, I guess it’s a good thing to have God’s word so at the ready. But being inundated with something is also one sure way to no longer appreciate it, notice it, or even to cheapen it.  Blessing poorly received can cause great poverty.