THEY READ THE BOOK OF THE LAW

PROCLAMATION

“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; … So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”  Nehemiah 8:5-8 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

The Bible Book of Nehemiah was written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Nehemiah, the cupbearer to Artaxerxes the king of Persia.  After Nehemiah had counted all of the people, they gathered in front of the water gate and Ezra the priest read to them from the book of the law of Moses. (Nehemiah 8:1-3)  Ezra stood upon a wooden pulpit so that he was above all of the people and could be seen by them.  When he opened the book all of the people stood up.  And as he read, the men standing with him explained it to the people so that all of them understood it. (Nehemiah 8:4-8)   Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites taught the people saying, “This day is holy unto The Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep.”  They said this because the people wept when they heard the words of the law.  They told the people to go their way, to eat and drink, and to give portions to the people for whom nothing had been prepared for the day was holy. (Nehemiah 8:9-12)  The next day they came together to study the words of the law.  They found that they were commanded to live in booths (temporary shelters) during the feast of the seventh month.  They published this and proclaimed it throughout the land and in all of the surrounding towns, and the people made themselves booths of tree branches for them to dwell in for the seven days of the feast. (Nehemiah 8:13-18)

 

APPLICATION

To paraphrase an old quote, “When we know better, we should do better.”   The quote actually said, “Do your best until you know better; then do better.” (Maya Angelou)  In order to know it for ourselves; we need to read and study The Word of God.  Then we ought to do what it says.  We are responsible for doing that which is right in the sight of The Lord.  “Ignorance of the law is no excuse…” (Thomas Jefferson and Oliver Wendell Holmes)  This quote is first revealed in The Bible as: “And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of The Lord; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.” (Leviticus 5:17)  We should be doers of The Word. (James 1:22)