Happy Sukkot! The Feast of Tabernacles
Sukkot, the great Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Booths, is first mentioned in Lev. 23:33-44 but we re going to forget about it for the moment. We ll get back to it, but we have the rest of Nehemiah ch. 8 to get to first! Let s read it The date: It s the 1 st day of the 7 th month, the most solemn month in ancient Israel s year. The wall around Jerusalem is fully restored (6:15); Israel s enemies have failed. Nehemiah has reviewed the list of the returned exiles and identified all those who would serve in the temple: priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants (7:28-46).
And now on Tishri 1 st, all of the people gather in Jerusalem (8:1). This gathering takes place over two days and that s our clue for dividing up this chapter: Day 1 of the great gathering: The reading and understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 Day 2 of the great gathering: The study and keeping of the Scriptures v. 13-18 The focus of this chapter is on the Law of God remember back in lesson 1 we saw that the time of Ezra/Nehemiah is a hinge point where Israel begins to transition from a people of the temple to a people of the Book. We see the pattern in this chapter.
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 Like we mentioned last week, Ezra makes his first appearance in Nehemiah s book. Look again at Ezra 7:10 he had been patiently doing this, kind of behind the scenes. But now, when he is called on to teach and preach publicly, he is ready. One quick implication here before we go on: the patient, careful, slow study of the Scriptures is never wasted. God will see that it is used in some way. It may not be in front of thousands, like Ezra, but those who put the years in on the study of God s word will see that used in some way.
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 The gathering of the people There was a large square, or open area, in front of the Water Gate, which was located on the eastern side of Jerusalem s walls the gate likely led out toward the Gihon Spring in the Kidron Valley outside the eastern wall. Ezra brought scrolls of the Pentateuch/Torah. Notice this gathering the author makes a point of noting that both men and women and all who could understand (v. 2) gathered. It was unusual to have men, women, and children (God s plan was for a wise & understanding people Deut. 4:6).
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 Ezra stood on a wood platform along with 13 others, likely priests, though the text does not say. Notice how long the gathering lasted: from early morning until midday, a good 6 hours at least. It is likely that those on the platform with Ezra took turns reading from the scrolls; it was common practice in the synagogues in later years to have multiple readers of the Scriptures. There is another list given in v. 8 these are specifically noted as Levites, men who served in the temple and assisted the priests, and who were educated in the Scriptures.
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 So Ezra stood on this elevated platform, along with the 13 others, and read from the Law of God. Notice what the Levites did as the Scriptures were read they helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places (v. 7). Like this: Ezra read a portion of Scripture and then paused; the Levites, who were dispersed throughout the crowd, would then explain the meaning to the people around them, making sure that they understood the meaning. So what does this sound like to you? Expository preaching? Yes!
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 Question: what is expository preaching? Alec Motyer: expository preaching is the proper response to a God-breathed Scripture. Central to it all is that concern which the word exposition itself enshrines: a display of what is there. Expository preaching is the Spirit-empowered explanation and proclamation of the text of God s Word, with due regard to the historical, contextual, grammatical and doctrinal significance of the given passage, with the specific object of invoking a Christ-transforming response. Dr. Stephen Olford
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 But there is always one element of good preaching that is left out of these otherwise excellent descriptions what is it? What has to happen for good communication to take place? A message must be given and a message must be received. Which leads to this question: how do you listen to a sermon? What are the characteristics of a good sermon listener? (okay, maybe my grammar s not the best deal with it) Let s see how the people listened here, and we ll pull out 5 characteristics of a good sermon listener
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 A good picture of how to hear a sermon: 1. There was attentive listening (v. 3). All the people were attentive, actively listening. 2. There was patient listening (v. 3). Time was not the important thing to them God was. 3. There was reverent listening (v. 5). The people were expecting to be impacted by the Word. 4. There was repentant listening (v. 9). There was genuine heart-searching going on within them. 5. There was responsive listening (v. 12, 16). It was obedience to the Spirit-directed implications of the text of Scripture.
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 Let s take this a step further look at 1 Tim. 4:13, he was told to devote himself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Ezra had prepared himself for exactly the same thing. What are some of the practical goals of the public reading of Scripture? In other words, what should the regular expository preaching of the Word of God accomplish in the lives of the gathered believers? We can point to 7 things that the public reading of Scripture should accomplish. And we ll do just that right after we see what it was like to go to church in the 1 st & 2 nd centuries
About AD 170 Justin Martyr wrote a defense of Christianity to the Roman government; in it he describes a service of the early church: On the day called the day of the Sun a gathering takes place of all who live in the towns or in the country in one place. The Memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets are read as long as time permits. Then the reader stops, and the leader by word of mouth impresses and urges to the imitation of these good things. Then we all stand together and send forth prayers. quoted from William Barclay It is the proclamation of Scripture that must take the central place in among the gathered church.
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 Why the public reading of Scripture? 7 things 1. To shape, define, and instruct. It answers questions like this: Who are we? Why are we here? Who is God? What is our world, and how are we to think of it? What are we to do? How do we relate to God, each other, and our world? 2. To counteract false teaching, worldly philosophy, and the deceptions of our own hearts. Paul instructed Timothy to deal with false teaching by the proclamation of the truth (1 Tim. 4:11-16).
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 Why the public reading of Scripture? 7 things 3. To recall people to God in crisis times. 2 Chron. 34:18-19, 30 a crisis of spiritual exile. Neh. 8 a crisis of identity. 1 Tim. 4 a crisis of false teaching. 4. To tell and re-tell the stories that keep our faith alive, growing, and focused. Eph. 4:11-16. 5. To enable the hearers to keep a close watch on their own souls. 2 Tim. 3:16. 6. To help us to understand our ongoing need for transformation. Eph. 4:15. 7. To teach people how to read and rightly interpret the Scriptures for themselves.
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 The proclamation of the Scriptures had a profound impact; notice the words that are connected with it: mourn weep wept grieved. This was mourning over their own sin, mourning that they did not have the sweet fellowship with God that they could have had. But notice something else Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites recognized that the people couldn t stay there. Why not? A constant focus on weakness, failure, sin can produce a melancholy, joyless, self-centered hopelessness.
The reading & understanding of the Scriptures v. 1-12 Repentance is not an end in itself; rather, it should drive us in humility to the cross where we find a great Savior who is pleased to forgive the sins of His little ones. Notice the focus in v. 9-12 Repentance is a good place to visit frequently, but joy is our home. Mourn over your sin, but rejoice in the tender and sweet mercy of God. Holiness and joy are intimately connected. Notice the repeated words in v. 9, 10, & 11. This is the joy of the Lord, not of circumstances. Notice the source David s joy in Psalm 13. Joy is a by-product of a proper understanding of God s word notice v. 12.
Well, that was Day One of the big Bible conference, with keynote speaker Ezra the priest. Now we need to take a look at Day Two of the great gathering: the study and keeping of the Scriptures v. 13-18. Day two starts out with the first ever men s small group Bible study (v. 13). Ezra led the Bible study, and the brothers were working their way through Leviticus ch. 23. Question: If you announced a new men s small group study through the book of Leviticus how many do you think would show up? This one was well attended notice the word all.
The study and keeping of the Scriptures v. 13-18 During the men s small group Bible study through Leviticus 23, the guys read v. 33-44 and stopped. It s supposed to start on Tishri 15 th and we re almost there!! We need to get started now! So, in obedience to God s word, they did (v. 16). The Feast of Booths was a celebration rejoicing in the salvation from Egypt & God s protection through the journey in the wilderness (Lev. 23:43). The Feast of Booths had been celebrated from time to time (as recently as the time of Zerubbabel Ezra 3:4), but never regularly, and never with such joy as it was intended (Lev. 23:40).
The study and keeping of the Scriptures v. 13-18 Derek Kidner comments on this particular Feast of Booths: The strange blend of settled and unsettled life, presented by the incongruous sight of shanties perched on the roofs of houses and filling the city squares, was a forcible reminder, experienced for a whole week, of pilgrim conditions and the miraculous journey to the promised land. There was now a second Exodus to reinforce the message, and the reference in v. 17 to ancient history and to the more recent return from captivity suggests that the point was taken.
The study and keeping of the Scriptures v. 13-18 What Ezra added to the Feast of Booths: notice v. 18, he read from the Book of the Law of God each day of the feast. Why is this significant? Again, Derek Kidner: This day was to prove a turning-point. From now on, the Jews would be predominantly the people of a book So the move to make Scripture the guiding principle of Jewish life was powerfully initiated. This pattern of the exposition of the Scriptures taking prominence became the pattern of the synagogue, and later became the pattern of the faithful church through the ages. Feed My sheep.
Brethren, you have to feed Christ s sheep. Our Lord says, Feed! Feed! Feed! He begins with, Feed My lambs. My little lambkins, or young Believers these need plenty of instruction. Feed My sheep comes next. Feed the middle-aged, the strong, the vigorous these do not require only feeding they also need to be directed in their Christian course and to be guided to some field of earnest service for Christ; therefore shepherd them. Then in the last, Feed My sheep, you have the grayheaded Believers in Christ. Do not try to govern these, but feed them! They may have far more prudence and they certainly have more experience than you have and, therefore, do not rule them, but remind them of the deep things of God and deal out to them an abundance of consoling Truths. - Spurgeon