SESSION 4 RETURN TO GOD S WORD The Point God s Word is the map for a consistent life. The Bible Meets Life Have you ever been backpacking or hiking? When you backpack, you only bring the essentials you ll need to survive for the amount of days you re hiking. One essential is a map a real, paper map. You ll make wrong turns and get turned around. But a map takes you where you want to go regardless of how lost you get. God has given us a map that never fails. This map God s Word gives us His directions on how to live. It puts us on the right path. The Israelites knew this during the days of Nehemiah, and it is a truth we should cling to. The Passage Nehemiah 8:1-8 112 SESSION 4
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? Nehemiah 8:1-8 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. 1 The Setting The work of rebuilding the fortification wall around Jerusalem went surprising quickly 52 days (see Neh. 6:15). But Nehemiah s work in Jerusalem did not end with the completion of the wall. For at least 12 years he served as governor of Judah (see 5:14). At some point following the restoration of the wall and while Nehemiah was governor, he and Ezra led the people in a covenant renewal. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 113
ENGAGE (15 MINUTES) GET INTO THE STUDY ENGAGE: Begin the session with one or more of the Engage Options on the next page. (This is optional. If you d rather skip the Engage Options, just begin with the first discussion question.) SAY: Most Christians have a desire to please Jesus, yet only about half of them read the Bible more than once a week. What s the connection? He has shown us how to obey and please Him through the Bible. The Bible plays an important role in a sustained, close relationship with God. DISCUSS: Ask students the question, When have you followed instructions and ended up somewhere unexpected? ITEM 12 Leader Pack: Use the Psalm 119 poster to help your students make the connection between God s word and how it shows us the way. THE POINT GUIDE: Call attention to The Point. Explain that this is the key idea to keep in mind throughout the session. God s word is the map for a consistent life. READ: Read and summarize The Bible Meets Life for your group. Have you ever been backpacking or hiking? When you backpack you only bring what you need. The more you bring, the more weight there is on your back. The goal is to bring the essentials you ll need to survive for the amount of days you re hiking, which is why you must plan carefully. For that reason, you always pack a map a real, paper map, not a satellite GPS. You will make wrong turns, even if the trail is well marked. And you will get turned around, but a map takes you back to the path you want to be on regardless of how lost you get. God has given us a map that never fails. This map God s Word gives us His directions on how to live. It puts us on the right path. The Israelites knew this during the days of Nehemiah, and it is a truth we should cling to today. PRAY: Transition into the session by praying that students would see the importance of making God s Word their roadmap for life. 114 SESSION 4
Engage Options YY Lead with Action Have students sit in a circle, preferably around a table. If you have a large group, divide into groups of 10 and have each group sit in a circle. Each student will need a pen/pencil and a stack of notecards or small sheets of paper. Designate someone to start the game and ask him or her to write a phrase or sentence on the top sheet in his or her stack. Then, on your cue, everyone passes their whole stack to the right. They have 15 seconds to then DRAW the sentence/phrase on the next sheet in the stack. Then they pass the stack again and the next person WRITES a phrase describing the picture they see. This continues (alternating drawing and writing) until the stack reaches it original owner. Like in the game Telephone, it is fun to go through and see how the message changed as it was passed on. After the game wraps up, say: This is a game where the results are almost always unexpected. Most of us got very different end results than what we expected when we started. Often life presents us with unexpected turns, but we can always know that Scripture provides trustworthy and consistent instruction in all circumstances. YY Lead with Atmosphere Search the Internet for step-by-step instructions of how to make or fix something and choose several examples to print off. Post them all over the room. Try and choose sets of instructions that might be humorous such as step-by-step instructions to build a light saber or fix a toilet. Say, Step-bystep instructions are important for us to create or repair things we aren t familiar with. In the same way, we are all going to face situations in which we aren t sure what steps to take. That s why God has given us His holy and infallible Word. YY Lead with Media Download the free app, What Knot to Do. Have students choose a knot and compete to see who can follow the instructions best. After you have tried several knots, say: Sometimes people follow directions yet still end up with something they didn t expect. We were given the Scriptures to guide us as we navigate uncharted territories in life. OPTION: Gather several different maps (local map, world map, map of a park, state map, etc) and display them around the room. Encourage students to look at and study the maps. After a few minutes, ask questions based on information found on the maps (pinpoint a landmark, identify the direction a street runs, give directions to a specific location). Say, Maps help us navigate places we aren t familiar with. We all face situations in which we aren t sure what steps to take next. That s why we have God s Word.. OPTION: Prior to the session, browse though pinterestfail.com. Pull up a few of your favorite and display them on the screen for the class. Say, These are some examples of people following directions yet ending up somewhere unexpected. We were given the Scriptures to guide us as we navigate uncharted territories in life. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 115
IMPART (10 MINUTES) STUDY THE BIBLE The Point: God s Word in the map for a consistent life. And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 1 NEHEMIAH 8:1-3 NEHEMIAH 8:1-3 READ: Ask a volunteer to read the following: God used Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem and lead the people to rebuild. Through the work and ministry of both Nehemiah and Ezra, the priest, the people not only rebuilt their city, but they also rebuilt their lives. SAY: In Nehemiah 8, the Jewish people gathered to celebrate all that had happened. Actually, this was more than a celebration; it was a time of rededication. The gathering occurred in the seventh month of the year, which is significant because the Jews celebrated three events during that month: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths (see Lev. 23:23-43). Every seven years during the Feast of Booths, God s Word was to be read before His people (see Deut. 31:10-13). GUIDE: Help students understand the importance of God s Word to their lives. The Jews of Nehemiah s time had recaptured the significance of their festivals and realized the importance of the book of the law of Moses (v. 1). They were hungry to hear what God had to say, which meant: 1. They were dedicated to listening to the Word of God. The people listened to Ezra and others read and explain the Word of God from early in the morning until midday. In other words, they listened to the Word of God for six hours. 2. They were attentive to the Word of God. To be attentive means to concentrate, be observant, and be focused. Their hearts and minds were fixed on listening to God s Word and retaining the truth from His Word. God s Word is the fuel for restoration, and it deserves top priority in our lives. DISCUSS: Lead students to discuss the question, How do our circumstances impact the way we draw near to the Bible? 116 SESSION 4
Commentary NEHEMIAH 8:1-3 The previous session introduced us to Nehemiah, who organized a rebuilding project that allowed the people to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem in only 52 days (see 6:15). Having secured the borders of the city and buoyed by the confidence of completing the building project, the people turned their attention to the more important matter of spiritual renewal. This forms the background of a great event in Nehemiah 8 when the people gathered together to hear the public reading of the Scriptures. [Verse 1] The completion of the wall occurred on the 25th day of the sixth month on the Jewish calendar (see v. 15), and the events of Nehemiah 8 occur on the first day of the seventh month. As soon as their borders were secure, they had the time and energy to focus on spiritual awakening. The people gathered at the square in front of the Water Gate. This gate in the wall, leading to the Gihon Spring, was a popular point in community life. But the people did not gather there merely to socialize. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses to read to the crowd. Nehemiah emphasized the desire among all the people to hear the Word of God. The people took the initiative. They called for the reading of the Word of God. [Verse 2] The first day of the seventh month was the New Year s Day of the Jewish civil calendar. It included the celebration of the Feast of Trumpets with a solemn assembly of both men and women as they ceased from their labor to focus on the coming year. Perhaps in years past this holy day had not been observed as it should because of fear the uncompleted wall made them vulnerable to their enemies. With the wall intact, they gathered to hear the Word of God. Without personal copies, they relied on the priests to read the Scripture to them. Ezra was the priest chosen to read. He was a descendant of Aaron who was sent to Jerusalem by King Artaxerxes of Persia in 458 B.C. He was a leader of renewal among God s people, and they had great respect for him. [Verse 3] Ezra read the book of the law to the assembly. Though this may refer only to the legal material in Moses writings, it probably referred to the entire Pentateuch Genesis through Deuteronomy. The neglect of the Scriptures had occurred because of captivity, trials, and apathy. Therefore, the people needed to hear the whole counsel of God. The crowd included the men, the women, and those who could understand. Though men regularly should have heard the Word of God, this was not the case among the exiles who had returned. The women participated in some special observances on solemn occasions (see Deut. 31:12; Josh. 8:35; 2 Kings 23:2). The phrase who could understand would have applied to all the children who were of an age to comprehend God s Word. These were children old enough to understand what they heard. TIP: Take time to emphasize the importance of praying and studying God s Word. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 117
IMPART (10 MINUTES) STUDY THE BIBLE The Point: God s Word in the map for a consistent life. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 4 NEHEMIAH 8:4-6 118 SESSION 4 NEHEMIAH 8:4-6 SAY: The Jews gathered that day to hear Ezra read God s Word, and they showed great honor for the Word of God. As he opened it, all the people stood up (v. 5). Ezra did not have to ask the people to stand; it was likely customary in their society to do so. SUMMARIZE: Help students understand the importance of God s Word to their lives. When a bride walks down the aisle at her wedding, everyone stands in honor. When the president of the United States enters a room, the people stand in honor. When we sing the national anthem, we stand in honor of our country. We stand to express the worth of the person or event. When the people of God stood to receive the Word of God, they were publicly stating that what was happening was important. As Ezra opened the book, he was moved to praise God, and all the people responded with worship as well. With their hands uplifted all the people said, Amen Amen! (v. 6). This was a declaration of their worship and submission to the authority of Scripture. They were deeply moved, as they understood the words of the law. DISCUSS: Lead students to discuss the question, What prevents us from responding to God's Word? READ: Ask a volunteer to read the following: Responding to God s Word renews us. As we recharge our walk with God, His Word is the fuel that sustains us. The Bible is the map that keeps us on the path of consistency with God. When we wander, it shows us the way back.
Commentary NEHEMIAH 8:4-6 [Verse 4] The people had made preparations for the reading of God s Word. They built a high wooden platform from which Ezra could read the Scriptures to them. The platform would have aided in both visual and auditory purposes. Reading the Bible is an important part of sustained spiritual renewal. A renewal movement not centered on the Word of God will quickly run off track. We need to read Scripture regularly, allowing it to search us and push us to seek God s will. [Verse 5] Though the English translation indicates that Ezra opened the book, he actually unrolled the scroll. This is further indication that Ezra was not picking portions of the Scriptures to read. Rather, he was systematically reading the entire Scriptures to the people who were starving to hear it. Ezra opened the scroll in full view of all the people. The visual image of the priest of God reading the Word of God was important to the people. They had elevated the platform for visual and auditory reasons, but it also was symbolic of their respect for the Scriptures. The people were not taking this as some casual reading for the sake of acquiring more knowledge. They were reorienting their lives to the truths they heard from God. This is why all the people stood up. The act of standing for the reading of the Word of God was a sign of great respect. TIP: If you sense that your students would benefit from specific information in the commentary, highlight those sections and come back to them during the session. [Verse 6] Notice that as Ezra read the Scriptures, he praised the Lord. The word used for praise in this passage literally means to bless through praise or through a spoken blessing. Certainly this was an indication that Ezra respected the Word of God. He recognized that the ancient words were not devoid of meaning or power. These were the words of the great God. The Old Testament frequently referred to the greatness of God (see Deut. 10:17; Neh. 9:32; Jer. 32:18; Dan. 9:4). The adjective great in Hebrew describes something that is large or stands above something else. The people responded in three ways that demonstrated their respect for the authority of God s Word. First, they had their hands uplifted. The lifting of the hands was an outward symbol of worship and prayer. As the people heard the Word of God read, they began to worship and commune with God. Second, the people cried out, Amen, Amen! as they heard the Word of God. By doing so, they were repeating an expression that indicated their submission to the authority of the Word. By repeating it twice, they were doubly emphasizing the importance of the words they heard. Third, the people bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. The word for bowed down occurs 15 times in the Old Testament; it is always followed by the verb to worship. Bowing with their faces to the ground illustrated their humility and reverence for the Word of God. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 119
IMPART (10 MINUTES) STUDY THE BIBLE The Point: God s Word in the map for a consistent life. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. 7 NEHEMIAH 8:7-8 NEHEMIAH 8:7-8 GUIDE: Help students understand the using God s Word to guide their lives requires more than just reading the Bible. The men mentioned in verse 7 were Levites, and their task was to help the people understand the law. The Levites did two things to carry out this task. 1. R eading and translating. The people had been in captivity in a foreign land and culture for 70 years. There was a culture gap. These Levites were translating the Scriptures into the language and vocabulary of the people. 2. Giving the meaning. The Levites were explaining the Word of God, not just reading it. Clarity is important, and it is vital when we are reading and studying the Bible. The Levites were giving practical applications. They were breaking the Bible down so that everyone could understand. DISCUSS: Lead students to discuss the question, When has studying God s Word resulted in a change in your life? SAY: In Matthew 28:19-20, the last segment of the Great Commission calls us to teach people to keep everything that Jesus commanded. We are to teach people how to apply Scripture to their lives. You can only teach what you know, so focus on your own personal study and application of God s Word. Learning God s Word is like eating an elephant yes, eating an elephant. It s a huge task, but you take one bite at a time. The same is true with God s Word, one bite at a time. Before long your walk with Christ will be a consistent lifestyle pointing directly to Him. DISCUSS: Lead students to discuss the question, What can you do to better understand and apply God's Word? DO: Direct students to complete the Action Point, Practice Makes Perfect. Practice Makes Perfect Sin is sneaky. It has an ability to numb our hearts from its presence. The more we sin, the more we grow numb to its sting. Take a moment and reflect on your life. What sins in your life do you pass by everyday as if they weren t there. Write out these sins and ask God for His forgiveness. 120 SESSION 4
Commentary NEHEMIAH 8:7-8 [Verse 7] Ezra not only read the Scripture, he also wanted to make sure the people understood accurately what they were hearing. The Scripture needed to be explained. Why? The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and these people had spent their entire lives in a foreign country where Hebrew was not the official language. There was likewise a cultural gap between them and the Hebrew Scriptures. They may have needed help understanding the cultural customs reflected in the Scripture. To ensure that the people understood the Scripture, 13 Levites assisted Ezra by explaining the law. They helped bridge the cultural gap between the Babylonian captivity and their return to Jerusalem. Eight of the thirteen expositors would later participate in the public confession of the people (see Neh. 9:3-5), and at least nine of them signed the covenant (10:9-13). The phrase as they stood in their places may indicate that they moved among the crowd as Ezra read, ensuring that all could understand the Scripture. This could have meant that the law was read in manageable segments so that people could grasp each section and ask questions as they needed fuller understanding. TIP: Once your students has completed the Action Point Practice Makes Perfect ask them to share their responses. [Verse 8] Verse 8 explains how the Levites accomplished the task of explaining the Word of God. As Ezra read aloud the Word of God, the Levites were involved in translating the Word so that the people could understand it. Translating comes from a Hebrew word meaning to break up or to break down into small units. It is a difficult word to understand. Some people think that this verb meant that they were breaking the Scriptures down into smaller units so that the people could understand them. Following this interpretation, the expositors broke the Scriptures down into small units to explain them. Another interpretation of translating is that the Levites were providing an Aramaic translation for the Jews since they no longer had a grasp of Hebrew as they once did. The scrolls Ezra used would have been written in Hebrew, and the people were now speaking Aramaic. Many would have needed a translation of the reading into their own language. The Levites broke the Hebrew texts down into manageable fragments in Aramaic. Without the translations, the people would not have had a good understanding of the Scripture. Today, translations are helpful for people to understand the text. In addition to translating the Word of God, the Levites were giving the meaning of the words that Ezra read. This is the word for the Hebrew midrash. It comes from the Hebrew verb meaning to seek with care, to inquire, or to require. Unlike later definitions of midrash, which included fanciful attempts of explaining the text, the term here referred to simple explanations of the texts heard by the Jews gathered at the Water Gate. The Levites were there to make sure that those who heard the Word could understand it in their own language and in their own context. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 121
IMPACT (10 MINUTES) APPLY IT TIP: Help your group be consistent with reading God s Word. Consider creating or choosing a plan and going through it with them as you keep up with them throughout the week. SAY: God s Word is the only thing that can give us the proper direction we need in life. It s the fuel we need to live a consistent life before God. How can you make sure the Scripture has its rightful place in your life? READ: Ask for a volunteer to read aloud a few ways students can take what they have learned and Apply It. YY Read up. Make a habit of reading the Bible every day. A devotional book or magazine can help you get started, but give God uninterrupted time to speak through His Word. YY Listen up. Make yourself more attentive to God s Word by writing down what you hear God saying to you. YY Step up. Get involved leading others to study God s Word. Become an assistant to a small-group leader or help in children s ministry. The greatest way to learn Scripture is to teach it to someone else. GUIDE: Lead students to consider which of the three suggested responses to the Bible study most closely applies to them and their current circumstances. SAY: Which of these responses do you personally need to focus on most as you live this session out? Allow time for responses. WRAP UP PRAY: Close in prayer, asking God to help students understand the important role the Bible plays in a sustained, close relationship with Him. ASK: Ask students about last week s Live It Out options. Discuss any responses and encourage students as they choose to apply the Bible to their lives. GUIDE: Encourage students to complete one or both of the Live It Out activities for the week. Let them know you will discuss them the next time you meet. For free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife 122 SESSION 4
To find the One Conversation for all ages, visit www.biblestudiesforlife.com. LEADER LIVE IT OUT Before the session, challenge yourself to grow with your students through this Live It Out. Have a Plan 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Notes: Reading the Bible isn t an easy feat. The Bible is formed out of 66 different books, but those 66 books are vital to your life. Having a strategy to read the Bible is crucial. Do you have a strategy? This week create a plan to read the Bible. Start with a day, then a week, and then move to a month. You may want to pick out one book from the New Testament and start with it. If you re not sure where to start, consider the book of James or 1 John. YY My Bible reading plan: ONE CONVERSATION Scripture: Nehemiah 8:1-8 Topic: God s Word Use these discussion starters to help foster a spiritual conversation with your family. THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE: Have you ever been backpacking or hiking? When you backpack, you only bring the essentials you ll need to survive for the amount of days you re hiking. One essential is a map a real, paper map. You ll make wrong turns and get turned around. But a map takes you where you want to go regardless of how lost you get. God has given us a map that never fails. This map God s Word gives us His directions on how to live. It puts us on the right path. The Israelites knew this during the days of Nehemiah, and it is a truth we should cling to. STUDENTS THE POINT: God s Word is the map for a consistent life. What sources do you consult most often when you need direction? In what ways might you need to recalibrate? Discuss the following quote: The Holy Scriptures are our letters from home. 1 Augustine of Hippo 1. Augustine of Hippo Quotes, Goodreads [cited 18 November 2015]. Available from the Internet: http://www.goodreads.com. LIVE IT OUT: Your student has been encouraged to do one or both Live It Out activities in the Personal Study Guide. Here are some suggested ways to help your student: If he or she plans to complete Hide and Seek: Talk with your student about the reasons it s important to hide God s Word in our hearts. Sit down and identify one or two Scripture passages that you will work together to memorize this week. If he or she plans to complete Have a Plan: Join your student in identifying a Bible reading plan. You may choose different plans, but you can hold each other accountable by talking about what you are learning. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 123