Devotions

You Made Known Your Holy Sabbath

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The time-line of the return of the exiles begins in Ezra 1:1 with the decree of Cyrus, 538 BC and covers more than a hundred years through 432 BC when Nehemiah returns to enforce the Law in Nehemiah 13. This is followed by Joel, Malachi and the four hundred silent years until the birth of Christ.

From the beginning of our reading of the book of Ezra, we have followed the order of the Tyndale One Year Chronological Bible. This has taken us through Haggai, Zechariah, and into Nehemiah. After Nehemiah 7, it includes several Psalms, 1, 107, 111, 112, 117, 119, 121, 122, 123, 128, 130, 134, 135, 136, 146, 147 said to have been written after the exile. But we have not read all of them. We have included Psalm 1 and 107 and today include Psalm 147 and are moving on to Nehemiah 8.

Psalm 147 ends with Gods statutes and ordinances, it is by them that we begin to understand His character and nature, righteousness and holiness. As Ezra takes his place in Jerusalem, he gathers the people to read the book of the law “for each man and woman to hear with understanding”. This wasn’t a little Sunday school class here and there, all of the Jewish people gathered to hear. And as they did, they discovered the festival of the seventh month. God had commanded them to live in booths made of sticks and leaves for one week every year. They had not been doing this and since it was the seventh month, immediately did. God was revealing to them his rest, His provision, His Sabbath, as He had done for their ancestors.

Yahweh is Building Jerusalem

Psalm 147:1–11
Psalm 147 describes the Lords work, “building Jerusalem; he gathers the scattered ones”. He “heals the brokenhearted”. He “helps the afflicted up; he brings down the wicked”. He “provides rain for the earth”. He “gives to the animal its food”. The way Jesus said this is

Matthew 5:44–48 (LEB) But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing that is remarkable? Do not the Gentiles also do the same? 48 Therefore you be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

And then He said,

Matthew 7:21–23 (LEB) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many miracles in your name?’ 23 And then ⌊I will say to them plainly⌋, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’

 

Know His Ordinances

Psalm 147:12–20
Psalm 147 12-19 says know his word, “his statutes and ordinances” and he strengthens, he blesses, he makes peace, he satisfies, he commands the earth. But the knowledge of Him is not exclusive to Israel, “On occasions God spoke to people outside the covenant community Da 2:27-28 See also Ge 41:25,28-32; Da 4:1-37; 5:17-28”.1

But it is His Old Testament covenant promise that is only to them. All may know Him and “Although the OT sometimes indicates that Yahweh has given revelation to the wider world (see 19:1), He has only given Israel His specific legal revelation and ongoing provision”.2 

They Read the Book From the Law of God

Nehemiah 7:73–8:12
They “were in their cities” in Nehemiah 7:73b. And now in Nehemiah 8:1-2 Ezra does what he was intended for, “All of the people gathered” and “Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly”. But this was not just Ezra reciting words, it was “for each man and woman to hear with understanding”. And in Nehemiah 8:3 they read “from dawn to noon”. Can you imagine getting everyone in a city to join you at dawn for anything? And they stayed together for six hours.

Look at the order in Nehemiah 8:4-8 When Ezra opened the book, everyone stood. When “Ezra blessed Yahweh the great God” everyone responded “Amen! Amen!”. With Ezra were thirteen other priests, fourteen of them before the people. They lifted their hands to God. They bowed themselves to the ground before God. They listened as the Levites taught them. This wasn’t just Ezra droning on all day, this was an event.

As the people understood the word of the Lord, conviction set in. In Nehemiah 8:10 “all the people wept when they heard the words of the law”. They wept because they learned how far they had been from God’s righteousness. But this was not what God wanted for them, what God wants is an understanding of His love and forgiveness.

Nehemiah 8:9b-10 “This day is holy to Yahweh your God. Do not mourn nor weep.” For all of the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go, eat festive food and drink sweet drinks, and send a share to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our lord. Do not be grieved because the joy of Yahweh is your refuge.”

Then in Nehemiah 8:11-12 the Levites moved among the people to quiet them and encourage them “to have great joy”.

The Festival of the Seventh Month – Booths

Nehemiah 8:13–18
Now, in Nehemiah 8:13 “On the second day …” they gathered again. And they found in Nehemiah 8:14 “that the Israelites should live in booths during the festival of the seventh month”. This feast of booths had been mentioned before, but it seems that their tradition had changed the practice.

This is a caution for us all, and Jesus said it this way, in

Mark 7:6–9 (LEB) So he said to them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far, far away from me. 7 And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You splendidly ignore the commandment of God so that you can keep your tradition.

So apparently, the feast of booths was on the calendar and “The feast had two sides to it: it was a vintage festival, the ‘ingathering at the year’s end’ (Exod. 34:22), but also a memorial of the wilderness, when God had ‘made the people of Israel dwell in booths’ (Lev. 23:43). It seems to have been this aspect that had fallen into neglect”.3

Nehemiah 8:17 (LEB) And all of the assembly of those who returned from captivity made booths and lived in the booths because the ⌊Israelites⌋ had not done it from the days of Jeshua son of Nun until that day. And there was very great joy.

You Alone Are Yahweh

Nehemiah 9:1-6
So, in Nehemiah 9:1-2 after they had spent the week living in “booths”, they “gathered in fasting, in sackcloth, and with soil on them” and “confessed their sins”. And in Nehemiah 9:3-5 they “read from the book of the law” and “cried out with a loud voice to Yahweh their God” and blessed his name and together said:

Nehemiah 9:6 (LEB) “You alone are Yahweh. You alone have made the heavens, the heavens of the heavens, and all of their army, the earth and all that is in it, the waters and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the army of the heavens worship you. 

You Made Known Your Holy Sabbath

Nehemiah 9:7–15
God chose Abraham in Nehemiah 9:7. He “promised to give the land” in Nehemiah 9:8. He “saw the misery of our ancestors in Egypt” in Nehemiah 9:9-11 and “gave signs and wonders against Pharoah” and “divided the sea before them”. The accounts go on describing God’s power working on their behalf as God brought them out of bondage and gave them a day of rest and “bread from heaven” and water “from a rock” in Nehemiah 9:14-15.

They Refused to Listen and Did Not Remember

Nehemiah 9:16–21
The people of God, the Jewish people, the sons of Israel, in Nehemiah 9:17-18 are described by their behavior. They were arrogant, stiff-necked, “refused to listen”, “were determined to return to their slavery”, and “committed great blasphemies. And God’s behavior toward them is described in Nehemiah 9:19-21 God “did not abandon them”, the cloud did not leave them, the “fire by night gave light to them”, “you gave your good Spirit to instruct”, “did not withhold manna”, “gave them water for their thirst”, “sustained them in the desert”, “clothing did not wear out”.

Study Verses

Today’s Reading

  • Psalm 147:1-20
  • Nehemiah 8:1-18
  • Nehemiah 9:1–21

Operation Exodus

is helping Jewish people return to their homeland. You might fund one that desires to go home. http://operationexodususa.org/Overview

Return to Israel – Ezra

We often read one book of the Bible at a time and that is easier for everyone to follow. The order of our readings, beginning with Ezra, are from the Tyndale One Year Chronological Bible because the return from Babylonian exile includes Haggai, Zechariah, Nehemiah, Esther, a few Psalms, and other connections. Covering these events chronologically as they happened, gives a much better context and helps us understand the move of God as He is reestablishing His people. Review the whole series beginning with Go Up To Jerusalem.

References

  • 1. Manser, M. H. (2009). Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser.
  • 2. Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Ps 147:20). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
  • 3. Kidner, D. (1979). Ezra and Nehemiah: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 12, p. 118). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.