A Turning Point For Israel

A Turning Point For Israel

Hearing directly from God gets your attention!

GOD HAD greatly blessed his people, Israel, through Nehemiah, a Jew, who was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I of Persia (c. 465–424 B.C.). King Artaxerxes had made Nehemiah governor of Judah and as governor he had directed the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in just fifty-two days (Nehemiah 1:1–6:16).

However, restoration of the walls and gates was not the most important challenge facing the Jews returning to Jerusalem. Of far greater importance was their need for spiritual restoration. Therefore on October 8, 445 B.C., Ezra the priest brought the scroll of the Law before an assembly of all the Jews in Jerusalem. He stood on a high wooden platform that had been built for the occasion. On the platform with Ezra were thirteen assistants, probably priests or Levites. The assembly included not only men and women but also all children old enough to understand the reading of the Law (8:1-4).

The date itself was significant, for in the Hebrew civil calendar this was the first day of the year. Today it is celebrated as New Year’s Day, or Rosh Hashanah, meaning “the beginning of the year.” Of this day God had instructed in the law, “You are to celebrate a day of complete rest. All your work must stop on that day. You will call the people to a sacred assembly—the Festival of Trumpets—with loud blasts from a trumpet” (Leviticus 23:24). The purpose was to assemble Israel to rejoice before the Lord.

Ezra unrolled the scroll at daybreak, and as he did so, everyone stood up. Before Ezra began to read, he praised the Lord, the great God whose word he was about to read, and all the people lifted their hands toward heaven and shouted, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground (Nehemiah 8:6).

When the people rose to their feet, Ezra began to read and continued until noon. Although the people stood for five to six hours, they listened attentively and began to weep as they realized that what they were hearing were the very words of God (vv. 2-9).

As the Law was being read, thirteen additional Levites circulated through the crowd, explaining what was being read so that everyone could understand it (vv. 7-8).

The people’s response to the reading was to weep before the Lord, but Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites said to them, “Don’t weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God. . . . Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. . . . Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” They wanted the people to realize that in spite of their sins, their strength against their enemies in the coming years would be their joy in their Savior God (vv. 9-10).

The people then left the assembly in the early afternoon so they could prepare a holiday meal and celebrate with great joy, for they had heard God’s words and understood them (v. 12).

The reading of the Law on October 8, 445 B.C., was a turning point in the history of Israel. Up to then Israel had been a people whose religious life centered around the temple. On this day they became a people whose religious life centered on a book—God’s book.

Reflection

What part does the Bible play in your spiritual life? Do you prefer to read it yourself or to listen to what others have to say about its teachings? Are you a person of the Book? God works in the lives of his people using two agents, his Spirit and his Word. He controls his Spirit, but we are responsible to appropriate his Word in our lives.

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11