Introduction

Nehemiah 8:1–18: The book of Nehemiah continues the history of the Israelites after their return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. Like Ezra, Nehemiah had attained a high rank in the Persian court and was a trusted personal servant to Emperor Artaxerxes. Because of this relationship, the emperor permitted him to return to Jerusalem. Nehemiah served as governor of Judah, and he took charge of having the wall of Jerusalem rebuilt (see chapters 2–6). When all the people were settled, they gathered in Jerusalem to hear Ezra give a public reading of the Law. The Levite priests, along with Ezra and Nehemiah, explained the Law to the people. Then the people were told to celebrate, concluding with the Festival of Shelters.

Today’s Key Verse: Nehemiah 8:10b GNT

[Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites said:] “Today is holy to our Lord, so don’t be sad. The joy that the LORD gives you will make you strong.”

Read

8 By the seventh month the people of Israel were all settled in their towns. On the first day of that month they all assembled in Jerusalem, in the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law which the Lord had given Israel through Moses, to get the book of the Law. 2 So Ezra brought it to the place where the people had gathered—men, women, and the children who were old enough to understand. 3 There in the square by the gate he read the Law to them from dawn until noon, and they all listened attentively.

4 Ezra was standing on a wooden platform that had been built for the occasion. The following men stood at his right: Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and the following stood at his left: Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

5 As Ezra stood there on the platform high above the people, they all kept their eyes fixed on him. As soon as he opened the book, they all stood up. 6 Ezra said, “Praise the Lord, the great God!”

All the people raised their arms in the air and answered, “Amen! Amen!” They knelt in worship, with their faces to the ground.

7 Then they rose and stood in their places, and the following Levites explained the Law to them: Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah. 8 They gave an oral translation[a] of God’s Law and explained[b] it so that the people could understand it.

9 When the people heard what the Law required, they were so moved that they began to cry. So Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law, and the Levites who were explaining the Law told all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God, so you are not to mourn or cry. 10 Now go home and have a feast. Share your food and wine with those who don’t have enough. Today is holy to our Lord, so don’t be sad. The joy that the Lord gives you will make you strong.”

11 The Levites went around calming the people and telling them not to be sad on such a holy day. 12 So all the people went home and ate and drank joyfully and shared what they had with others, because they understood what had been read to them.

13 The next day the heads of the clans, together with the priests and the Levites, went to Ezra to study the teachings of the Law. 14 They discovered that the Law, which the Lord gave through Moses, ordered the people of Israel to live in temporary shelters during the Festival of Shelters. 15 So they gave the following instructions and sent them[c] all through Jerusalem and the other cities and towns: “Go out to the hills and get branches from pines, olives, myrtles, palms, and other trees to make shelters according to the instructions written in the Law.”

16 So the people got branches and built shelters on the flat roofs of their houses, in their yards, in the Temple courtyard, and in the public squares by the Water Gate and by the Ephraim Gate. 17 All the people who had come back from captivity built shelters and lived in them. This was the first time it had been done since the days of Joshua son of Nun, and everybody was excited and happy. 18 From the first day of the festival to the last they read a part of God’s Law every day. They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a closing ceremony, as required in the Law.

Reflect

Why did Ezra, Nehemiah, and the Levites explain the Law to the people? What or who helps you understand the Scriptures? Today’s reading concludes with a description of the Festival of Shelters, which commemorates Israel’s wilderness wanderings following their exodus from Egypt. The shelters are constructed of myrtle, olive, and palm branches—symbols of God’s protection. And the people live in these shelters for seven days to remember God’s care during the many years their ancestors spent in the desert. How does your community of faith commemorate significant events in its history?

Pray

Lord God, as I read and study the Scriptures, open my mind, eyes, and ears to understand and follow your teachings. In your holy name, I pray. Amen.

And now, join us in thanking God that his Word is bringing comfort to men, women, and children in Sri Lanka who have suffered debilitating trauma. Loving God, thanks to the generous support from Bible-A-Month Partners, the Bible-based Trauma Healing Ministry is giving people in Sri Lanka hope. Your living Word is giving these precious people access to healing from their pain and fear. We rejoice that as the people in Sri Lanka grow in faith, they are finding strength in your promises. Amen.

Tomorrow’s Reading

Nehemiah 12:27–47: Nehemiah dedicates the wall of Jerusalem.