The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Nehemiah 8:3b,
"And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law."
Ezra the priest and teacher of the law brought out the word of God and read it to the Jews resettling Jerusalem and the surrounding towns. They had gathered together and had Ezra read it.
I note that the people listened "attentively". I picture them as folks who sincerely wanted to know what God had to say and how that might touch their lives. When Ezra opened the book we read, "... all the people lifted their hands and responded, 'Amen! Amen!' Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground." Verse 6. Later we read "... all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law." Verse 9.
"And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law."
Ezra the priest and teacher of the law brought out the word of God and read it to the Jews resettling Jerusalem and the surrounding towns. They had gathered together and had Ezra read it.
I note that the people listened "attentively". I picture them as folks who sincerely wanted to know what God had to say and how that might touch their lives. When Ezra opened the book we read, "... all the people lifted their hands and responded, 'Amen! Amen!' Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground." Verse 6. Later we read "... all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law." Verse 9.
The people listened to the word of God as God intended.
Today we see the word of God rejected by so many, or ignored (even by those who claim to be the Lord's own!), and often when not, approached and used in less honorable ways. Some use the Scriptures to simply find out if they can hang on to some sin, to see if it is "allowed", using the Bible as a legal text with potential loopholes. You know what I mean here. "Does the Bible allow divorce?" and that kind of thing.
I've seen others use it to justify what it clearly does not. I don't know how many times I have heard someone twist the Scriptures to find the acceptance of homosexuality. Homosexuality is twisted (God calls it "detestable", Leviticus 18:22) and the Scriptures have to be twisted to find acceptance for it within its pages.
I suspect we have all heard people use the Scriptures as ammo to win some kind of theological argument, or to prove their denomination or church is the "correct" denomination or church to belong to.
I certainly support the correct use of the Scriptures to find sincere and well-intentioned answers to the many perplexing things we may face in life. However, it seems to me that those things I pointed to above should not be done to the neglect of meeting our loving Savior within its pages, to find out all we can know about who he is, what he is like, his character and nature, to find out the wonderful things he has done and the wonderful things he has promised to those who are his.
When we do, I think we find ourselves useful to God in this life, as opposed to us using the Scriptures in less honorable ways. I see this in the lives of the Jews of Ezra's day as he read and taught the Scriptures to the people.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
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