March 24, 2011 - Nehemiah 8
So the priests went paragraph by paragraph and explained the scriptures to the people and they understood:
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. 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. 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. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. Nehemiah 8:5-8 (ESV)
Israel had really fallen far from the law by this time. If you think about the fact that...they found it written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, Nehemiah 8:14 (ESV)
That means that even the priests and Levites had either forgotten or never knew about this Feast Of Booths. It says that since the time of Joshua this had not been done. Wow!
Have you ever thought about this term...for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 (ESV)
What does that really mean, what does it look like in my life? I can easily say that I have peace in my life because I know and trust God. And I am certainly grateful that I am an heir. But joy, like rejoicing with a hop in my step or lightness of heart, smiling and dancing? I am such an serious person; this does not manifest itself very often in the strictest sense. What is to be done about that? I guess I will look into it further.
No time for art…cookbook rabbit-hole has kidnapped me. But I have taken some morning pictures of my walks:
