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2025 Study of the Book of Nehemiah #7

REBUILDING SPIRITUALITY

THROUGH THE BOOK OF THE LAW

Nehemiah 7:1-8:18

Key Verse 8:3

1. What kind of people did Nehemiah put in charge of Jerusalem (7:1-3)? What thought did God put in Nehemiah’s heart (4-5)? Nehemiah found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. Look at who they were (4-73).
2. What did Ezra do for the people in the square before the Water Gate (1-6)? How did all the people respond? How did the Levites help the people (7-8)?
3. What kind of spiritual direction did Nehemiah, Ezra, the teacher of the Law, and the Levites give to the people (9-11)? In what way was that spiritual direction necessary? How were all the people restored as they obeyed that direction (12)?
4. On the second day of the month, who gathered around Ezra (13)? What command of God did they discover (14-15)? How did the people obey that command (16-17)? How did Ezra serve this work of God (18)?
5. Think about the importance of God’s word in rebuilding spirituality. How can we personally and communally rebuild our spirituality?

2025 Nehemiah March 9, 2025

REBUILDING SPIRITUALITY THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD

Nehemiah 7:1-8:18

Key Verse 8:3

He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

Starting today, over the next four Sundays, we plan to complete our study of Nehemiah by covering chapters 7 through 13. When we studied chapter 6, we learned that the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls was completed in just 52 days. Today’s message will focus on what happened after the walls were rebuilt.

What was the ultimate purpose of Nehemiah and the people of Israel rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem? Because the walls were broken down, the people living in Jerusalem were vulnerable to enemy attacks. One important reason for rebuilding the walls was to protect them and provide them with safety. But was living in a secure city, enjoying a comfortable life, their ultimate goal? No, it wasn’t. The ultimate purpose of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was so that they could once again worship and serve God in the Holy City. That’s why Nehemiah’s mission didn’t end with rebuilding the walls. The spirituality of the people of Israel living in Jerusalem needed to be restored. Without spiritual restoration, the completion of the wall would have been meaningless. So what is spirituality? Spirituality is having a deep relationship with God. It means experiencing the presence of the living God, walking with Him, obeying His Word, and living for His glory. Now that the walls were rebuilt, it was time for their spirituality to be rebuilt as well.

I want us to take a moment to think about the purpose of our lives. As we struggle to survive in New York City, what is our ultimate goal? Is it to build a happy family, to live comfortably, and to enjoy a good life? Is it to give our children the best education possible and help them have a better life than we did? Of course, these things are very important. But the ultimate purpose of our lives is not just for us and our children to live well in this world. We were created to meet God, to know Him, to serve Him, and to glorify His name. That is the true purpose of our lives. That is the ultimate reason why we are living in this city, New York. So we must restore our broken spirituality so that we can fulfill this purpose in our lives. We need to awaken and revive our spirituality. But how can we do that? Today’s passage teaches us the key to rebuilding our broken spirituality.

Look at verse 1. “All the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.” The Jews who lived in Jerusalem and the surrounding regions came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. The Water Gate was located near the temple and served as an important passage for supplying water to both the temple and the city. It seems that there was a large square in front of it. How many people gathered there that day? The Bible doesn’t give us a number. But considering that over 40,000 people returned to Jerusalem during the first return and that this gathering included those who were able to understand the Law, we can estimate that possibly 20,000 to 30,000 people were there.

When did this important event take place? If we look at Nehemiah 8:2, we see that it happened on the first day of the seventh month. Do you remember when the wall was completed? It was on the twenty-fifth of Elul, which is the 25th day of the sixth month. Since the sixth month in the Jewish calendar has 29 days, the first day of the seventh month was exactly five days after the wall was completed. So, just a few days after completing the rebuilding of the wall, Nehemiah and the leaders took time for something even more important—the rebuilding of spirituality.

The Jews had important feasts in the seventh month, which is called Tishri. On the first day of the seventh month, they observed the Feast of Trumpets, also known as Rosh Hashanah. This day was a time to prepare for the Day of Atonement. It was a day to reflect on their sins, turn back to God, and seek His mercy. It was also the beginning of the Jewish New Year, a time to look back on the past year, welcome the new year, and make a new commitment before God. On the tenth day of the seventh month, they observed Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. On this day, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place to seek God’s forgiveness for the sins of the people. This was the holiest day of the year, and the people fasted and prayed in repentance. From the fifteenth to the twenty-second day of the seventh month, they celebrated Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles. During this time, they commemorated Israel’s forty years in the wilderness. They built tents and lived in them during the feast. So, on the first day of the seventh month, the day of the Feast of Trumpets, the Israelites came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.

Who came forward with the Book of the Law of Moses? It was Ezra. This is the first time his name appears in the book of Nehemiah. Who was Ezra? He was the teacher of the Law and also a priest. He had led the second return to Jerusalem 13 years before Nehemiah led the third return. At that time, Ezra’s mission was to teach the Jews God’s law and help them to live according to it. Ezra 7:6 tells us that he was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses. He was recognized among the Jews as an outstanding teacher of Scripture. Why? Because he was born into a priestly family, and from a young age, he loved and devoted himself to studying God’s Law. Ezra 7:10 says, “Ezra devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.”

What did Ezra do to restore the spirituality of his people? Let’s read Nehemiah 8:3 together. “He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women, and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.” Ezra read the Book of the Law aloud. Back then, they didn’t have microphones or sound systems, so he had to speak loudly enough for everyone to hear. But how long did he read it aloud? From daybreak till noon—so at least six hours straight. Wow! Isn’t that incredible? Have you ever studied the Bible for six hours straight? Or have you ever continuously read the Bible for more than six hours? Of course, we can study and read the Bible for an hour or two. But after that, our bodies start to get tired, our minds lose focus, and our eyes begin to close. My Sunday sermon usually goes over 40 minutes, and for some of you, that might already feel long. Some people lose focus once a message goes over 25 minutes. Now imagine if I preach for six hours straight. I’m not saying that I’m going to preach for six hours right now. I can’t do it—I would be exhausted! And honestly, none of you would be able to endure it either.

We are amazed by Ezra’s passion for teaching the Bible. But what’s even more amazing is that all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Listening attentively for more than six hours—that’s incredible! How was that possible? It was because the Israelites were extremely hungry for God’s Word. Some of them may have gone their entire lives without ever hearing the Word of God. They never even had the chance to hear it. Today, we have such easy access to God’s Word. We can order a Bible from Amazon at a low price from our homes. We can download multiple versions of the Bible for free on our phones. The problem is, we don’t seem to realize how precious the word of God is. Because it’s so readily available, we take it for granted. And that’s why we don’t read it as we should.

But the Bible is not something we should treat lightly. In North Korea, underground church believers hide their Bibles under the floorboards and secretly take them out late at night to read. Why do they do that? Because the word of God holds the wisdom of life, hidden like a treasure. Because the word of God shows us the true path of how we should live in this world. Because through the word of God, we can encounter God, accept Jesus as our Savior, and receive eternal life. Through the word of God, we can experience the power of the Holy Spirit and live a victorious life. How precious is the word of God! That’s why the psalmist says, “They (the words of God) are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). Is God’s Word more precious than gold to you? Is God’s Word sweeter than chocolate? I pray that we may also have a spiritual desire to listen attentively to God’s word.

Ezra stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. This was so that the people could see him and clearly hear the Word of God. The priests stood on either side of him. When Ezra opened the book, all the people stood up. This showed their deep reverence for the Word of God. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. What a beautiful scene! Should we try it together? “Praise the Lord, the Great God.” Now, please lift your hands and respond, “Amen! Amen!” Lifting our hands and praising God while shouting “Amen” is a truly joyful act. Bowing down before the Lord in worship is a beautiful expression of our faith. May God bless us to live a life of worshiping our great God.

The priests and the Levites worked together to teach the people God’s Law. In this passage, the names of 13 Levites are mentioned. They went among the people who heard the Law but did not fully understand it and carefully explained its meaning to them. These Levites were also excellent Bible teachers. With their help, the people were able to gain a deeper understanding of God’s Law.

What happened when the people of Israel listened attentively to the Law of God as it was read by Ezra and understood it with the help of the Levites? Let’s read verse 9b. “For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.” All the people wept as they listened to God’s Word, because they understood it, saw their sins, and repented. This was the work of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. The Holy Spirit touched their hearts, and they were so moved by God’s presence that they wept in repentance. God’s Word reveals our sins, leads us to repentance, and brings us to tears before the Lord. Through His Word, the Holy Spirit works in us, bringing restoration and revival to our spiritual lives.

What is revival? I like the definition given by Martyn Lloyd-Jones, one of the most gifted preachers of the twentieth century. He defines revival as experiencing the glory of God by way of a visitation or an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that manifests the power and authority of God through the preaching of the biblical message. As his definition points out, the preaching of the biblical message is the primary means through which we experience the glory of God by the visitation of the Holy Spirit. Without the work of God’s Word, there can be no revival—no conviction of sin, no repentance, no receiving of Jesus’ forgiveness, and no experience of God’s glory.

Do you want to see this amazing work of spiritual restoration happen among us? Do you want to experience the glory of God and have your spirit revived by His power? If so, then hunger for God’s Word. Study it deeply and obey it. When we do, our spirits will come alive again. We will be filled more and more with God’s glory. We will love God more, and we will serve Him with greater joy.

I meditate on Daily Bread around 4 a.m. in preparation for the early morning prayer meeting. These days, Daily Bread passages are from Genesis. Since I have already studied Genesis multiple times, I didn’t expect much. But every morning, God has given me new insights. Because of this, I have been experiencing great joy each morning. During the early morning prayer meeting, after sharing my reflection, I kneel down for personal prayer, and God pours His grace upon me. I receive the blessing of my once-sleeping and dying spirituality being awakened.

Recently, I read E. M. Bounds’ book Power through Prayer, and it deeply challenged me. I had read it before, but this time, it touched my heart even more. He writes, “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.” God is looking for men and women of spirituality who love His Word and pray deeply. So I gave this book as a gift to the upcoming Spring Retreat messengers and the Young Adults Praise and Worship Night messengers. I earnestly pray that our church members will love God’s Word more, pray more, and that our spirituality will be awakened, restored, and filled with His presence.

Nehemiah said to his people, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (10) That day was the Feast of Trumpets, a festival day for the Jews, so Nehemiah encouraged the people to rejoice before the Lord.“The joy of the Lord is your strength” means that the joy that comes from God gives us strength. Because God has forgiven our sins, when we repent, we receive His forgiveness, and joy comes from the Lord, and we gain strength. Not only that, but as we share our food with those in need, our joy and strength will be multiplied even more.

The next day, the leaders of the people came back to Ezra to listen to the word of God. As they studied, they discovered the command to observe the Feast of Tabernacles. So they decided to obey and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. All the people built temporary shelters and lived in them for seven days. That was an uncomfortable experience. But they observed the Feast of Tabernacles with all their hearts. And what happened? Their joy was very great. When they obeyed the law of God, they felt great joy.

God had prepared His servant, Ezra, for the rebuilding of the spirituality of His people. A single outstanding Bible teacher is incredibly valuable in God’s work. I believe that God is preparing people like Ezra among us—those who love God’s Word, study it diligently, live by it, and teach it to others. May God bless us to rebuild our spirituality through the word of God. May God send us a spiritual revival by the work of the Holy Spirit. Amen.