They had been gone for seventy years. They had long since abandoned God and so God delivered them into the hands of a nation who could invade them, oppress them, and make them miss everything they could have still had if they had only maintained their reliance on God. Now after seventy years God kept His promise and provided the means to send them home. But how would they respond to their recently acquired independence?
“And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose…and Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: and Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground” (Nehemiah 8:1-6).
There are some very key points to be seen in the course of this great moment in Israel’s history. It was the attitude displayed by the people on this particular day that lead toward the great restoration of that nation and provides some principles of how we can experience a similar restoration in our lives, congregations, and in our world.
- The people requested the reading of the law. Yes, it’s a great thing when a people’s leaders encourage their constituents to devote themselves to God’s word. However, it is much greater when the people rise up and demand that their leaders promote that word in their society.
- The people reacted to the reading of the law. And this wasn’t a brief scripture reading of 3-4 passages. Ezra stood up and read the law for a period of roughly six hours (morning [6 am] to midday [noon]); and during this time vs. 3 says that all the people were attentive to the reading of that law. They were not staring glassy eyed, checking their watches, wondering when he would shut up. They weren’t even sitting down! They were taking it all in as a people who had just endured a 70 year famine, which they had – a famine of the word.
- The people responded to the reading of the law. In fact, when Ezra was finished reading the law they responded in two ways. First, they vocally affirmed it with an “Amen, Amen!” Second, they fell down to the ground in the prostrate position and worshipped God. The law honestly pricked them in their hearts and they left with a renewed commitment to serve God.
Often we’ll ask the question of how we can have revival and experience a restoration. The answer is right before our faces. It will require the gospel and a similar approach to that gospel. We need to request it, even demand it. We need to react to it. We need to respond to it. It is then and only then that we can be restored.
-Andy Brewer