Introduction

Last week, I noted that one of the most symbolic changes that the Protestant Reformers made to their churches was to move the furniture. They moved the altar to the side and pushed the pulpit to the middle. Moving furniture may seem small. Some of you ladies move yours constantly.

But this move was very important. For centuries, the altar had been at the center because Catholicism believes God primarily communicates grace through the Mass. The priest re-crucifies Christ. The bread and the cup become his body and blood, and the sinner receives saving grace by partaking.

But the Reformers rediscovered the glorious biblical doctrine of justification by faith. We don’t have to earn the righteousness of God; instead, God freely gives it to us when we believe the gospel. The moment you receive Christ as Savior, he forgives all your sin and declares you righteous. We are his children, and our heavenly home is forever secure.

So, we don’t attend church needing to work our way into God’s family because we are already members. Instead, we come to worship the God we love. So, the gospel radically changes the reason for our worship.

We still come needing grace but not saving grace. Instead, we desire sanctifying grace, grace that transforms us into the image of Christ. This grace flows through our singing, our giving, our prayers, and our fellowship. All of that is very important.

But the Reformers wanted to make a statement that the greatest grace of worship is the preaching of God’s Holy Word. We meet God in his Word, and we behold his glory. He gives hope, encouragement, comfort, conviction, and strength. It’s all grace, and it all comes through the Bible. The Bible is precious. Therefore, every Christian must love the Bible, study the Bible, and respond to what it says.

Today’s passage illustrates this passion (Read Text). This story is all about Israel’s heart toward God’s Word. It challenges you to study God’s Word attentively with a passion to obey. It makes this challenge through 4 stages to the story. First vv. 13–14 say…

I.  The leaders studied God’s Word (vv. 13–14).

I’d like to walk through these verses by asking and answering 4 questions.

When? Last week, we saw that Nehemiah and Ezra held a massive assembly on the 1^st day of the 7^th For 5-6 hours, Ezra read the Law, and the Levites explained and applied each section.

God’s Word was effective. The people wept over their rebellion. And chapter 9 will say that later in the month, they held a time of national confession. But God had set aside the 1^st day of the 7^th month for the Feast of Trumpets. It was a holy day of celebration. So, v. 10 says, “Go, eat…” That’s what they did. Everyone went home to celebrate God’s bountiful blessings.

But the Law, meaning the 1^st 5 books of the OT—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy is big, with many implications. They didn’t get through the whole thing in one morning. So, Ezra and Nehemiah organized another meeting “on the 2^nd” The next question is…

Who? The answer is “the heads of the father’s households…” So, this is a much smaller assembly. Ezra only met with Israel’s spiritual leaders and family leaders.

This is because God wanted the Levites and family leaders to work together to maintain and advance Israel’s spiritual health. The Levites were teachers, and many of them traveled throughout Israel teaching God’s Law.

But they could not do it alone. Every family was also responsible to teach their children. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deut 6:6–7).

Israel needed many spiritual leaders and teachers. Nehemiah understood. So, he gathered the family leaders and equipped them to teach.

How appropriate that we’re in this verse the same day that we are promoting a men’s study on leadership. Men, God has called you to lead. Leadership is central to biblical manhood. You can’t delegate the spiritual health of your family to the church or to your wife. You must lead your family to godliness. Set the tone. You be the vocal leader who pushes the spiritual agenda.

And we need men to lead in our church also. Set the tone for how we worship by being in your set on time, singing the loudest, and listening attentively. Set the tone for how we serve. Be vocal about what God is doing in your life. Maybe you feel inadequate. Maybe you get discouraged or lazy. Then join our study. Get equipped, get encouraged, and get some accountability. That’s who. The next question is…

Why? Verse 13 answers, “That they might gain insight into the words of the law.” These men had just spent 5-6 hours studying Scripture the day prior, but they wanted more. They wanted to know more of what God had said, more of who he is, and more of what he required.

Why? “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes…They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” (Ps 19:7–10).

God’s Word is good, and his commands are a grace for your life. I hope you love the Bible, and you want to know what it says and how it applies. Study God’s Word attentively with a passion to obey. The final question is…

What? As they read, v. 14 says, “They found…” They realized that one of the most important events in Israel’s calendar was only 2 weeks away! God had commanded every man to make 3 annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem, and the Feast of Booths was the last one of the year.

This feast served two purposes. First, it celebrated God’s provision in the completion of harvest. “You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; and you shall rejoice in your feast…Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful” (Deut 16:13–15). Booths was a joyful celebration of God’s provision.

But it was called “Booths (or Tabernacles)” because the people also lived in leafy shelters as a memorial to the Exodus from Egypt and the wilderness wanderings. “You shall live in booths for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Lev 23:42–43).

Even as Israel celebrated the harvest, God wanted them see God’s blessing in the context of their history. They must remember how God brought them out of Egypt, how they sinned, how God judged, how he forgave, and how he provided. And sleeping in a meager shelter for 7 nights was a stark reminder of all this.

The NT is clear that we are not under the law, and we do not need to observe Jewish holy days. But you can learn something from this ritual. You must discipline yourself to be thankful, and feasting is a great way to do so. Sometimes, we are so quick to notice everything we don’t have and slow to see God’s blessings. Take time to give thanks, and rejoicing together is good for your soul. Use your home for many thanksgiving feasts.

But we also easily get infatuated with abundance. We take all the credit, and we put our hope in material things. Thanksgiving is an important safeguard because it keeps a God-centered focus to your joy.

And thanksgiving for the gospel helps you remember where you came from and how God graciously rescued you. You don’t deserve anything from God except wrath. Remember often where you came from, how the gospel saved your soul, and your complete dependence on the grace of God.

Yes, you don’t need to observe the Feast of Booths. But you do need similar rhythms to your life. Remember where you came from and rejoice in all that God has done. Returning to the text, the leaders studied God’s Word, and they discovered God’s will! In response the 2^nd stage of the story is…

II.  The nation obeyed God’s Word (vv. 15–17a).

I want you to step back and put this in Nehemiah’s historical context. It had been almost 1,000 years since God gave the Law at Sinai. And for 1,000 years Israel had rarely obeyed it. Even the captivity did not cure Israel of its rebellion. But God is moving through Ezra and Nehemiah’s leadership and the careful exposition of Scripture. The nation mourned on the first day. And now look at how eagerly they prepare to observe the Feast of Booths. God is stirring a mighty revival.

The Proclamation: First, the Word impacted the leaders. Ezra’s Bible study moved their hearts, and they responded with an inspirational proclamation (v. 15), “Go out…” They were excited to observe the feast, and they called the people to obey God’s will.

The Observation: And their passion was contagious. Two weeks later, people began pouring into Jerusalem with materials to build booths and food to enjoy a feast. The people who lived in Jerusalem built booths on their roofs, and those who lived outside the city spread out in several open squares and courts. The city was littered with little leafy huts.

But don’t forget that these people were coming off a very demanding summer. Many of them had just spent 52 days working long hours and sleeping with their swords. I wouldn’t want to be back in Jerusalem for a long time, and I certainly wouldn’t want to go camping there. I’d want to go home, relax, and sleep in my own bed.

But God is moving. The people responded to God’s Word. The builders are back with their families, sleeping on top of each other in these little leafy huts. It’s remarkable. In fact, notice the success of the observance.

The Success (v. 17b): The Feast of Booths is mentioned several times in the Historical Books, and Ezra 3:4 says the 1^st returnees observed the feast shortly after arriving from Babylon. So, we know Nehemiah does not mean Israel never observed Booths from Joshua to his own time.

Rather, it seems that Booths had become completely focused on celebrating the harvest, and they had lost sight of remembering the Exodus and wilderness wanderings. I wonder if they had simply quit the camping side.

But Scripture corrected them, and they refocused on the memorial side of the feast. You see that in how the text emphasizes building Booths.

And Nehemiah also indicates that they made a connection between their fathers’ journey from Egypt and their own journey from Babylon to Canaan. Verse 17 describes them as “those who had returned from the captivity.”

That’s unusual, and it fits other passages which view the return as a 2^nd So, not only did they remember how God delivered Israel from Egypt; they remembered how God also delivered them from Babylon.

The Lord’s Supper is a similar discipline for us. It reminds us that God found us in sin and that his justice demanded the death of his Son. When we were hostile to God, he drew us out of the wilderness and to himself. He adopted us into his family and gave us every blessing in Christ. It’s amazing. Don’t forget. Dwell often on what God did for you in Christ.

But the main point of the story is the people’s response to the Word of God. They studied attentively and that study exposed a blind spot.

Aren’t you thankful that the Word does the same for you? We begin to veer off course so easily. We begin to think wrongly, our priorities and our passions get out of sorts, and we disobey. But thankfully the Spirit uses his Word to correct.

That’s why you must delight in God’s Word, meditate on it daily, and sit under biblical preaching. You need biblical correction. It’s a grace of God. So, study God’s Word attentively with a passion to obey. Then notice the fruit of Israel’s obedience. The 3^rd stage of the story is…

III.  Obedience inspired joy (v. 17c).

Deuteronomy 16 said rejoicing was an important purpose of the feast. God wanted Israel to reflect on all that God had provided and to rejoice in his blessing. That’s exactly what happened. “There was great rejoicing.” That’s good because v. 10 just said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

That didn’t change after Christ came. God commands you, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Phil 4:4)! As well, “In everything give thanks; for this God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess 5:18). There is a time to mourn and to weep with those who weep. But God wants you to choose joy.

It really is a choice because you choose the narrative you believe about your life. You can constantly rehearse the story of all that is bad, or you can rehearse God’s abundant graces. One of the most impactful statements my grandfather ever made was while he was dying of cancer. Physically, he was miserable, but he focused on God’s blessings. He told my mom, “A dying man never had it so good.” He made a choice.

Rehearse your salvation. Notice your family, your friends, and God’s provision. Don’t despise God’s chastening or the conviction of Scripture; instead, embrace the psalmist’s attitude, “It was good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes” (Ps 119:71). Take time to give thanks because “The joy of the Lord is your strength.

And discipline yourself to give thanks together at the feast table. Don’t spend your family dinners complaining, arguing, and talking about nothing. Talk about what God has done. Focus on his blessings. Get families into your home and do the same. And whenever we eat a meal together as a church or sit around a table together, turn the conversation to God’s grace. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Sometimes, we look at the Law and all we see is restriction, punishment, and pain. But God also commanded Israel to feast and rejoice. God’s Word is good, and even the hard parts are for your ultimate good. So, do you want a life of great rejoicing? You won’t find it running from Scripture but running toward it. Study God’s Word attentively with a passion to obey. That’s where you will find joy. The final stage of the story is…

IV.  Obedience inspired renewal (v. 18).

This is quite a verse. On the 1^st of the month, the whole assembly listened to the Word for 5-6 hours. The leaders did it again on the 2^nd. But they had a lot of catching up to do, and we can never have too much Scripture. So, the people now spend 8 days studying the Bible together.

This is exactly what God had told them to do. “At the end of every seven years…at the Feast of Booths,when all Israel comes to appear before the Lordyour God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing.Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess” (Deut 31:10–13).

As I said in my introduction, God’s grace flows to us in many ways—through the love of his people, singing, godly disciplines, prayer, a good meal, good friends, and many other ways. But the greatest grace a Christian can know is when the Spirit of God opens the Word of God to us, and we see God’s glory, and we know his will.

God changes us through his Word. That’s what happened to Israel. For 8 days Israel studied the Bible, and the feast ended on the 23^rd with a “solemn assembly. Then 9:1 says that on the 24^th day, the people were ready for a time of dramatic confession of sin and prayer. It’s an incredible story. God revived his people.

And he did it fundamentally through cooperate study of Scripture. So, I hope you love your Bible. It’s the voice of God. It’s true, inspired, and profitable. It’s the best book ever written by miles and miles. So, love your Bible. Spend the best part of your day studying your Bible and talk about what you learn with others.

Fall in love with biblical preaching and come ready to learn. Even when the sermon is not dynamic, you can be a dynamic hearer of the Word. Get a good night’s rest, prepare your mind and your heart, ask God to change you, and put on your thinking cap because grace flows through biblical preaching. Christian, study God’s Word attentively with a passion to obey.

Finally, I must note that the momentum Nehemiah and Ezra began carried all the way over to the NT. John 7 tells a story of Jesus observing the Feast of Booths (turn). Predictably, Jesus did the same thing Ezra did (v. 14).

Presumably, he continued to teach until the solemn assembly which God prescribed for the final day of the feast. During this assembly, a tradition had developed where the priest would poor out water around the altar commemorating God’s provision of rain to water the crops. Jesus used that tradition to make a powerful appeal (vv. 37–39).

Jesus has now been glorified through his resurrection and ascension. The Holy Spirit is available to all who come to Jesus and drink of the living water.

Maybe you came to church spiritually thirsty. You know you are a sinner, and you are carrying a heavy burden of guilt and shame. Maybe life feels depressing and meaningless. You’re unsatisfied. You’re thirsty.

Jesus invites you, “Come to me and drink.” And he promises in John 4:14, “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst.” Jesus is offering you living water right now, and you can drink right now in your seat. Believe that Jesus is the Lord, and that he paid for your sin on the cross. Repent of how you have sinned against his will. And receive Christ as your Lord and Savior. He will forgive all your sins. You will be justified. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

You don’t have to leave thirsty. You can leave satisfied. You can leave rejoicing in the grace of God. Please, receive Jesus right now.