Bible – Page 40 – Michelle Lesley

These are my notes from my ladies’ Sunday School class this morning. I’ll be posting the notes from my class here each week. Click here for last week’s lesson.

Through the Bible in 2014 ~ Week 41 ~ Oct. 5-11
Matthew 4-8:13, 12:1-21, Luke 4-7, John 1:15-John 5, Mark 2-3
Well Aware

This week, we looked at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. First, with Jesus’ baptism and temptation in the wilderness, we saw God prepare Jesus for ministry. Next, we saw Jesus call his disciples -all good Jewish boys- and train them for ministry. And, finally, we saw the disciples assisting Jesus as He minstered to both Jews and gentiles. This pattern:

God—>God calls and trains His people—>God’s people minister the gospel to others

was a great picture of where we’ve been (the Old Testament) and where we’re going (the church era).

Where We’ve Been– In the same way Jesus’ ministry started with Jesus himself, the Old Testament starts with, “In the beginning, God…” (Genesis 1:1) Next, God makes Himself known to His chosen people (Israel), and trains them in His ways. In the New Testament, He uses His chosen people to minister the gospel to the gentiles.

Where We’re Going– As we get further into the New Testament, we’ll see that the way God deals with us is mirrored in the structure of the passages we read this week about Jesus’ early ministry. It all starts with God, who calls each of us out, saves us and prepares us for ministry. We then minister to both God’s people -through our service in the church- and to those who are outside of God’s family -through evangelism.

All of which brings us to where we are, a story that follows this same pattern. We are all on one side of today’s story or another: the people of God, or the people God is calling out to. The woman at the well, or the well woman. And, of course, everything starts with Jesus.

John 4:1-42

It All Starts with Jesus
1-3 (John 3:30)- Although John had just said, “He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease,” John’s ministry was still going pretty strong at this point, and Jesus’ brand new ministry was exploding. Two large and growing groups with unconventional ideas did not escape the notice of both the Jewish and the Roman officials, who would have been all too familiar with the Maccabean Revolt (as well as lesser uprisings). In order to ward off any official attempt to clamp down on either John’s or Jesus’ ministries to preclude a perceived impending revolution, Jesus took some of the heat off by traveling north to Galilee.

4-5 (2 Kings 17)– This is where knowing your Old Testament comes in handy. Do you remember anything about Samaria from the Old Testament?

When the nation of Israel split into the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah), Samaria became the capital of the northern kingdom. Second Kings 17 describes how, due to Israel’s idolatry, God allowed the northern kingdom to be overthrown by Assyria, and most of Israel to be taken into captivity. Afterwards, “the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the people of Israel.” (2 Kings 17:24) Eventually, some of the exiled Jews (as well as some Jews who had been left behind in northern Samaria at the time of the exile) returned and intermarried with these gentiles. The “pure” Jews of the southern kingdom (Judah/Judea) considered the Samaritans unclean half-breeds. Judeans hated Samaritans, wouldn’t have anything to do with them, and even went out of their way, when traveling north, to go around Samaria instead of through it, even though that was a much longer route.

So, Jesus’ simple act of passing through Samaria on His way north was actually a fairly weighty statement that would have raised some eyebrows even among His disciples. He didn’t hate the Samaritans and didn’t consider Himself unclean for passing through their area.

6-7– “The sixth hour” was noon. Jesus and the disciples had likely been traveling -on foot, of course- since early morning when it was cooler, and stopped during the heat of the day to rest and eat. John indicates Jesus’ humanity here by telling us that He was physically tired.

7– Drawing water was woman’s work, but noon was an unusual time to draw. All of the women usually came out around the same time in the morning and/or early evening (when it was cooler), so it was a time to socialize as well as get a chore done. Maybe this woman was so ashamed of her lifestyle that she wanted to avoid the other women, or maybe she just needed some extra water that day. Whatever the reason, it was God’s perfect timing.

The Woman at the Well
7-27– This was a woman who knew which rung she occupied on the social ladder, and it wasn’t anywhere near the top. Not only did the Jews hate the Samaritans, and would sooner have died of thirst than drink water their dirty hands had handled, but Jewish men did not speak to women of any sort in public. Furthermore, a rabbi (or teacher of Scripture, which Jesus was considered to be) would never have defiled himself by conversing with an adulterous woman (which Jesus already knew her to be). So this woman probably jumped out of her skin when Jesus asked her for a drink. He didn’t hate her. He didn’t look down on her. He didn’t think she was untouchable. How many people in this woman’s life do you think treated her that way? Do we treat people the way Jesus treated her?

Never one to waste time on chit chat, Jesus immediately transitions (10) from His temporal, physical need, to her spiritual need. He might be thirsty, but she needs a Savior, and that’s more important to Him. Can we say the same as we interact with lost people from day to day?

Jesus begins to talk about spiritual things, but she’s still focused on the physical. “How can I get this magic water so I won’t be physically thirsty or have to come haul water anymore?” (15) She doesn’t get it. All she wants is for Jesus to make her earthly life better. She wants her physical needs taken care of and she doesn’t want to have to work. And that’s all many people today want, too, and what they’re promised by hucksters masquerading as Christian pastors and teachers. “Come to Jesus and you’ll be wealthy and everything will go your way,” they promise.

But that’s too small for Jesus. Does He provide for our needs? Yes. But, all too often, that’s where our desire stops. He wants infinitely more for us, just like He wanted for this woman.

There was one thing standing in the way of that, though. Her sin. Since she wasn’t grasping the water metaphor, Jesus goes for the direct approach and calls her on the carpet. She’s had five husbands, and it’s not because she’s been widowed five times. Now, she’s cohabiting with someone. Jesus just lays it out there and lets it hang in the air. Her secret from this stranger is out in the open. She’s convicted. She doesn’t know what to say. Why not change the subject to a religious debate? That doesn’t hit quite so close to home. But Jesus puts her questions in perspective and brings her back around to the real question at hand. Forget all these unimportant questions about which mountain is the right one to worship on. God wants true worshipers, and if you want to be one of them, you have to worship Him in your spirit -not just with outward actions- and in truth -in agreement with Scripture. (24) And what was the truth? She needed forgiveness and only He could offer it. She was a sinner, and He was the Savior. She got it.

The Well Woman
28-42– The woman at the well had been transformed. No longer sin sick, she was now a well woman. One of God’s chosen people. And what do God’s people do when Jesus makes them well? They go out and tell others so those people can be made well too. And that’s exactly what this woman did. She told them about Jesus.

And what did she tell them? Jesus made all my dreams come true? Everything in my life is going to be great now? No, she said, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.” (29) What had He told her? He had told her about her sin, and here she was, boldly and shamelessly telling others about it. There’s only one way that sin has no more power to shame us, and that’s when Jesus sets us free from it. When we turn from our sin and trust that the death, burial and resurrection of Christ paid the penalty for our sin, we are clean before God, and there is no more reason to be ashamed. She had been set free, and she wanted others to be set free, too.

And this is exactly what Jesus was trying to tell the disciples. (31-38) Quit worring so much about food and other temporal things, guys! Open your eyes! Don’t you see that there’s a field full of souls out there -just like this woman- ready to receive the gospel and be harvested into the Kingdom? Let’s get to work!

So they did. The woman told the people about Jesus and brought them to him. For two days, He taught the people, assisted by the disciples. Many of them believed and were saved. And now we’ve come full circle, because, for these people, too, it all started with Jesus.

Well, Women?
This week we’ve seen Jesus minister to a number of people who were outcasts: a leper, the man with the withered hand, the paralytic, the demoniac, and the prostitute would all have been considered unclean people to avoid in Jewish society. The centurion was a hated Roman, a gentile. And here is an adulterous Samaritan woman. What is Scripture telling us as Jesus ministers to these people? Jesus loves the unloveable. He will touch the defiled, the untouchable. We don’t have to be clean before we come to Jesus. He cleanses us. We don’t have to be good before we come to Jesus. He gives us His righteousness if we repent and trust in Him. This is Scripture’s message to all the women at the well.

To the well women, the disciples, those who have trusted Christ and been forgiven, the message is GO. Boldly, unashamedly, tell everyone of the Savior who has the power to set them free from the shame of sin. Look around, the fields are white unto harvest. Go out and bring them in, that they, too, might be set free. GO.

Marriage

Blog Swap ~ 5 Ways to Protect Your Husband’s Heart

October 6, 2014April 18, 2019 Michelle Lesley

It’s time for another awesome blog swap! Blog swaps give me the opportunity to share other talented bloggers with you, plus offer you fresh content that’s a great supplement to our regular fare here. If you’d like to do a swap, click on the link above for more information.

I’m excited to be swapping again with Kaylene of Faithful Feat. (Check out my last Blog Swap with Kaylene here.) Kaylene’s articles on being a godly wife are so soothing, they help me to calm down, take a deep breath, and say, “Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I can do this. I can grow in godliness in my marriage.”

Today, Kaylene has another great article for us, 5 Ways to Protect Your Husband’s Heart. Usually, we think of our husbands protecting us, but there are ways we can protect them, too. Number two, “Speak Kind Words,” is an area in which I need a lot of improvement.

She expresses thanks for his efforts in his leadership, provisions and parenting, no matter how blundering his efforts may be. She compliments on the good he does and extends grace to the rest.

What are some other things we, as Christian wives, can do
to protect our husbands’ hearts?

Christian women, New Testament, Obedience, Sunday School, Women

Miraculous Inceptions: Elizabeth and Mary ~ Sunday School Lesson ~ 10-5-14

October 5, 2014April 5, 2019 Michelle Lesley

These are my notes from my ladies’ Sunday School class this morning. I’ll be posting the notes from my class here each week. Click here for last week’s lesson.

Through the Bible in 2014 ~ Week 40 ~ Sep. 28- Oct. 4
Nehemiah 8-13, Psalm 126, Malachi, Luke 1-3, John 1, Matthew 1-3, Mark 1
Miraculous Inceptions: Elizabeth and Mary

Background/Timeline
1. 424 – 6 B.C. The Intertestamental Period- Nehemiah 13 and the book of Malachi record the last historical events and the last prophecy, respectively, of the Old Testament. Over 400 years would pass between those events and and the opening of the New Testament. Although God was still at work in the world and in the lives of His people, Scripture does not record anything from this time period. There was no prophetic word from God during the Intertestamental Period, thus, it is often called the 400 years of silence.

2. 424-334 B.C.- Israel remained a Persian territory for about 100 years after the last recorded events in the Old Testament

3. 334-331 B.C.- Alexander the Great conquers Persia and gains control of all Persian holdings, including Israel. Greek rule is established by 332 B.C.

4. 301-198 B.C.- After the death of Alexander the Great, his generals vie for control. General Ptolemy I Soter sets up the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt (later demanding to be made Pharaoh). Ptolemaic rule of Israel begins.

5. 198 B.C.- Another Greek, Antiochus the Great defeats the Ptolemaic dynasties and takes over. He persecutes Israel to the extreme, not allowing them to keep the Sabbath, forcing them to offer unclean sacrifices, and eat unlawful foods.

6. 166-142 B.C.- Mattathias, a Jewish priest, and his five sons lead the 24 year Maccabean (named for Judas Maccabeus, the oldest son and leader) Revolt against Antiochus. The Jews eventually won their independence (though they still retained many Greek ways), and Mattathias set up the Hasmonean dynasty of priests (unbiblical since priests could only come from the family line of Zadok, and his family did not) to govern Israel.

7. 63 B.C.- Rome takes over the known world, including Israel.

8. 37-4 B.C.- Rome sets up Herod the Great as king of Israel. He is still king when Jesus is born.

The stage was set. After four hundred years of silence God was about to speak again, act mightily on behalf of His people again. And it all started with two godly women.

Luke 1:5-24

Elizabeth
It’s helpful to remind ourselves right from the start that, although we know something amazing is about to happen, Elizabeth and Zechariah had no idea. They were just regular people going about their daily lives.

5- Zechariah was a priest, but Elizabeth was also from the priestly tribe. (And what did the priests do? They minister before the Lord; just what John would do.) They were likely respected in their community and what we would consider “upper middle class,” at the least.

6 (John 9:3, Romans 9:10-16)- Both Zechariah and Elizabeth were godly people. “Blameless” doesn’t mean “sinless,” it just means that they loved the Lord, desired to obey Him, and kept His commands and statues the best they could, repenting when they sinned. It’s important this fact was mentioned before Luke went on to say that she was barren. Barrenness was often seen as a punishment from God for sin. Sometimes it was, but that wasn’t the case here. As Jesus would later say as he healed the man born blind, Elizabeth wasn’t being punished for sin, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in” her.

But by the same token, Elizabeth did not earn this honor God was about to bestow on her by living blamelessly. There were probably thousands of other godly Israelite women living at that time. Why Elizabeth and not one of them? That answer is found in the mind of God alone. It is, as Hebrews says, “not because of works but because of him who calls.”

8-13- The angel appears and begins telling Zechariah what’s about to happen. This is an answer to prayer (13) for Zechariah and Elizabeth. Scripture doesn’t say this, I am only speculating, but it would not surprise me if they had stopped praying for a child long ago. Elizabeth was not only barren, both of them were “advanced in years” (7). Maybe they thought God had said “no” when He had really said “not yet.” But now was God’s perfect timing. Can you think of any other Bible characters who conceived when they were old and/or had been barren for years? Several of our Old Testament heroes came into the world this way: Hannah (Samuel), Rebekah (Jacob), Rachel (Joseph), and Mrs. Manoah (Samson) were all barren until God opened their wombs. But Elizabeth’s pregnancy in old age after years of barrenness would probably have reminded her community most of Sarah (Isaac). All of these miraculous Old Testament births after barrenness would certainly have alerted Israel that John would be one to watch.

Also notable is that, while the angel may have appeared and spoken to Zechariah, it was Elizabeth that God would use to bring John into the world. God is God. He could have dropped John out of the sky or grown him out of the ground like a tree. But He didn’t. He chose a woman to work through. It’s just another example of the way God values and uses women as He accomplishes His purposes.

24-25- When amazing things happen to godly people, godly people respond in godly ways. There’s no doubt Elizabeth was overjoyed that her prayer for a child was finally being answered in such a miraculous way and with such a child. But she responded humbly and modestly, staying in seclusion -possibly as an act of gratitude or to ensure a safe pregnancy- for five months. She also responded with thanks and acknowledgement of God’s grace and power in answering her prayer.

Luke 1:25-38

Mary
Mary and Elizabeth were cousins of some degree, but their lives were very different from one another. Mary was young, probably in her teens, while Elizabeth was older. Elizabeth was from a priestly lineage (Aaron). Mary was from a kingly lineage (David). Elizabeth had been married many years. Mary was only engaged. Elizabeth was not a virgin. Mary was. Elizabeth and Zechariah were financially comfortable. Mary’s family was poor. Elizabeth had been praying for a child for years. The last thing Mary would have wanted at that point in her life was a baby.

26-30- There was nothing special about Mary. She was a regular girl from a regular family growing up and about to get married.

“O favored one” literally means “full of grace.” It is an expression used elsewhere in Scripture as a general reference to a Believer. Luke called Elizabeth blameless and righteous and simply called Mary a Believer. Likely this difference was to drive home the point that Elizabeth was not barren due to sin. Also, Elizabeth would probably have been more mature in the faith since she was older and had access to a live-in priest.

As with Elizabeth, we see that God chooses whom He will for His own reasons. Mary was a godly young woman, and God was pleased with this, but she was a sinner just like everyone else. She had not “found favor with God” or earned her position as Jesus’ mother because she was somehow holier than other young women like her. God’s favor rested on Mary because He chose her, not because she earned it.

34-37- Both Mary and Zechariah were confused and questioning when an angel showed up and announced an unplanned pregnancy. So why was Zechariah rebuked while Mary was merely given an explanation? First, Zechariah was a priest, and knew the Scriptures intimately. He knew there was precedent for his situation (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, etc.), had even prayed for a child, and should have known that God was capable of doing the same thing in his own family. There was zero precedent for Mary’s situation. She hadn’t prayed for a child, wasn’t married, and a virgin birth was unheard of. Though she undoubtedly knew some of the Scriptures, she certainly wouldn’t have known them as well as a priest. God knows the heart, and He knew that Zechariah’s question was born of doubt, and Mary’s was born of confusion, ignorance, and a desire to understand.

38- Once again, a godly woman responds in a godly way. She didn’t express what was probably a very real fear– that she would be accused of adultery and possibly stoned, or that Joseph would divorce her (which he nearly did). She simply trusted that the God who was about to do this amazing thing was big enough to protect her from whatever might come her way. Whatever God wanted to do with her was fine. She was His servant.

Elizabeth, Mary, and Me (2 Corinthians 12:9)
The God who said “My power is made perfect in weakness,” (2 Cor.) has always delighted to show Himself glorious through weak, sinful, ordinary people from all walks of life like Elizabeth, Mary, and each of us. Though God will probably not do something as major in my life or yours as He did in Elizabeth’s and Mary’s lives, He is still at work in our lives, accomplishing His Kingdom purposes. And that is what is important.

Too many Christians these days wear themselves out running around asking, “What’s my purpose? What’s my purpose?” when what we should really be asking is, “What is God’s purpose for His Kingdom, and how can I be obedient to Him so He can accomplish His purposes through me?” Mary and Elizabeth both considered themselves nothing more than God’s slaves, and humbly submitted to whatever God wanted to do in their lives, whether it would bring joy or hardship. Will we do the same?

Christian women

Mighty Amazon Women of God

October 3, 2014April 18, 2019 Michelle Lesley

“She loves…training church ladies to be mighty Amazon women of God.”

Wait…what?

Yep, that’s the last line of my bio here at my blog, at my other blog, on Facebook, on Instagram, and, ironically, at Amazon.

And it occurs to me that that’s sort of an odd phrase. One that people aren’t familiar with. And, maybe, I’d better explain.

apr14_c01_amazon.jpg__800x600_q85_crop — (© RMN-Grand Palais / Art Resource, NY)

The Amazons were supposedly a race of very tall warrior women. They first appeared in Greek literature in Homer’s The Illiad in the 8^th century B.C. Scholars can’t seem to agree as to whether the Amazons were strictly products of Greek mythology or whether they actually existed somewhere and the mythology was “based on a true story”. Interestingly, in the 1990’s archaeologists discovered the 2000 year old burial grounds of the Sarmatian tribe near the border of Kazakhstan, and think this tribe might be the origin of the Amazon legend. Unlike the mythological Amazons, a number of the women of this tribe appear to have been married with children, but many of them were buried with their weapons of war. The Sarmatian women’s average height was 5’6”, which was fairly tall for women at that point in history.

Maybe that description evokes images of some sort of “femi-nazi” overlaid with a pseudo-Christian veneer when you hear the phrase “mighty Amazon women of God.”

Not at all.

So what on earth does it mean?

I think we 21^st century church ladies have, in some ways, a skewed perspective of what it means to be a Christian woman. You see, a lot of people seem to think that being a godly woman means you have to be shy and quiet, never confrontational, a doormat, nothing of substance to say, nicey-nice, always ready with a casserole for the church potluck. A caricature of feminine fluff.

But the longer I live as a woman of God, the farther from the truth that caricature becomes. Being a godly woman requires a kind of strength that a man will never know. Courage of a sort the most valiant warrior does not possess. Endurance and self control that the best trained athletes will never attain. Because we have to be strong and soft. Bold and restrained. Leaders and followers.

Being a godly woman is not for the faint of heart. And, yet, it’s the faint of heart God loves to turn into His heroines of the faith.

A mighty Amazon woman of God…

…studies and rightly handles God’s word (2 Timothy 2:15)

…loves her enemies (Matthew 5:43-45)

…refuses to have her ears tickled (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

…is a faithful and active church member (Hebrews 10:24-25)

…holds to a biblical view of women’s roles in the church (1 Timothy 2:12ff)

…forgives completely (Ephesians 4:32)

…submits to her husband (Ephesians 5:22-24)

…serves her family (Proverbs 31:10-31)

…is more concerned with God’s opinion than man’s (Acts 5:29)

…loves Christ more than her family (Luke 14:26)

…trains her children in godliness (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

…shares the gospel with the lost (Matthew 28:18-20)

…helps her husband (Genesis 2:18)

…refutes false teaching instead of embracing it (2 Timothy 3:1-9)

…trains younger women in godliness (Titus 2:3-5)

…controls her tongue (James 1:26)

…works heartily as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23-24)

…isn’t led by her emotions (Jeremiah 17:9)

…is merciful (Luke 6:36)

…repents when she sins (Matthew 3:8)

…is strong (Ephesians 6:10)

…is joyful (Philippians 4:4)

None of us are there yet, ladies, but as one of my favorite Bible teachers likes to say, “It’s not perfection; it’s direction.” Is this the direction you’re walking? Is God conforming you more to His image day by day? Are we settling for being little girls in the faith or anxious to grow up and be the mighty Amazon women of God He created us to be?

What kinds of things come to mind when you hear the phrase
“mighty Amazon woman of God”?

Bible, Obedience, Old Testament, Sunday School, Worship

Worship, Grief, and Obedience: Three Responses to God’s Word ~ Sunday School Lesson ~ 9-28-14

September 28, 2014April 5, 2019 Michelle Lesley

Through the Bible in 2014 ~ Week 39 ~ Sep. 21-27
Zechariah, Esther, Ezra 7-10, Nehemiah 1-8
Worship, Grief, and Obedience: Three Responses to God’s Word

These are my notes from my ladies’ Sunday School class this morning. I’ll be posting the notes from my class here each week. Click here for last week’s lesson.

Background/Time Line:
Judah had been in exile for 70 years. As there had been three waves of deportations (605 B.C., 597 B.C., and 586 B.C.) to Babylon, there were three waves of return from Babylon.

1. 539 B.C.- There’s a new sheriff in town as world domination changes hands. Babylon is out. Persia is in.

2. 538 B.C.- Zerubbabel (Jerusalem’s first post-exilic governor) leads the first return wave. Many of Israel’s feasts and ceremonies are reinstituted, and work on the rebuilding of the temple begins.

3. 536 B.C.- Work on the temple is abandoned shortly after it begins and is not resumed for another 16 years.

4. 516 B.C.- Temple completed.

5. 483-473 B.C.- The events of Esther take place. These events happen between Ezra 6 and 7.

6. 458 B.C.- Ezra leads the second return wave (Ezra 7ff).

7. 445 B.C.- Nehemiah leads the third and final return wave. The city wall is rebuilt.

Nehemiah 8
The exiles were all finally back after 70 long years in captivity, and the wall was finished. They were home and they were safe. It was time to re-establish the nation by ceremony and celebration.

8:1: The Feast of Booths (Ezra 7:10, Leviticus 23:33-44, Deuteronomy 16:13-17)
Ezra was a scribe and a teacher of Scripture. Ezra 7:10 tells us,

“For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”

It would have been natural for Israel to look to Ezra for biblical instruction. It’s interesting to me to think back to Jeremiah at this point and recall how, before the exile, all the people came together against him to oppose the word of God. Now, after the exile, the people gather en masse and ask Ezra to teach them the word of God.

It’s a little unclear in verse 1 whether the people knew it was near time for the Feast of Booths (it was supposed to start on Tishri {7th month} 15, and this was the 1st) and that’s why they asked Ezra to read the Law (it was “required reading” at the Feast of Booths), or they just longed to hear the word of God, and the elders learned during the reading or their study time (8:13) that it was time for the Feast.

At any rate, the Feast was on. God had commanded that the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles) be held every seven years, in the autumn after the harvest had been gathered in. The first and eighth days were days of rest, and sacrifices and offerings, as well as the reading of the Law were done on the remaining days. The Feast of Booths immediately followed the Day of Atonement, a solemn assembly in which the nation’s sins were atoned for. The Feast of Booths had not been held since the days of Joshua.

The Feast of Booths had been instituted as a reminder to Israel of how God had delivered them from “captivity” in Egypt and cared for them during their “exile” in the wilderness. The booths were lean tos or huts built from leafy branches, and the people were to live in these huts during the feast as a reminder of their temporary homes during the wilderness wandering. It is the only feast in which rejoicing is commanded.

What more appropriate feast could there have been on this day in Israel’s history? Their sin had been atoned, and God had “harvested” the apple of His eye from their temporary home in captivity and exile. It was certainly a time for rejoicing.

8:2-12: The Reading of God’s Word
2- God’s word is important for everyone: women, children, families, not just men. Not only did God want His word ministered to everyone, but “all who could understand” in verses 2 and 3 indicates that they would be held responsible for what they had heard. They were to know what God commanded, what He prohibited, and obey accordingly.

3-5- Ezra read from “the Law.” Often, the phrase “the law” or “the book of the law” can mean the entire Pentateuch (Genesis – Deuteronomy), but in this instance, it seems to mean the actual “law” portions of the Law. As he read, Ezra stood on a raised platform so that he could be seen and heard. The men standing with him to show their agreement and support were probably priests and/or elders.

“From early morning until midday” would have been about 6 hours, from dawn to noon. Outdoors (in the square). Standing. Yet, the people were still attentive. Compare this to our one or two hour worship services, indoors, sitting, where the pastor is not usually focusing on the finer aspects of how much you’ll be fined if your ox tramples your neighbor’s fence.

These people were starving for God’s word. Eager to get back to living as His people. How intense is our own hunger for God, His word, holy living?

Responding to God’s Word with Worship:
6- Ezra opened with a prayer, blessing the Lord. Joining together freely in their own land to worship and hearing God’s word taught in public by one of their own teachers was a new experience for the generation that had been born and raised in captivity. By this time, overwhelmed and overcome by all God had done for them, their only possible response was humble worship. Worship is one of the right responses to God revealing Himself in His word.

7-8- Because many of the people were hearing God’s law for the first time, they needed some help in understanding it. God had raised up godly men to teach the people. This is what godly teachers do. They read out God’s word and explain it to people (exegesis). They don’t come up with fanciful ideas of their own and bend God’s word to make it fit their ideas (eisegesis).

Responding to God’s Word with Grief:
9-12 (Romans 10:13-14, Ecclesiastes 3:1)- The Holy Spirit works primarily through the teaching and preaching of His word, and that’s just what He was doing here. The people heard the word and the Holy Spirit worked through it to convict them of their sin. They began to mourn over their sin and repent. Grieving over our sin is another right response to God revealing Himself in His word.

But grieving over sin was for the Day of Atonement, a form of which, this time, would follow the Feast of Booths instead of preceeding it (see chapter 9). This was a time of rejoicing for all God had done for them in spite of their sin. As we read in Ecclesiastes,

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

Confession would have to wait.

And why did the people rejoice? Not because God performed a miracle or made their lives nice and comfy or gave them a bunch of stuff. They rejoiced because “they had understood the words that were declared to them.” How often do we rejoice in understanding God’s word or having it preached to us? It’s not often we see a Facebook status that says, “Praising God for understanding the Bible passage I read in my quiet time today!”

8:13-18: Studying God’s Word
13-14- For a Believer, one of the effects of hearing God’s word is the desire to hear more of God’s word. Hearing God’s word preached and taught led the elders, priests, and Levites to want to study the Word even further. As they studied, they discovered that there are things that God’s word actually tells us to do.

Responding to God’s Word with Obedience:
14-18- The leaders learned that there were some actual, tangible, behavioral things God had told Israel to do with regard to the Feast of Booths. They were obedient to God’s word by studying to understand these things, teaching them to the people, exhorting them to obey, and setting the example by obeying the instructions themselves.

The people responded in obedience to the word by heeding the instruction of their spiritual leaders, and by going out, gathering branches, constructing the booths, and living in them during the feast. As each individual obeyed, it encouraged others to obey, so that the whole assembly came together in obedience. And what was the result? “There was very great rejoicing.” (17)

Our response to God’s word should be no different than Israel’s. We should hunger for God’s word and desire more of it with each passing day. It should inspire us to worship the glorious King who sent His son to die for us. It should convict us of our sins and cause us to grieve over them and repent. And, we should obey God’s word, and through our obedience, encourage the rest of the body of Christ to do the same. Then, there will be “very great rejoicing.”