THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH--NEHEMIAH 8:1-12

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH.

NEHEMIAH 8:1-12
Key verse: v. 10, “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Introduction:

A remnant of Israel had returned to Jerusalem to find the walls damaged and torn down in some places. Nehemiah was the governor and Ezra was the priest. Nehemiah’s responsibility to the Lord was to rebuild the wall of the city and to bring Israel back to the Lord.

Consider with me how the Lord worked among them. He can do the same among us today.

I. AND ALL THE PEOPLE GATHERED THEMSELVES TOGETHER, v. 1.

A. Israel had been in exile in Babylon for 70 years.

1. Israel had not followed the Lord for over 400 years.

2. God always gets His way even if he had to bring you and me into captivity to open our spiritual eyes.

B. Now Israel stood in Jerusalem once again.

1. Now they have an opportunity to serve God in a way that was pleasing to Him.

2. The Lord does not play second fiddle to anyone or anything else in your life.

II. AND EZRA THE PRIEST BROUGHT THE LAW BEFORE THE CONGREGATION, v. 1.

A. Everyone was present that could hear with understanding.

1. No one was absent or involved in other activities.

2. This was a meeting that each one considered vital to their well being as is all services in the Lord’s church today.

B. A pulpit of wood was made for the purpose of addressing the people, v. 2.

C. Ezra, the priest, opened the book in the sight [Heb. “eyes”] of the people, v. 5.

1. The priest was above the people so that he could be seen and heard.

2. When he opened the book of the Law “all the people stood up,” v. 5.

III. EZRA BLESSED THE LORD, THE GREAT GOD, v. 6.

A. The people responded by saying, “Amen, Amen.”

B. They bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD.

1. The people were humbled in the presence of the God of Heaven.

2. Their worship was from the heart.

IV. SO THEY READ IN THE BOOK IN THE LAW OF GOD, v. 8.

A. Ezra read the Law DISTINCTLY.

B. He gave the sense, that is, he gave the interpretation of the Law of God.

C. He caused them to understand the reading.

1. They explained in detail, v. 9a, “And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people,”

2. These were the men that God had called into special service for Him and they had been educated in the Word of God.

V. THIS DAY IS HOLY UNTO THE LORD YOUR GOD, vs. 9-10.

A. “Mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.”

B. This day is holy unto our Lord, v. 10.

1. “Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet.”

2. “Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

VI. SO THE LIVITES STILLED ALL THE PEOPLE, vs. 11-12.

A. Hold your peace, for the day is holy, v. 11.

1. God help those who leave the Lord out of their lives today.

2. God help those who steal God’s time in their lives to play baseball or go fishing or whatever.

3. God’s day is a “holy day.”

B. God’s day is a DAY OF FELLOWSHIP with the Lord and His people.

1. For those who honor their Lord it is a day of “great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.”

2. For those who do not honor the Lord on His day, the Lord says about their idols, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” Exodus 20:5.

CONCLUSION

It behooves us to learn a lesson from the nation of Israel. They were a disobedient people and they paid the price for generations. Their children were not taught the Word of God as they were told to and the result was a nation of unbelievers that went to Hell.