Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” [Nehemiah 8.9-10]
God's Word changes things. Two things are made clear about God's Word here: 1) it brings remorse, and 2) it brings rejoicing.
From the context however, it seems that remorse was a natural emotion to God's Law, while rejoicing was a choice.
If we back up, we see something else about in regard to the Law of God that carries great significance.
Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. To his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet. [Nehemiah 8.4-5]
We have no indication that the people were told to stand, but that it was a voluntary action of honor.
And then, something else occurred resultant to the Law being read to the people:
Then Ezra praised the LORD, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. [Nehemiah 8.6]
After reading the Law, Ezra praised God, the people chanted, "Amen!" with raised hands and then they bowed down and worshiped God with their faces to the ground. Oh, and it was men, women, and children old enough to understand.
We would be amiss however to fail to see how it all started:
In October, when the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had given for Israel to obey. [Nehemiah 8.1]
The people asked Ezra to read the Law of God to them.
Here would be a good place to stop and read all of Psalm 119. Psalm 119 is all about God's Law - His Commandments - His Word. Psalm 119 reveals a deep desire for God's Law that is sadly all but completely absent in "God's people" today.
The thing is, without this deep desire for God's Word, everything else that took place was just protocol - lifeless liturgy.
I am going to share my experience with God's Word here because it is relevant to this topic.
In the year 2006, I began a practice that I had little idea would affect my life as much as it has. Although I had some experience trying to read the Bible through before that time, I had never had any measurable success at it. No matter how zealously I started, it typically fizzled. In mid-2006, I began to make myself write something in response to my daily reading.
Words fail to accurately describe what transpired from 2006 to the present 2026, but try to imagine something unexpected taking place. From the beginning of my somewhat forced "liturgical" practice of reading and writing until now, I have witnessed a change in my understanding of God and His Word; I have witnessed a growing desire for God's Word. I would say I am developing a deep desire for God's Word! My day starts with a welcome anticipation of God's Word - I honestly look forward to it.
Today marks my #6,901 writing in response to God's Word! And, since January of 2015 until today, I have not missed a single day of reading the Word of God and writing a response. I am not proudly reveling in this fact, but instead, humbly rejoicing in it because "I know me"! I know the early struggles to make myself read and force myself to write something. I know what it is like to read Psalm 119 and absolutely not "get it" and now I know what it is to read Psalm 119 and feel like I could have written it myself! SOMETHING HAS CHANGED!
My testimony here is not that I now understand all there is to know about God's Word. Far from it!! In fact, the more I learn of God's Word - His Law - the more I realize how little I actually know it - BUT I KNOW FOR SURE NOW HOW MUCH I WANT TO UNDERSTAND! I see no end to this growth in my life - I only hope to share it.
Based on what is found in Nehemiah, it would seem there is indeed at least some protocol surrounding God's Law - His Word. Do we trust God enough to embrace His Word until it changes us - until it transports us from remorse to rejoicing? The alternative is to embrace the world and its ways.
Unironically, Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God, addressed this very subject:
If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]
To embrace God's Word, Jesus, is to embrace God. He indeed changes things! To embrace the world and its ways is idolatry - but one will never recognize this fact until he or she "sees God" like the people that Ezra read the Law to...
Father, Your Word has drawn me - causing me to see Jesus as never before. Your Word has caused a hunger and thirst in me for more. May I be found giving up my own way every day, taking up my cross every day, and following Jesus every day. May my testimony here inspire others to do the same. So be it.
