Nehemiah 8:1 - Meaning and Application

Here we have an account of a solemn gathering for worship, and of the good done there for God’s honor and the church’s growth.

The time was the first day of the seventh month (Nehemiah 8:2). This was the day of the feast of trumpets, a special holy day, a sabbath, and a day for a sacred assembly (Leviticus 23:24; Numbers 29:1). It also reminded them of another mercy, since the altar had been set up on that date after their return from captivity. That was still fresh in the memory of many, so this feast was likely kept with special thankfulness. God’s favors, when they are still fresh in our minds and especially when we have seen them ourselves, usually move us the most.

The place was the open square in front of the Water Gate (Nehemiah 8:1). It was a wide public space large enough to hold such a crowd, since the temple courts were probably not yet built as large as in Solomon’s day. Sacrifices had to be offered at the temple, but prayer, praise, and preaching may be done acceptably in any place. When this crowd gathered in the city street, God was surely with them.

The people who came were all the people, gathered by shared agreement, not by force. Men came, but also women and children, as many as could understand what was being read. Heads of families should bring their households to public worship. Women and children also have souls to save, so they should learn God’s word and attend the means of grace. As children grow into understanding, they should be trained in religion.

Ezra the priest was the leader of this assembly. He presided over the service, and no one was more fit to explain and preach than this skilled teacher of God’s law. His call was clear, since he was already a priest and a learned scribe. The people asked him to bring the book of the law and read it to them (Nehemiah 8:1). God had given him both ability and authority, and the people gave him the opportunity and invitation. Spiritual knowledge is like alms, something those who can do it should gladly give to those who need it.

His place was also well chosen. He stood on a wooden platform, a kind of pulpit built for the reading and preaching of the word, so that he could be heard more clearly and seen more easily. The people’s eyes being on him would help them pay attention, as in (Luke 4:20). He also had several helpers. Some stood with him, six on his right and seven on his left (Nehemiah 8:4). Perhaps the platform was arranged for them to stand in a row, or perhaps they stood on lower steps. Some think he appointed them to read when he grew tired. At the least, he honored them before the people by making them his assistants, so they might later be used in the same work. Others named in (Nehemiah 8:7) were likely serving nearby, reading and explaining to those who could not hear Ezra. These included thirteen priests, whose lips should preserve knowledge (Malachi 2:7). It is a great mercy when a people are given ministers who are able to teach.

The worship itself was not made up of outward ceremonies, but of prayer and preaching. Ezra, as the leader, spoke to God on behalf of the people, and they joined him with warm agreement (Nehemiah 8:6). He blessed the Lord, the great God, honoring him by praising his greatness and asking for his favor. The people answered, “Amen, Amen,” showing that they agreed with his prayers and praises. They lifted their hands to show their desire for God and their hope in him, and they bowed their heads to show reverence and submission. We should worship God this way when we come to read and hear his word, as those who know God in his word as both great and good.

Ezra also served as God’s mouth to the people, and they listened closely to him. This was the main work of the gathering. He brought the law before the congregation (Nehemiah 8:2). He had made sure to have the best and most accurate copies, and he brought out what he had kept for his own use for the good of the church, like a good householder bringing treasure from his store. The book of the law should not stay locked away in a scribe’s study, but be brought before the people and read in their own language. Ministers, when they go to preach, should take their Bibles with them. Ezra did, and they must draw their message from that book and show that they do so (2 Chronicles 17:9).

He opened the book with reverence and solemnity, in full view of all the people (Nehemiah 8:5). He did so with gratitude that God had given them such a book, and with gratitude that God had given them leave to read it. It was no longer a sealed spring or a shut fountain. The opening of the book and the unsealing of what had been hidden are celebrated with joy and praise (Revelation 5:9). We should approach the duties of religion with care and pause, not in a hurry. We should think about what we are doing when we take God’s book in hand and when we kneel in prayer. Whatever we do in worship, we should do it thoughtfully (Ecclesiastes 5:1).

Ezra and the others read from the book of the law from morning until noon (Nehemiah 8:3), and they read clearly and distinctly (Nehemiah 8:8). Reading Scripture in worship is an ordinance of God, by which he is honored and the church is built up. On special occasions, we should be willing to spend many hours hearing and studying God’s word. Those here were occupied for six hours. Those who read and preach should also learn to speak clearly, as people who understand what they say, feel its weight themselves, and want others to understand, remember, and be moved by it too. It is a serious thing to handle holy things carelessly.

What they read, they also explained. They showed the meaning, the purpose, and the right use of the words, giving the sense in other words so that the people could understand the reading (Nehemiah 8:7, Nehemiah 8:8).

It is necessary that those who hear the Word understand it, or else it is only an empty sound of words (Matthew 24:15). For that reason, those who teach by office must explain the Word and give its meaning. “Do you understand what you are reading?” and, “Have you understood all these things?” are good questions to ask hearers. But, “How can we understand unless someone guides us?” is just as proper a question for them to ask their teachers (Acts 8:30-31).

Reading is good, and preaching is good, but explaining brings the reading and the preaching together. That makes the reading clearer and the preaching more convincing. The people also behaved very well while the Word was read and opened to them.

They showed great reverence. When Ezra, the priest and scribe, opened the book, all the people stood up (Nehemiah 8:5). In this way they honored both Ezra and the Word he was about to read. Servants should stand when their master speaks to them, to honor him and to show they are ready to obey.

They also showed steady, quiet attention. They stood in their place (Nehemiah 8:7). Several ministers were reading and explaining at some distance from one another, and each person stayed where he was. They did not move about to hear one teacher and then another, or make comments on them. They stayed in their place so they would not disturb others, and so they would not be disturbed themselves.

Above all, they listened closely. “The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law” (Nehemiah 8:3). They were, as it were, chained to it. They heard ready and paid attention to every word. The Word of God demands attention, and it deserves it. If we are careless and let much slip while hearing, there is a danger that forgetfulness will make us lose everything after hearing.