Friday July 15, 2022

For most of you, it's probably been a while since you have been in school. A couple of years ago I enrolled in the Evangel University adult studies correspondence program to finish my degree. I've been working diligently since then to earn the best grades possible. At the start of last semester I started a math class called Statistics. Turns out...statistics is very hard. Over the previous 10 weeks I have worked hard, and ended up with a "B" in the class (I took my final yesterday). Undoubtedly, this was a miracle...:) I digress!
I pray all of you had a productive week and are looking forward to the weekend. Today we are looking at another passage from Nehemiah Ch. 8.
Nehemiah 8:8
 They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

This was a great time of revival for the people of Israel, they had rebuilt the temple and wall in Jerusalem after it had been destroyed. In this chapter of Nehemiah, Ezra and Nehemiah are together in one place, celebrating. Ezra reads the law of Moses to the people; meanwhile, Nehemiah assigns priests to go around and explain what is being read. The law of Moses had not been read publicly for a very long time. 
I think it is significant that Ezra and Nehemiah thought it was important that the people understood what was being read. For these two men, the law of Moses was more than a set of instructions-the law was "life." It was the only connection they had to the God of their ancestors...so it was very important. They did not want to horde the knowledge for themselves, rather, they wanted everyone to know of the goodness of the Lord. Of course, we now know that the law of Moses was intended to point to Christ. You and I have access to the life giving words of God's word anytime, day or night. Let us not forget just how precious God's word is.