How Hungry Are You?
Scripture Reading: Nehemiah 8
1 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the
Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD
had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and
women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then
he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday,
before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were
attentive to the Book of the Law.
4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and
beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah;
and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and
Meshullam. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above
all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the
great God.
Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their
heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah,
Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the
people stood in their place. 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they
gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught
the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.”
For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for
whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is
your strength.”
11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12
And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because
they understood the words that were declared to them.
13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and
Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. 14 And
they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of
Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should
announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and
bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of
leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the
roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square
of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. 17 So the whole assembly of
those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the
days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was
very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the
Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a
sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.
One thing I want to focus on today is the Jewish roots of our faith. That's called
Shorashim. If you're not familiar with those roots you'll miss quite a bit that is being
revealed in this chapter. Let me set up the timing of this setting. After the
Babylonian captivity, which turned into the captivity by the Medes and the Persian
after Babylon was conquered, Cyrus king of Persia made a decree that the temple
in Jerusalem be rebuilt, which ended up taking 21 years to be rebuilt. King
Artexerxes sent Nehemiah seventy years after the temple was finished to rebuild the
walls and build up the city. This scene happens after all this, and begins on the first
day of the seventh month. Now, you may want to put a finger in Leviticus 23
because you may want to glance at it from time to time. If you look now at Leviticus
23:24, you'll see that according to the LORD, this day was the Feast of Trumpets.
So, all the people gathered in Jerusalem and this is something I really want you to
focus on, Ezra began to read the Law in front of everyone old enough to
understand. He read from morning to midday, and all the people were attentive.
That had to be at least 4 hours and probably about six, yet everyone was attentive.
Why? Because they were hungry. They were hungry for the word of God. People
will do things they wouldn't normally do when they are famished. In Genesis chapter
42, Jacob and his remaining sons were in the middle of a famine. Although, he
would not normally send his sons into hostile Egypt he does because they are
hungry. But yet he withhold his youngest son Benjamin. Then after Joseph had
kept Simeon in Egypt saying that the other brothers should go home and get their
younger brother, Jacob was sure that he would not send Benjamin because he said
Joseph is gone, and Simeon is gone, I'm not going to send Bejamin also. But look
to chapter 43 and you'll see that as the famine continued and all the food which
they had brought back from their first trip to Egypt was gone, Jacob did that which
he would have considered unthinkable. He sent Benjamin to Egypt not knowing
what would become of him.
When we are hungry we will do whatever it takes to be fed. So, how hungry are
you? Do you crave the time you have to spend in God's word every day? Or do
you spend that time watching your favorite television show or playing your favorite
game? Are you hungry at all or do you despise the word of God? Do you look
forward to the time you get to spend in God's word or do you look forward to the
time when that time is over so you can go do something else? This is something
each of us has to examine on our own.
The next thing I want you to notice is that after Ezra read from the Law the people
wept. Why? Because they realized that they knew nothing of God. The things of
God were so far removed from them that they almost didn't know where to start to
begin keeping the Law again as a people. Ezra tells them not weep because the
day was holy to the LORD. He tells them to go feast and to provide for those who
were in lack so everyone could feast because he said the joy of the LORD is your
strength. So they went and feasted and gathered again the next day for the
reading of the Law, and then the third day and the fourth, on to the eighth day.
Now, here were our Jewish roots come in. They started this feast on the first day of
the seventh month, read that there was a feast called tabernacles in that month so
the all went out a gathered leaves to make booths and kept the feast seven days,
right? But remember Leviticus 23:24. The first day of the seventh month isn't the
feast of tabernacles, it's the feast of trumpets and it only last for one day. Then
look at verse 27, the tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement. Now
look at the end of the chapter beginning with verse 34. The feast of tabernacles
doesn't begin until the fifteenth day of the seventh month and yes, goes for eight
days.
Lets analyze. They missed the first two feasts of the seventh month and celebrated
the third feast on the wrong days. Was God pleased with them? I believe so,
because they were ignorant of the law and just like a child it would take time for
them to learn but they were hungry to learn. They came craving understanding. I
see us in those people. We've been ignorant of the Law for so long that we, like a
child, have to learn the ways of our God. Just recently we attempted to celebrate
the wrong holiday on the wrong day. Then, after the first day, we realized that it
wasn't the feast we thought it was but figured it was ok because it was on a Jewish
calendar so it was some kind of holiday. Then we found out that as followers of
Messiah we do not celebrate that day because it's the day the Jews mourn because
their Messiah has not yet come. Do you think God sees our heart and accepted our
offering however incorrect it may have been? I do, as long as we stay hungry and
we continue to learn.
Can anyone tell me what feast the LORD list first here in Leviticus 23? It's not the
Passover, though it may look like it. It's the sabbath. It's a feast day God allows us
to celebrate every seven days. It's not to be a burden, it is to be a pleasure; a joy.
Leviticus 23:3, ‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a
holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
We had a sermon several weeks ago in which we analyzed what is considered work
and what is considered reverencing God and keeping the day holy. Feeding the
hungry, healing the sick, visiting those who are sick or in prison, giving water to
those who are thirsty, studying the word of God, praying; these are all things that I
believe are glorifying God. But I think we need to decide whether God meant what
He said when He said 'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a
Sabbath of solemn rest. How can we think we have truly come back to celebrating
God's feast days if we don't honor the one He gives us each and every week to
enjoy? I'd really like to begin breaking the Chalah bread and drinking the cup to
celebrate to Sabbath weekly. I feel like it would be a blessing to us all. But more
than anything I'd like for us all to consider this command the LORD has given us to
rest and enjoy and glorify Him on the Sabbath. We have to keep striving for the
truth of God’s word, then we have to figure out how to do it.
As for me, I'm hungry; even famished for God's word and understanding of that
word. How about you?
Sermon by: Denise Baxley
Date: August 20, 2006