Nehemiah: A Blueprint for Revival
Expectant Expository Exultation * Nehemiah 8
Please take your Bibles and turn with me to Nehemiah 8. While you are
turning, in order to set the stage for our passage today, I’d like to tell you a
story about one of my personal heroes, William Wilberforce, the man
primarily responsible for the abolition of slavery throughout the British
Empire in the early 19th century. Wilberforce was first elected to Parliament
in 1780 at the age of 21 and four years later came to faith in Jesus Christ.
Shortly after that, largely influenced by the former slave trader John
Newton, whom we know as the author of the hymn Amazing Grace,
Wilberforce began a long and difficult campaign against slavery. He
proposed his first parliamentary bill in 1788 but was defeated over and over
again until successfully seeing it abolished in 1807. By that time most of his
fellow abolitionists had grown old, and some had even died. Wilberforce
himself suffered greatly in the cause, both physically and financially. Yet, on
the very day the battle was won, he looked at his old friend Henry Thorton
and said, “Well, Henry, what shall we abolish next?”1
I tell you this story because that’s pretty much where Nehemiah finds
himself in chapter 8. As we saw last week, the rebuilding of the wall around
Jerusalem has been completed, and in record time. However, Nehemiah
has bigger things in mind than simply reconstructing a wall, as great of an
accomplishment as that was. And so, once the wall is complete, he moves
on to his primary objective, and that is to see a spiritual revival take place
amongst the Jewish people. One commentator explains it this way:
His commission from God was far more comprehensive than that of merely
rebuilding the defenses of Jerusalem. The wall was merely the first step in the
rebuilding of a nation. And along with Ezra, Nehemiah was to lay foundations
for national reforms that would continue to make their impact for more than
four centuries—until the coming of Christ.2
1
Boice, J. M. (2005). Nehemiah: an expositional commentary (p. 88). Grand Rapids, MI: BakerBooks.
John White, Excellence in Leadership: Reaching Goals with Prayer, Courage and Determination (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1986), 103.
2
So, the first seven chapters of Nehemiah focus on the rebuilding of the wall.
However, now that the wall is finished, attention shifts to the spiritual lives
of the people, and today in chapter 8 we are going to see that this results in
a re-commitment to corporate worship, specifically to the preaching of
God’s Word.
To set this in the framework we have been using in this series, today we are
going to see that the central aspect of a blueprint for revival is what I am
going to call Expectant Expository Exultation. Now, I know that’s a mouthful,
but I hope by the time we are done you will understand exactly what I am
talking about.
And before we get into the text, I want to make a quick personal note. In
June of 1999, 16 years ago right now, I heard a message on Nehemiah 8
that God used to completely change the direction of my life and to
ultimately lead me into pastoral ministry. I’m preaching to you from
Nehemiah 8 today in part because God has done a great work in my own
heart from this text, and I hope and pray that he will do something similar
for many of you.
So, with that said, let’s read Nehemiah 8:1-8:
And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate.
And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the
LORD had commanded Israel. [2] So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the
assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they
heard, on the first day of the seventh month. [3] And he read from it facing the
square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence
of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of
all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
[4] And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the
purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and
2 Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum,
Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. [5] And Ezra
opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people,
and as he opened it all the people stood. [6] And Ezra blessed the LORD, the
great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” 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, Hodiah,
Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the
people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. [8]
They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense,
so that the people understood the reading. (Nehemiah 8:1-8 ESV)
Ok, in these verses we see three things that should characterize the
corporate worship gatherings of our church. Corporate worship is one of
our core values at Harmony, and here in Nehemiah 8 we see that it should
normally include three things.
1. Expectation (v. 1-5)
First, corporate worship should include expectation. You will note in v. 1
that it is the people who tell the pastor to get out the Bible. Now, I don’t
know about you, but in every church service I have ever been in the pastor
tells the congregation to get out their Bibles, but here it’s the other way
around. The people are telling the pastor to bring out God’s Word. They are
urging Ezra to preach it to them!
Not only that, but v. 3 says that all of them were attentive to what was
being said, and as I mentioned a few minutes ago, this wasn’t just for a few
moments but for six hours!
What’s more, you will note in v. 5 that when Ezra opens the book, the
people immediately stand up. Now, what’s this about? I can remember way
back in elementary school being required to stand up anytime an adult
walked into the room. Why? Well, it was a sign of respect. We were required
to show respect to those in authority. And that’s what the people are doing
here. They are showing respect for God’s authoritative Word.
3 Now, here’s the application for us. When we gather on Sunday mornings we
should do so expectantly desirous of hearing God’s Word and then willingly
submit ourselves to its authority in our lives. We should cultivate a hunger
to hear from God and a willingness to do what he tells us to do and to
become what he wants us to become.
And Harmony, I think this is an area where we have a lot of room for growth
and so I want to challenge you to come to corporate worship expecting and
desirous of hearing God’s Word being preached. I want to challenge you to
give it your full attention for the entirety of the message. And most of all I
want to challenge you to place yourselves under its authority and give it
the respect it is due.
Let’s talk for a second about why we should do so. I want to be clear it’s
ultimately not about this Book, but rather what or whom the Book
represents. This book is God’s Word. In it, the God of the universe, the one
who created all things, including you and me, is communicating with us.
Therefore, to ignore this Book or to fail to give it the attention and respect it
is due is to ignore and disrespect God himself. Are you beginning to see
how serious of an issue this is?
Let me get really practical with you for a moment. If we are to grow in this
area it means preparing ahead of time. By this I mean corporate worship
starts when we get up on Sunday mornings, if not the night before. It
means getting our hearts and minds ready to hear from the Lord and not
waiting until the preacher steps into the pulpit to engage. It also means
doing our very best to be on time and to be in our seats before the service
begins and ready and waiting to hear from the Lord. Let me get specific
with you; at both of our current campuses our auditorium attendance
nearly doubles within the first 10 minutes of the service. One of the big
reasons for this is that many of you are out in the foyer talking. And I want
to gently and lovingly encourage you to fellowship with one another as
much as you want before 10:00 and after 11:20, but when it’s 10:00 to be in
your seat and ready to go. I am very thankful for all of the fellowship that
4 goes on, but listen; your fellowship can’t and shouldn’t replace your
corporate worship.
2. Exultation (v. 6)
The second thing corporate worship should include is exultation. Look at v.
6 again:
And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen,
Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the
Lord with their faces to the ground.
All right, we can see in this verse that the people’s expectation of hearing
from the Lord leads them to participate in worshiping the Lord. Can you see
that? Their expectation lead to exultation, which by the way is the whole
point of corporate worship. That is what corporate worship is about. It’s
about gathering to worship the Lord together.
So, the primary thing we need to grab hold of from v. 6 is that corporate
worship should be participatory. Corporate worship isn’t a spectator sport.
It’s not something we observe, it’s something we participate in. As our
corporate worship leaders lead, whether that is in singing, or praying, or
preaching, we should worship right along with them. Let me make
something really clear. Those of us on the stage aren’t performers, we are
facilitators. We are here to guide you in your worship, but we’re not here to
do it for you, we’re here to do it with you.
Now, you will note in our text that the people express their worship in three
ways. First, they do so vocally by agreeing with what Ezra is saying. That’s
what the word amen means. It means to agree that what someone says is
true.
Second, they worship by raising their hands, signaling their recognition and
understanding of the glory of God and the fact that he deserves to be
praised.
5 Let me take a moment here to answer a question that some of you might
have. If you have ever wondered if it’s ok to raise your hands in worship, this
passage shows us the answer is what? The answer is yes. In fact, the Bible
would actually encourage us to do so. For example, in 1 Timothy 2:8, Paul
says this:
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without
anger or quarreling.
(1 Timothy 2:8 ESV)
So, yes, it’s not only ok to raise our hands in worship, it’s something we are
encouraged to do. Now, that said, let me give this caveat; it’s ok to vocally
and physically respond in worship as long as your desire is to praise the
Lord and not to draw attention to yourself.
Third, the people worship by bowing their heads and humbling themselves
before the Lord. And this is what corporate worship should really be;
alternating between humility before the greatness of God and exalting in
his glory. In fact, let me say this. Biblical corporate worship should result
both in humility and rejoicing, and we are going to see why that is the case
in just a moment.
3. Exposition (v. 7-8)
So, we’ve seen that corporate worship should include first, expectation,
then second, exultation, and now third and most importantly, exposition.
Look at v. 7-8, picking up after all of the names in v. 7:
The Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people
remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,
and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
Let me try and give you a picture of what is going on here. Ezra is up on a
platform surrounded by thirteen Levites; six on one side, and seven on
6 another. These fourteen men are taking turns reading aloud God’s Word.
And as they do there are another thirteen Levites scattered amongst the
congregation, interpreting what has been read and helping the people
understand what it means. In fact, I want to point out that the word
understand is the most important word in this passage, as it is used 4 times
in these eight verses. This passage is all about the importance of
understanding God’s Word.
And so, what we have going on here is what is known as expository
preaching. You’ve probably heard me use this term before, but let me make
sure you understand what it means. Expository preaching is where the
preacher reads God’s Word, exposes or explains what it means and then
attempts to help his hearers apply it to their lives, to understand what it
means for them. So, at the bottom line, expository preaching is the
explanation and application of God’s Word.
Now, let’s talk about why expository preaching is such a big deal.
Expository preaching is the preaching method we use here at Harmony
about 95% of the time, and I want to explain to you why that is so. It really
comes down to this: the power and effectiveness of preaching comes not
from human words but from God’s. What we need from preaching isn’t
advice, or helpful suggestions, or compelling stories, but rather the
explanation and application of God’s Word, because that is where the
power for life change resides. Listen, while you may or may not find what I
have to say interesting and helpful, my words will never change your life.
However, you can know for sure that this Word will. Why is that the case?
Well, here is what Hebrews 4:12 tells us:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and
discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. [13] And no creature is
hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to
whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12-13 ESV)
In other words, the Word of God is powerful, and when it is accurately
7 preached and applied, it will transform those who hear and obey it. And so
listen, you can hear preaching that will get you excited and make you feel
good, but if that preaching doesn’t come from God’s Word, it will ultimately
have no lasting effect in your life.
This, by the way, is why there are so many anemic churches and Christians
today. When the Word of God isn’t preached, people aren’t saved,
Christians don’t grow, and the church fails to fulfill the mission God has
called it to.
To put it another way, here’s how the book of Proverbs describes it:
Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint. (Proverbs 29:18
ESV)
Let me do a quick exposition of this verse for you. Prophetic vision means
word from the Lord. So, where there is no word from the Lord, i.e., where
God’s Word isn’t preached, people cast off restraint or another way to put it
is that people run into all kinds of wickedness. This verse gives perhaps the
best description of the where our culture is today. Why is there so much
wickedness going on, both inside and outside of the church? It’s because
God’s Word isn’t being preached, and so people are running into all kinds of
wickedness.
Two Result of Expectant Expository Exultation
Which leads to this. Let’s talk about the effects of expectant expository
exaltation. What happens when people expect to hear God’s Word, they do
hear God’s Word, and they worship God as a result? Take a look with me
now at v. 9-12. Note what happens when the people hear the exposition of
God’s Word:
And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and 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 or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard
8 the words of the Law. [10] Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and
drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this
day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your
strength.” [11] So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this
day is holy; do not be grieved.” [12] And all the people went their way to eat and
drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had
understood the words that were declared to them. (Nehemiah 8:9-12 ESV)
1. Sorrow over sin.
From these verses we can see two results of expectant expository
exaltation. The first is sorrow over sin. As Ezra and the Levites begin to
preach God’s Word, the people begin to mourn and weep over the fact that
they have failed to keep God’s commandments. You see, this is what God’s
Word does; it exposes our sin and reveals where we have fallen short of
what he desires. In a real way the Bible is a mirror that exposes what we are
really like. This is important because we have a tendency to deceive
ourselves into thinking we are doing ok. We have a real habit of deluding
ourselves about the sin in our lives and what God thinks about how we are
living.
And listen, I know our initial response to the fact that expository preaching
produces sorrow is likely not a positive one. I mean, none of us want to hear
preaching that makes us feel bad, right? I’m guessing none of you came
here today to hear how bad you are. We’d all much rather hear an
encouraging message that makes us feel warm and fuzzy.
But here’s the problem. We all have sin in our lives that is doing us great
harm, and unless that sin is exposed by God’s Word, we are almost
assuredly going to continue in that sin and continue reaping it’s
consequences. You do realize that sin has consequences, don’t you? And so
the thing we need the most isn’t to be told that we are doing ok, but rather
shown where there is sin in our lives so we can be healed and experience
the blessings that come from repentance.
9 2. Joy
That said, there is another result of expectant expository exultation, and
that is joy. In v. 9 it’s interesting to note that when the people begin to
mourn and weep, Nehemiah steps back into the picture immediately.
Nehemiah was a layperson, and so he wasn’t initially involved in the
preaching. However, when he sees how the people respond to God’s Word,
he quickly jumps in and encourages them that it’s not a time for mourning
or weeping, but rather for joy. Now, why would Nehemiah say this? How
could he say this? Well, it all has to do with the fact that not only does God’s
Word point out our sin, but it also provides us with the remedy for that sin.
You see, the Bible never simply tells us what we are doing wrong. The Bible
is not like the spouse or parent or teacher who constantly badgers us about
where we fall short, without providing any instruction on how to make
things right. The Bible doesn’t wound us just to wound us. No, it wounds us
so that we might be healed. The Bible points out where we are wrong, so it
can show us how we can be made right. Let me take you to Romans 3 for
moment. Let’s pick up in v. 23. Paul writes:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [24] and are justified by his
grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24
ESV)
You see, God never points out our problem without also providing us with
the solution.
The people in our story today were going to have a great illustration of this
truth in just 10 days when they observed the Day of Atonement, the most
important religious festival on the Jewish calendar. On that day, the high
priest would take a goat and offer it as a sacrifice for the people’s sins. Then,
he would take a second goat, known as the scapegoat, and send it off into
the wilderness, representing the fact that the people’s sins had been carried
away. And this is why Nehemiah could tell the people to rejoice. Because,
yes, they were guilty, but God was going to take their guilt away.
10 And you know what brothers and sisters, today we have even more reason
to rejoice than the Jews in our story did. You see, they had a Day of
Atonement every year. They had to make sacrifices for their sins over and
over again. We, however, through the blood of Jesus, have been made right
with God once and for all. Hebrews 10 tells us this:
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at
the right hand of God….For by a single offering he has perfected for all time
those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:12, 14 ESV)
You know what, this would be a really good place for an amen or two. As
believers in Jesus, we don’t have to pay for our sins in any way. We don’t
have to make sacrifices again and again, because Jesus paid for them in full
2,000 years ago. As a result, we can leave this place today rejoicing.
So, let me finish with this. The ultimate goal of our corporate worship
services is for you to leave rejoicing at what God has done for you in Jesus
Christ, because it is this joy and this joy alone that will give you the strength
you need to live for him.
This, by the way, is what you came in here looking for today. You came
looking for satisfaction. For contentment. For joy. And brothers and sisters, I
am here to tell you today, and every Sunday, that true joys comes only from
being made right with God and knowing that your debt has been paid in
full.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. © 2015 by Chris Carr. You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author, (2) any modifications are clearly marked, (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, (4) you include Harmony Bible Church’s website address (www.harmonybiblechurch.org) on the copied resource. 11 12