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. (Nehemiah 8:9)

Weeping At What They Heard

It had been ninety-two years since the first group of Jews from captivity returned to the holy city of Jerusalem. The Temple was rebuilt twenty years later. Now, seven decades had passed, and the city’s walls lay in ruin. Nehemiah, a cupbearer in the court of King Artaxerxes, came to Jerusalem and, under his leadership, rebuilt the city walls in fifty-two days in the month of Elul. One month later (Tishri), the people gathered as one man in the open square and told Ezra, the scribe, to bring the book of the Law of Moses and read it to them.

The reading of the Law to the people is one of the Old Testament’s most poignant and powerful stories. Ezra read the law to the people because they asked him to. Men and women came together to hear the reading. There was a deep spiritual desire to listen to what God said to the people. Reading the Law took from the early morning to midday. No one left. All the people listened closely to what Ezra said as he opened the word of God to the hearing of the people. Ezra read with clarity and understanding. The crowd listened intently to understand the meaning of the Law.

When Ezra opened the book of the Law in the sight of all the people, they stood up. They respected the word of God as holy. There had been a drought of the Law in the hearts of the people, and now they were experiencing the joy of hearing the word of God with understanding. It was an amazing time for the people of God. The people shouted,” Amen, Amen.” They bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces on the ground. As the Law was read, they stood in their place from early morning to midday. They were resolved to worship God with reverence and respect.

As the words of the Law were read, the hearts of the people were struck by the powerful message of God’s love and grace. They also realized the reading of the Law exposed their sin, and they were mournful and broken-hearted for how they failed God. The people wept when they heard the word of God. The leaders carefully read the law with a clear understanding of the text. As the Law was read, the people wept. Nehemiah and Ezra exhorted the people not to cry because it was a great day for the glory of God.

The people had asked for the Law to be read to them. They stood for long hours to listen to the reading of God’s word. As the word was explained to them, they saw the majesty of God and their own sinfulness. Their hearts were broken. Yet the day was a time of rejoicing because the voice of God had touched the people’s hearts as they read through the scriptures. Afterward, the people confessed their sins before God. It was truly a glorious day in the kingdom of God.

God has provided His word in the reading of the Bible. Everything a man needs to know about the glory of God is contained within its pages. There is no other book that is from the mind of God. The majesty of God is declared, and His wrath is revealed. During the time of Nehemiah, the reading of the word of God came from the leaders because it was contained within the scrolls. Very few people had access to the word and relied upon the leaders to read to them. In the modern world, the Bible is in innumerable formats and designs. It is readily available to most people in the world with ease. Education has allowed a greater number of people to read and understand. The Bible is the most prolific book that is sold worldwide. And it is the least read.

Many homes have a Bible and probably multiple copies. Churches are filled with Bibles. Bibles can be found in hotel rooms. Sadly, the heart of the people in Nehemiah’s day is seldom found among the people of God today. No one would stand for hours listening to the word of God read. Few cry or experience an emotional experience reading the Bible. Fewer still bring their Bibles to church and open them when the word is preached. If a Bible class is conducted, a small minority have spent any time preparing lessons for a spiritual discussion. The people of God are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

The people of Nehemiah’s day should be a pattern for the hearts of God’s people today. There are deep lessons of devotion and love for truth found in the story. People sing loudly, “Take time to be holy,” and seldom take the time to take the time to be holy. Let us turn our hearts back to the people four hundred years before Christ and learn how to know God. Read. Weep. Rejoice.