THE JOY OF REPENTANCE
Nehemiah 8: 1-18
Key Verse 8: 10b
“Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
In chapters 1-6, Nehemiah and the people of Israel rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem until it was completed in 52 days. It was the first step in restoring the nation of Israel after more than 70 years of devastation. But the completion of the wall was only the material part of rebuilding Jerusalem. In chapter 7, Nehemiah protected what had been built by establishing leaders and guards. Nehemiah helped the people to find their “great project” for their lives, and their roles in the community of God’s people. Today, in chapter 8, we learn how Nehemiah began to address the spiritual needs of the city. Before the people started conducting business in the restored city, they decided to come to God. They decided to have a Bible Conference as the opening ceremony for their new city. As we study today’s passage, let’s think about the Bible’s foundational role in society, and how an attentive attitude towards the Bible can give us joy that leads to eternal life.
First, “bring out the Book” (1-8)
Verse 1 says “all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel.” As we learned in Nehemiah chapter 3, the Water Gate was a place for the people to obtain fresh drinking water from the city’s main water source at the Gihon Spring. The people could also go there to wash their dirty laundry. It was at this refreshing location that the people decided to meet together. Notice that all the people assembled. There were about 50,000 people, and they all came. The people told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses consisted of the first five books of the Bible. Ezra was a respected Bible teacher and preacher. Notice that Nehemiah and Ezra did not force the Bible on the people, but it was the people who asked to bring out the Bible. There are so many activities to do in a large city, especially one that is newly rebuilt. There are so many books to read at the library or at Border’s Bookstore. There are so many things to do on the internet and electronic media. There are so many places we can go by plane, train, or car. But in the end, the Bible is the only thing that really matters. The text of the Bible is the way that God chose to speak to all people of all generations. Here at West Loop UBF, we have been experimenting with different styles of worship, such as contemporary praise songs, multi-media, extemporaneous messages, and wireless microphones. But bringing out the Bible remains at the center of our ministry.
Verse 2-3 read, “So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.“ It has been said that though the Bible is the most published book in the world, it is also the least understood. Some Postmodern people say that you can make the Bible say whatever you want. But when we listen attentively to the Bible, we find that it has one clear message that we can understand. In fact, the main message of the Bible can be understood by a little child. Yet the richness of the Bible’s meaning and application is deep enough to challenge the most advanced scholar. When we have an attentive attitude toward the Bible, we will be greatly blessed by God. Psalm 1:2-3 says, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Matthew 13 tells the parable of a sower, who sowed the Word of God on four types of soils. The path, rocky, and thorny soil were like those whose hearts are not attentive toward the Word of God. They dried up because of pride, superficiality, and despair. But attentive hearts are like the good soil. Matthew 13:23 says, “But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." Notice that Ezra read the Bible for six hours, from daybreak till noon, and the people listened attentively the whole time. They were not bored by God’s word because God’s word is life-giving. Amidst the clamor of busy activities at our jobs, school, and homes, let’s put a priority on the Bible, and listen attentively to God’s Word. When we do so, God promises that we will be abundantly blessed.
Verse 4 begins, “Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion…” As an architect, I like this verse. Though they built a whole city, the builders gave the focus of their attention to the Bible. In a large scale, the entire universe is built for the occasion of the Gospel of Jesus, because the story of the redemption of the human race through Jesus’ death and resurrection is the centerpiece of history and of all creation.
Author Victor Hugo said, “England has two books, the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare, but the Bible made England.” That is because at the high point of its culture, England was a Bible-centered country. America was also established as a Bible-centered country, even though we have the freedom of democracy. Did you know that our three branches of government: judicial, legislative, and executive come from Isaiah 33:22 which says, “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king...” Did you know that every president from George Washington to George Bush has chosen a Bible key verse for his term of presidency. Did you know that the abolition of slavery was based on the Biblical principle that God made all men and women in his own image. These are only a few small examples, but we could talk about it for hours.
Our UBF Founder Dr. Samuel Lee said that everything that is good in the world and in society is in some way derived from the Bible. We divide history into two parts: BC is the world before Christ, and AD is history in the year of our Lord. The Bible is also divided into two parts: The Old Testament looks forward to Christ, and the New Testament looks back to Christ. Christian churches are also built for the occasion of reading the Bible, publicly and privately. That is why the people built a special high platform for Ezra to use as a pulpit or podium. In the Middle Ages, most people could not read, so architects designed stained glass windows that wrapped around all four sides of the church which depicted the stories of the Bible in pictures from Genesis to Revelation. In the days of the Protestant Reformation, when the printing press was invented, a special pulpit or podium for the preaching of the Bible was placed front and center, and all other distractions were removed. In our generation, the media of electronics, of microphones, Power-point, video clips, etc., can be used to highlight the Bible and make an environment for people to know Jesus.
How did the people respond to this Bible-centered environment? Verse 6 says, “Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.” The people were not bored by Nehemiah’s six hour lecture. Instead, they treasured the Word of God that they heard, and they felt greatly blessed. For the next part of this Bible conference, the Levites instructed the people. Verse 8 says, “They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.” Bible teachers are necessary to help us understand what we read in the Bible, so that we can apply it to our lives. Since the Bible was written over 2,000 years ago, we need Bible teachers to help us to understand how to make it relevant to our lives today. In small Bible study groups, we can have a chance to get answers to all our questions, and receive personal guidance from God’s word.
Second, Repentance turns weeping to joy (9-12)
Verse 9 says, “Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, ‘This day is sacred to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. “ Why did listening to the Law of God cause the people to weep? It is because the law shows us our sin. The Law of God lists hundred of commandments that we should do, and hundreds of sins that we should not do. But often we have done what we should not, and have not done what we should. Jesus also pointed out that it is not only actions, such as murder and adultery, that are sinful, but thoughts such as hatred and lust are just as bad.
The Bible says that our sins separate us from God, and lead us to Hell. Sin breaks God’s heart, and breaks our relationship with God. Jeremiah 3:21 says, “A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and have forgotten the LORD their God.” Joy is the most common pursuit of life, and also the most elusive. Many people have adopted the motto, “Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” This view of joy is filled with despair. The life of Princess Diana of England is known as “the saddest fairy-tale”. Having the opportunity to marry the Prince of England, Diana obtained world-wide fame and royalty. She had the most elaborate fairy-tale wedding, enjoyed top-of-the-line fashions, and came to be known as the most famous woman in the world. However, Diana struggled with depression and bulimia. Her royal marriage ended in unhappy divorce. She sought joy in two additional boyfriends. But her life ended in a tragic car accident. People throughout the world grieved over Diana’s death, even though they didn’t know her personally. In her, we see shadows of our own disappointments. We seem to be trapped in cycles of aspiration, disappointment, love, and loss.
However, God turns our weeping to joy when we repent. What is repentance? Many people these days think that repentance is a bad word. It is politically incorrect to say, “Repent!” But repentance is the way to true joy. Repentance can be defined as turning away from sin and turning toward God. God and sin are at opposite poles. They cannot go together. But the message of our failure leads us to the message of Jesus’ victory through the cross. Through his death, Jesus paid for all of our sins, and through his resurrection, Jesus gives us the hope of eternal life. The story of the Prodigal Son is a dramatic example of repentance. A young man demanded his share of his father’s inheritance, and left home to enjoy the pleasures of wild living. After he wasted all the money, he ended up in the pig pen, and finally came to his senses. When he decided to apologize and return to his father, his father welcomed him with open arms and fully restored him, celebrating with dinner and gifts.
Our sins make us weep, but Jesus gives us joy. C.S. Lewis was the author who wrote “Prince Caspian”, a movie which opened at theaters this weekend. Lewis was an Oxford professor who was a firm atheist. Lewis searched for joy through obtaining pleasures in books, material things, and relationships. Lewis thought that joy lies in achievements, in activities, in possessions. But he discovered that joy is not in those things, it only comes through them. The true source of joy stands over and above those things. Lewis said “all images and sensations, if idolatrously mistaken for Joy itself, soon honestly confessed themselves inadequate.” It was only when Lewis recognized that God was the ultimate source of joy that he could finally have joy. Lewis titled the story of his conversion “Surprised by Joy”.
The only way to find joy is by believing in Jesus. The letters J-O-Y stand for “Jesus first, others second, yourself last”. This is way to have joy. When we repent, we clear away the sins that block God’s joy. Repentance frees our hearts to receive joy from God. So repentance is not only right, but it is most beneficial. In verse 10, Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." After we confess and repent of our sins, we do not have to continue to live in sorrow. Jesus turns our sorrows to joy. There are two kinds of sorrow: godly sorrow, and worldly sorrow. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.” Revelation 21:4 says, “[God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Luke 2:10 says, “But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The Gospel of Jesus is the good news of great joy for all people. Joy is not something we create or obtain in the world. Joy is a gift from Jesus. If we want joy, we can never find it, but if we want Jesus, joy is a gift that we also receive.
Third, happy campers in Christ (13-18)
On the second day of the seventh month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law. It was like a men’s fraternity meeting. Verse 14 says, “They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month.” To prepare for the Feast of Booths, they were instructed to go cut tree branches from various kinds of trees, and to construct booths to live in for one week. Leviticus 23:43 says, “so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' " The Feast of Booths was a remembrance of God’s great deliverance for the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. As God led them to the promised land, they lived in small tents or booths. Life is a pilgrimage. We may buy a house or land, but within a few decades, we pass from this world. When our hope is in Jesus, we go to live in his kingdom for eternity. Heaven is our true home. Hebrews 11:16 describes the patriarchs of faith who lived a life of pilgrimage. It says, “If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.” Though the people of Nehemiah’s time had just completed their great project of building the wall of Jerusalem, they could not just settle down and live a materialistic life. The physical wall was only a prop in God’s unfolding drama of salvation.
The city of Jerusalem provided an environment for Jesus the Messiah to come into the world. Jesus also made a pilgrimage. He left his glorious home in heaven to come to this troubled world and be with us as a friend, healer, and leader. John 1:14a says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” This is called the incarnation. After Jesus came and completed his work for world salvation, the physical city of Jerusalem was destroyed again and later confiscated by other nations. But God’s real temple is in the hearts of believers. Verse 17 says that the people’s joy was “very great”. How could they have great joy living in a cramped booth when there was a beautiful city waiting empty. We learn that when they obeyed God, God gave them true joy. Their time of living in booths was like a one week Bible conference. Though the conditions were sub-standard, they had great joy of fellowship with God and with God’s people. God blessed them abundantly. They were happy campers.
Through this passage, we learn that our culture urgently needs us to bring out the Bible. We should use our skills and influence to make an environment built for the occasion of Bible study in our generation. We should have an attentive and obedient attitude toward God’s word. Things in the world cannot give us true joy, but when we repent our sins and turn to Jesus, repentance turns our weeping to joy. We also learn that our true home is in heaven, and life is a pilgrimage to God’s kingdom. With this attitude, we can live on earth as happy campers.