All the People
MAIN IDEA
When we come to Christ, we find life.
ALL THE PEOPLE GATHERED IN UNITY
After overseeing the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah restarted the work of the temple and the government. And then in the seventh month, all the people, men, women, and children converged on Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets. The unity of all God’s people is one of the most important and yet one of the most underappreciated spiritual principles in the Christian life (Ephesians 4:3). Unity doesn’t mean that we have to agree on every little thing. However, we must agree on those things that matter. Ultimately, unity comes from a covenant commitment to the community grounded in our common faith in Christ Jesus, and Him crucified, resurrected, and returning.
ALL THE PEOPLE LISTENED INTENTLY
According to the law of Moses, every seventh year at the Festival of Tabernacles, the word of God was to be read to the men, women, and children. And so this must have been the seventh year. But instead of reading from the Book of the Law on the 15th day of the month when Tabernacles started, Ezra read from it on the first day of the month. The Israelites must have been super eager to hear God’s word! Not only did they listen to Ezra read from about 6am to noon, the end of v. 3 tells us that “all the people listened attentively!” And so should we, because the word of God is life (Matthew 4:4).
ALL THE PEOPLE SHOWED UP IN WORSHIP
All the people stood up to bow down (verses 5-6). In the Bible, standing up is an act that says, “I am Your servant, God.” And bowing down is an act that says, “You are my God.” It’s not customary for us to bow down with our faces to the ground in worship, like the Israelites did here. Worship is not about the forms of worship. Worship is about the posture of our hearts. Worship is what we do in response to encountering the living God. But when we show up, God shows up. And when God shows up, the proper response is to bow our hearts in worship to Him.
ALL THE PEOPLE MOURNED IN REPENTANCE
As the people started to understand the Scriptures, all the people started to weep (verse 9). God is the One who defines and determines what is right and wrong. And the Bible reveals to us how far we fall short of the goodness and glory of God. It’s not that God wants us to be depressed about our sinful nature. He wants us to be the best that we can be. And the best that we can be can only be when we strive to be like Christ—to do what He does, to say what He says, to want what He wants. But through faith in Christ, when we desire to be like Him, He will make us become like Him.
ALL THE PEOPLE CELEBRATED IN THE JOY OF THE LORD
Ezra and all the Levites started telling the people to stop weeping, because the word of God also says that the Feast of Trumpets is a holy day that is set apart for celebration and joy! They stopped weeping not simply because they were told but because they also understood that the people of God are the delight of God (Zephaniah 3:17). Those in Christ are the joy of the Lord. That is why Jesus came! So that we might know the joy of the LORD God Almighty!
DISCUSSION QUESTION
What things are critical for us to agree upon here in this GCC Canvas community?