Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, "Don't mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God." For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. And Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!" Nehemiah 8:9-10
Have you ever noticed how little children want to do everything by themselves? My two-year-old niece is constantly saying, "I want to do it!" While it is good to encourage independence in young kids, the truth is, there are many things that they cannot do on their own. They need help. Relying on their own power will prove futile and even dangerous for them and others. Even as adults, we were not made to do things on our own. Scripture reminds us to turn to God and rely on His strength.
When the people of Israel heard the Law read in Nehemiah 8, their sin was made known to them. Their natural instinct was to weep and mourn at such exposure of their sin. This was a way for them to try to deal with their situation, to move toward restoration by showing their remorse through their actions. In the middle of this, all of the people interpreting Scripture called for them to stop weeping and mourning (verse 9). Nehemiah added to this instruction, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord" (verse 10). Instead of weeping at the moment, the Israelites were to celebrate God's provision, protection, and forgiveness. Teaching them these things, Nehemiah concluded, "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (verse 10). Instead of mourning and trying to fix things on their own power, the Israelites were called to first lean into the joy of the Lord, which was their strength. Yes, they needed to repent and feel remorseful, but first, they needed to acknowledge the Lord.
As we walk through our life, it can be tempting to lean on our own strength. We can become overcome by our sin and want to fix things all on our own. While it is certainly important for us to acknowledge and turn away from our sin, we must always remember the Lord. He has made a way for forgiveness and restoration. After leaning on Him and His strength, we can move toward repentance. As we do this, we will experience His joy, which is our strength.
Have you found yourself trying to live on your own strength? It's time to turn to God. What are you trying to fix or make right in your own power? Take it to God today. Remember that He is the One who is in control of all things and offers forgiveness and restoration. When we turn to Him, He gives us strength. And at the root of His strength is His own joy. He will be with you and provide His strength every step of the way. What a promise to claim!
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.
On October 9 the family leaders of all the people, together with the priests and Levites, met with Ezra the scribe to go over the Law in greater detail. As they studied the Law, they discovered that the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in shelters during the festival to be held that month. He had said that a proclamation should be made throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, telling the people to go to the hills to get branches from olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees. They were to use these branches to make shelters in which they would live during the festival, as prescribed in the Law.
So the people went out and cut branches and used them to build shelters on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God’s Temple, or in the squares just inside the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate. So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelters during the festival, and they were all filled with great joy! The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua son of Nun.
Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God on each of the seven days of the festival. Then on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, as was required by law.
