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February 17, 2008
On the Road to Renewal with Nehemiah— The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength
a sermon on Nehemiah 8.1-12
by David C. Mauldin
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Mobile, Alabama

Can you imagine the excitement? If you have ever been part of a single moment in time that defined a nation or community—if you were there and part of it—maybe you can. Think of the winning of the American Revolution or the fall of the Berlin Wall. The events in our scripture reading were that kind of big. Can you imagine the roller coaster of emotions? Have you ever been cut to the core of your soul with remorse the way those people were when they heard the Law of God? Have you tasted the joy of forgiveness or the ecstatic delight in doing God’s will that his people felt that day? Have you ever been so overwhelmed by the Spirit of God that you thought to yourself, “After this, I will never be the same. These people here will never be the same”? You cannot plan events like that. They happen because God makes them happen. You can pray for them. You can do your part. The First Great Awakening—which during the colonial period of America saw thousands of conversions and even many communities changed on both sides of the Atlantic; places that were once known for violence and domestic problems became peaceful communities—it wouldn’t have happened if preachers like George Whitefield and John Wesley had not taken the gospel message to the people. But by themselves they could do nothing. More than anything it was the Holy Spirit working in the hearts of people. Jonathan Edwards was not exactly a popular pastor. His preaching was too dry and intellectual even for my tastes. Yet remarkably, his preaching turned his community inside-out and his written account of the events proved instrumental in the great revival as well. When I think of the power of God and our weakness, I think of Francis Schaeffer. I have mentioned him before. His teaching convinced so many people of the truth of Christianity. And in those who were already believers he lit a fire of excitement that made them come alive. Last year I did a study of some of his works, and I bought a couple of lectures he gave at the height of his career. I was astonished. I don’t want to say anything against such a remarkable servant of God who did more than I could hope to, but when I listened to the lectures, his voice was almost cartoony and he meandered all around the subject matter. I immediately thought of Paul, “I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength  2
power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God” [1Cor 2.3-5]. Truly the power is not ours but God’s. And we cannot artificially create such moments as Israel experienced at the Water Gate. Next Sunday our Refresh and Renew event begins. What will it be? The answer is ultimately up to God, yet we must do our part. Paul didn’t come with plausible words of wisdom, but he came. The truth is, you don’t know what God might do if you come with an attitude of openness and expectation. Last Sunday you heard how under Nehemiah’s leadership the residents of Jerusalem rebuilt the defensive wall around the city. Given the size of the job and all the obstacles, it was a miracle they succeeded; but they did, in only 52 days. Was this a happy ending to the Nehemiah saga? No, not at all! Rebuilding the wall was only the beginning. It was a necessary first step. Necessary because without a wall for protection, the people of Jerusalem were prey to all sorts of violence and problems. Until they had basic safety, they could not do the things required for a stable, just society dedicated to God. Once the wall was in place, they were ready to move on to the more important work of becoming a united community alive to God and ready to obey his commands. Building the wall prepared them in two ways. Its physical presence made a strong community possible, but also all those who worked on the wall and saw it completed must have felt God’s hand upon their community. “We didn’t do this ourselves,” they could have thought. “We couldn’t have.” All along Nehemiah had been pointing to God: The call came from God. The work was God’s. God would give them success. When the seemingly impossible became reality, how could they doubt God had a purpose for them? The reality of God’s existence became real to them in a fresh way. It wasn’t abstract anymore. It wasn’t just in their head. They knew, from experience: God is real. God is powerful. We are his people. He has a plan and a purpose for us. This was the attitude they brought when they assembled in the square in front of the Water Gate just five days after the wall was finished. They completed the job. Went home and rested for a few days. Then they all came back and gathered in a large area in front of the Water Gate—which has nothing to do with President Nixon; it was just a gate on the eastern side of Jerusalem close to a spring. What I find so interesting here is the initiative seems to come from the people. The account doesn’t say, “Nehemiah told the people to come,” although probably he did. Some preparation took place because a platform had been built. Yet as scripture tells it, the people take the initiative. They come. They tell Ezra to bring out the Law of Moses and read it to them. Ezra and Nehemiah are not forcing something on them. The people could not be more eager to know about their wonderful God who has done such amazing things. J.I Packer jokingly compares the scene to a rock concert, the people chanting, “We want Ezra!” That may not be much over the top.
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Ezra read the Law of Moses to the people. Let’s take a detour now to find out who Ezra was and what we can learn from him. The roles of Ezra and Nehemiah make a fascinating case study in complementary gifts and personalities. Ezra was a priest, a scholar, and a scribe. The Persian king Artaxerxes had sent him to Jerusalem in 458 B.C.—about 13 years before Nehemiah—to teach the people God’s law and make sure the Temple was running properly. Ezra also tried to rebuild the wall, but he had failed. Political enemies stirred up trouble by accusing him of planning a rebellion. The king suspended construction, and nothing more was done until Nehemiah showed up. Here’s a riddle for you: Why did Ezra fail? We know God wanted the wall built. Was Ezra less devout than Nehemiah—less devoted to God? No. From what we know he was every bit as committed and courageous. So why? God alone knows the answer. Perhaps the timing wasn’t right. Maybe God’s people needed to go through some things in order to come out where God wanted them. One thing is fairly certain: Ezra and Nehemiah had different gifts. Ezra was a teacher, not an organizer. Nehemiah was an organizer, but not a teacher. Israel needed Nehemiah to get the walls rebuilt, but once they were, Ezra was needed to take the people to the next level as a community. From what we know, the two men got along well. Conflict between them could have spelled disaster, yet Nehemiah, ever the wise strategist, knew Ezra had the necessary gifts that he did not. Thus, when the people gathered, it was Ezra who read them the law, yet even Ezra needed help. Several issues demanded solutions. One was, without amplification, how could everyone hear? Another was, the Law of Moses was written in Hebrew; most of the people spoke Aramaic, a dialect evolved from Hebrew. Some translation work was necessary. And finally, some explanation was also in order. So Ezra appointed Levites—Israel’s priestly class—to help people understand what they heard. Scripture describes the scene in dramatic richness. Imagine the crowds—men, women, and children, everyone who could understand. Ezra mounts the platform. He takes out a scroll and unrolls it. As he does so, all the people stand. This, they know, is a holy moment. This is God’s Word. Reverence, respect—instinctively they rise. Ezra begins by “blessing the Lord, the great God.” And the people respond with a resounding “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Already they are filled with awe. Excitement sparkles in the dry September air. Ezra begins to read. Are you ready for another riddle? Contrast Israel’s enthusiasm for God’s Word in this passage with most people today. How do you account for the difference? Let’s grant that those who do not know God and have never heard the gospel might not see any need for it. Some people are far from God and have an acute awareness of a need at the deepest level of their being. Others are far from God and could not be happier. A person who realizes the need is already on the path toward God. Not everyone is on that path. Before such a person can get excited about God’s Word, she must find
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evidence of a greater reality—either in her own brokenness or in the health and beauty of Christianity as it is lived by people she knows, or in both. Yet what about within the church? We believe in God. We believe the Bible is his Word to us. How do you account for our casual indifference toward scripture? We have one adult class on Sundays with a handful of people. We have tried to start another, but the interest simply isn’t there. When I lead a study during Lent or in the fall, we draw about 20 people per week. We are planning a Bible study on Wednesday nights as a follow-up to Refresh & Renew. I ordered 25 copies of the study guide, and I was called optimistic. Where is the hunger? Where is the enthusiasm? To find out if I am talking to you, take this quick quiz: (1) Do you read the Bible regularly? (2) If a friend confessed to you that he is afraid to die because he is not sure he has lived a good enough life to get into heaven, what would you say and would you be able to use the Bible to help him? (3) If a friend, your child, or your grandchild asked you, “What’s the big deal about Jesus?” What would you say? (4) Is the Sunday morning sermon something you look forward to all week? This quiz doesn’t come with an answer guide. If your answers make you uncomfortable, do something about it. When Ezra read the Law, people were eager in part because they had been part of something big and they recognized God’s hand up on them. Maybe what we need is a firmer realization of that basic truth. God’s hand is on you. His power, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, is at work in you. There is no meaningful difference between Israel at the Water Gate and us in this congregation today. The same God speaks, and we his people listen. Ezra read the Law from early morning until midday. How’s that for longwinded? But the people ate it up. As they heard God’s Law, a change came over them. They became increasingly aware of how different their lives were from God’s ideal. For the first time (for many of them) they were face-to-face with what it means to be a holy people, God’s people. They weren’t anywhere close, and this distressed them. Suddenly they realized, as if a light switch had been turned on, how much they had missed. “God has a purpose for us. This is what we could be! Oh, but look what we are … look what we have been.” They began to weep. There is a place for tears in religion, and these were holy tears. Some preachers love to see a congregation cry. They tell heart-wrenching stories, hoping to see tears because they imagine tears indicate sincerity. Sometimes they do, but most of us resist this kind of emotional manipulation. Ezra was not that kind of preacher. In fact, the Law when read to the people did not have the effect he anticipated. He wanted them to know God’s will and obey it joyfully. They were ready to obey, but they were also overcome with grief because they had fallen so short of the mark. Some preachers would have sent the
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people home and felt very satisfied at having stirred their emotions. Not Ezra. I love what he did next. He told the people: “This is a holy day! Do not weep or mourn! You have heard God’s instructions. Go do them joyfully! Don’t be sad. Be happy. Your God is a great God. His mercy and kindness to you are everlasting. Lift up your heads! Rejoice and give thanks! Let’s have a party!” Why? “Because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Feeling remorse for all the ways you let God down can be helpful. Often it is necessary. But remorse can only get you so far. It takes you to God to ask for grace, and that’s about as far as it can take you. To live the joyful life of obedience God wants for you, you need … well, joy. In other words, you cannot become holy by beating yourself up all the time. You can become holy by falling in love with God and living each day with wide-eyed thankfulness at his abundant grace and power. At it best the church has always known this. We are in the season of Lent, the most somber time of penitence in the church calendar. Yet in the midst of fasting we also feast. Lent does not include Sundays. It is the forty days prior to Easter, except Sundays. Why? Because Sunday is the Lord’s Day, the day of resurrection. Therefore, Sunday is never a day for fasting, always a day for feasting. This emphasis on joy should always be maintained in Christian life. If all we ever do is party, and we never bother with the difficult work of self-examination and repentance, we will never get the gospel right. As Ecclesiastes says, there is a time for everything, and so there is a time for holy tears and such. But, the dominant theme is always joy. Ezra read the Law to the people. There reaction was grief. He knew they were only part of the way home. The end result of an encounter with the gospel is always a life of joyful obedience. The joy of knowing God, of being his people, can carry us through the hard times. It sustains us in ways penitence cannot. So … that was how Nehemiah and Ezra got God’s people back on the right path. The book will go on to show how they began to obey God in practical ways, but our journey with Nehemiah ends here. As we prepare for our Refresh & Renew event, which begins next Sunday, what lesson do we carry with us from Israel at the Water Gate? Is the lesson: “Spiritual mountaintop experiences are great. I sure hope God gives us one!”? No, it isn’t. Spiritual mountaintop experiences are great, and I do hope God gives us one. I could sure use that. But do you know what? It does not matter if he doesn’t. We do not need the drama, the overwhelming emotions, the roller coaster ride. These are tools God uses selectively from time to time. Who knows? He might use them here.
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But probably he won’t. If he does, great. If not, it does not matter. Why? Because of the real lesson of Israel at the Water Gate. The real lesson is this: God’s people live by his Word. You can read through the Bible and find over its 1500 years of history maybe a dozen occasions to match the day Ezra read the Law: The parting of the Red Sea, Mount Sinai, the dedication of the Temple, the miraculous end of the Assyrian siege in 701 B.C., John the Baptist, Jesus, Pentecost. Those were the highlights, but in between, God’s promises and purposes steadily advanced on the prayer and faithfulness of his people. Day in, day out, living lives of joyful obedience. An ironic truth about mountaintop experiences is, you cannot have one by trying to. If you go looking for a spiritual high, you will not find the genuine article. You can only find the real thing by letting go of expectations, forgetting yourself, and looking for God. When all you care about is hearing what God would say to you, you will be ready and open for whatever he might do, whether it fits your preconceived ideas or not. The blessing God gave the people in front of the Water Gate was not their emotions. It was his Word. God’s people live by his Word. So we need to do what those people did. We need to gather to hear God’s Word. We need to drink it in. Then we need to go our way rejoicing to put it into practice. If you come to Refresh & Renew, I cannot promise you a spiritual high. I can promise you will hear God’s Word addressed to you, and you will meet people who know God is real, he is powerful, and his hand is on your life. Please pray all this week for God to do amazing things here. Come anticipating God’s Word. Put all other expectations aside and come looking for that one thing. I promise, it will be enough. How do I know? Because God’s people live by his Word … and … the joy of the Lord is your strength. Amen. rev_mauldin@yahoo.com



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