THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
“Nehemiah 8: Keys to Successful Restoration”
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Ben Bailey.
Concerning the whole of God’s Word, the psalmist wrote in Psalm 119:160, “The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.” When we are willing to consider all that God has said, we can come to the sum (or total) of God’s truth. One of the lessons from the Old Testament that can help us live better lives is found in Nehemiah 8. In the context of this historical background, God’s people had been sinning by being caught up in idolatry and worship practices of heathen nations. In Jeremiah 25: 9-12 God promised Israel that because of the sin of her idolatry, she would go into seventy years of hard captivity under the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. We know that this took place in around 606 B.C., and ultimately was completed in 536 B.C. But just as God had promised that a captivity would occur, He also promised that a deliverance likewise would occur. In Isaiah 44:28 and in Isaiah 45:1, God promised that through His servant Cyrus He would deliver His people out of Babylonian captivity. When we open our Bibles to Ezra 1:1-2, we see the Jews returning to their homeland. In the book of Ezra, we the temple and morality restored. In Nehemiah, we see the walls of the city of Jerusalem being rebuilt, the Word of God being restored, and true worship being accomplished. Nehemiah 8 is all about Israel restoring the city of Jerusalem, the temple, the law of God, and ultimately the lost relationship that Israel had to God as a result of past sin and the captivity that ensued because of that sin.
This is a highly practical context because isn’t humankind today still trying to restore its relationship to God? Every person must walk that road. “All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). All people everywhere need to come to Jesus, Who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (Jn. 14:6). Jesus is the One Who has the words of eternal life (Jn. 6:68), and He is the only One Who can take away our sins (Heb. 9:22; 1 Jn. 2:1-2). When we consider Israel’s road to restoration, let’s view this matter practically through the eyes of the New Testament—realizing that all of us need to restore our relationship with God that has been lost due to sin.
What steps did God command the Israelites to take to have restoration with Him? And what steps can we today take to achieve the same thing? In Nehemiah 8 (which sets the stage for keys to successful restoration) the first thing we learn is that for restoration to occur, people must have a desire for unity with God and within the family of God. Notice Nehemiah 8:1, which says, “Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.” For years the Israelites had been divided over various matters. Some thought that things need to be done a certain way. Others thought that traditions should rule (as happened in the time of Jesus). Some were remaining faithful to God, while others were involved in idolatry. There was a division that existed within the Israelites, not the least of which was the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. Yet when it came time for a true restoration to occur, they came before God (along with Ezra and the Law of Moses) as one people. What a beautiful picture this is of the Israelites’ heartfelt desire to achieve real unity. If a person is going to be restored to a proper relationship with God, he or she must have a heart that desires true unity with God. God always has wanted His people to have unity. This is nothing new. God always has wanted such unity. The words of Psalm 133:1 express God’s desire along this line: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Unity is good and pleasant. It is something that God wants man to achieve. Ephesians 4:3 says that we are to endeavor to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” That “bond of peace” is the Gospel. We are must strive diligently to keep such unity. God hates division. In 1 Corinthians 1:10 Paul said, “Let there be no division among you.” Just as Israel often was divided among itself (such as was the case with the Northern and Southern Kingdoms with those who were sinning and those who were trying to be a faithful remnant), so today God wants unity of heart as a key to biblical restoration. Someone might ask, “Why do we need unity?” Do we realize that in unity there is great strength? Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 gives us this idea when it speaks of a man who walks alone and falls into a ditch. There is no one there to pick him up out of the ditch. But if he is walking with someone else, that person can help the man who has fallen. Solomon’s point was that there is great strength in unity. We need to help and encourage one another. When we have a desire to have unity, there will be strength in our lives. Jesus taught that unity proves to those in the world that He is the Son of God. In John 17:20-21 Jesus said, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” It was Jesus’ desire that Christians should band together, which would serve as proof that Christians are children of God, and that Jesus as the Son of God does exist. We need unity as God’s people. We need to strive for unity of heart through the things that God has set forth as those things on which we must be united.
Some might say, “Unity is not important. You do it your way. We’ll do it our way. And everyone will get to Heaven in the end.” But that is not what the Scriptures say. We need to heed what God says, and we must be united on it. What should be the basis of our unity of heart? How should we come to an agreement with God? Examine Ephesians 4:4-6, which discusses the successful restoration of God and man. If we want such restoration, we must meet God on His terms of unity.
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
Notice “one God, “one body,” and “one Spirit.” We are not talking about serving multiple gods. There is but one God. And there is only one way to get to God—Jesus Christ. There is only one hope. There is only one body (one church—Eph. 1:22-23). There is a oneness that God has set forth in Scripture. We must have the unity of heart that says, “I want to do it God’s way, not the way the world has set in order.” Thus, the first key to a successful restoration with God is to have a heart that seeks unity by doing what God says so that we can be united with Him through His Word that tells us about the “seven ones” of Ephesians 4:4-6.
Now I would like you to notice in Nehemiah 8 a second key to successful restoration. In verses 2-3 we see that not only did the Israelites have unity of heart, but that they were attentive to the Word of God.
“So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”
The Israelites gave attention to the Word of God because after their captivity they realized that the Word of God is what they needed to follow in order to be right with God. The same thing is true of us today. The only way we can have real restoration to God is when we have an attitude of attentiveness to His Word, and when we realize the great work of the Word of God. Think about Mark 8:36-37, where Jesus asked two important questions: (1) What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul?; and (2) What will a man give in exchange for his soul? Our souls are the most important possessions we have. And the only way for our souls to be right with God is through obedience to His Word. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Mt. 7:21). The Israelites realized that they were going to have to start listening to God’s Word and stop listening to the Baals or Asherahs and their priests. Instead, they needed to be asking, “What did God say?” If people are going to have true restoration today, they not only must have zeal for unity with God, but they also must listen to His Word. People must have attentive hearts.
The New Testament contains everything a person needs to get to Heaven. The good news is that a person can look to the Word of God and find everything he needs to go to Heaven. In 2 Peter 1:3 we are told that God’s Word contains “all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us.” In John 8:32 Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” From 2 Timothy 1:13 we learn that God’s Word is a perfect pattern, and that if we follow it, we will be right with Him. Consider the words of John 6:68. Jesus had made some rather difficult statements. He had said that people needed to “eat His flesh and drink His blood.” He was not talking about cannibalism, of course. He was talking about consuming His whole essence so that those who did such would have “the mind of Christ” (Phil. 2:5). When some of Christ’s disciples heard Him say such things, they were confused and “walked with the Lord no more.” Jesus then turned to Peter and the other disciples and asked, “Will you go away also?” Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” The Bible (the Word of God) contains the words of life, and we must give attention to it.
What makes the Bible something to which we would want to give our attention? Think of some of the things it can do for us. The Bible edifies us, builds us up, and brings us closer to God. We must want to be close to God and have a close relationship with Him. But how do we do that? In Acts 20:32 Paul told the elders at Ephesus to give heed to doctrine so that they could teach correctly. Then he said, “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” God’s Word is able to build us up (Jas. 4:10). We can draw near to God through His Word. It edifies us.
We also need to give attention to God’s Word because it convicts us of sin. In Acts 2:36 Peter told the Jews, “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Verse 37 then tells us, “When they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” I suspect that they were very thankful that they heard that message. Did they necessarily like hearing it? No, because they had killed the Messiah. But did they like hearing that there was a way to escape from their sin? Certainly they did. In Acts 9 Saul was confronted with the words of Jesus, and responded by saying, “Lord, what would you have me to do?” The Word of God is valuable today because it convicts us of sin and tells us when we are wrong with God.
But we also need to be attentive to God’s Word today because it is able to save our souls. James 1:21 says that we are to “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Paul told Timothy to “give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them…for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16). In Acts 11:14 we see that Cornelius had to hear “words whereby he could be saved.” In John 8:31-32 Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” We need to listen attentively to the Word of God because it can make us free and show us the way to Heaven.
We also need to listen to God’s Word because it is powerful and eternal. The Word of God is the most powerful tool we have against sin, and to help us live righteously. We are not talking today about a dead, dusty book written thousands of years ago that has no value for us. Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Word of God is powerful and eternal. And it alone can save us from sin because it tells us about what Jesus did for us. To Christians in Rome concerning the Word of God and its power, Paul said in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” God’s power is found in the Word of God.
We also must give attention to the Word of God because it is going to pass the test of time. In Matthew 24:35 Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.” The Word of God will last forever. The only way that we can live eternally with God is to make sure that we obey His eternal Word. In 1 Peter 1:23 we are told that we have been “born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” We need a desire for unity. And we need an attentive heart. We must want to know what God has said. In Jeremiah 37:17 a king asked, “Is there any word from the Lord?” In Romans 4:3 Paul asked, “What do the Scriptures say?” When the Scriptures do speak, we need to listen to them and obey them as the Word of God.
From Nehemiah 8 we have learned that the first key to restoration with God was unity of heart. The second key is to have an attentive heart to the Word of God. The third key is respect for God’s Word. Nehemiah 8:4-5 says,
“So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
Sometimes we stand up when we sing songs or when prayers are being led. But wouldn’t it be a great sign of respect if, when someone began to read to us from God’s Word, we, out of respect, we stood up? Why did the Israelites stand up? The Book of the Law had finally been found and opened! The Israelites were “back as God’s people” once again. So, they wanted to stand up to give God and His Word the respect that they deserved. The only way today that we can gain a great respect for the Bible as the Word of God is to realize that it is the absolute instructions from God for our lives. The prophets realized this. The Bible is not a book written by men. It is not a book of mere suggestions. Just as God spoke the world into existence (Gen. 1:1), and just as God said, “Let there by light,” and there was light, so the Bible is the very words of the God Who created the Universe. In Jeremiah and Lamentations, Jeremiah said over 500 hundred times, “Thus says the Lord,” “God says,” or “the Lord says.” What was Jeremiah trying to get across? He was saying, “These are not my words. They are the words of God.” In Ezekiel, he said some 309 times, “Thus says the Lord,” “God says,” or “the Lord says.” In the short 14-chapter book of Zechariah, the prophet said some 78 times, “Thus says the Lord,” “God says,” or “the Lord says.” Do you get the point of what the prophets were saying? Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah were all proclaiming that their message is “from God.” Do we respect the Bible like that today? If we are going to have a real restoration with God, then we must have an absolute respect for the Bible as God’s holy Word. In 2 Timothy 3:16 we are told that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” In 2 Peter 1:19-21 that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Psalm 119:160 tells us that “the entirety” of God’s Word is truth. When we come to the Bible, we not only need to have unity of heart so that we can be one with God, and we not only need to be attentive to what God has to say, but we also need to realize that the Bible is the Word of the God Who created the world and us, and Who will determine every man’s destiny. When we do that, then we will be able to achieve true restoration God’s way. When we come to the Bible and acknowledge it as the final authority (Mt. 28:18), that we cannot add to or take away from it (Rev. 22: 18-19), and that we cannot go beyond what is written (1 Cor. 4:6), then we will have true restoration with God.
But there are two other principles found in Nehemiah 8. In Nehemiah 8:6 the people worshiped God with great fear and reverence. Once they had heard the Word of God and had determined that they wanted to seek His will, they all bowed down with their faces to the ground as a sign of respect and godly fear. How we today need such reverence for God so that we can have a true restoration Him! In Exodus 3:5 Moses was told, as he approached the burning bush, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” When we come before God, we must approach Him with reverence. In Proverbs 28:14 we read, “Happy is the man who is always reverent.”
The last key to biblical restoration has to do with understanding God’s Word properly. There is so much confusion today about the Word of God. In Nehemiah 8:8 we read, “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.” Verse 12 tells us how they accomplished that. “All the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.” God’s Word was read to the people. If we want to be restored to God, we must accept as a personal obligation the reading of God’s Word. Ephesians 3:4 tells us that when we read it, we can understand it. Someone might say, “But at times I need help.” Yes, you may need some tools on occasion. But you do not need someone to say, “This is what God’s Word has to mean. Instead, you need to let the Bible be its own commentary. We do not need a papacy or a clergy to tell us, “You have read this, but you don’t know much about the Bible. So here is what it has to mean.” How should we seek help in understanding God’s Word? We can pray for wisdom (Jas. 1:5). And we can let the Bible explain for itself what it means. God’s Word is more than able to save us if we will simply look to the Bible instead of asking people what they think it means.
But once a person has read God’s Word, then he must apply its message to his life. If you read the Word of God, and you come to an understanding of what it means, it will do you no good if you do not apply it to your life. Paul said in Philippians 4:9, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” To have true restoration with God, we must have a desire for oneness. We must have an attentiveness to the Word of God. We must say to ourselves, “This is God’s Word, and we must respect it so that we can approach God in reverence. More than anything, I want to know what the Bible has to say. How can I understand it correctly so that I can be right with Him?”
Our prayer and desire for you today is that you will strive for true, biblical restoration. Put aside the thoughts of men, and ask yourself, “What did God say?” Then look to the Word of God to make sure that you are right.
Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
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“Nehemiah 8: Keys to Successful Restoration”
1. What important point did the psalmist make in Psalm 119:160 regarding God’s Word?
2. According to Jeremiah 25:9-12, what eventually happened to some of the people of Israel because of their unfaithfulness to God?
3. What did God promise in Isaiah 44:28 and in Isaiah 45:1?
6. According to the material presented in this lesson, what is the third step we should take if we desire a genuine restoration with God?
7. According to the material presented in this lesson, what is the fourth step we should take if we desire a genuine restoration with God?
8. According to the material presented in this lesson, what is the fifth step we should take if we desire a genuine restoration with God?
9. What does Ephesians 4:3 admonish Christians to do?
10. For what did Jesus pray in John 17:20-21?
11. What important principle(s) did the apostle Paul discuss in Ephesians 1:22-23?
12. What two important questions did Jesus ask in Mark 8:36-37?
13. According to 2 Peter 1:3, what does the Bible contain?
14. According to John 6:68, what has Jesus provided for us?
15. What does James 1:21 admonish Christians to do?
16. If Christians obey the admonition in James 1:21, what will they accomplish?
17. What important trait(s) does the Word of God possess, according to Hebrews 4:12?
18. According to Acts 20:32, what can the Word of God accomplish for us?
19. According to John 8:32, what can “the truth” do for us?
20. According to John 17:17, where is “truth” found?
21. What does Ephesians 3:4 tell us about the Word of God?
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