All right, let's take our Bibles
and turn back to the book of Nehemiah chapter 8. Nehemiah 8. We just considered the marvelous
grace of God to give the people a heart to want to hear the Word
of the Lord. It was by the grace of God that
a man named Ezra even wanted to read. You think about the
grace of God to be here. I think to myself, but for God's
grace, let me be honest with you, I wouldn't be here. just a bunch of people sitting
around doing whatever they do, but I'm thinking to myself, by
God's grace, I want to be here. I want to hear what the Lord
has to say. And the Lord had taught the people,
set forth in His scriptures, about a feast that was to be
held, a feast of tabernacles, and how it was to be observed.
And you know we read later, in the latter part of this chapter,
chapter 8, that's how it came about. But what I want to look
at for a few minutes is what led up to that. How did God move
upon His preacher and the people? to hear what God had said, what
God had instructed. And then how they reacted. We
saw that. They were so glad. Aren't you
glad, you that know Him, aren't you glad that the Lord has taught
you something of God's electing grace? To put you in Christ and
give you a heart to be thankful for that. Well, they'd come out
of captivity. They were all in their cities,
in their prescribed cities. And the scripture says in verse
1, chapter 8, and all the people gathered themselves together
as one man into the street that was before the water gate. And they spake unto Ezra the
scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had
commanded to Israel. Here's the people that the Lord
has moved upon as one man. What did they want? As one man, as one man, collectively,
in heart, what did they want? We want to hear the book of God
read. Tell us what God has to say. And they looked to a man named
Ezra. He was a scribe. Now what does
that mean? A scribe was one that would copy
the Word of God. So Ezra would have one. Ezra
would have a book. So they asked a man named Ezra. This is the man that God had
raised up. And they wanted to hear concerning
the mercy and grace of God. You tell us one time more as
a read to us. I want to be able to look at
it. You know, whenever I'm standing up here and preaching. And what
I'm doing is I'm preaching and you're looking at the words.
And every time I say something, here's what you're doing. You're
weighing what I'm saying according to those words right there. If
I say something contrary to these words, guess who's wrong? Me. These words are so. These words are inspired. Men will say, well those words
were written by men. These words were dictated by
the Spirit of God. That's what God says. Holy men
of God wrote as they were moved upon by the Spirit of God. These words are the words of
God. There's not one word out of place. Ezra, would you read to us? Faith cometh by hearing. Hearing by the Word of God, we're
not here to consider reforming the world or stamping out the
fleshly vices of society. We're here to consider, thus
saith the Lord. In verse 2, and Ezra the priest
brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women and all
that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the seventh
month. Notice that Ezra not only was
a scribe, look at the second verse said again, so easy to
miss, and Ezra the priest brought. Here, not only was Ezra a scribe,
but he was a priest, one that pictured God's accepted priest,
the Lord Jesus Christ, one that approached and interceded for
the people. That's what a priest does. He
intercedes for the people, on behalf of the people, to God,
received of God. So those that were there, here's
who could be there. Ezra the priest brought the law
before the congregation, men and women and all that could
hear with understanding. Those adults and such children
that had come to use, that would be able to comprehend that which
was read upon the first day of the seventh month, which was
their first day of their new year. And so, what joy to be
able to make, to remember in the beginning of another, this
was the beginning of their civil year, and the kindness of God's
grace to start out. Here's what we're going to do.
It was like our New Year's Day. And we're gonna hear what God
has to say. Let's start this day, this year,
aright. Let's hear what God has to say.
And he read, verse three, therein before the street, that was before
the water gate. And listen how long he read.
From the morning, from the light, from the morning until midday,
before the men and women and those that could understand.
And the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book
of the law. Ezra stood up, a scribe, whose
calling it was to copy the scriptures. He didn't have printing presses.
They wrote the scriptures out. Everything that was to be written
out, the scribe was to write all the not marks and hyphenations
and all the, you know, how to pronounce this, it had to be
written down, a scripture. And here, Ezra the scribe and
Ezra the priest, for six hours, he read the scriptures. And an
amazing thing took place. The ears of all the people were
attentive unto the book of the law. stand up to preach, I try to
take into consideration, I know this is the way I am, the frailty
of our flesh. When I'm preaching I want to
think about this. I try to remember how quickly
our minds, our memories, you know, we're frail, we're frail
creatures. And I don't want to labor the
points of my message too long. I want to be able to preach in
a way that I remember. Say it. Say what you've got to
say and say it. Say it. I told you what Spurgeon
said. He'd tell his students, I don't
care what you're preaching, what passage you're preaching, just
don't preach over 45 minutes. You know, 45 minutes, I'll tell
you, in my opinion, you've maxed out. That's a long time. I'd
a whole lot rather keep it to 30, if I could possibly do that. 30, 35 minutes. This was a marvelous
thing. I marvel at that right there.
He read the book of the law for six hours and the ears of all
the people were attentive unto the book of the law. And Ezra
verse 4, the scribes stood upon a pulpit of wood which they had
made for that purpose. Now here's the purpose. of them
having a pulpit. It was a place where he could
stand and people could see him and they could hear what was
being read. It was a pulpit constructed,
in this case right here, not only to hold Ezra but there was
some There were some men that were named there. I'm going to
look at them for just a second. And these men, no doubt, they
were there not only to give their declaration of their agreement
of what he was getting ready to read, but assistance also. All the writers that I wrote,
most all of them, seemed to indicate that these men were those that
assisted Ezra in reading what he was reading. But the point
that I want to look at for just a few minutes and I'll just touch
on these things. It listed all these names. Now
this is what I was talking about a while ago. A lot of times we'll
read these names and we just kind of struggle through them
and just kind of hit and miss and everything and it's just
easy to miss them. But the Spirit of God was pleased
to list all of these men that were standing up there with Ezra. And we truly miss a blessing
if we don't consider not exactly who these men were or where they
came from, but what their names meant. Names mean everything
in Scriptures. So just for a second, who was
the first one that was raided? Well, Scripture says it was Ezra. Ezra means help. That's what Ezra means, help.
David declared in Psalm 40 verse 7, But I am poor and needy, yet
the Lord thinketh upon me. Thou art my help and my deliverer. Make no tarrying, O my God. And then the scripture says that
not only was Ezra, the scribe, stood upon the pulpit, there
was a man named Mattathiah, Mattathiah, the gift of Jehovah. That's what
His name meant. The gift of Jehovah. And who
is the gift of Jehovah? You remember when the Lord was
speaking to the woman at the well, He said unto her, If thou
knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith unto thee,
Give me drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would
have given thee living water. Who is the gift of God? It's
the Lord Jesus Christ. But not only is the gift of God
Christ Himself, Faith in Christ is the gift of God. For by grace
are you saved through faith, and that not of yourself. It
is the gift of God. So whenever that man stood, Mattathiah
stood up, they knew this is what his name means, the gift of God. They just think, God, Christ,
Jesus, the Lord. And then the scripture says there
was another man there, his name was Shema. Shema. Shema means something heard. How then shall they call on Him
in whom they've not believed? How shall they believe in Him
of whom they've not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent at
His written? How beautiful are the feet of
them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings
of good things. Whenever Shema was standing there,
and his name means something heard, Think of this right now.
Think of the gift of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, giving men
faith, women faith, and they hear something. They hear the
gospel of God's grace. God give them a heart to hear.
And then there was a man named Aniah. Aniah. His name means Jehovah has answered. Jehovah has answered. I think
of that scripture in John 6, 37. Him that cometh to me, I
will in no wise cast out. I'll answer. God answers. Jehovah has answered. Then there
was a man that was standing there and his name was Uriah, the flame
of Jehovah. Who is the flame of Jehovah? But the Lord Jesus Christ, the
light of the world. And now, next to him was Hilkiah. Hilkiah means the portion of
Jehovah. Psalm 73, 26, My flesh and my
heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion
forever. Remember when the Lord spoke
to Abraham, He said, Abraham, I am your great reward. Who is
the portion of God's people? It's the Lord Himself. The Lord
is the portion of mine inheritance, David said, and of my cup thou
maintainest my lodge. Can you imagine somebody asking
you, what do you have? I have the Lord. I've got Him. I've got everything. And beside
Hilkiah, was a man named Measeah, the work of Jehovah, is what
his name meant. What is the work of Jehovah?
Well, it's the salvation of his elect. The Lord said, my meat
is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work. Finish his work. And the scripture
says that these were on his right hand. And on his left hand was
a man named Padia. Padia. Padia means Jehovah has
ransomed. When the Lord was hanging upon
the cross, the last thing he cried was, it is finished. It's finished. And then standing
next to Padia, Maishiel. Maishiel means who is what God
is. That's what His name means. Who
is what God is. John 1.1, In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And verse 14 says, And the Word
was made flesh. God was made flesh. Maishiel
means who is what God is. I and my Father, we're one. And
then next to Maishiel was Malachiah. His name means the king appointed
of Jehovah. The king of kings and Lord of
lords. And next to Malachiah, Hashem. Hashem means rich or enriched. My God shall supply all your
need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. And then next to Hashem was Hashbodana,
the considerate judge. That's what his name is, the
considerate judge, the judge who considers and all the demands
For judgment and righteousness has been satisfied by His own
blood. He's a just God and a Savior. And next to Hashbodana was Zechariah. Jehovah has remembered. I tell you, he remembers all
that the Father gave him in electing grace. You remember when the
thief It was on the cross. I love this passage of scripture.
Lord, when you enter into your kingdom, would you remember me? Here I am, the dregs of society,
the lowest of the low. That's the one that the Lord
came to remember. And next, Zachariah was Meshulam. Meshulam means the friend. the
friend, friend of sinners, he that sticketh closer than a brother,
he who laid down his life for his friends. And Ezra opened
the book, verse 5, in the sight. These men were all standing,
men who had providentially been given names that just set forth
the glory of Almighty God. And Ezra opened the book in the
sight of all the people, for he was above the people. He was
standing on a pulpit. And when he opened it, all the
people stood up. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the
great God, and all the people answered, Amen, Amen. With lifting
up their hands, they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord
with their faces to the ground. You know, a lot of times, I know
people have, they'll say, you know, stand to read God's Word.
There's no place in the New Testament where we're instructed to do
that, but this is what they did. But I will tell you what God's
people do do. They do in their hearts give reverence and stand
up in their hearts and lift their hands in praise and adoration
of the Lord. In their hearts they do. This
is what they did. He stood up and he read and he
thanked the Lord for what he did. Ezra blessed the Lord, the
great God. He led in prayer is what he did. And the people said, Amen, Amen. And then verse 7, there was a
man named Joshua. Joshua. Joshua means the Lord
will save. Call his name Jesus. Joshua. That's what Joshua means. Call
his name, he shall save his people from their sins. And then there
was a man named Bani. Bani. Bani means the Lord has
built. That's what it means. 1 Peter
2.5, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house,
a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God by Jesus Christ. Who builds the church of the
Lord? The Lord. The Lord. And next to Benai,
Sherabiah. Jehovah has brought heat. That's what it means. Jehovah
has brought heat. God will in no wise clear the
guilty. But what has He done? At Calvary,
bearing the sins of all of His people, there made sin, Jehovah
brought the heat. He spewed out upon the Lord Jesus
Christ judgment and wrath. My God, my God, why hast Thou
forsaken me. And next to Sherebiah was a man
named Jamin. Jamin means the right hand. The right hand. The place of
honor and authority. Psalm 110.1. The Lord said to
my Lord, Jehovah said to the Lord Jesus Christ, sit thou at
my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. He has
the right to sit there. That's what. What does Jamin
mean? It means the right hand. And next to Jamin was Achub. Achub. Seized or taken by the
heel. This is a picture. You know what
this is. The Lord told in the garden, you know, of Satan. He said, Satan is going to bruise
his heel in the crucifixion. But Satan's head is going to
be crushed. Who is he? He is the one seized
or taken by the heel. Here is the substitute of sinners
right here. He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is how he suffered. Next to Aqab Shabbatai. Shabbatai. His name means restful. Restful. The Lord is the rest
of His people, the spiritual rest. We rest from laboring to
establish righteousness before God, not by works of righteousness.
We rest. We rest in Him who is our rest. Come unto me all you that labor
and are heavy laden. I will give you rest. The majesty of Jehovah. When we say Jehovah, you know
we mean Father, Son, Spirit. That's Jehovah. Jehovah. The
majesty of Jehovah. Who is the majesty of Jehovah? I'll tell you who he is. He's
the Lord Jesus Christ, the fullness of the Godhead, bodily. And next to Hodgida was Maaseah,
same name as before, the work of Jehovah. And Kaleida, Kaleida,
his name means maiming, maiming. Who can know the suffering that
the Lord endured for his own? His visage, the scripture said,
was so marred more than any man in his form, more than the sons
of men. Isaiah 52, 14, maiming. And then there was Azariah. Azariah means Jehovah has helped. The almighty help of his sheep.
Psalm 94, 17, lest the Lord had been my help, my soul, David
said, had almost dwelt in silence. And Jozeabad, it means endowed. or Jehovah will provide. Man by nature thinks that he
can provide for himself, doesn't he? But what does the scripture
say? I give unto them eternal life,
and they shall never perish. The Lord Jehovah will provide. Salvations of the Lord. And Hanun. Hanun means favor or to stoop
in kindness. Moses asked the Lord. Would you
show me your glory? And the Lord said this, I'm going
to stoop in kindness and I will have mercy on whom I'll have
mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion. And Peliah, Jehovah has distinguished. That's what Peliah means. Jehovah has distinguished. God
set apart a people unto himself Chosen in Christ before the foundation
out of every nation and kindred and tribe and tongue. He chose
one and was pleased to pass by another. Jacob have I loved,
Esau have I hated. Does God have a right to do that?
Yes sir. What does that mean? That means God distinguishes.
He has a right because He pleased Him. And then the latter part
of verse 7 through verse 9 says, And the Levites, caused the people
to understand the law, and the people stood in their place.
So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave
the sense. That's what happens when a man
stands up to preach the gospel. Tell me what God says, and tell
me what it means. Look it up. Find out what it
means. They read in the book of the
law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to
understand the reading. And Nehemiah, which is the Tershithah,
the governor, and Ezra, the priest, the scribe, and the Levites that
taught the people said unto all the people, this day is holy
unto the Lord your God. More not, nor weep, for all the
people wept when they heard the words of the law. hearing God's
law read, convinced, convicted of sin, wept when they heard
the severity of the law and their inability to keep it. If that's
all I knew, this is God's demand, this is what God demands. He
will in no wise clear the guilty. If that's all I knew, that's
not good news. Because I have no hope. And the
people heard the reading of the Law of God and they wept. They wept when they heard the
words of the Law. But the Spirit of God moved upon
Ezra to preach the Good News of the Gospel of God's deliverance
in grace. Then he said unto them, Go your
way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, send portions unto them, for
whom nothing is prepared for this day is holy unto the Lord,
neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
The joy of the Lord, not our joy in Him, though we are joyful
in Him, but His joy. His joy is our strength. What was His joy? Well, the scripture declares
in John 4.34, my meat, my sustenance, my food, my spiritual sustenance
is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work. This is my joy. The redemption
of His people That was His joy. John 6, we read this often, I'll
read it again. John chapter 6, verse 38 to 40. He said, I came down from heaven
not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.
This is the Father's will which has sent me, that of all which
He has given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it
up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that
sent me. Everyone that seeth the Son and believeth on Him
may have everlasting life, and I will raise Him up at the last
day. The Scripture says, Who for the
joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God. What
did it cost the Lord Jesus Christ? for the redemption of His people.
It cost Him His life, His blood. He laid down His life, but for
her redemption, for her to be with Him eternally in glory,
that was His joy. I will gladly, I'll gladly lay
down. For the joy that was set before
Him, He endured the cross. Ezra told the people, read the
law of God, read God's demand for righteousness, and Ezra told
them, he said, the Lord, the one that all these men that were
standing there, their names pictured and set forth, he said, the Lord
has put away. Don't weep, don't weep, don't
weep. The Lord has put away your sin. The joy of the Lord. That's your strength. That's
your foundation. We're more than conquerors through
Him that loved us, gave Himself for us. Oh, I pray that God bless
these words to our heart. Cause us to remember as they
set forth in that feast of tabernacles that we're in Christ. Founded
in Him. Staying in Him. Kept in Him by
the power of God. setting forth that the Lord has
been pleased to save a people and not let them perish. I pray
God bless the word again to our hearts for Christ's sake. Amen. All right.