Read It and Weep?

Nehemiah 5 to 8

Episode 137 on the Read and Rant Podcast

Our attention is brought to Nehemiah 8 today in our reading. At this point, the walls have been rebuilt and the homes are being restored. Nehemiah governs and Ezra stands before the gathering of the people to read the law of Moses to the people. The people respond in worship. Afterward the Levites are delegated to teach the word be they exhort them concerning one thing; even though the generations before them wept when they read the law, they’re told to read it with joy. It’s interesting how two people can read the same word and receive two different responses on the opposite of the spectrum. And yet it happens here in this text! For many of us, we have read the Bible with conviction and condemnation but never with joy. One reason is because some of us have experienced pain and abuse from the Bible. Another reason is because many of us have only read it in part and have not read the entire thing! But when we read it in full, we can’t help but respond in joy! That’s why we do the Read and Rant, so that we all can experience the ENTIRE thing and find joy, hope, and love in it; the heart of God.