THURSDAY, 11 February, 2021 “Rediscovery”

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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,

When is the last time you discovered something new, something you didn’t know before, or perhaps you found something that was important to you many years ago and you rejoiced when you found that which you thought was long ago lost?

I think we need some fresh hope, maybe re-discovery of some things which were so very important to us many years ago, but perhaps have long ago been discarded or forgotten. Let’s rejoin Nehemiah, in chapter 8, to learn from his experience in this. Yesterday we saw the people of Jerusalem had been greatly convicted by hearing Ezra read God’s long forgotten words. They were overcome with regret and shame that it had been so long since they’d given serious consideration to God’s Laws, and they had drifted so far as a society. But Ezra and Nehemiah had urged them to rejoice in God’s greatness, His mercy, His goodness to His people Israel.

So Nehemiah records: “Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food [to those who had none] and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words of God that had been made known to them.” (Nehemiah 8:12) With the number of joyful gatherings we’ve had recently… Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, College Football Championship, Super Bowl weekend, etc., it shouldn’t be difficult to imagine the festivities in Jerusalem that day.

But please notice WHY they were celebrating. They had rediscovered the priceless treasure of God’s Word, which they had not read or heard read, for a long time. They’d gotten busy with life, and even though they lived their lives in the shadow of the Great Temple of Jerusalem where worship of God was going on day and night, it all blended together into the busyness of living life. Has that ever happened to you? Spiritual things, religious fervor, simply blend into the busyness of life and soon those spiritual things which once were so important, are simply forgotten. It wasn’t necessarily intentional, it just happened as you got busy with life! Am I right? So let’s rejoin Nehemiah to learn what they learned in Jerusalem in 445bc.

Have you found that euphoric times of great festivity, once over, can leave us hungry for more? That’s what happened in Jerusalem, look at Nehemiah 8:13…“The next day the heads of all the families, along with the priests and Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of God’s Law.” Now let’s be honest with ourselves, my friends. They were gathering to listen to Ezra read most likely from the books of Leviticus or Deuteronomy in our Bible! I wonder if you or I would get up very early in the morning, and go stand in a public square with great anticipation to hear those particular books of the Bible read!? But these people were re-discovering something… their uniqueness as a people of God and hearing from Ezra some of the great accounts of God’s miracles done in centuries past, and God’s promises, God’s instructions, and God’s expectations of His people.

They were deeply convicted, but also very excited about the POTENTIAL of what might happen in their city if they once again realigned their hearts, their thinking, their values, their priorities, their lifestyles with God, as their ancestors had done so many times, centuries before. I think it might have been Deuteronomy 4:32-40 which Ezra was reading, which most profoundly impacted the people Nehemiah is telling us about! Go ahead, take a moment and turn there in your Bibles and see if you agree with me?

I wonder what you and I have been discovering in our “Walking with Jesus” journey over these months? Have you discovered God’s truth and has it changed your life, my friends? Nehemiah records that the people re-discovered the Festival of Sukkot, or “Shelters”. (you’ll find that explained to you in Leviticus 23:43) It had evidently been long forgotten! It was an unusual annual event that memorialized the 40 years their ancestors had wandered in the wilderness with Moses.

As you read Nehemiah 8:14 and following, you’ll see the people discovered they were supposed to go out into the fields, cut down and bring home branches, and then make temporary shelters in which to live for a week, reminding them of how their ancestors lived in tents, for 40 years, moving very frequently, as God led them and kept them both safe and alive, even fed with a daily bread delivery from heaven called Manna! (Ex. 16)

Look at what Nehemiah tells us about the excitement of these people in their rediscovery of their ancient history with God… “From the days of Joshua son of Nun until this day with Ezra and Nehemiah, the Israelites had not celebrated [Sukkot] like this. And their joy was very great. Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with God’s law, there was a great assembly.” (Nehemiah 8:17,18)

May I ask, how do you intentionally remember the events which Almighty God has done in your family history which have been remarkable and worthy of celebration? How do you celebrate these historic and important things which have shaped the unique story of your life? Do your children and grandchildren understand the importance of these events?

In closing today my friends, I wonder what you would consider to be the key to what was happening in Jerusalem in those days? Was it the reality of the recent miracle of rebuilding the entire city circumference wall in 52 days? Was it the scholar and teacher Ezra and their leader Nehemiah joining together in calling the people together to hear and understand God’s Word? Was it a work of God deep in their lives, awakening a new hunger for rediscovery of God’s truth? Not just any discovery, but a rediscovery of the wonder of God unleashing His power into the lives of those who hunger to know God, hunger to have a fresh encounter with God, hunger to invite God’s Word to penetrate deep into their lives and make a significant difference in reprioritizing God’s values, re-embracing God’s principles, and re-integrating God’s ways into their everyday living? That my friends is what I have found to be the secret to living life to the fullest.

I leave you today with these powerful words from Jesus: “The thief comes only to steal and to kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have life, and have it to the FULLEST.” (John 10:10) So, what’s holding us back from living life to the FULLEST, as Jesus promised? Let’s do what the people did with Nehemiah and Ezra. . . let’s rediscover, and as we do, God can change our world through His revived people! And then when you find yourself looking forward… far forward to the day when you are preparing for eternity with Jesus, maybe this song will bring you great joy as you reflect on your life well lived, to the fullest, with Jesus:

Today’s Scripture is Nehemiah 8.

Choose below to read or listen.

Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.

Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.

Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)

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