The Word Exalted
all the people stood up.”
Nehemiah 8:5
After God’s covenant people were restored to the land that had been laid waste by the Babylonians, they were summoned to a sacred assembly. Following years of hardship and opposition, the temple that had once been reduced to ashes was rebuilt under the leadership of Zerubbabel. More than seventy years later, the Lord stirred the heart of Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls that had long lain in ruins.
Once that the house of God had been restored and the city fortified, the greater work remained, the restoration of the hearts of the people. Before Nehemiah would permit the nation to celebrate, he first exalted the Word of God to its rightful place among them. The walls had been rebuilt by the good hand of God, but unless the hearts of the people were governed by His truth, their labor would prove vain.
Therefore, Nehemiah called upon Ezra the priest, a man whose heart had been wholly given to the study of the Law of the Lord, to obedience unto its commands, and to the faithful instruction of God’s people. A wooden platform was prepared for the occasion, and there Ezra stood above the assembly with the sacred Book of God opened before him.
As Ezra opened the sacred Scriptures in the sight of all the people, a remarkable scene unfolded. The entire assembly rose to its feet. Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God of heaven, and all the people cried out, “ Amen, Amen!” Lifting up their hands in humble agreement with the truth of God, they bowed their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord with reverence, holy fear, and adoration.
As the teachers of the Law explained the meaning of God’s Word, conviction fell upon the assembly, and hearts that had grown cold were stirred afresh. Hidden sins were brought into the light, and tears of repentance flowed from the eyes of those who had been awakened anew to God’s mercy. Yet mingled with those tears came the joy of restoration, for the same Word that wounds also heals, and the same God who convicts also comforts His people. The Lord who humbles the sinner is also the Lord who binds up the brokenhearted and restores the contrite soul.
The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any twoedged sword. In the hands of the Holy Spirit, it tears down strongholds, demolishes lofty opinions raised against the knowledge of God, exposes the secrets of the heart, and brings sinners low before the throne of divine mercy. Through the preaching of the Word, the Lord awakens those who are dead in trespasses and sins, grants repentance unto life, strengthens weary saints, and reveals the glory of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who hung between heaven and earth bearing the wrath of God’s judgment against sin, that sinners might be clothed in His righteousness.
The Word of God must therefore be elevated above our own desires, opinions, traditions, and ambitions. It is not ours to judge; rather, it judges us. It is not ours to reshape; rather, it reshapes us. Jesus Christ declared, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Again He said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.”
Genuine love for Christ is never separated from obedience to Christ. Obedience does not earn His favor, but it is the fruit of a heart transformed by His grace. Love without obedience is little more than sentiment, but obedience flowing from love is the sweet aroma of true worship.
Christian, pray earnestly that the Holy Spirit would so work within us that our hearts stand at attention whenever His Word is opened. May we never approach the Scriptures casually or carelessly, but with reverence, expectancy, and holy fear. For in these sacred pages, the God who upholds all things by the word of His power reveals Himself to His creatures. Here He makes known His character, His will, His promises, His warnings, and above all, His beloved Son.
Come then, beloved, let us plumb the depths of this glorious Book. Let us approach it with humble dependence and earnest prayer. Let us bow before the Lord with open Bibles and open hearts, pleading that He would teach us His ways; crying with Moses, “Show me Thy glory, O Lord,” and pleading with Jacob, “I will not let Thee go unless Thou bless me.”
For truly, one day in His courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. Blessed indeed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, for he shall discover that the God who speaks through His Word is infinitely more glorious than all the treasures of this passing world.