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INTRODUCTION TO THE BYOB SERIES HISTORICAL CONTEXT [Do you have any idea of what it must have been like for the Jews to have been forced to live in a foreign land for 50 years? All that had been familiar, their homes, their land, their temple had been ripped from their hearts. They struggled to survive in Babylon. The elders told them the stories of their faith. The synagogue was born. But now they were being sent back to their homeland to rebuild the temple and rebuild their lives. Ezra was their priest. Nehemiah was their governor. We pick up the story in chapter 8 of the book of Nehemiah (p.436 Pew Bible). The temple had been rebuilt. The walls of Jerusalem were once again standing.] Nehemiah {8:1} all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. [Check the map of Jerusalem. Locate the Water Gate.] They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had given to Israel. [This is interesting. Instead of the priest telling the people to gather for a religious event. We have the people telling Ezra, the scribe and priest, to read to them from the Penteteuch, the first 5 books of the Bible.] {2} Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. {3} He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. [Ezra obeyed the will of the people and read the scriptures to the huge assembly for about 6 hours! Can you imagine one hour, let alone 6, of listening to someone read the scriptures? We have to realize that these people were becoming reconnected with their roots, their tradition. It was an emotional moment. The other interesting thing to note here is that women and children were mentioned as being present for this great event. The Old Testament often excludes women and children in the reporting of attendance figures. Nehemiah chooses to include these two very important groups of people.] {5} 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. [Ezra and the 13 Levites stood on a large wooden platform. When he unrolled the scroll all the people stood in reverence. There are some Christian churches today where they stand when the gospel is read.] {6} Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. [The people respond with a two-fold AMEN, expressing their agreement with the blessing and acceptance of the Law.] {8} So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. [The word of God was not just proclaimed. It was interpreted in such a way that the people understood. ] {9} And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; [Holy means set apart. This day of rediscovering the scriptures was proclaimed by Ezra to be holy, to be set apart from other days.] do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. {10} Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." [The people cried when they heard the Law. Perhaps they were feeling guilty because they had not been keeping the Law. Instead of remorse Ezra calls the people to be joyful. Go home! Celebrate with food and wine! Don’t grieve. The joy of the Lord is your strength!] WHAT THE STORY MEANS FOR US TODAY This is a story about coming home. Not only did the Israelites come home to Jerusalem they had come home to the scriptures. They had come home to God. They had come home to themselves. In a very real sense they had been away. But now it was a time to remember who they were. It was a time to reconnect with the Scriptures. It was a time to rediscover worship. Have you ever had the experience of being away from God, away from the scriptures, away from church? It is possible that you may be feeling this right now. Your body may be in this service of worship, but your heart and mind are somewhere else. Why does this happen? Why is there a "disconnect" between our souls and God in worship? We're like the little boy who attended church one Sunday morning. Kneeling at his bedside that night he prayed, "Dear God, we had a good time at church today--but I wish you had been there!" One congregation experienced this disconnect when they were saying the Great Thanksgiving before Communion. A woman had fainted in the service and keeled over. The pastor said, "Lift up your hearts." The people said, "We lift them up to the Lord." Noticing the woman who had fainted the pastor said, "Would one of the ushers help that woman!" And the congregation went on with the liturgy and said, "It is right to give our thanks and praise." We can feel disconnected from God in worship when we don't think about what we are saying. Do you ever struggle to allow the Lord's Prayer to be fresh and meaningful each time you say it in worship? It's hard sometimes, isn't it? One pastor stepped up to the pulpit to lead a prayer and realized there was something wrong with the sound system. He said, "Something is wrong with the microphone." And the congregation said, "And also with you." Being away from God can be funny. It can also be sad. As pastor was visiting a man who had been absent from church for a long time. They sat in front of the fireplace as they talked. Then the pastor said, "I want you to know that your church cares about you and we have missed you." That's all he said. There was silence. And then the pastor took an iron poker and stirred the hot coals in the fire. He separated a hot coal from the others. Together they watched it slowly die, the fire fading away. The man looked at the pastor and said, "I understand what you are trying to say. Pastor, I'll see you in church this Sunday." Turn with me to the book of Hebrews, chapter 10:24-25. [READ] Do not neglect to meet together, but encourage one another. It sounds like the Jewish people were extremely happy to be together in that moment of scripture reading. I know there are times when you don't feel like being in worship here. The fact is that on occasion I feel that way also. On those days when we don't want to come for ourselves let us remember that we need to be here for someone else. What we do here in this moment of worship is very, very important! Even when worship stirs no particular feelings it is important. Our spiritual journey cannot be sustained on feelings alone. We need to be with other Christians. We need to hear and understand the stories of scripture not only with our hearts but with our minds. We need to learn the lessons of faithfulness and how God breaks through our defenses and reconnects us even when we are not expecting it. The citizens of Feldkirch, Austria, didn't know what to do. Napoleon's massive army was preparing to attack. Soldiers had been spotted on the heights above the little town, which was situated on the Austrian border. A council of citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should try to defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender. It happened to be Easter Sunday, and the people had gathered in the local church. The pastor rose and said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and apparently that has failed. As this is the day of our Lord's resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His hands." The council accepted his plan and the church bells rang. The enemy, hearing the sudden peal, concluded that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend the town. Before the service ended, the enemy broke camp and left. Who knows what good can come from being faithful in worship? We can't predict or control the times when we will feel reconnected with God. The day you decide to stay home may be the very day God would speak to your heart. What we need to remember is that Ezra told the people to go home and celebrate. "Eat the fat! Drink sweet wine! Share your food with your neighbors in need. For this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be sad. For the joy of the Lord is your strength!" It doesn't matter how long we have been away. It doesn't matter if we have put God on the back burner. It doesn't matter how we have lived our lives up to now. What does matter is being in touch with our desire to be reconnected with God today. What matters is uncovering that spark we have hidden in some deep place in our hearts, that spark to know God and worship God now! You have heard the Word of God today. Now I say, "Go home and celebrate! Share your gifts with your neighbors in need! For the joy of the Lord is your strength! |
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01/21/01 - BYOB: Rediscovering Worship
