Nehemiah Chapter 8: The Word is Our Living Water and Honey

Nehemiah Chapter 8

The Word is Our Living Water and Honey

2. On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.

3. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women, and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

◇ After the completion of the wall and the census, the people returned to their homes to resume their lives. Nehemiah called upon Ezra, a priest and scribe, to gather the people and read to them from the Book of the Law of Moses, irrespective of their age or gender. As he read, he also provided interpretation. The listeners wept as they heard the words. To the people, the Law was like rain after a drought, quenching their spiritual thirst.

They had been captives in Babylon and had traveled long distances to rebuild their homeland in Jerusalem. With one hand holding a hammer and the other a spear, they labored hard, enduring hunger, toil, and taxes to build the wall. Imagine how weary their bodies and spirits must have been.

In our busy lives, it's easy to forget about God. We often put off meditating on His Word, praying, attending services, and observing the Sabbath. Though we shouldn't, the demanding nature of daily life, the lack of leisure, and the pressures we face often lead us to this state. Regrettably, this is akin to slowly dying. Like frogs that don't realize they are being boiled alive because the temperature increases gradually.

The Law awakened the people, quenching their hunger and thirst for God.

The Word is living water that revives us, honey that gives strength to our weary selves.

♧ God, help us to live a life of worship, offering ourselves as living sacrifices, meditating on Your Word, and praying. Holy Spirit, lead us in truth. Amen.