THE GREAT GATHERING. Nehemiah 8:1-4 The beginning of the seventh month marked the start of the civil year in Israel. There was a sacred sequence of time that began in the spring, during the planting season. The civil sequence began in the autumn, when the ground was plowed to prepare for the next year. The people gathered in the square adjacent to the temple, where Ezra the scribe would bring out the Book of the Law of Moses and read it publicly each morning during the Feast of Tabernacles. The first day was the Feast of Trumpets, and each day Ezra would begin reading at sunup and continue until noon.
The wall of the city had just been finished the week before, and Ezra’s role then became the focal point of the book of Nehemiah. His name hadn’t been mentioned until this time, even though he had been there for 13 years before Nehemiah came. The two men were contemporaries (Ezra was likely quite a bit older), and each had a different role to fill in God’s work. Nehemiah, as the governor, was the political leader, and Ezra, the scribe, was the religious leader. A scribe was a combination of educator, lawyer, counselor, spiritual guide, and priest.
When this New Year’s Day of the civil calendar arrived, all labor stopped, and the men, women, and children who were old enough to understand gathered together for this solemn occasion. This was a time to come together in celebration and to hear the covenant relationship God had made with Israel many generations earlier, read aloud. As they listened, they would be reminded of their failures as the nation’s history was reviewed, and, hopefully, renewal in every person's heart would begin to take root.
Even today, there are parts of the world where access to the Bible, the Word of God, is limited. Many people cannot read, others will not read anything, and others resist reading the Bible because of its convicting power. There are audio recordings of the Bible available, and there are versions of the Bible written in simple words that convey the message without being the actual Word of God, but they do present the salvation message clearly to children and those who don’t read well.
The Bible should be read prayerfully, asking God, by His Holy Spirit, to reveal its truths to our minds and hearts. It needs to be read thoughtfully to grasp the true meaning of its teachings so we can apply them to our lives. It should be read carefully, making sure that what we understand is consistent with the context in which it was written. We need to read the Bible repeatedly until its truth becomes so real to us that we apply its lessons to ourselves permanently. It is important to read the Bible extensively to get the big picture of God’s will for us as individuals and of its effect on others. We need to read it regularly, so we habitually practice what we read and learn from God. We need to read it faithfully, despite other things that try to crowd into the space we set aside to listen to God. It provides the foundation for daily living. It is also important that we read it obediently because it purifies our thoughts, words, and deeds. We need to read it, thankfully, because in it we have all we need for the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth, reveal Christ to us, and tell us who we are, why we are here, and where we are going.