They Listened Attentively

August 5

Nehemiah 8-9

Psalm 89:1-7

Proverbs 19:24-25

I Corinthians 14:1-25

They Listened Attentively

“They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. 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. Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God.” Nehemiah 8: 1,3,18 NIV

These people were so hungry for the Word of God that they listened for hours and hours on end as it was read to them. They didn’t require humorous stories or creative explanations. They were not seeking to be entertained. Ezra opened God’s Word and read it. That’s it! He read the Bible and they listened attentively. We have a hard time reading a few passages without being distracted or interrupted. I wonder what would happen if our pastors Sunday morning just opened God’s Word and read it for an hour. How would we respond? Would we be attentive? Or would we be annoyed? Would we listen to the words, or would we be thinking about where we want to go for lunch? The Bible is filled with drama and intrigue. There is murder, betrayal, adultery, manhunts, romance, war, family breakups and reconciliation, rape, vengeance, forgiveness, and any other literary plot you can come up with and yet somehow, we think it is boring and doesn’t hold our attention.

I hope that in this journey to read through the Bible in a year you have found a new appreciation for God’s Word and have become convinced that it is our source of hope and strength. It is our instruction book and our guide when we don’t know what to do and our help pointing the way when we are lost. It is our source of comfort and peace when we are grieving and our encouragement when we are feeling down. It is our defense against temptation, and the means God uses to teach us and train us in righteousness. God’s Word is also a source of rebuke and correction when we stray. “For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) The verse in 2 Timothy tells us that God’s Word thoroughly equips us for every good work. That means if we are not reading His Word and studying it then we are not thoroughly prepared for the work He has for us. God speaks to us through His Word. If we are not in the Word, we are missing what He wants to tell us. He reveals Himself through His Word. The more we get to know His Word, the better we know Him. The children of Israel understood the importance of God’s Word and were attentive listeners. Are we?