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Advent Productions

Benjamin Ng

The Book of the Law

Father in heaven, thank you for this time, time that we can study your Word together, this blessed Sabbath hours that we are in.

Thank you for seeing us safely through another week.

And Lord, we just ask that you would please grace us with thy presence as we study now.

And Lord, please help us to understand and help us to see Jesus in the midst of all of this.

Well, friends, we are continuing our study in the book of Nehemiah this morning.

We took a break from last week because rain preached, but we will be continuing in chapter 7 and really we'll only be looking at 1 verse there, but the title of the sermon this morning is The Book of the Law.

And in chapter 7, the reason why we're skipping most of the verses, and there are over 60 plus verses there, the reason why we're skipping over this is because most of it is just a genealogy.

It's listing out all the people and who was part of the nation of Israel.

And look, genealogies are very important.

When you look at the genealogy of Jesus in the gospels, it is really important and you learn very important lessons from them.

And in this case, Although we're glossing over the names, the reason why it is so important is because of what we read in Nehemiah 7 and verse 64.

So we're pretty much at the end of the chapter and the Bible says this, These sought their register among those that were reckoned by genealogy.

Therefore were they as polluted from the priesthood.

Because they needed to know who was from which tribe.

And as a result, they would be able to determine who was able to officiate as priests.

They were trying to re-establish the sanctuary services, come back to the worship of God and in doing so they needed to know who could officiate as priests.

And also of course who was from the actual tribe of Israel, or who was from different countries but decided to follow them back.

But you see friends, the priesthood, that was needed to restore the sanctuary services and so that they could come back to worship God.

And today we are also called to be priests.

In 1 Peter 2, verse 9, the Bible says, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

Friends, can our lies be found hidden in God?

Can we trace very clearly and distinctly that God has called us His children?

We need to know today who is part of the priesthood of believers, pardon me, the royal priesthood.

And it says here as well in 1 Peter 2, 9, who are called to be priests?

Those who have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Friends, have you been called out of darkness?

And more than that, have you come out of darkness today?

But then we continue in chapter 8 of Nehemiah now.

Chapter 8 and verse 1 which the Lord had commanded to Israel.

And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the seventh month.

And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday before the men and women and those that could understand and the ears of the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

So there is a call for the book of the law to be brought out before the people and for it to be read.

And so Ezra the scribe who also is found in the Old Testament because he has his own book dedicated to him, or not dedicated to him but written by him, pardon me, it is about the same time that Nehemiah is also here.

When Ezra came out he was a young man to rebuild the work of God here in Jerusalem but he is brought before the people and he begins to read the book of the law and the people they're attentive, they're listening, they're tuning in, they're focused, they're listening to what Ezra is talking about and look what it says continually in in verse 8 and 9.

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading and Nehemiah which is a Tershatha and Ezra the priest the scribe and the Levites that taught the people said unto all the people This day is holy unto the Lord your God.

Mourn not, nor weep, for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law." You know, friends, what was the result of the reading of the law of God?

The Bible says that the people began to cry.

Why was everyone crying when the word of God was being read, when the law of God was being read to them?

They knew that they had broken, they knew where they came short and they began to feel sorry for their transgressions.

The reading of the law of God had caused them to be pricked in their hearts and they began to repent.

The Holy Spirit was working amongst them and yet Nehemiah, he stands up and he tells them, you don't need to weep, you don't need to cry, you got to rejoice.

In verse 10 to 12, this is what he says, Then he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared.

For this day is holy unto our Lord, neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." So the Levites stilled all the people saying, hold your peace, for the day is holy, neither be ye grieved.

And all the people went their way to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great mirth because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

Nehemiah he's telling them that they should be joyful you don't need to weep why Because they had understood the words that had been read to them.

The fact that they could understand meant that God was working again in their hearts and also they had the opportunity to come and read the book of the law again.

They had come now back to Jerusalem and God, He is working for them mightily.

Yes, they understood why they were in captivity in the first place, but now they were out.

The joy of the Lord was to be their strength a coming back to the Lord a general repentance and revival was sweeping through the camp and the nation of Israel.

It was now meant to be a time of rejoicing, but yes, people were weeping.

They understood why they had been in captivity.

Verse 13 and 14, and on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of the people, the priests and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.

And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month." So they came and found in the book of Moses that they should dwell in booths, or what we call tents today.

This was 1 of the 7 feasts that God had commanded through Moses for the children of Israel to celebrate every single year.

It was in relation to the sanctuary services.

Of course we don't celebrate it today because we don't, you know, when we confess our sins we don't kill a lamb anymore and this is why you should join our our salt class and studies on the sanctuary.

Yes, although we don't celebrate it today, there are important applications for us in this day and age as well.

But this feast was called the Feast of Tabernacles.

Well let's go back to the Old Testament in Leviticus 23 starting in verse 41.

The Bible says this, what time it is in the time of Nehemiah.

All that are Israelites shall dwell, born, shall dwell in booths.

That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I am the Lord your God." You see, friends, this was significant.

When the Israelites were dwelling in Egypt, they had brick houses.

But when God delivered them and brought them out of the land of Egypt, they were roaming around for 40 years, they were dwelling in tents.

It was a good thing even though it wasn't as comfortable or as luxurious, it was a reminder that God had delivered them from Egyptian bondage.

He had brought them out and made them His people.

And it's so fitting because the children of Israel in Nehemiah's day are just coming out from Babylonian and also Medo-Persian bondage so to speak and God is restoring their land.

God is restoring them as a kingdom and a nation.

It was a good reminder how God has been so good to each and every 1 of them.

And we should also remember, although we don't dwell in tents, to be honest I don't like tent camping, I like running water for showering and also for toilet as well.

So I'm not a tent person in that sense, but what is the application?

It's not that you should go camping every year, but we should remember how God has delivered us From the bondage of sin as well.

This is where Thanksgiving and praises become important friends Have you written down your praise?

Yet, have you written down your praise yet?

Have you written down your praise there on the Facebook chat, on the video there?

This is what the feast of tabernacles was all about.

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The Book of the Law

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