Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - Monotonous or Monumental? | The Writings | Nehemiah 7-8

Episode Date: September 13, 2024

Nehemiah 7-8 is a section of the Bible you might be tempted to skip. What does a list of names have to do with my life today? Why should I care about Ezra reading the Law? In today's episode, Jeff shares how Nehemiah 7-8 is not monotonous but monumental. And it has a powerful message for the people of God. Read the Bible with us in 2024! This year, we’re tackling a group of Old Testament books traditionally known as “The Writings”— Psalms, Chronicles, Proverbs, Daniel, Ruth and more! Download your reading plan now. Your support makes TMBT possible. Ten Minute Bible Talks is a crowd-funded project. Join the TMBTeam to reach more people with the Bible. Give now. Like this content? Make sure to leave us a rating and share it so that others can find it, too. Use #asktmbt to connect with us, ask questions, and suggest topics. We'd love to hear from you! To learn more, visit our website and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @TenMinuteBibleTalks. Don't forget to subscribe to the TMBT Newsletter here. Passages: Nehemiah 7-8

Welcome to 10-minute Bible Talks, where we connect the Bible to your life. In the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jeff Parrott. If you're honest, are there parts of the Bible that you'd prefer to skip? Most, if not all of us, have portions of scripture that we treat like the end-user license agreement for using a new app or the credits that roll at the end of a movie. It's a bunch of information, but we're not really sure why it matters. It can all feel so monotonous.

If you're like me, I can't help but be drawn to the parts of the Bible that excite me, that interest me easily, the parts that are already underlined and found on coffee mugs. But when it comes to the other parts, the parts that feel like drawn-out movie credits, well, I'm tempted to move on. It's completely normal to feel this way about parts of the Bible. But feeling that way can sometimes be like a check engine light in a car. It's something to pay attention to. I had a seminary professor who said,

if you want to know what parts of the Bible you really need to pay attention to, look for the stretches of scripture where you don't have anything underlined or highlighted. There's a good chance that you're missing something and that you need to be formed by those words more than you know. Our passage today is a little bit like that. The list of Jesus followers who have Nehemiah chapter 7 through 8 underlined and highlighted, well, that list is probably small. But like my professor said,

although this portion of scripture may be relatively unmarked in our physical Bibles, it holds a lot of potential in making a mark on our lives. As we approach God's word together, let's pause and ask for His grace to move through our time. Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of life and breath, and thank you for your word. Jesus help us abide in you as we engage with your truth in this time. time. Holy Spirit, we ask you to move in and through this time in Nehemiah. And as we read these words,

let these words read us and restore us in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's set up the context for this portion of Nehemiah. The wall has been rebuilt around Jerusalem, and chapter 7 begins with Nehemiah putting people in charge of the operation and guarding of the walls and gates. And then we read this, starting in verse 5. So my God put into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials, and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there. Now, as you read on in Nehemiah 7, Nehemiah goes on to list an extensive roster of God's people who returned from exile. It is such a detailed list that it takes up almost the entire content of Chapter 7.

And after that, there is an account of the various possessions that God's people put toward the restoration of the city. Most modern readers would be tempted to skim through all of this, if not skip it entirely. At first glance, this portion of Nehemiah doesn't seem to make much sense. I mean, the wall of Jerusalem has just been finished. Shouldn't something monumental, epic or exciting take place? Why does Nehemiah take time to go through this long list of people in Chapter 7? Does he have some kind of minimum word count to hit for an editor? And by the way, what on earth does this have to do with our lives today? To really appreciate the significance of this portion of scripture, we need to work hard to put ourselves in the shoes of God's people in exile.

Of course, we can't help but read the Bible from where we are now, whether you're sipping coffee, driving in the car, working in the garden, whatever you're doing. We can't help but bring our real concerns and questions to the Bible today. We want to know what this has to do with our stress at work, our anxiety about a relationship, or whatever desire or fear is at work in our lives right now. And let's be clear, all of those things, their importance to God. They all matter to God. Every part of the Bible, including the long roster of God's people coming out of exile here,

it's written for us. But while it was written for us, it wasn't originally written to us. To really appreciate how the roster of exiles in Nehemiah 7 is for us, we need to put ourselves back in the shoes of the original audience. These people have been disoriented and unsettled from generations of exile. They're asking really big questions, but questions that might be different than ours. They're asking questions like, who are we as God's people? What are we doing here?

Do we have any reason to keep putting our hope in God? Nehemiah 7 is trying to answer those questions, and it does so masterfully. This roster really does function a little bit like the credits of the end of a major motion picture, listing everyone involved in production. But here's the thing about movie credits. The way you view that list of names fundamentally changes depending on your vantage point. If you're simply a viewer of the film, then you probably aren't that interested in the list of names. But if you're not just a viewer of the film, but you're somebody who is a participant in making the film,

the credits are far more meaningful. Every name is a real person who matters, who made a difference. The credits are a reminder that you're a part of something bigger together. Now imagine being present in this scene in Nehemiah 7, hearing this list of names read aloud, and hearing names that you knew or stories about people you knew, your neighbors, your family. This list of exiles is saying something life-changing about who you are. It's saying, we are a part of God's bigger story together. We matter to him. God is graciously working to make all things new to bless the nations,

and he's doing that by working through us. See, when you look at it this way, Nehemiah 7 isn't meant to be monotonous. It's meant to be monumental. This is God recasting people into his bigger story. After this reading of the roster in Nehemiah 7, chapter 8 describes how the law was dread aloud to the people. The day is declared a holy day and the people of God re-institute the feast of Booths, which celebrates God's provision for the Israelites through their wilderness journey from Egypt to the promised land. Chapter 8 gives us a sense of spiritual renewal that celebrates God's work in the past, but also his faithfulness that will continue into the future. We get a sense for what kind of meaning this had for God's people

by looking more closely at verses 9 through 10. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest, and teacher of the law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep, for all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the law. Nehemiah said, Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Now, what we're reading about here in chapter 8 is the renewal of God's people. Their renewed commitment to him in response to his relentless love for them.

Imagine the impact of being present in this moment. You're reminded that you're part of God's bigger story. and you're celebrating the truth that that story isn't over. You're celebrating the truth that you can keep going, knowing that the joy of the Lord is your strength. This scene of renewal in Nehemiah 8, it reminds me of a unique feature at the end of some film credits. Some refer to it as the outplay or a post-credit scene.

Often, it's a sneak preview of what's to come in the next film, but that preview doesn't come until the credits are over. This was popularized by the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where a preview scene at the end of the credits would stir the hearts and minds of the audience to long for the story to continue. It made them long for that next film to come out. Now, if Nehemiah 7 is like the end credits of a movie, Nehemiah 8 is like the outplay or the post-credit scene that keeps the story going, that stirs our hearts and minds to long for the end. for God to continue what he's started. Ultimately, this preview points to the arrival of King Jesus, who renews the hearts and minds of God's people through his death, resurrection, and reign over all things. He is the reason we're in the story, and the reason that the story continues.

Now, as you reflect on all of this, let's go back to our questions from earlier. What exactly does Nehemiah 7 through 8 have to do with stress at work? What's it have to do with anxiety about a relationship? Or whatever great desire, great fear is at work in your life right now? How does this rarely highlighted message written to ancient Israelites work for our lives today? Well, these chapters recast us out of our little personal stories into God's bigger story. That's the invitation. When I read these chapters, I'm reminded that whatever is causing me stress or anxiety or worry today,

that's real. It matters to God, and it matters to me, of course, but because of God's story, it's not the most important thing in my life. It's not where I find my ultimate identity, my ultimate belonging. I've been freed into a story that is far more ancient and far more long-lasting. I've been freed into a story that is far more real, far more meaningful, and far more beautiful, into a story that continues into today, into our daily lives, and beyond. This is the overarching message of Nehemiah 7 through 8. You are in God's bigger story right now, and that story is far from over. Do you believe that you've been recast into his bigger story?

that you have a place in it, God, in whatever stressors, anxieties, circumstances, or contingencies we face today, help us see ourselves as a part of your ancient, beautiful story here and now. As you work to make all things new in Jesus, work through us as we live one day at a time, remembering that your joy is our strength. In Jesus' name, amen.