{"id":6408,"date":"2019-11-28T20:00:58","date_gmt":"2019-11-29T03:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/?p=6408"},"modified":"2019-11-24T17:46:40","modified_gmt":"2019-11-25T00:46:40","slug":"nehemiah8_1-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/nehemiah8_1-18\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Ways to Understand God\u2019s Word Better"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nehemiah 8:1-18\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Click here for Bible Verses<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is Nehemiah 8:1-18.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

Nehemiah 8:3 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0He read it aloud from daybreak till\u00a0noon\u00a0as 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.<\/em><\/p>\n

On 7:73 to 8:8:\u00a0\u00a0After all the Israelites had settled in their towns, Ezra the priest assembles all the people together for a worship service in the public square (v1).\u00a0\u00a0Men, women and \u201call who were able to understand\u201d (which probably suggests older or mature children) (v2-3) listen attentively as Ezra reads the book of the law out loud from daybreak tillnoon\u00a0(that\u2019s about 6 hours of reading out God\u2019s Word!) (v3).\u00a0\u00a0Then the people stand and join in a time of face-to-the-ground worshiping and praising God (v6).\u00a0\u00a0After that a team of 13 Levites get on the stage and teach God\u2019s Word, \u201cmaking it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read\u201d (v8).<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0In chapter 8 there is a big emphasis on\u00a0understanding<\/em>\u00a0on God\u2019s Word (v2 \u2013 \u201call who were able to\u00a0understand<\/em>\u201d; v3 \u2013 \u201cothers who couldunderstand<\/em>\u201d; v8 – \u201cso that the people could\u00a0understand<\/em>\u201d; v12 \u2013 \u201cgreat joy, because they now\u00a0understood<\/em>\u201d).<\/p>\n

Likewise, you were made not just to hear God\u2019s Word or read God\u2019s Word.\u00a0\u00a0You were made to understand God\u2019s Word. Something powerful happens when you understand God\u2019s Word:\u00a0\u00a0You come alive.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Just as God used His Word to speak creation into being, you come alive when you receive and understand God\u2019s Word.\u00a0\u00a0How can you position yourself to understand God\u2019s Word better?\u00a0\u00a0We learn two ways from these verses:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Listen attentively to God\u2019s Word.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Verse 3 says, \u201c\u2026And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the law.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Often the reason we don\u2019t understand is because we don\u2019t listen attentively.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s why\u00a0before I read or listen to God\u2019s Word,<\/strong>\u00a0it helps me to<\/strong>\u00a0spend time in prayer, laying down my burdens, surrendering my life to God, and being still in His presence<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m preparing my heart to listen attentively to God\u2019s Word.\u00a0\u00a0Otherwise, my distracted thoughts can easily get in the way.\u00a0\u00a0While I\u2019m listening to God\u2019s Word, it also helps me to write down the key things I\u2019m hearing.\u00a0\u00a0They say, \u201cthoughts disentangle themselves through the lips and the finger tips\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0In other words, you might think you understand what you\u2019re hearing with your ears or reading with your eyes, but you don\u2019t really know how much you understand until you start trying to explain it in your own words by speaking it out and writing it out.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s why I encourage you to\u00a0take good notes when you\u2019re reading God\u2019s Word<\/strong>\u00a0during your GAME time (don\u2019t be afraid to mark up that Bible!).\u00a0\u00a0I also encourage you to\u00a0take good notes when you\u2019re listening to sermons<\/strong>, for even just the act of writing down what you hear helps you retain and process what you\u2019re hearing.\u00a0\u00a0Otherwise, it\u2019s easy to read or hear God\u2019s Word and forget after a day.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. Get the help of good teachers of God\u2019s Word.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0In verses 7-8 we read that a team of 13 Levites taught God\u2019s Word to the people \u201cmaking it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read\u201d (v8).\u00a0\u00a0We all need the help of good Bible teachers to help us understand God\u2019s Word.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s why God gifts certain of His children with the gift of teaching His Word.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t take for granted the good Bible teachers God has placed in your life, but learn from them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Because the people listened attentively and had the help of good teachers, \u201call the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.\u201d (v8)\u00a0\u00a0When we understand God\u2019s Word by listening attentively and with the help of good teachers, God\u2019s Word brings us back to life.<\/p>\n

      In verses 13 to 18 below, we will learn two more ways you can position yourself to understand God\u2019s Word better.<\/p>\n

      Nehemiah 8:9-12 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
      \n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is sacred to the\u00a0LORD\u00a0your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.
      \n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0is your strength.”
      \n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve.”
      \n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.
      \n<\/em>
      \nOn verses 9-12:\u00a0\u00a0Nehemiah, Ezra and the team of Levite teachers explain to the people that since \u201cthis day is sacred to the Lord your God\u201d they are not to mourn or weep; instead they are to enjoy good food (v10), share it with those who have nothing (v10), be still (v11) and celebrate.\u00a0\u00a0Here joy, not weeping, is associated with what is sacred.<\/p>\n

      What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes the holiest thing you can do is to throw a party and celebrate.\u00a0\u00a0God is not a sombre, melancholy God.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0In His heart, at His very core, God is full of joy.<\/strong>\u00a0That\u2019s why Psalm\u00a016:11\u00a0says, \u201cIn Your presence is fullness of joy\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0That\u2019s why God commands celebrations in His Word.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t be afraid to celebrate the good things God has done in your life.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>For when we celebrate and rejoice in the good things God has done, it pleases God and it reflects His heart.<\/p>\n

      Nehemiah 8:14-17 (NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
      \n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0They found written in the Law, which the\u00a0LORD\u00a0had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month
      \n15\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make booths”–as it is written.
      \n16\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves booths on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.
      \n17\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.<\/em><\/p>\n

      On verses 13-17:\u00a0\u00a0Ezra gathers the leaders of the people for a one day leadership conference.\u00a0\u00a0As they read the law of Moses they are impacted by the command to celebrate the feast of tabernacles for seven days, a festival where they are to build tents made of tree branches and live in them for seven days.\u00a0\u00a0It was a way to remember their ancestors\u2019 journey out of Egypt to the Promised Land.\u00a0\u00a0So the people set up tents on their roofs, their own courtyards, the temple courtyard and the public squares.\u00a0\u00a0Because they celebrated the feast of tabernacles as God\u2019s Word commanded them to do, they experienced great joy like no other.<\/p>\n

      What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0A third way that you can better understand God\u2019s Word is to actually do it!\u00a0\u00a0You can read the Bible from cover to cover, listen to all the sermons you want and take good notes, but\u00a0you will never know the true power of God\u2019s Word \u2013 the joy, the peace, the wisdom, and the blessing that come from God\u2019s Word \u2013 until you get up and do what God\u2019s Word is telling you to do.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0When you get up and do what God tells you to do, you will experience a joy, a peace and a power that nothing else can give you.<\/p>\n

      Nehemiah\u00a08:18\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/strong>
      \n18\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.<\/em><\/p>\n

      On verse 18:\u00a0\u00a0Finally,\u00a0if you want to understand God\u2019s Word better, be consistent in reading it.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Notice here that \u201cday after day, from the first day to the last\u201d, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God.<\/p>\n

      Are you consistent in reading God\u2019s Word?\u00a0\u00a0Do you feed on it every day?\u00a0\u00a0When you consistently feed on God\u2019s Word every day, disciplining yourself to read God\u2019s Word no matter how you feel, making God\u2019s Word your priority, that\u2019s when you will understand the power of God\u2019s Word to change your life.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Heavenly Father, thank You that we come alive when we understand Your Word.\u00a0\u00a0I pray that everyone reading this GAME sharing would read Your Word consistently every day, would listen attentively, would make use of the good teachers of the Bible You have placed in their lives, and do Your Word.\u00a0\u00a0Thank You that when they do these things, they will understand Your Word \u2013 what it means and how powerful it is.\u00a0\u00a0In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

      Today\u2019s passage is Nehemiah 8:1-18.\u00a0\u00a0Let\u2019s go!<\/p>\n

      Nehemiah 8:3 (NIV)\u00a0
      \n3\u00a0\u00a0He read it aloud from daybreak till\u00a0noon\u00a0as 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.<\/p>\n

      On 7:73 to 8:8:\u00a0\u00a0After all the Israelites had settled in their towns, Ezra the priest assembles all the people together for a worship service in the public square (v1).\u00a0\u00a0Men, women and \u201call who were able to understand\u201d (which probably suggests older or mature children) (v2-3) listen attentively as Ezra reads the book of the law out loud from daybreak tillnoon\u00a0(that\u2019s about 6 hours of reading out God\u2019s Word!) (v3).\u00a0\u00a0Then the people stand and join in a time of face-to-the-ground worshiping and praising God (v6).\u00a0\u00a0After that a team of 13 Levites get on the stage and teach God\u2019s Word, \u201cmaking it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read\u201d (v8).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6408"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6417,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6408\/revisions\/6417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}