Reading God's Law Distinctly - Nehemiah 8:8

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, … And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place”, and in chapter eight and verse eight of Nehemiah, Nehemiah shared how the priests and Levites, “read in the book in the law of God distinctly” where we read,

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, 

and caused them to understand the reading.

The verse reads, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, ...” Nehemiah began with the words, “so they read in the book” which means “therefore, wherefore and on this account they, Ezra, the priests and the Levites called out, recited and proclaimed within the written missive or document” “of the law” or “pertaining to the direction, instruction, precepts and statutes of God” “distinctly” which means “with clarity and clearly”, “and gave the sense” or “and put, set, appointed and made the understanding, prudence and insight” to the word. Nehemiah shared how he, Ezra, the priests and Levites “read” God law clearly, and they explained the meaning of what they read. 

The verse continues, “... and caused them to understand the reading.” Nehemiah added the words, “and caused them to understand” or “and made them, the people of Israel, to comprehend, perceive and discern” “the reading” which means “the convocation and rehearsal”. Nehemiah said he, Ezra and the Levites helped the people to discern and comprehend what they read. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we discover through Nehemiah that “Ezra, the priests and the Levites”“proclaimed” God's statutes and precepts in a clear and precise manner, and they explained the meaning of what God said. This helped the people to comprehend what was being read, and thereby could obey God's words. God knows what is best for our lives, and He is for us and not against us. When He gave us His word, including the fact that He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind and raised Him from the dead three days later, He provided the way for us to be forgiven of our sins, granted everlasting life and to have a passion and desire to know what He says and to obey what He makes clear in our lives. 

Next time Nehemiah says, “this day is holy unto the LORD your God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".