Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
Their hands had labored for 52 days. Half had toiled probably under oppressive heat to reconstruct the wall surrounding Jerusalem. The other half had stayed guard. Because the “people had a mind to work,” the work was indeed complete. But the work and will to complete the task was not theirs alone. Nehemiah possessed an unbending commitment to stay fixated on doing God’s work and to not be distracted by deceivers or fear.
As pointed out Sunday, a person sent by Tobiah and Sanballat attempted to take Nehemiah off task by claiming his life was in danger and telling him to go with him into the temple for protection. When Nehemiah saw through the guise, he said confidently, “And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who (is there), that, (being) as I (am), would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. (NKJV)”
Nehemiah made this statement, as if to say, “Why should I, a man of God, be afraid?.” He took this stance because he no longer held any fear of man because that fear had been replaced by a holy fear, a reverence, a supreme trust in God Almighty.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
Romans 8:28-31 (NAS)
In the context of Nehemiah and the people of Israel having battled through the various attacks from Satan in the form of internal complaints and external forces working against them, it seems only fitting then that the people of Israel would gather together to glorify God having nothing more to fear.
In Nehemiah 8-9, we find just that: a large, 42,000-person congregation learning from God’s word and praising Him for his faithfulness. This was time for a celebration and thanksgiving, a time for the body to join as one to uplift the most high God.
This is essentially what we do at every Sunday morning. As Ray Addison said Sunday, our singular purpose in life, and just as much so during our worship time together, is to glorify God. After a week living our lives, it’s refreshing to come and be refreshed mentally and spiritually in God’s word. As we notice in Nehemiah, during the congregational worship, the people raised their hands, said “Amen,” and stood up in reverence to the reading of God’s word. At The Mount, we have the freedom to do any or all of these if led by the Spirit. We also have the freedom to be still and know that He is Lord. Either way, our corporate worship is an important culmination of a week’s worth of personal prayer and learning time.
application
This week, if you aren’t already, make a special effort to spend time every day in God’s word. If you already do spend daily time in his word, attempt to spend a little more. During your quiet time, thank God for his blessings on your life, for his direction and for his grace. Pray that he would more fully take control of your life and more fully become your strength in every aspect of your life.