Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
Our watchword for today is taken from the Book of Nehemia, Chapter 9 verse 5, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise,” (Amplified Bible). History informs us that Nehemiah came to Jerusalem in 445 BC, about one hundred years after the return of the first remnant of Israel from captivity. Nehemiah was given the role of governor in Jerusalem under the foreign ruler Artaxerxes, who allowed the Israelites to restore the wall of Jerusalem and the temple. In the Hebrew text the Book of Nehemiah is incorporated in the Book of Ezra. Ezra was the priest and scribe and he and Nehemiah worked together at restoring Jerusalem and in particular the worship of Israel to her God. A special wooden pulpit was built and Ezra instructed the Levites to stand next to him as he opened the scrolls of the Law of the Lord and read it to all the Israelites present. After they read from the Word of the Lord, Ezra instructed the people not to mourn, even though they had fallen short of the Law of the Lord, for this would be a time of rejoicing, as they started to worship together in the manner that God demanded in his laws.
They celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles, or booths, as God instructed in his Law. They built huts on their flat roofs and dwelled in these for seven days to remember how the Israelites journeyed in the desert with God. God “tabernacled” with Israel, being with them in the cloud by day and column of fire by night, it was as if he had pitched his tent with them and dwelled amongst them. After the readings the joyous celebrations followed. For seven days Ezra would read from scripture and on the eight day was the solemn closing ceremony. The Levites, who were specially consecrated to serve in the temple, came forward and said together the words of our watchword, “Stand up and bless the Lord…” The people stood and Ezra prayed to the Lord, “You are the Lord, and you alone.” In this intercessory prayer of Ezra he speaks to the Lord and also reminds the people of all the Lord’s great works through the ages, on behalf of Israel. He asks God to forgive for, “Our kings, our princes, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law or hearkened to Your commandments. Behold, Lord, we are slaves this day, and the rich yield of this land you gave us goes to the kings whom You have set over us because of our sins. We are in great distress. Because of all this, we make a firm and sure written covenant, and our princes, Levites, and priest set their seal to it,” (Nehemia 9 verses 34 to 38). With this prayer of Ezra the Israelites recommited themselves to follow the commandment of the Lord and to serve him with oneness of heart and mind, with all their strength and love. God strengthened the leaders, Ezra and Nehemiah, and they instilled the traditions, practices and scriptures into the hearts and minds of the people as they continued to rebuilt the city and the temple of the Lord. During the long time in exile many of the Jews forgot their traditions, custom and the scriptures. God blessed the work of the leaders and the reforms and restoration of the temple, despite the obstacles that Israel’s enemies put in their way. The scribe and priest, Ezra, wrote in Ezra 3 verse 11, “They sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, For He is God, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.” The people were overwhelmed with joy when they could enter and worship on the temple site again. They sang with shouts of joy and worshipped with great weeping as the foundation of the temple was laid before their very eyes. The exiles were finally singing their songs at the temple site and not at the river banks of Babylon.
The Apostle Paul encourages us to sing in our assemblies and use the songs of all the ages to thank and praise God. Every generation and nation have their different songs to praise God. Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians in Chapter 5 verse 19, “Sings psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves.” These songs speak to our hearts and strengthen us. We are reminded how the songs of the church will resound, for they are a fore-taste of the heavenly chorus, the music of the spheres. Then we shall sing to the Lamb and every knee shall bow and tongue confess that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of all. Let us continue to rejoice and sing for the church has one foundation, Jesus Christ, the Lord. Before our Lord was arrested in the Garden he sang a hymn with his disciples and he was strengthened in his soul an spirit. Let us follow our Lord’s example and sing to the Lord God hymns and psalms.
Father we thank you that you have blessed those who believe in you and have given them songs of joy even in times of sorrow. We ask you to bless us as we bring our hymns and songs to you. Amen.