Sermon Tone Analysis

Nehemiah 8:2-16

When Revival Comes

 

So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.

He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as 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.

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion.

Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

Ezra opened the book.

All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up.

Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen!

Amen!”

Then they bowed down and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there.

They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.

Then 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 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 sacred to our Lord.

Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a sacred day.

Do not grieve.”

Then 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.

On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to give attention to the words of the Law.

They found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month and 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.

So 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.

Scriptural revival has always begun after prayer and usually as result of a small minority of concerned Christians uniting for that specific purpose.

Think of the revivals witnessed throughout church history that have swept entire nations, even continents.

Remember that each began in prayer meetings when a few dared to band together and cry out for the power of God.

That was the progress of the revival which began with the Jews in Babylonian exile during the days of Nehemiah and Ezra.

The captives had begun to prosper in captivity, a great tragedy since they chose to be at home both in the provinces of Babylon and in the cities of Persia instead of longing for Jerusalem.

That situation would have no doubt continued had not Artaxerxes been moved by the Holy Spirit of God at work through Nehemiah.

Nehemiah, you will recall, was burdened to call for a rally of just a few who might be willing to go back to Jerusalem where they would construct the walls, rebuild the Temple and establish once again the scriptural ordinances of the True and Living God.

Ezra also captured something of the vision of Nehemiah and led a number of the exiles back to Jerusalem.

Nehemiah led the rebuilding effort, but it was Ezra who led the people again into the presence of God.

Ezra the scribe was the human instrument God designated to bring revival to His people.

Study this singular revival with me and notice what happens when revival comes.

Discover, together with me, the universal impact of revival—that it affects the preacher, the preaching and the people.

Then, having studied the revival, seek the face of the True and Living God that He may revive His work in our day.

Revival Affects the Preacher.

The people were present to worship, not to view the artefacts of a previous civilisation.

How many congregations come to hear the pastor extol the virtues of the archaeologists and to talk about the artefacts uncovered which are identified with civilisations of the past?

What a tragedy when people are compelled to sit and listen to a commentary on textual criticism from some pseudo-scholar.

How many congregations come, much less invite others to come with them, to hear the speaker extol the latest economic theory or to recite the praises of the latest sociological fad.

To have revival it is necessary to return to God’s Word giving the people the clear teaching of the Book.

Long years ago a godly man wrote, *The hungry sheep look up and are not fed*.

Revival is always associated with biblical preaching.

Doctrine is nothing save biblical truth.

Thus the doctrines of the Word are but the great truths of the Living God.

Whenever an age witnesses a dearth of doctrinal preaching the people are ignorant of the will and the Word of God.

Biblical preaching is always doctrinal preaching.

I will be so bold as to suggest that without exposition of the Word of God there is an ignorance of the mind of God.

This is the reason we have churches condoning marriage for sodomites and lesbians, substitution of social engineering for biblical justice, and crying for reducing the whole of the Faith to a meaningless conformity to the fad of the moment.

We ordain women in contravention of the express will of God and justify our actions by our ignorance of what God has said.

We deliver economic reviews of the federal budget and wonder why the people are not more generous toward the work of God.

We promote Yoga classes as Christian and marvel that our members justify wickedness.

We pool our ignorance and wonder why the people of God are not wise toward God.

The cause for our growing distress is in no small measure due to the failure of preachers to preach the Word of the Living God.

The preacher will be scriptural.

So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand.

He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as 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 … Ezra opened the book [*Nehemiah 8:2, 3, 5*].

Revival came to this dispirited people because Ezra, the man of God, was committed to preaching from the Book of God, to reading the Word of God in the hearing of the people.

We are convinced by the Word that /faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ/ [*Romans 10:17*].

That is how you were saved!

That is how we are called to divine service.

That is how we sustain spiritual life.

Remember Jesus’ words.

It is written:/ “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” /[*Matthew 4:4*].

In revival the preacher refuses to engage in fruitless speculation, but instead dares deliver the whole counsel of God.

A revived preacher does not waste time parroting the latest economic theory, the newest conjecture of social thought, the most recent hypothesis of meaningless theological drivel, or pandering to the desires of the multitude.

Instead, the revived man of God is concerned to ensure that his listeners know the mind of God as clearly revealed in the Word of God.

The preacher will be steadfast.

Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion [*Nehemiah 8:4*].

Ezra stood at a pulpit.

There was no search for meaningful dialogue, whatever that may be.

Ezra spoke boldly, confronting the people with their own sinful behaviour and pointing them to the way which would prove pleasing in the sight of the True and Living God.

The revived preacher will not waver from declaring God’s will, though he knows that it will be painful to confront those he loves in truth.

He will dare stand before his beloved congregation and challenge them: Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth [*Galatians 4:16*]?

Whenever the people of God are confronted in their sin there is the possibility that unspiritual individuals among them (part of the mixed multitude or the rabble) will strike out against their antagonist.

Since they cannot reach God they will lash out at the one they consider their tormentor—the preacher.

The revived preacher will not shrink from confronting such wickedness, but having weighed the consequence of speaking the truth the man of God will declare the mind of God.

It is not easy to preach the Word of God.  Paul warned young Timothy that the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.

Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths [*2 Timothy 4:3,4*].

The Apostle continued by providing him with sound counsel for such wicked days.

/But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry /[*2 Timothy 4:5*].

I know from experience that there will always be someone within the congregation to condemn the preaching of the Word as too strong.

There has not been a church I have pastored that did not have at least one such person in attendance, and usually that person was in a position of responsibility.

Their own wilful wickedness confronted by the Word of God, they hide behind the mask of concern for young Christians as they complain about the strong words of the preacher.

“Preach God’s love,” they whine.

“Don’t be so harsh,” they whimper.

Given the opportunity these foes of the Faith will endeavour to destroy the man of God through calumny and caustic censure in the Name of righteousness.

The man of God, if he is revived, will stand unyielding to all such pitiful demonstrations of opposition.

The preacher will be spiritual.

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 LORD is your strength/ [*Nehemiah 8:10*].

A revived preacher will be a spiritual preacher.

A spiritual preacher is a balanced preacher.