Road Trippin With Rachael

If I were to ask what your favorite part of a worship service is, what would you say? Would it be the decorations? The choir? Is it the greeting (I once heard someone call it the “Hug and Howdy”) of the other church attenders? Do you enjoy the music? Could your favorite part be when your children are dismissed to attend children’s ministries separate from the rest of the service? Is your favorite part the sermon?

If you notice, I asked that question in a specific way. Most people tend to think of a worship service as being only the music. “My church sings hymns during worship,” or “We have a contemporary service,” are two common phases that are heard when there are large gathers that include people from multiple churches. However, worship extends beyond the music – although it is still an important part – and should include the whole process of worship, which includes the public reading of scripture.

Not only does worship include scripture reading, but I would argue (as would Leafblad and Blackmon) that worship only happens because of the public reading of scripture. What would happen, say, if we were to have the sermon before the music? Do you think that there would be a higher quality of your own worship? But music has a profound effort on people’s mind and helps to get us into the right headspace. I don’t have the answer to that question, but what I do know is that worship happens in conjunction with scripture, and that it is important. As we take a closer look at Nehemiah 8, we will be looking at four purposes for the public reading of scripture.

Given to the People

This should seem obvious, but it has to be stated: one of the reasons that scripture is read publicly is because it is a way for it to be given to the people. Even in today’s world, there are individuals who cannot read. The same could be said in the time of Nehemiah – this was a people who had been raised during the Babylonia Exile, and had been educated through that system. Although they still had an were aware of their Hebrew roots, many of the people hadn’t learned to read Hebrew and there were probably even those who did not speak it. There are other benefits given to the people through the public reading.

One major benefit is that is is a consistent reminder that God provides. When the word is read publicly, the people are able to be reminded that God’s word endures, and that is is able to reach people from generation to generation (Nehemiah 8:1). The public proclamation is a corporate reminder that God’s people are to come together, that they are to worship together, and that as a group they are to be reminded of what God has done for them. The should not forsake gathering (Hebrews 10:25) but come together to be reminded that God is consistent, and that he is the same God today that brought them out of the land of Egypt into a land of plenty (Exodus 20:2) and that he disciplines those whom he loves (Hebrews 12:6). God provides assurance of who he is to the people.

Another major benefit for the people of Nehemiah’s day, and for the people of our day, is that through the public reading of scripture it was made available. I mentioned previously that not all people could read, or that the people had been taught through the Babylonian and Persian education system – which didn’t include the Hebrew alphabet. Having the scriptures read allowed ensured that those who were within hearing got to hear it. It ensured that all the people had equal access (Nehemiah 8:4). This isn’t regulated only to the the Old Testament. Much of the New Testament was written in the form of letters, were written in Greek, and they would have been read to the churches. This is why many of Paul’s letter open with the salutation “to the church(es) of _______________” (I Corinthians 1: 2; Galatia 1:2). On a purely practical level, reading the letters allowed was more beneficial than passing a letter from person to person – taking the chance that it would get lost, damaged, or that it would we misread. Public reading allowed for more access at a single time, rather than having individuals read on their own time.

Another benefit of publicly reading scripture to the people, was that it would by default be recuring. Nehemiah 8:18 states that “Ezra read out of the book of the law of God every day, from the first to the last.” Repetition is key to helping a point stick. If you go back to your high school and/or college classes a key rule was that if the teacher repeated something, it was likely that it would end up on a test. The same theory applied to scripture. If we repeatedly hear the truth of God, what he has done for us, and he is doing, and what is expected us of then it should sink in with us believing it – orthodoxy – and should lead to us putting what we believe into practice – orthopraxy. Paul reminds Timothy of this in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (CSB) – “All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” In all honesty, the Bible really isn’t that big in comparison to some other books, and if we take a more modern example, this is what we see in Sunday school classes – many biblical accounts are told over and over again layering in details as is age appropriate so that those truths stick with us. The repeated reading of scripture

Taught to the People

God’s word will always be able to stand on its own, but that doesn’t mean that we should not seek to understand it better, and to learn as much as we can about the type of literature it is, what the context was when a particular part was written, what was happening historically, and what is the modern and practical application for today. Therefore, scripture is not only to be proclaimed but it is also to be taught. This is done through different ways, including: explanations and confirming understanding, and translating when needed.

When it comes to explanations, we all need to have things spelled out for us. Although there are times when scripture is obvious (do not murder – Exodus 20:13), there are also times when it is meant to get the reader or hearer to think, such as with the parables (found in the book of Matthew). This is not a modern idea, but one that we see being implemented in Nehemiah 8:7. “Levites [who would have been priestly families] explained the law to the people as they stood in their places.” This was done for the people to ensure that they were having the word of the Lord explained to them, but there was further explanations being given. This helped to ensure that the people who were hearing the word, were also understanding what was being explained (Nehemiah 8:8 & 12). These individuals were making sure that all the dots were connected for the people as the word was being presented.

If you have ever been in a class with students, or taken any sort of education class about learning styles, one of the things that you will learn is that everyone learns differently and everyone will process what they learn differently. I happen to be a visual learning, but an audio processor. What does this mean? It means that if I can see it, I am likely to remember it, and that I need to verbally hear it for me to make sense of what I have learned. In other words, I’m terrible to watch a movie with. But I will understand and remember the movie.

Translation. I think that this goes hand in hand with giving a good explanation of the context, historical setting, and type of literature being preached on. Translation can have two meanings in how we understand it. The way it is used in Nehemiah 8:8 is that it was being translated from one language to another; but it can also mean that it is being put in modern vernacular. Many of the people who had returned from the Babylonia Captivity no longer spoke Hebrew and likely there were few who remembered how to read it outside of the priests. In fact, we know that from this point forward the common language in the Middle East became Aramaic (which was what Jesus spoke), and later the language of commerce would be Greek- of which the New Testament is written. Eventually even the Old Testament would be written in Greek as it became the world-wide accepted language, known as the Septuagint or LXX. The other way we can understand translation would be for a statement to be phrased in a modern vernacular. In other words, different turns of phrase are restated in such a way that the modern (whatever modern means at that moment) ear will understand.

**Side Note, when we are talking about translation theory for a Bible there is a difference between a version and a translation. A translation means that we are taking something from one language and putting it into another language. When we are talking Bible we mean it is going from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic to English. That is a translation. A version has to do with the phrasing that is chosen by the translators, and the word choices as well as the consideration of though-for-thought vs. literature translations and where that balance is. Another way to say it is that the ESV, CSB, NIV, and KJV are all one translation: English. But they are all different versions.

Response of the People

Worship is communion with God in which the Triune God of the Bible reveals Himself through Word and Spirit to His people, and in which believers, by grace, center their minds’ attention and their hearts’ affection on the Lord, humbly glorifying God in response to His greatness and His Word. – Dr. Bruce Leafblad & Dr. Jonathan Blackmon

The public (and private) reading of scripture should always cause a response for those that here it. When I was in college, my primary professor, Dr. Curtis McClain, would always say that “God’s word would never go out void.” I firmly believe that this is a true statement. There are primarily three responses that people have when they read or have scripture read to them: worship, weeping, and rejoicing.

When we are discussing worship, he need to have a clear definition of what that is. Another college professor of mine gave this definition – “Worship is communion with God in which the Triune God the of the Bible reveals Himself through Word and Spirit to His people, and in which believers, by grace, center their minds’ attention and their hearts’ affection on the Lord, humbly glorifying God in response to His greatness and His Word.” That definition was given to me by another professor of mine, Dr. Jonathan Blackmon, who developed that definition along side one of his own college professors, Dr. Bruce Leafblad. When someone hears the reading of scripture, it should cause a worshipful response. We are confronted with the realization of who God is, what he has done, what he could do, and what he is protecting his creation from. He is good, and he is just. You cannot help but respond the way it is described in Nehemiah 8:6. Individually, we should response in worship.

Tied to worship, there is another response – weeping. Nehemiah 8: 10 shows that the people wept because they were confronted with their sin. God’s word shows us our need for him, for the forgiveness that he offers, and the need that we have to accept that gift. Scripture can stand on its own, and on its own it convicts people of their sins – because it is undeniable. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23. In light of who God is and in that call to worship, the natural response is to weep – perhaps not physically, but morally, ethically, and spiritually – for the sins that we have committed against God. This phenomenon is known as coming under conviction.

The public reading of scripture is tied to one other part of worship – rejoicing. When we worship, not only are we convicted of our sin, and confronted with the majesty of who God is, but the response to all of this is to rejoice in who God is (Nehemiah 8:12). This is the praise that comes naturally for what God has done for his people. As we refer back to Dr. Leafblad and Dr. Blackmon’s definition, rejoicing is the natural response to who God is as he is revealed to his people (an important distinction) and the marvelous works that God has done throughout history and in the lives of individual Christians. The same conviction that causes weeping, brings the individual to the salvation of God – and that in turn brings about rejoicing or the salvation that only comes from the Lord. We see this response in both the Old and New Testament. In Nehemiah 8:13, the rejoicing brings us back to God word in celebration. When we look to I Corinthians 11:24-25, in remembrance of what he has done we take the Lord’s Supper, which is the response to reading of the Gospels and the works of God throughout history. Scripture will inevitably lead to rejoicing.

Implemented by the People

The reading of scripture publicly is to be presented to the people, taught and explained, and it cases a response. However, that is not where it ends. What we learn from scripture and our response to it it meant to cause us to take action. Scripture is meant to be implemented. Now, this is not meant to be a treatise on hermeneutics – interpretation of scripture – but I will say that as a part of the teaching and explaining of scripture we do need to take context, historical setting, type of literature, and look to understand the principles of what is being communicated. Here are a few ways that implementation can be accomplished based on Nehemiah 8.

One: Celebrations were reinstated in 8:14-16. Contextually, the people hadn’t been celebrating Passover since they entered the land of Canaan back in the book of Joshua. This was meant to remind the people where they came from and what God has done to bring them out of the land of Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:6). For Christians, this means taking the Lord’s Supper (I Corinthians 11:24-25), going through baptism (Matthew 28:19), and utilizing celebrations to remember significant events – like Christmas and Easter.

Two: Implement reminders of why we worship. This can be by talking about what God did in your life recently, sharing your testimony with others, and teach other why you choose to do something. Although traditions should not be the end all be all, there purpose is often to remind us of where we have come from. For the Hebrew people at this time, they were reminded that they were once living in the desert without a home, and God provided (Nehemiah 8:17).

Three: Implementing scripture means that it is always going to drive you back to God. Worship brought the people back together, both as a physical community, but also as a spiritual community (Nehemiah 8:18). The main principle with implementation is that when it is applied correctly, you are drawn to the one who created you, who knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13), and who sent his son to die on the cross to save you from your sins (John 3:16).

Final Thoughts

The public reading of scripture is central to worship. Worship is something that can only be truly done by Christians, as it is a centering on who God is and involves the whole person of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Public scripture reading is mean to be proclaimed to the people, and it is also meant to be explained and taught so that there is understanding of what God is directing his people to do. Having scripture read to the congregation should also serve as a reminder to the people of what God has done in all spheres of life, and following the reading there should be a way to implement the principles of scripture with proper regard for the context of what was read. At the end of the day, Scripture (whether ready publicly or privately) is meant to change the person hearing it, and to cause us to turn our faces to God, see how we need him, and call us to him.