“On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people;” Nehemiah 13:1a
One theme that is central to the Book of Nehemiah is the Word of God. Right at the beginning of the Book we see him praying, “Remember the word which You commanded Your servant Moses”. In Chapter 5, he admonishes those collecting interest from the People which was forbidden in the Law. We read in Chapter 8 how they celebrated the Feast of Booths because it was “written in the Law”. All throughout the Book we are told that Nehemiah did what he did because of “The Fear of God”, an allusion to Obeying His Word!
Here, at the beginning of Chapter 13 in Today’s Reading, we are told, “On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people”. Then we see the following Events take place: how they would deal with Foreigners, his Cleansing of the Temple, Upholding the Sabbath Day, and insisted on Religious Marriage Purity. Nehemiah was a man wholly devoted to God and His Word!
Throughout Church History we see the same thing take place as what happened during Nehemiah’s Time. The People of God depart from a commitment to Obey God’s Word, then, God raises up a Leader that will restore it. It’s called “Declension” and “Revival”. God’s Word is Central either in its Neglect, or in its Adherence! And it all begins with its Reading, which is the Main Purpose of these Posts!!!