Day 37 - Nehemiah 8:10

A Fasted Journey for Spiritual Renewal

Day 37

Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” -Nehemiah 8:10

The book of Nehemiah starts with him mourning over the danger of his people in Jerusalem. The wall was destroyed and gates torn down. Furthermore, Nehemiah confesses the sins of his people; a theme we have seen time and time again with Old Testament prophets, prayer and fasting. As discussed on Day 27, Nehemiah gets permission from the king, Artaxerxes, to whom he was a cupbearer, to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. He travels through enemy territory with some of the king’s men and with the king’s official letters to allow passage and granting of material for the wall. The wall is rebuilt in 52 days, a monumental feat.

By the time we reach Nehemiah 8, the people desired to hear God’s Law. They are actively seeking and being restored in the Lord. They have begun to see the error of their ways and how they have turned from God. They have repentant hearts and want to be restored. At this point, Ezra, who was a contemporary of Nehemiah reads the Law and the people stand in reverence to God. This is part of Ezra’s divine purpose. As it says in Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”

It’s important to point out here how God’s Law is alive and well. It seems that many people believe that the Law is dead. Far from it. Even our own system stems from God’s Law. Just take a look at the Ten Commandments alone. Much of our own legal and moral system is still derivative of God’s Law. Certainly the argument can, and should, be made that we are actively becoming lawless. However, our own system is still clearly rooted in God’s truth.

Furthermore, many also believe that since Jesus came, was crucified, rose on the third day, ascended to heaven, etc., that they now have free reign to do as they please. This is a woeful misunderstanding, or in many cases a deliberate stance in order to justify wrongdoing. We need look no further than Jesus’s own words in Matthew 5:17-20 to see this truth: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Christ fulfilled the moral, ceremonial and judicial law of the Old Testament. That, however, did not mean the OT law was now meaningless or that those words were still not God’s holy and inerrant words. It also did not mean that we can just do whatever we want now because Jesus died on the cross. Before going off on too deep of a tangent regarding the Law being for today, here are a few of many New Testament passages to consider, and then back to Nehemiah 😆 (Romans 2:12-16, Romans 6, Romans 7, Romans 14:10-12, James 1:19-26, 2 Cor. 5:10, Matthew 25:31-45, and many more).

Ezra concludes the reading of the Law (v.6-8) to which the people listened attentively and sought to understand. Ezra and the Levites, who were also historically and divinely prepared to teach, helped the people understand the Law. They had turned away from it for so long, and also lived in a pagan society before coming back to their land that many did not understand. The people responded with worshipful reverence and came to understand the reading of the Law. This section of Nehemiah is a great example of how we should revere and understand God’s Law, as well as an example of leaders being prepared to teach and help people understand God’s Word.

As the people heard and came to understand the Law, they wept. Ezra, Nehemiah and the Levites told the people not to mourn or weep and instead essentially told them to go and celebrate with a feast. Instead of mourning and weeping they were to rejoice! Their newfound understanding and adoration for God’s Law was turned into joyous celebration. This did not mean that all of the people would now live perfect lives. Certainly not. None of us can. Just as the people of this period in the Old Testament could rejoice in God’s Law, so too can we today.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” -Romans 8: 1-11

I am not a medical professional. This journal is about my spiritual path and about that which the Lord has placed on me. This is not medical advice, nor was this fast done for any medical purpose. If you have a medical interest, seek medical advice. If you have particular health concerns, seek medical advice and/or conduct your own research. Any fasting advice, effects, realizations or anything else related to my fast come from my personal reflection and experience. If you are considering fasting, consulting with a healthcare provider may be appropriate for you.