Nehemiah 8:9-12

"And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them."

By the time of Nehemiah, Israel had suffered through 70 years of exile from their land. Now, by the command of King Artaxerxes, the Israelites were sent back to Jerusalem (as the LORD had said). What a job they had before them to clean up and rebuild the city. As they worked there arose a desire among the people to hear the word of the LORD. So in chapter 8 of Nehemiah it is recorded that they requested of Ezra that he read to them the book of the law. They all gathered to hear, and it says that when Ezra opened the book to read they all stood up. It is clear that they had a heart for the word. They wanted to know what were God's commands. It had been a long time since they were read. It is likely that the majority of those in the crowd had never even heard what God had to say. After having heard what was in the book, the people wept. This was because they knew that they were guilty before the God who had given the law. They perceived that their lives were far short of what He demanded. But Nehemiah and Ezra told the people to not weep, neither mourn, because the day was holy unto the LORD.

Nehemiah instead directs the people to be joyful, not sorry. He tells them to go and have a feast and to share with those who didn't have anything prepared. The reason they were to do these things was because the day was holy to the LORD. So away they went, and the passage says that they made great mirth because they had understood the words that were declared unto them. The day of sorrow was turned into a day of great joy.

An honest look at the word of God, comparing it to what is in our own lives, brings sorrow. When we take in even the smallest glimpse of His word we find ourselves to be woefully short of it. Not only that, but we also find ourselves to be without hope. For rightly understood, we come face to face with the reality that not only are we in a bad situation, but there is also nothing that we can do about it. God's standards are so high that they are beyond our achieving. His demands are so lofty that, if we are honest, we must throw up our hands at ever being able to meet them. Jesus further illuminates the intent of the law. For He applies its demands to what we think and say. Doing good while thinking evil, or saying evil, is not sufficient. So, in Matthew 19:25 His disciples ask Jesus, "... Who then can be saved?" His answer in verse 26 is, "... With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." Therein is our only hope of meeting His demands, if He takes action making it possible for us to do.

A true understanding His word and ways also brings joy. And this joy brings strength. A desire to seek His face and know His words result in understanding His word, and ultimately in joy. This happens here to the Israelites as they requested of Ezra that he read to them God's word. The passage also indicates that the Levites helped by explaining the word, helping the people to understand it. As noted in the last paragraph, having seen what the word said they were sorrowful. But God turned this into an occasion of joy. The wonderful truth is that when it is believed, God's word is a source of encouragement, peace, and joy. The word that cuts like a knife becomes a source of healing and guidance. For it is the only place in which we can get to know God, and His great love for us. And that is a great source of joy.

So, the day of sorrow was turned into a day of joy. In the history of the world there was another day of sorrow that was soon turned to joy. On the day that our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ died there was great sorrow among those that were His. His followers were devastated. He even told them that would be the case. In John 16:20 He tells them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful..." He was referring to the day of His death. But three days later He rose again! In John 16 He goes on to say, "... but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." There was indeed great rejoicing at the seeing again of our LORD after His death because He was alive again. And, He ever lives to make intercession for His people.

What is our source of joy? It should be Him and His word.

HJK