1All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel. 2Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 4Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people), and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6Then Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God.
All the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground. 7Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stayed in their place. 8They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
9Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “Today is holy to Yahweh your God. Don’t mourn, nor weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”
11So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Don’t be grieved.”
12All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
13On the second day, the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, to study the words of the law. 14They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; 15and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters, as it is written.”
16So the people went out and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters, everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate. 17All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters and lived in the temporary shelters, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness. 18Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.
Waiting for Clarity
Joseph and Mary Facing One Another
Joseph was a kind man. He wanted the best for his betrothed, Mary. He must have been well acquainted with Mary’s devotion to the Lord. But surely at moments, he had his doubts as to the meaning of so many confusing events. He probably not only felt doubtful, but confused, and perhaps even betrayed. His steadfast devotion and support of Mary took great faith, discipline, and patience. Who knows what went through his head? The text tells us that he was afraid. We know this because the angel that appeared to him tells him, “Do not be afraid. Go ahead with the marriage and take her as your wife because God is up to something. This is a holy and different conception.” We often see Mary as the heroine of the story, but there is so much to say about Joseph that is positive.
Reader, you’ve probably never encountered something like Joseph did, but you and I have had our own times of confusion. It might involve a relationship with another person. It might be our finances or our health that has left us bewildered. I think it helps not to try to understand it all. Just trust God at His word and claim His promises. His word tells us that hope is ours to be had. It is firmly rooted in our faith that God is able to do what He says He will do. Move forward, loving God with all your heart and trusting that He is good and that He loves you with an everlasting love. You might be wondering, “Pastor, how can I have joy in the midst of this mess and this chaos?” The secret to having your joy return is in leaning on Him. In ancient Hebrew, God’s language, the word for joy, simcha, is from a root meaning to “lean on.” Nehemiah 8:10 tells us, “The joy of the Lord is my strength!” Don’t you see? Nehemiah is saying, “Leaning on the Lord is my strength!” It is in leaning on Him that you will find your joy in the midst of things you can’t make sense of. Lean in hard. Lean on Him. I am sure that Joseph did just that in the middle of a situation that just made no sense.
We, too, must exercise kindness, and even when we’re in the midst of confusion, we need to patiently wait to see how God works out seemingly problematic events in our lives. While Joseph considered what to do, God mercifully sent an angel who gave him a full explanation. We may not have an angel visit us in times of confusion, but we do have promises from His Word. We can rest assured that God hears us and is attentive to every concern we might have. The angel told Joseph to “not be afraid." There is no room for fear in the heart of the believer. Don’t you be afraid either. Lean!