Nehemiah 8:9

THE WEEPING OF THE PEOPLE TURNED INTO JOY

"And Nehemiah who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah 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 him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye grieved; for the joy of Jehovah 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."

"Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe" (Nehemiah 8:9). In the light of this verse, we find it impossible to accept the declaration that, "Nehemiah's name in Nehemiah 8:9 is most certainly intrusive; and, apart from the strong evidence that Nehemiah and Ezra were not contemporaries, there are reasons to believe his name is not original in this context."[15] How could it be that Ezra and Nehemiah were not contemporary, since both of them were officials in the reign of Artaxerxes? That alone means that they were contemporaries, unless one of them died; and where is there any statement about that?

"For all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law" (Nehemiah 8:9). Who is he who, upon careful meditation upon all that the Law of God requires, can restrain emotions of grief and mournful feelings of sinful shortcomings and failures? Only those who close their eyes and stop their ears against what God says can refrain from similar grief. God's Law does not, however, leave the human heart depressed in sorrow. Ezra (and his helpers the Levites) quickly moved to turn the people's weeping into joy.

"Send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared" (Nehemiah 8:10). Cook pointed out that this custom of sending portions on festive occasions grew out of the words in Deuteronomy 16:11,14.[16] The poor, the sojourner, the servant, the neglected, and the dispossessed are not to be forgotten by God-fearing people.

"And all the people went their way ... to make great mirth" (Nehemiah 8:12). The reason for this great joy is stated in the words, "Because they had understood the words that were declared unto them." What a glimpse of the New Covenant there is in this! The great and eternal principle of holy religion is this, as Jesus stated it, "That my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11). From one end to the other, the New Testament is a shout of joy. The angelic chorus sang it the night the Christ was born; and an angel of God declared to the shepherds; "Behold, I bring you tidings of great joy that shall be to all people" (Luke 2:10).