Archive for 09/10/2009

T24 - back to Taipei for Bible Study

09/10/2009 by paul.

Today has been a busy day. It began with me giving thanks at the 6am prayer meeting that I had managed to wake up every morning and spend time with God! After a quick tidy round my room and breakfast, I joined the students for our last devotions together. Their reading for this morning was Psalm 55, and when I was asked to share with them I focussed on verse 22 and the last part of verse 23…

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous fall….

But as for me, I trust in you.

It seemed like a good passage with which to leave them for a day of tests and exams! It was also a privelege to pray for the school and the kids.

And so we headed to the car and to Taichung station to get me on a High Speed Train to Taipei. I was looking forward to the journey, because, unlike my previous journey, it was light so I would be able to see the countryside. This little video I took is the view of the countryside flying by - in this 35 sec video we travelled 3km!

When I got to Taipei I treated myself to a taxi to the church. I finished my preparations for the Bible Study. There were about 20 people gathered together for the study on Nehemiah 8. As you might have gathered from my constant referring to me trying to work at it, it has been hard preparing a study for people who live in a different culture, and who I don’t really know that well. But I decided that meant that I need to try and stick as close to what the passage says, rather than try to give too many applications and examples. Hopefully people will be able to do this themselves.

 Nehemiah 8 (NKJV)
1 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
4 So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God.
Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. 8 So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.
9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.
10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.   
13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. 14 And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. 17 So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner. (Nehemiah 8, New King James Version)

We talked about how the people gathered to hear from God’s Word - that it was the people who told the priest, Ezra, to read (not Ezra telling the people to listen). I think that deep down in most Christians know that they should be reading and understanding the Bible. We also talked about how the passage (v.2) includes men, women, and probably children (those who could understand). We talked about how this reflects that God’s Living Word, whilst containing difficult and tricky passages, can speak to all people in their own situations. We then see the atittude that the people had in coming to God’s Word. They had:

1) Patience (to stand and listen for hours in v.3 & v.7)
2) Attentivenes (v.3)
3) Respect (standing upon and letting Ezra stand up high while he read v.4 & v.5)
4) Responsiveness (turning to worship God (v.6)
and they listened to those who had been trained in the scriptures (v.7 & 8 )

We talked about how these attitudes might help us in our time with the Bible. It is good to try and read the Bible everyday, but doing so is quite a commitment. We need to have patience - we might not understand everything straight away or, as Paul might say, ever!). We need to be attentive - for me that means not trying to read the Bible at 6 every morning or at midnight! We need to have respect for God’s Word - this doesn’t mean standing up or performing rituals, but it does mean not ignoring the boring or difficult parts of scripture, and it does mean prioritising the reading of God’s Word in our lives. We need repsonsiveness too - if we are to gain from our reading, then it is no use reading for five minutes a day, shutting our Bibles and then carrying with our daily lives, we need to spend time thinking, responding and listening to what God might have to say to us.

We then talked about the inner transformation that can happen when we are dedicated to hearing from God and his Word. The people in the passage

1) Wept (v.9)
2) Were told to have Joy (v.10)
3) Were told to have Strength (v.10)
4) Were told the day was Sacred (v.11)

This reflects some of the inward changes that occur when we learn more about God. Sometimes this will bring up some raw emotions, can lead to crying - perhaps this is what was meant in Hebrews when it says that the Word of God can cut right to the core of our being, to our soul (Heb. 4:12). Reading about God gives us Joy - not just a temporary happiness and wamr feeling inside, but much more holistic peace and contentment. Reading about God gives us strength and confidence. In a World that is often telling us many things about God, or trying to disprove that God exists, reading the Bible does give us a confidence that God is real and that our trust in him is not in vain. Reading the bible helps to make our days more holy, in fact I have experienced how reading the Bible helps me see what is is sinful in my life, and so I can act differently, making myself more holy, more pleasing in God’s sight - what a wonderful motivation for reading the Bible.

Finally we talked about how these things lead to an outer transformation of people and society. The people:

1) Celebrated and had Fellowship together (v.12)
2) Discovered afresh God’s commands (v.13 & 14)
3) They shared God’ Word with others (v.15)
4) Their community sees growth numerically and in joy (v.16 & 18)

So the people share together. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if on a Sunday Morning in church, we were really keen and eager to share with each other what God had said to us through reading His Word? Wouldn’t that cause us to celebrate together as we learn more of each other and of God? The people found something in the scripture they had forgotten, a command from God to build booths during one of the festivals. Because of their reading they discover something practical that God wants them to do in their lives that will bring more glory to him. The people are so enthused by reading God’s Word that they go out in to the towns and countryside around Jerusalem sharing God’s Word with those that we meet. Wouldn’t it be great if we were really proud of the Bible and had no reservations in going out and sharing it with those that we meet in our homes, in our work places or on the street? Finally the commmunity see growth both spiritually in their joy and numerically (more people join them). It is wonderful!

We quite like the final results - its hard not to get excited by them, but it all comes down to our daily reading of God’s Word. The everyday questions of when and where we read the Bible, for how long and the priority it has inour lives can make a big difference to us hearing God and working for God’s Kingdom. Soli Deo Gloria

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