Nehemiah 8:10 – “Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'”
THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH!
Out of context, this scripture might seem confusing. Why is Nehemiah telling us not to grieve, in the middle of planning a party? It’s important to understand the context of who Nehemiah is speaking to and what is happening at this particular moment. Nehemiah is speaking to the entire nation of Israel. The Israelites have just returned from exile to a conquering nation. They are in the process of rebuilding their crumbled and abandoned city, stone by stone. The Israelites take a break from their work to assemble together as the Law of the Lord is read.
As the Law is read, the people begin to weep and mourn. Can you imagine an entire country mourning at the same time? They weep, because when the truth is read, they are confronted with their own guilt….how far they have fallen from God’s plan for them. They have abandoned the Lord their God and have sinned greatly. As a result, they have lost the Lord’s covering and been conquered by another nation, losing countless friends and family members to war. After a long exile, the Lord calls them home. He still has a plan for them.
In the middle of this, Nehemiah stands up and states the scripture written above. His statement breaks down like this: Go throw a feast, share with those who have nothing prepared, do so as an act of worship, and embrace joy over grief. FOR THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH!! Throwing a feast is not a foreign concept to the Israelites. They know how to throw a feast! In fact, much of their religion is one of worship through JOY.
This seems strange and out of place though. They are weeping. They are guilty and he wants them to get up and throw a party? Yes! Because sitting in their grief and guilt will get them no where. They will be ineffective in serving the Lord if they stay in their grief. Repentance and grief are necessary, but they are only an open door to JOY and CELEBRATION.
Many of us can relate to this. We have all been where the Israelites are in this passage. Grieving for our sin or the sins of a loved one. Mourning what has been lost because of that separation from the Lord. Asking ourselves, can things ever possibly be the same? No, happily, they cannot. IT CAN BE SO MUCH BETTER! God, through Nehemiah, is not only calling us to repentance, but to a better life. A life filled with JOY and GENEROSITY.
e tells them to prepare a feast and share with those who are unprepared. Be generous! You can now freely give what the Lord has given you…grace. Understanding the depths of your own sin, allows you to freely give forgiveness and grace to those around you. You can freely share the good news of freedom in Christ. You can also now rejoice, because the Lord has blessed you with the fruit of His Spirit. You can fill yourself with the sustenance of his Word and drink in the gift of his Holy Spirit. This is a feast that never ends!
No matter how difficult life gets or how far you have fallen, the Lord is calling you back from exile. He will help you rebuilt. His Word to those of us who have repented today is: Stand up. Throw a party. Be generous. And embrace JOY! The best part of all of this is that joy is contagious! It is very difficult to not covet, the joy of the Lord. People are attracted to it. Because with JOY comes HOPE. HOPE breeds FAITH. And FAITH brings FREEDOM!!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our challenge from Nehemiah: EMBRACE JOY! BECOME BEACONS OF HOPE!
– Wendy Buttacy
