The Great Water Gate Revival

Nehemiah 8

William Wilberforce spent most of his life trying to end the slave trade in England. When news finally arrived that the government had abolished it, Wilberforce turned to his friend Henry Thorton and said, “Well, Henry, what shall we abolish next?”

Nehemiah had spent his time as governor restoring the walls of Jerusalem in a mere fifty-two days. Now, how was he going to restore the spiritual life of the citizens of Jerusalem and surrounding communities? Working with Ezra, the scribe Nehemiah helps in rebuilding the nation’s understanding and practice of the Law.

The people gather before the Water Gate in the open square. This was on first day of the seventh month. Since “the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul” (6:15) this gathering occurred just five days after the wall was completed. A time to celebrate in the Lord but not in the wall itself. If the Jews were going to restore their nation, they needed to heed God’s Word, not trust in a wall around Jerusalem.

The gathering turned into one of the greatest revivals recorded in the Bible. A revival is a restoration to activity with energy to encourage greater faith and devotion to God. Someone asked evangelist Billy Sunday if revivals lasted, and he replied, “No, neither does a bath; but it’s good to have one occasionally!” This was not Israel’s first or last revival. There has always been a continuous need for renewal of faith in each generation. God has no grandchildren! The previous great revival was in the time of King Josiah in 2 Kings 23. It did not last. The people were taken away into Babylonian captivity. Before Josiah’s time was the reforms of King Hezekiah. “For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses” (2 Kings 18:6).

A native of India: “We are having a great rebible here.” They may have meant “revival” but getting back to the Bible is a major part of it. Nehemiah was reinforcing the stone walls with a foundation of spiritual values found in the scriptures. Ignorance was a major threat to the returned exiles. Many had not heard the Word of God read and explained for many years. Ezra was the key leader in the revival at the Water Gate. He had come to Jerusalem about fourteen years before Nehemiah. Although Nehemiah had been sent by the King of Persia to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Ezra had been sent by the King of Persia to rebuild the Temple services and servants (Ezra 7-10). Perhaps Ezra had returned to Jerusalem to help Nehemiah after the priest/scribe had been recalled to Persia. Perhaps Ezra’s return and participation in these events of Nehemiah chapter eight is why Nehemiah changed from speaking in first-person to speaking in third person.

Proper Preparation to Studying God’s Word

To properly study the Bible requires making preparations. Before the revival began with the reading of the Law, the people had to be ready to listen.

• Assemble

It is necessary for “the people gathered together as before the men and women and those who could understand” (8:1a). This crowd could have numbered up to fifty thousand souls. Some children are not included as they are not old enough to understand.

God wants us to assemble together under the New Covenant to learn and worship. Christians are “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:25).

• Unity

Notice this group of God’s people are united: “all the people gathered together as one man” (8:1b). The word “people” occurs thirteen times in the first twelve verses of chapter eight. The phrase “all the people” occurs in nine of these. In order for the walls to be rebuilt unity was required of the people. The same is true during this time of revival. God still wants His people to meet together in unity. This has been true of Christians since the day of Pentecost. “So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:46,47).

• Place

The choice of a place to study is vital to concentration. In our text the people met “in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate” (8:1c). This was a place suitable for everyone. The Water Gate was located on the south-east side of the city. And as the name implies was close to where water was brought into the city. This would be the same location where the penitent men of Judah had met (Ezra 10:9).

• Teacher

A good revival needs a good teacher. The people “they told Ezra the scribe” to come teach them (8:1d). Imagine how elated Ezra was to receive this request. He had been preparing himself to do this for the people most of his life. “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10).

• Text Book

The people not only requested the best teacher but called for the right text from which to be taught. Ezra was called upon “to bring the Book of the Law of Moses” (8:1e). So, Ezra brought the Book of the Law and opened it up to read it. The Bible is not just for scholars and priests like Ezra to study, it is given to God to all men and women to hear.

• Time

Timing is important. Nehemiah set the time to correspond with a holy day “on the first day of the seventh month” (8:2).

• Assistants

While reading the Law, Ezra has assistants “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” (8:4b). The focus is not on the men but on those who used their position to support the reading of the Law. God’s Law was for all.

Also assisting Ezra was “Nehemiah, who was the governor” (8:9a). Civil government leaders need to support the reading and studying of God’s Word. Today, many think that it is unconstitutional or inappropriate to encourage the godliness of citizens based upon promoting the virtues of the Word. Many presidents have celebrated the power of the Bible to change men’s lives.

In addition to these assistants was the need for men who were skilled in explaining the law with language and terms with which they were familiar. Keep in mind the people had been living in captivity for decades in foreign lands. “Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law” (8:7a). While the other assistants stood on the platform, these thirteen Levites were stationed near the crowd to aid in instruction. Levites and priests were to teach the Law to their fellow Israelites (Deut. 33:10).  Later these Levites weighed in to tell the crowd to “be still” or hush “for this is the sacred (holy) day”

• Provisions

Teaching aids have always been essential in being able to share God’s Word. Ezra was about to use “a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose” (8:4a). Literally, it is “a tower of wood” which had been constructed for the occasion. When they were finished rebuilding the walls they built a platform.

• Explanation

“So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading” (8:8). The term “distinctly” means the Levites explained or interpreted the Law in language they could understand clearly. The Hebrew language would have undergone some changes since the writing of the Law of Moses. Some may have required an Aramaic translation. Good preaching and teaching involve explaining the meaning of the Bible.

• Teacher Prep

“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” (8:13). The leaders gathered to Ezra on the second day of the revival in order to receive much needed training, so they could better instruct others. You cannot make clear to others what you do not clearly understand yourself.

• Prayer

All Bible studies need to begin with prayer. “Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God” (8:6a). Pray the people understand and the teachers can recall the Law and are able to instruct clearly.

Proper Attitude When Studying God’s Word

No matter how well and how much preparation are made to gather for a revival, if the attitude of the people is wrong, nothing is going to go right. Everything may be prepared for a successful Bible study, but are the students prepared?

■ Desire to Study

Fortunately for Ezra and his assistants the people were teachable. It was the people who call upon Ezra to bring the Law. What every open Bible needs is open hearts. They did not come to hear the reading of the law out of a sense of guilt or duty but delight.

■ Attentive

Many of the prophets of Israel and Judah decried the poor listening skills of their listeners (Hos.4:6; Is. 1:2). But at the Great Water Gate Revival “the ears of all the people were attentive” (8:3c). Today, we are commanded to “give attention to the public reading of Scripture” (1 Tim. 4:13 nasb),

■ Respect for the Word

You can clearly see the respect the people had for God’s Word. “When he opened it, all the people stood up” (8:5c). B.B. Warfield wrote, “The Bible is the Word of God in such a way that when the Bible speaks, God speaks.” Students of the Word of God do not worship the Book. They worship the Author. However, the respect for the divine authority of the Bible is essential to having the proper respect for Author. What a wonderful sight it would have been as they all arose in reverent silence when Ezra opened the scroll. To this day some congregations still arise when the Bible is read

■ Reverence for the Lord

“And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground” (8:6d). Notice their respect was being shown for the Lord. This is not to imply that looking up in worship is a form of disrespect. God has not commanded a single form of physical posture when in worship.

■ Agreement

The people expressed their agreement with the Words of God. “All the people answered, ‘Amen, Amen!’” (8:6b). The word “Amen” means “I agree,” “so be it,” “Yes, may it be so,” “It is so,” “how true” or “truly.” “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Praise the Lord!” (Ps. 106:48).

■ Humility

Their posture during the reading of the Law was not just a demonstration of their reverence toward God but an expression of their humility. “Then while lifting up their hands…with their faces to the ground” (8:6d). By lifting their hands in worship, they are showing a sense of need (Ps. 24:2; 134:2; 1 Tim. 2:8). Prostration represented humility before a sovereign.

■ Patient Endurance

The reading service lasted for six hours “from morning until midday” (8:3a). Could a modern audience listen to the Word of God read for half a day which standing up? Most Christians have difficulty sitting in a padded seat to listen to a thirty-minute sermon. What portions of the Pentateuch were read is unknown. The five books of Moses would have required much more than six hours of reading time.

Proper Effects of Studying God’s Word

A great revival requires more than just proper preparation and attitude for success. The real results of listening to God’s Word can only be seen in the lives of those who take it to heart.

▸ Gives Us Understanding

“They understood the words that were declared to them” (8:11b). Diverse forms of the verb “to understand” appear throughout this chapter in verses 2,3,7,8,9,12, and 13. To listen for six hours without understanding would have been a massive waste of time.

▸ Reminders of our Duties

The Bible was not just given for our information but for our transformation. The people understood that they had a responsibility to keep the feasts of the Lord. “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” (8:14).

The day picked for the revival started in a month filled with holy days and worship. According to Leviticus 23 the seventh month was a month of feasts. The first day started with the Feast of Trumpets also called Rosh Hashanah. This represents the New Year’s Day of their civil calendar. “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation” (Lev. 23:24).  On the Tenth day of the month was the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. Then on day fifteen began the Feast of Tabernacles. It is also called Sukkoth which is the Hebrew word for “booths.”

The feast was to remind the people of the days of their wandering in the wilderness. It was a reenactment of Israel’s forty year camping experience. This annual reminder was a vivid teaching aid to recall the care God gave them during their early history. The feast lasted seven days as they lived in booths or tents. Five general locations are listed for placement of the booths. House tops were ideal for camping because the family already used them as part of their living space. Every seventh Feast of Tabernacles was to include the reading of the Law.

The mention of the days of Joshua does not mean the festival had not been celebrated before. This feast had been observed by Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:8,8:13), by Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:4) and by Josiah in 2 Kings 22:11. Perhaps they had not kept it as a whole nation since the days of Joshua.

▸ Causes Sorrow for Past Sins

While the Law was being read, the people realized they had not kept the Law. “For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law” (8:9). The reading of the Bible exposes sin. Paul wrote, “for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20). When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost the Jews were “pricked in their heart” (Acts 2:37). Have you ever shed a tear in reading God’s Word? “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Cor. 7:10). The Bible points out sin and its consequences: death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23a). Yet it also points to the remedy. “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23b).

▸ Produces Joy and Gladness

Ironically not only does the reading of God’s Word produce sorrow, but it also results in great rejoicing. “And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly” (8:11a). There are two reasons for the Levites exhortation for the people to rejoice. First, they had repented. Second, this was the first day of the seventh month, the Feast of Trumpets, which was to be a day of rejoicing (Lev. 23:23-25; Deut. 16:15). It was an agricultural festival in celebration of the harvest. A time to enjoy God’s blessings and give food to others.

▸ Produces Benevolence

The Feast of Tabernacles was a time for sending food and gifts to others, especially to those who were needy. “And send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared” (8:10).

Proper Response to Studying God’s Word

Finally, those who hear God’s Word must make application of God’s Will in their daily lives.

• All Obey

“So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths” (8:17a). Everyone in the community of Jews responded by building booths. They had only thirteen days to prepare for Feast of Tabernacles. What we read and what we do about what we read are two vastly different things.

• Exactness

“And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner” (8:18b). God is a God of detail. He expects man to obey by paying close attention to the details. Noah built the ark in this fashion (Gen. 6:22). When an architect draws blueprints for a house, the builder is obligated to build the house accordingly.

• Gladness

They were happy because they understood the Word. “And there was very great gladness” (8:17b). “Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart” (Ps. 119:111).

• Continued Study

The people must have found the Bible a real page-turner. “Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God” (8:18a). The Word of God was read to the people every day of the feast. The Jews later became known as “the people of the Book.” Do you read the Bible daily?

Victor Hugo said over a century ago, “England has two books, the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare but the Bible made England.” This truth about God’s Word Nehemiah and Ezra knew over two thousand years ago.

– Daniel R. Vess