“And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God.”
Nehemiah 9:3 ESV
Last time we saw our group gather again for fasting with sackcloth. Those of the direct line of Jacob separated themselves from those who were not, and took their stand, confessing their habitual sins and offenses, along with those of their forefathers, taking responsibility for what was still bent, twisted, and crooked. Today we see precisely how they confessed.
“And they stood (qum – to arise, stand up, accomplish, accuse, brighter, confirm, establish, fulfill, prepare, raise, rise, strengthen, surely stand).”
Once again, our returned exiles are described as standing, this time to confirm, accomplish, fulfill what God has prepared for them to do. Shining brighter, prepared and strengthened for the task ahead of learning to be God’s people once again in their homeland.
And they were not just standing wherever, but “in their place” (omed – a standing place, upright, fixed spot). Because many of us are accustomed to seeing North America as the center of the world, it is sometimes hard to understand why God had chosen the Promised Land to make Himself known throughout the centuries.
But I’ll never forget first learning in college about some of the possible reasons Yahweh Elohim strategically chose to display Himself in the Fertile Crescent. With the trade routes and rivers, thriving civilizations and bountiful lands, this place was likely the center of the world.
And it was definitely the center of what God was doing. And He never does things haphazardly.
How about you? Ever struggle with getting perspective on Who is the point? Or fail to see the position to which you’ve been called in humility?
Yet, at the same time, ever wonder if you’ve been called to a fixed place to stand? We are, friends, one where we stand upright, dignified in our roles and strengthened for our unique tasks.
So our gathered folk were standing in their fixed place and reading (qara – to call, proclaim, read, make famous) from the Book of the Law of God (Torah of Yahweh their Elohim).
What a good idea. When given a fixed place and a second chance, the people chose wisely and proclaimed not what sounded good to them but what they knew experientially to be True. They made famous the ancient call of God and the Law through which He had made Himself known.
May we do the same, Believers. We have every reason in the world to trust in Holy Writ and conform our lives to its Truth. May its message – lived out in our lives through love – make Him famous.
While reading of Torah accounted for a quarter of the day, another quarter was used specifically for confession (yadah – to throw, cast, give thanks; from yad – to hold out hand, physically: to throw stone, to revere/worship with extended hands).
Here is our thankful confession from last time again. The security of being able to acknowledge what is broken because we have the Blessed Fix. One able to cast our sin as far as the East is from the West and take the stoning we deserve. Such a God holds out His hand to each of us. Our part is taking it gratefully, then raising ours in awe.
In fact, this time of thankful confession leads directly in our text to worship (shachah – to bow down, prostrate, fall down flat, humbly beseech) Yahweh their Elohim.
Indeed, fall on your knees and hear the angel voices. When the God of galaxies becomes God with us, bowing prostrate only makes sense. Let’s bow in humble worship today, knowing Who is the point and standing in our fixed place to make Him famous.
Oh night divine.