I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Nehemiah 7-8.

    When rebuilding of Jerusalem’s wall was completed Nehemiah began to make plans for his return to the capital. First he divided the responsibility for governing the city up between his brother and the commander of the city guard and gave them instructions concerning maintaining its defenses. Second, he created a registration of the people of the city, using the genealogies brought back by the original returned Exiles to establish that people were who they claimed to be. There were some who believed themselves to be descended from priests who did not appear in the genealogical records. It is worth noting that while they were initially banned from partaking in the duties and privileges of the priesthood, this was only until a priest could consult God using the sacred lots (which we have long since lost the format and methodology of using).

    As part of Nehemiah’s preparation to return to the Persian capital he gathered the people in order to have Ezra read the Law of Moses to them. It is interesting to see the arrangements they made so that everyone could hear the Law read (various individuals standing on platforms at a distance from each other apparently reading in unison). However, what struck me today is that the people appear to have responded to hearing the Law similar to how King Josiah had done. The passage tells us that their leaders had to tell them not to mourn, that this was a day of celebration. It seems likely that the people were mournful because as they heard the Law read and explained they realized that they had failed to obey it faithfully. This idea is supported by the fact that they created a commission to study the Law and determine in greater detail what they should be doing. It is worth noting that it was this commission which called for the celebration of the Festival of Shelters, not Ezra the scribe, who had been studying the Law for years. The commission studied the Law together and came to this conclusion. It was not an edict handed down from Ezra’s authority as a student of the Law.