Bible study · Nehemiah 8:1-18
Nehemiah 8: They gave the sense
Read Nehemiah 8:1-18 before you meet.
In a few lines
Nehemiah 8 uses one Hebrew verb six times, for hearing with understanding, teaching and understanding. The book was read "distinctly" and they "gave the sense" (8:8), and the day of tears became a shared feast: they went "to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them" (8:12).
The verse to carry
“Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.””
Nehemiah 8:10
To talk about
1. "The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law" (8:3), from early morning until midday. What helps you really listen when the Bible is read, and what gets in the way?
2. The Levites "gave the sense, so that they understood the reading" (8:8), and the people celebrated "because they had understood" (8:12). Is there a part of the Bible that became joy for you once it made sense? Or one you still want someone to help you understand?
3. The feast came with a charge: "send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared" (8:10). Who around you has nothing prepared this week, and what portion could you send?