Thu May 8

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the words book and law.

Reading

Nehemiah 8:1-8—Listening Attentively to the Word Preached

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

The people wanted to hear the Bible.
Ezra read the Word of God to them for hours!
Ezra and his helpers explained the Bible as well.

Questions

(some read these before notes, then ask them after)

What did the people want Ezra to bring out?
How can you listen attentively to the Bible read and preached?
How should we respond to the word read and preached?

Notes

In Nehemiah we have the continuation of the resettlement of the exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem. While Ezra focuses on rebuilding the temple, Nehemiah focuses on re-building the wall around Jerusalem. Now that the wall was completed (6:15) we find the people gathered for an hour of worship. No, that’s not right. They gathered for a day of worship. No, that’s not right either. We read in Nehemiah 8 that they gathered for a week of worship! (Although our text only covers the first 6 or so hours of that worship.)

The people asked Ezra to bring The Book. As Ezra and his assistants read and explained the Law of God, the people listened attentively and worshipfully. They wanted to hear and understand.

We need this message in our day, as well. Brown notes that western materialistic culture has become increasingly indifferent to the Bible. ... Of the 700 people interviewed in connection with a recent survey (30 years ago, likely worse today), only 15% were committed to day-by-day Bible reading. …Almost 40% indicated that they read the Bible at home only once a year or less. Committed Christians who neglect the privilege and discipline of daily Bible reading are severing their links with vital spiritual resources. Worship Connected seeks to encourage daily household worship and connect that reading with the weekly sermons of our church.

Might we be people who delight to bring out the Book, read it, listen attentively to it preached, hide it in our hearts and bring forth its fruit, with God’s help, in our lives.

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday reading for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 119m, 84a

Prayer

Ask God to give you a hunger and thirst for His Word.
Pray for the preparation for preaching God’s word this Sunday.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.