There are times in some Christians lives where the guilt from past sins can be overwhelming. No matter how repentant and contrite they are, they can’t seem to get beyond that. Is this where the Lord would want us to remain? In our Old Testament Scripture passage from the Lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer for this third week following the Epiphany we will read of an occasion where this happened, and what the Lord’s response to this was. Did He agree that the people should keep bemoaning their past sins more and more, groveling in their repentance, or did He encourage them to now move on? Let’s see.
After the Babylonian exile, the Persian Emperor Cyrus the Great allowed the Jewish people to return to their homeland. The people set about to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, and then Nehemiah encouraged the people to rebuild the wall around the city. Now as our passage begins, the exiles who have returned to Jerusalem have gathered in an open square in the city, and Ezra, a scribe and priest, ascended to a raised platform where he proceeded to read from the Word of God. With him were several other Levites who helped explain the Scriptures to the people (vs. 1-8).
The people of Jerusalem stood and attentively listened to the Word of God being read and explained to them for hours. They understood that it was because of the sins of their fathers, the sins of the whole Hebrew people, the nation of Israel, that they went into exile. Disobeying God’s Word, particularly in worshiping the false gods of the neighboring nations, had brought God’s wrath, ending in their exile. They also knew that collectively the guilt was with all the people, including themselves. This guilt and sorrow brought the people to mourn and weep as they heard God’s Word (vs. 9).
However, the governor of Judea, Nehemiah, urged the people to stop grieving and mourning, as this was a day to rejoice, not mourn and weep. This was a holy day to the Lord, one to feast and enjoy, to give to those in need, and to be filled with the joy of the Lord (vs. 9-10).
Nehemiah’s admonition to the people isn’t just for those people back in that day. It is for us today. When we have heard the Word of God and realized our sin, whether it is at the time of our salvation, or whether it is later on, after having slipped and backslidden into sin, after we confess and repent, we should not stop and stay there. It is true, and it is good to repent of our sin, but then we need to move on to the next step, and receive God’s mercy and forgiveness. When He forgives, God removes the sin and its stain, and we are washed clean. We should not remain in a mournful and sad state. Instead, Nehemiah told the people to be filled with God’s joy. That applies to us, today, as well.
There are times in our life when we are almost overwhelmed with troubles, problems, and maybe heart-wrenching grief over things that have happened. You feel like you could never be happy again. Too often people confuse happiness with joy, thinking they are the same thing. However, they are not. Happiness is a temporary emotion which will come and go depending on our circumstances. Joy is a deep rest and peace within our soul and mind, which comes from a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We can have lasting joy despite any negative circumstances as we abide in His presence.
As we go through life, with all of its trials and problems, we need to make sure that our spiritual tank is filled up with joy. Whenever someone sets out on a long road trip, before they leave they check the vehicle’s tank to make sure they have plenty of fuel. When someone sets out for a day-long hike in the summer, they should always make sure they have plenty of water with them. Likewise, in going through life we need to make sure our spiritual tank of joy has been refilled. The best way to do that is to spend time in the presence of God by praying and reading His Word. The people in our Scripture had just had a day-long Bible study, and Nehemiah said to let God’s joy be their strength.
The level of our joy will determine the level of our spiritual strength. When we get more of Jesus, we will have less of us. Choosing joy over giving in to despair means finding delight in knowing God. Choosing joy is worth the effort.
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