A S P E C T S - a monthly devotional journal For subscription information on receiving Aspects every month via e-mail, or the laser-printed edition by mail, see NOTES, COPYRIGHT & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION near the end of this file. Aspects is written by David S. Lampel. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Issue #35, October 1993 (Internet Edition) S T A N D I N G B E F O R E T H E W O R D ----------------------------------------------------------------- In this issue: Perspective 1 - Thirsting at the Water Gate - Neh 8:1 Perspective 2 - Be Still and Know - Neh 8:5 Perspective 3 - "Amen! Amen!" - Neh 8:6 ----------------------------------------------------------------- They had all been through some pretty tough times together. Under the leadership of their governor, Nehemiah, the Jews had worked and struggled and fought to put back into place the burnt and crumbled stones that had once been the wall around Jerusalem. Shortly after the work had begun, however, Sanballat, the Samarian governor, and Tobiah, a Jew by birth but now an Ammonite official, began their campaign of rumor and innuendo and treachery. These neighbors mocked the Jews for what they saw as a futile--even rebellious--activity; they formed a conspiracy with others to disrupt the work by means of armed force; and they repeatedly tried to entice their leader, Nehemiah, to do something foolish by which they could then denounce him to the king. But through it all, the people kept at it, repairing the walls stone by stone--even working with their weapons strapped to their sides, working with a trowel in one hand and their sword in the other--until finally the wall was restored, and it was time to praise Jehovah for His strengthening hand in the restoration of His city. All the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. The Levites--Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah--instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.(1) _________________________ Oh, that we would today hold in such reverence and awe the word of God. Sadly, it has become almost commonplace; there is only a short distance from the dust-covered tome holding down the coffeetable to the casual, almost impatient, reading in the Worship Service. Somewhere along, as we have passed through our methods and traditions, the evangelical has come to think that to stand in silence at the reading of God's word is too "high church"--too formal. And it has taken only a short time for this to degenerate into the Pastor whisking through the text so as to spend more time with his words rather than His words. In our fear of returning to those pre-reformation days, when the Bible was chained to the pulpit and recited only in Latin, our practices have degenerated into an almost blasphemous tedium when God's word is read, so that now it is even common for people to continue their conversations with pew mates while the Bible is read. Oh, that we would return to the level of reverence witnessed by Ezra, so that when God's word is read to the people we would all lift up our hands and cry out: "Amen! Amen!" and fall down and worship Him with our faces to the ground. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 1: T H I R S T I N G A T T H E W A T E R G A T E ------------- THEIR IDEA The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns. When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded for Israel. -Neh 7:73-8:1 _________________________ "Much of our difficulty as seeking Christians stems from our unwillingness to take God as He is and adjust our lives accordingly. We insist upon trying to modify Him and to bring Him nearer to our own image. The flesh whimpers against the rigor of God's inexorable sentence and begs like Agag for a little mercy, a little indulgence of its carnal ways. It is no use. We can get a right start only by accepting God as He is and learning to love Him for what He is. As we go on to know Him better we shall find it a source of unspeakable joy that God is just what He is. Some of the most rapturous moments we know will be those we spend in reverent admiration of the Godhead. In those holy moments the very thought of change in Him will be too painful to endure."(2) _________________________ Just think of it! They had labored for so long--hard, backbreaking labor, always looking over their shoulders for an attack. And finally, finally, against all odds the wall had been finished and the new gates set in place. Finally, like God after earth's first six days, they could stand back and say: "It is good." Surely no one would be surprised if at this point Scripture reported that they . . . - took their ease beside the pool of Siloam, or - had a picnic out under the shade trees, or at least - celebrated by affixing their names to the stones just erected. But instead, these bone-weary people with scraped and calloused hands gathered before the eastern Water Gate and, as one, called out to Ezra the scribe to read God's word to them. At this dramatic juncture in their lives--after decades of Babylonian captivity, after decades of having their culture diluted by the infusion of others, after a confused return to the rubble of Jerusalem--they needed to reestablish their connection to the purity of God's law. And it was their idea. No pastor mailed them invitations; no sexton tolled the steeple bells, waking them all from their exhausted slumber; no town crier wandered the city streets and alleyways calling them to assembly. Out of their own need they came to the word of God. Who were these people that they should be so intent on hearing God's word read to them? Were they holy people: priests, preachers, prophets? No, they were just people. They were goldsmiths, perfumers, officials, priests, merchants, gatekeepers, singers, servants and slaves, overseers, warriors, farmers, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. A mix not unlike that making up the average church today. Today, however, the reading of God's word--whether in private or in a gathering--has sadly become drudgery. Wouldn't a juicy spy thriller, or a light and fluffy romance be much more fun? Even better, let's let it be played out in live action, across the television screen, instead of reading the words on a page; much more satisfying and immediately rewarding than the archaic language and concepts to be found in the Bible. The people standing before Ezra had a hunger for God's word. Would that today we would have that same hunger to hear His voice. _________________________ Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud: "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind. You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.(3) Into the Word ------------- Deut 31:10-13 ___________________________________ Joshua 8:33-35 ___________________________________ 2 Kings 23:1-3 ___________________________________ Psalm 1:1-2 ___________________________________ Psalm 42:1-2 ___________________________________ Psalm 119:97-104 ___________________________________ Psalm 143:5-8 ___________________________________ Jer 36:6 ___________________________________ Eph 6:16-17 ___________________________________ Col 4:16 ___________________________________ 1 Thes 5:27 ___________________________________ 2 Tim 3:14-17 ___________________________________ Hebrews 4:12 ___________________________________ 1 Peter 2:2 ___________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper--Moving Higher ----------------------------- Break Thou the Bread of Life Break Thou the bread of life, dear Lord to me, As Thou didst break the loaves beside the sea; Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord, My spirit pants for Thee, O living Word. Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me, As Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee; Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall; And I shall find my peace, my All in all. Thou art the bread of life, O Lord, to me, Thy holy Word the truth that saveth me; Give me to eat and live with Thee above; Teach me to love Thy truth, for Thou art love. O send Thy Spirit, Lord, now unto me, That He may touch my eyes, and make me see: Show me the truth concealed within Thy word, And in Thy Book revealed I see the Lord.(4) Making it Personal ------------------ Imagine this scene in contemporary terms. Let's say there has been a terrible, destructive fire that has leveled your church building. So the people turn out and over a period of time they rebuild the church house with their own hands--men, women and children. Finally, on a Tuesday afternoon, the last nail has been driven and the last coat of paint has been applied. The word goes out to all those who are at home because they weren't assigned to the current shift: Our place of worship has been restored! Soon cars full of families begin arriving, buses pull up and unload, until the entire church body is in attendance. Someone calls for the tallest ladder and tells the Pastor to stand at the top; someone else organizes the Deacons, arranging them on either side of the Pastor; then someone hands a copy of the Scriptures up to the Pastor, and with one voice the congregation shouts out: "Read to us from the Book!" What do you think would happen with your church once the building had been restored? Maybe a potluck supper? A fellowship? Maybe someone would present an historical skit, acting out the history of the church. Possibly all the carpenters would go to the front and take a bow, then the masons, then the painters. Maybe the family that had donated the most funds would get a brass plaque erected in their honor. Now just imagine (and be honest) with all that going on, what people would think if just one person raised his hand and said at that moment: "Hey, let's stand here silently in the sun while Pastor reads the first five books of the Bible." What is your relationship with God's word? Read Psalm 119 several times during this coming month. Thy testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul observes them. The unfolding of Thy words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. I opened my mouth wide and panted, for I longed for Thy commandments.(5) Into the Word ------------- This event coincided with the Hebrews' Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. What is the background and significance of this celebration? When did God first direct them to do this? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 2: B E S T I L L A N D K N O W ------------- THEIR RESPECT Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. -Neh 8:5 _________________________ I have a fantasy. Every Sunday morning, like clockwork, I relive the fantasy anew . . . I am in a church building. The time is about ten minutes prior to the beginning of the worship service. In a large, spacious room there are many people talking, drinking their morning coffee, and enjoying each others' company. As the time for worship approaches, everyone sets down their cups of coffee and moves toward the sanctuary as they share their final thoughts with their friends. In the sanctuary, they silently take their seats, get situated, then spend a few moments in prayer with their God: quieting their hearts, clearing their minds of all mundane distractions, calling upon the Holy Spirit to give them words of praise. Then the worship service begins. Corporate prayer is offered from the platform as all silently pray along. Songs of praise are lifted with joyous abandon; some people in the congregation are even moved to weeping over the unspeakable joy and thanksgiving in their hearts; some raise their hands, as if reaching out to draw Abba Father closer. Hymns are sung, and everyone gains new understanding of God from the rich text. As the offering plates are passed, each person spends personal time thanking God for His grace and abundant generosity; then corporately the congregation lifts praises to Him, singing words of joy out of the blissful privilege of worshipping Him in such a tangible way. The Scriptures are opened and, without prompting, everyone silently stands in absolute reverence to hear the words of the great God who . . . . . Well, as I said, it's a fantasy. _________________________ "Whoever will listen will hear the speaking of Heaven. This is definitely not the hour when men take kindly to an exhortation to listen, for listening is not today a part of popular religion. Religion has accepted the monstrous heresy that noise, size, activity and bluster make a man dear to God. But we may take heart. To a people caught in the tempest of the last great conflict God says, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10), and still He says it, as if He means to tell us that our strength and safety lie not in noise but in silence. It is important that we get still to wait on God. "The Bible will never be a living Book to us until we are convinced that God is articulate in His universe. I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not only a book which was once spoken, but a book which is now speaking. The prophets habitually said, "Thus saith the Lord." They meant their hearers to understand that God's speaking is in the continuous present. We may use the past tense properly to indicate that at a certain time a certain word of God was spoken, as a child once born continues to be alive, or a world once created continues to exist. And those are but imperfect illustrations, for children die and worlds burn out, but the Word of God endureth forever. "If you would follow on to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible expecting it to speak to you. Do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you may push around at your convenience. It is more than a thing, it is a voice, a word, the very Word of the living God."(6) Into the Word ------------- Genesis 28:16-17 ___________________________________ Exodus 3:1-6 ___________________________________ Exodus 34:29-35 ___________________________________ Lev 19:30-32 ___________________________________ Deut 6:13-15 ___________________________________ 2 Chron 17:7-9 ___________________________________ Psalm 19:7-11 ___________________________________ Isaiah 6:1-8 ___________________________________ Isaiah 45:9 ___________________________________ Matthew 10:28 ___________________________________ Luke 4:16-27 ___________________________________ Luke 11:27-28 ___________________________________ Luke 12:4-5 ___________________________________ Luke 24:27 ___________________________________ Luke 24:45 ___________________________________ Acts 28:23 ___________________________________ 2 Tim 2:15 ___________________________________ Hebrews 12:18-24 ___________________________________ James 1:21-23 ___________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper--Moving Higher ----------------------------- Still, Still with Thee Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh, When the bird waketh, and the shadows flee; Fairer than morning, lovelier than the daylight, Dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with Thee. Alone with Thee, amidst the mystic shadows, The solemn hush of nature newly born; Alone with Thee in breathless adoration, In the calm dew and freshness of the morn. When sinks the soul, subdued by toil, to slumber, Its closing eyes look up to Thee in prayer; Sweet the repose beneath Thy wings o'er shading, But sweeter still to wake and find Thee there. So shall it be at last, in that bright morning When the soul waketh, and life's shadows flee; Oh, in that hour, fairer than daylight dawning, Shall rise the glorious thought--I am with Thee.(7) Making it Personal ------------------ What was your initial response to my "fantasy" on the previous page? Would you feel comfortable in that worship service? If not, why? How do you define reverence and worship? The word "worship" literally means to declare someone's (in this case, God's) worth-ship--to declare the worthiness of God, to show reverence for Him. Does this take place in the worship services in your church? Are you there to participate in the worship or are you a spectator?(8) Into the Word ------------- In verses 2 and 3 (of Nehemiah 8) it says that only those who could listen with understanding were present. Dig deeper into this. Do you think this has any application to our worship services or Bible studies? Later, in verses 7 & 8, it says there were teachers on hand who meticulously explained the text Ezra was reading. Again, are there applications here for our assemblies? ----------------------------------------------------------------- Perspective 3: " A M E N ! A M E N ! " ------------- THEIR RESPONSE Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. -Neh 8:6 _________________________ "Vocabularies are formed by many minds over long periods and are capable of expressing whatever the mind is capable of entertaining. But when the heart, on its knees, moves into the awesome Presence and hears with fear and wonder things not lawful to utter, then the mind falls flat, and words, previously its faithful servants, become weak and incapable of telling what the heart hears and sees. In that awful moment the worshipper can only cry "Oh!" and that simple exclamation becomes more eloquent than learned speech and, I have no doubt, is dearer to God than any oratory. "In theology there is no 'Oh!' and this is a significant if not ominous thing. Theology seeks to reduce what may be known of God to intellectual terms, and as long as the intellect can comprehend, it can find words to express itself. When God Himself appears before the mind, awesome, vast and incomprehensible, then the mind sinks into silence and the heart cries out 'O Lord God!' "We Christians should watch lest we lose the 'Oh!' from our hearts. There is real danger these days that we shall fall victims to the prophets of poise and the purveyors of tranquility, and our Christianity be reduced to a mere evangelical humanism that is never disturbed about anything nor overcome by any 'trances of thought and mountings of the mind.' When we become too glib in prayer we are most certainly talking to ourselves."(9) _________________________ There is no one, correct way to worship, except to worship honestly. In John 4, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman at the well that the Father seeks those who will worship Him in Spirit and truth.(10) It is a sorrowful thing to lie to God--and where worse than during His worship. There are those who restrain the outpouring of the Spirit, because to do else would be to cut against the traditions of the local assembly; there are those who manufacture ecstasies, because to fail to produce in that regard would be an admission that a spirit was not in residence. Both transgress against the instructions of Jesus. What does it profit us to lie to God--and if the untruth is not directed to God, what is the motive for our actions in worship? To whom is the worship being directed? Should we be so casual with a God so holy? Proper reverence does not forget His nearness to us--especially through His Son, our brother, Jesus Christ. The very purpose for which God sacrificed His Son was so that we would be able to draw near to Him, intimately. But He is still God, a most holy God, and, to paraphrase Tozer, when we fail to worship Him honestly, we are most certainly worshipping ourselves. I am grateful to Governor Nehemiah for recording in his journal the scene that transpired that day inside the Water Gate of the Jerusalem wall. What a beautiful scene of honest, heart-felt worship! What an exquisite example of a people acknowledging their humble position before an all-powerful, holy God. Their Spiritual leader, the scribe and priest Ezra, began by praising "the Lord the great God." Then all the people shouted "Yes, we agree! Praise the Lord!" with their hands and hearts uplifted to reach just a bit closer to Jehovah. Then, as if their outstretched hands had made contact with His utter holiness, they immediately dropped to the dust of the earth and worshipped Him with their faces turned away from the blinding brilliance of His holy fire. Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.(11) Into the Word ------------- Genesis 17:3 ___________________________________ Exodus 24:7 ___________________________________ Exodus 34:8 ___________________________________ Deut 27:12-26 ___________________________________ 2 Kings 22:9-13 ___________________________________ 2 Kings 23:1-3 ___________________________________ 2 Chron 17:7-10 ___________________________________ 2 Chron 20:18 ___________________________________ 2 Chron 34:1-33 ___________________________________ Matthew 2:11 ___________________________________ John 4:20-24 ___________________________________ Acts 8:26-39 ___________________________________ Col 3:16 ___________________________________ Hebrews 12:28 ___________________________________ James 1:18 ___________________________________ Rev 4:9-11 ___________________________________ ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digging Deeper--Moving Higher ----------------------------- Holy, Holy, Holy Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and Mighty! God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity! Holy, Holy, Holy! All the saints adore Thee, Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea; Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee, Which wert and art, and evermore shalt be. Holy, Holy, Holy! Tho' the darkness hide Thee, Tho' the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see, Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee Perfect in power, in love and purity. Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea; Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and Mighty! God in Three Persons, blessed Trinity!(12) Making it Personal ------------------ What would happen if, come this next Sunday morning, in the middle of the worship service you suddenly fell prostrate, face to the floor, in humble worship of your God? What do you think the people around you would think of this? If you are thinking that you wouldn't do this, why not? While you may have substantial, legitimate reasons not to worship God in this manner, is your reason based on your relationship with God or your relationship with the people next to you in the pew? _________________________ It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.(13) Into the Word ------------- Conduct a study of the elements of worship demonstrated in Nehemiah 8:6. Begin with Scripture, but also incorporate extra-Biblical material for any background information on the practices. Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. (NASB) Ezra blessed the Lord The people answered "Amen, Amen!" The people lifted up their hands They bowed low and worshipped with their faces to the ground ======================================================================== NOTES, COPYRIGHT & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Notes ----- 1 Neh 8:1-8. 2 A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Christian Publications, Inc., 1982) p.101. 3 Proverbs 8:1-5. 4 Mary A. Lathbury (1841 - 1913). 5 Psalm 119: 129-131 NASB. 6 A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Christian Publications, Inc., 1982) p.80ff. 7 Harriet Beecher Stowe (1812 - 1896). 8 God doesn't want spectators---He wants worshippers: "Sir," the woman said, "I can see that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit a nd t , for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." -John 4:19-24 9 A.W. Tozer, Born After Midnight (Christian Publications, Inc; 1959), p.85ff. 10 John 4:23-24 (see above). 11 Neh 9:5b. 12 Reginald Heber (1783 - 1826). 13 Psalm 92:1-4. Copyright Information --------------------- All original material in Aspects is Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel. This data file is the sole property of David S. Lampel. It may not be altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice (i.e., "Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel."). This data file may not be used without the permission of David S. Lampel for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold. This includes all of its content. Brief quotations not to exceed more than 500 words may be used, with the appropriate copyright notice, to enhance or supplement personal or church devotions, newsletters, journals, or spoken messages. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture is from the New International Version. NIV quotations are from the Holy Bible: New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. NASB quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Subscription Information ------------------------ Aspects is published monthly. There are two preferred methods of receiving it on a regular basis: 1) You may subscribe to the laser-printed (hard copy) edition, which is sent out via regular mail. 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