Nehemiah 8

Ah, the law. The one topic that is the time-honored whipping boy of Christianity. Is the law still in effect? Was it nailed to the cross? Done away with? Is there a difference between law and grace? And what does "law" mean? Are we talking about the Ten Commandments? The Mosaic Law? The Law of Love as defined by Jesus in Matthew 22:36-40?

Regardless of the answers to those questions (which I’ll leave you to figure out on your own), there was an awfully intriguing exchange regarding the law in today’s chapter: "[The priests] read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, 'This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.' For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'" (vs 8-10)

When the people reacted with sadness at the reading of the law, they were rebuked by the priests! (That was part of their education about the law.) Apparently, God never intended the law to be something that would bring sadness to us, but something that would cause us to celebrate and have a feast.

Huh?

I bet you never thought about linking the law with a celebration (unless you’re one of those folks who believe Jesus destroyed the law and you’re happy about that). But the more I thought about it, the more I saw how true and profound this idea really is.

First of all, let’s start with the Ten Commandments. Was this law cause for celebration? I should say so! Do you realize that the Israelites had not only come out of 400 years of slavery in a heathen nation, but they were also surrounded by heathen nations on all sides? Let’s ask ourselves a couple of questions about this. What was the hallmark of a heathen nation? Idol worship. And what is the hallmark of idol worship? Trying to worship something that doesn’t exist. It is putting your faith and trust in a god who can’t help you or even communicate with you.

Contrast that with the Israelites who were brought out of Egypt by a God they didn’t call on. He found them, not the other way around. And instead of the usual frustrating process of trying to find out what the false god required of you so you could appease him, the God of the Israelites sat them down around the mountain and made an actual covenant with them. He came to them and told them who He was, what He wanted, and what He promised to do for them. He was real. Actual. Tangible. He showed up. He talked. He acted. Cause for celebration indeed!

How about the Mosaic Law? Dozens of laws regarding the regulation of Israelite society. Was this cause for celebration? Absolutely! Because of these laws, the Israelites were light-years ahead of their heathen neighbors in terms of health and hygiene, humane treatment of women and slaves, matters of justice, and so forth. The Bible says that when other nations and leaders became acquainted with the laws of the God of Heaven, they marveled at the wisdom they contained. They certainly recognized those laws as cause for celebration!

And what about the Law of Love? When Jesus expanded the understanding of the Ten Commandments by saying things such as, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matt 5:27-28), was this cause for celebration? Absolutely! God was helping us understand that He has the power to not only help us to stop doing bad behavior, but to help us stop even wanting to do it. With God, we can be restored to complete health and wholeness—on the inside as well as the outside.

I experienced this when I went through my first pregnancy. During that time, I realized that God set up laws that governed my pregnant body and the development of my child. I wasn't doing a blessed thing to make any of those changes happen; they just happened! And whenever I went in for an ultrasound or to talk to the doctor about what was happening with the baby’s development, I marveled. The laws God has put in place to regulate this pregnancy process are incredible. I seldom left a doctor’s appointment in those nine months without having the occasion to think, God, You’re cool.

When the law of God is revealed to us, we discover that it is, first and foremost, a revelation about Him. And it is the revelation of Him that leads us to this joy and celebration. He is wonderful! He is awesome! His ways are too marvelous for words! No wonder David calls His law a delight. We should too.