Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Nehemiah 8


      The story in Nehemiah 8 of the people returning to God is one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible. For me, two things in this story are important: 1. the people recognized their need for God and their need for the Word of God; 2. The Word of God was given in context, spoken in a way the people could understand.
     Too often we, the Church, refuse to change the context in which we Worship and share the Word of God. We cling to traditions that don't translate to a changing world. Right here in Nehemiah, God teaches us the importance of being relevant to the current culture and of sharing God in context.

"They 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." 
Nehemiah 8:8 (NIV)