Nehemiah 8

9–12 As the people listened to the words of the Law, they began weeping. This is a common reaction to hearing God’s word: the word brings conviction of SIN and a feeling of godly sorrow that brings REPENTANCE. But that sorrow should not linger, because, as the Apostle Paul says, repentance leads to SALVATION and leaves no regrets (2 Corinthians 7:10). Therefore, mourning and weeping should quickly be replaced by joy. “Do not grieve,” said Nehemiah, “for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (verse 10).

God-given joy is not merely happiness or a “good feeling”; it is rooted in our salvation. It is because our sins have been forgiven and we have been restored to fellowship with God that we can experience the joy of the LORD. That joy is a sign of God’s HOLY SPIRIT within us (Galatians 5:22); and if God’s Spirit is in us, we will have God-given strength as well.

13–18 In these verses, Nehemiah describes the celebration of the feast of the seventh month (verse 14)—that is, the Feast of Ingathering (Exodus 23:16), better known as the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33–36,39–43). The people “rediscovered” Moses’ command concerning this feast while listening to Ezra expound the Law (verses 13–14). According to Leviticus 23:42–43, the Israelites were to construct small booths or “tabernacles” to live in during the seven days of the feast (verse 15). So the people obeyed and built themselves booths to live in, and they celebrated the feast with so much joy that Nehemiah could say that they had not celebrated it like this since the days of Joshua²⁰ (verse 17). And all during the feast Ezra read from the Book of the Law, just as Moses had said to do each seventh year during the Feast of Tabernacles (see Deuteronomy 31:10–13).