Sunday School Lesson

1. Nehemiah 8
“A Tent Revival in Jerusalem”
February 8, 2015
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

2. What’s the number one thing?

3. The Glory of God!
http://memberfiles.freewebs.com/03/70/58197003/photos/Living-Water/glorycloud-1.JPG

4. The Glory of God!
1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or
whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

5. February Memory Verse
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV
For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the
gift of God— not by works, so that no one can
boast.

6. Tent Revivals

7. Tent Revivals

8. Introduction to Nehemiah 8
• Cyrus allows exiles to return to Jerusalem in
538 B.C. after captivity in Babylon
• Zerubbabel rebuilds the Temple in 516 B.C.
• Ezra returns to Jerusalem to lead the Temple
• Nehemiah returns in 445 B.C. to lead
rebuilding of walls of Jerusalem in 52 days
• The people are registered by families and
assigned housing areas in Nehemiah 7

9. Nehemiah 7:73b - 8:1
73b When the seventh month came and the
Israelites had settled in their towns,
1 all the people came together as one in the square
before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher
of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of
Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.
• Ezra had the people hungry to hear
• Scrolls brought back from Babylon

10. Nehemiah 8:2-3
2 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. 3 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.

11. Nehemiah 8:4-5
4 Ezra the teacher of the Law 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.
5 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.

12. Ezra Reading the Book of the Law of Moses

13. Ezra Reading the Book of the Law of Moses

14. Nehemiah 8:6
6 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.

15. Nehemiah 8:7-8
7 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. 8 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.
• Hebrew language not familiar to all

16. Nehemiah 8:9
9 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.

17. Nehemiah 8:10-11
10 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."
11 The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still,
for this is a holy day. Do not grieve."
• Focus on your present victory and future, not the
sins of your past

18. Nehemiah 8:12
12 Then all the people went away to eat and
drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate
with great joy, because they now understood
the words that had been made known to them.

19. Nehemiah 8:13-14
13 On the second day of the month, the heads of
all the families, along with the priests and the
Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to
give attention to the words of the Law. 14 They
found written in the Law, which the Lord had
commanded through Moses, that the Israelites
were to live in temporary shelters during the
festival of the seventh month

20. Nehemiah 8:15
15 and that they should proclaim this word and
spread it throughout their towns and in
Jerusalem: "Go out into the hill country and
bring back branches from olive and wild olive
trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees,
to make temporary shelters"—as it is written.
• Exodus 23:16; Lev. 23:34; Num. 29:12; Deut
16:13

21. Deuteronomy 16:13-14
13 Celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles for seven
days after you have gathered the produce of
your threshing floor and your winepress. 14 Be
joyful at your festival—you, your sons and
daughters, your male and female servants, and
the Levites, the foreigners, the fatherless and
the widows who live in your towns.

22. Nehemiah 8:16-17
16 So the people went out and brought back
branches and built themselves temporary shelters
on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts
of the house of God and in the square by the Water
Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The
whole company that had returned from exile built
temporary shelters and lived in them. From the
days of Joshua son of Nun until that day [900
years], the Israelites had not celebrated it like this.
And their joy was very great.

23. Nehemiah 8:18
18 Day after day, from the first day to the last,
Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They
celebrated the festival for seven days, and on
the eighth day, in accordance with the
regulation, there was an assembly.

24. The Feast of Tabernacles
Festival of Booths

25. Tent (Booth) Revival

26. Summary of Nehemiah 8:1-18
• The Israelites call for Ezra to read The Book of
the Law of Moses
• The people weep as scripture is read and
explained
• People encouraged to celebrate (Choice foods
& sweet drinks)
• Celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles
(Ingathering) (Festival of Booths)

27. Questions & Points to Consider in Nehemiah 8
• What was the Book of the Law of Moses that
Ezra read and inspired the Israelites?
• Who wrote it?
• What was the significance of this Book?
• Can we apply it to our lives today?

28. The Book of the Law of Moses - Ezra’s Scroll

29. “Book of the Law of Moses” read by Ezra
Views concerning the extent of this Book
1. A collection of legal materials
2. The priestly laws of Exodus and Leviticus
3. The laws of Deuteronomy
4. The Pentateuch (5 vessels) or Torah
(teachings or law):
-Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy

30. Pentateuch or Torah or Law
• The first 5 books of the Old Testament are
really one continuous narrative.
• Possible that Moses’ writing was divided into
5 scrolls because of amount of material
• Joshua 1:7 refers to it as “The Book of the
Law”
• King David refers to it as the “Law of Moses”
in 1 Kings 2:3
• For our purposes today, these are all the same

31. Who wrote the Pentateuch?
Moses
• Raised and educated in the court of Pharaoh
• Familiar with the 22 letter alphabet
• Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus written at the
convocation at Mt. Sinai in Moab
• Deuteronomy written 1400 B.C. in Plains of
Moab, about 40 years after the exodus from
Egypt.

32. Scripture References for Moses
Exodus 17:14
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as
something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua
hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of
Amalek from under heaven.”
Exodus 24:3-4a
3 When Moses went and told the people all the Lord's
words and laws, they responded with one voice,
"Everything the Lord has said we will do." 4a Moses then
wrote down everything the Lord had said.

33. Moses reads the scroll
Exodus 24:7-8
7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and
read it to the people. They responded, "We will
do everything the Lord has said; we will obey."
8 Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the
people and said, "This is the blood of the
covenant that the Lord has made with you in
accordance with all these words."

34. God as Writer
Exodus 24:12
12 The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the
mountain and stay here, and I will give you the
tablets of stone with the law and commandments I
have written for their instruction."
Exodus 24:18
18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on
Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the
covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the
finger of God.

35. The 10 Commandments
• Moses smashed the 1st set because of the
Golden Calf worship episode in Exodus 32
• Moses goes back to Mt. Sinai and God writes a
2nd set of the 10 Commandments
• The 10 Commandments served as a
framework for all of the other laws
• Moses wrote on scrolls; God wrote on stone
• Tablets placed inside the ark of the covenant

36. Purposes of the Pentateuch/Torah
• To educate the people of Israel about their
identity, their history, role among the nations
of the earth, their future
• To record the mighty acts of God the Creator
• An instrument for God to communicate with
His people

37. Exodus 19:3-6 God Calls Israel
3 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to
him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say
to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:
4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and
how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to
Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My
voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a
special treasure to Me above all people; for all the
earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom
of priests and a holy nation. 'These are the words
which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

38. Exodus 19:7-8 Israel Accepts
7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the
people, and laid before them all these words
which the Lord commanded him. 8 Then all the
people answered together and said, "All that the
Lord has spoken we will do."

39. The Covenant Relationship
1. Begins with a spiritual act of being knit
together
2. Begins and grows by making and keeping
covenants
3. “Generous soul” attitude
4. Protective relationship

40. Theology in the Pentateuch/Torah
1. God and Moses perceived obedience to the
laws as a grateful response to those who had
been saved out of Egypt.
– Not a way or precondition to salvation
– Preamble to the 10 Commandments says, “I am
the Lord your God, who brought you out of the
land of Egypt”
– Obedience is the appropriate response to
salvation already received

41. Theology in the Pentateuch
2. Obedience to the law was an expression of
covenant relationship
– Israel’s primary commitment was to the God who
graciously called Israel to Himself
– The commitment was not to a code of laws
– They were to obey “His voice” – written words

42. Theology in the Pentateuch
3. God’s revelation of the law to Israel was a
supreme act of grace and a unique sign of
privilege
– Other nations worshipped gods of stone & wood
– Israel’s God clearly revealed what was an
acceptable response to Him
– Obedience to God’s laws was a delight and they
knew that God would reward obedience

43. Theology in the Pentateuch
• 4. Obedience to the law was to be an external
expression of an inward disposition of faith
and fear in God
– Obedience expressed love toward Him
– True biblical religion is a matter of the heart
• Placing of God’s spirit within a person (Ezek. 11:19)
• Writing God’s Torah on the heart (Jer. 31:33)
• Jesus’ reply to “greatest commandment” question

44. Which is the greatest commandment?
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:5
Matthew 22:35-40
35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him
with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest
commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: "'Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first
and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is
like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the
Law and the Prophets hang on these two
commandments."

45. Theology in the Pentateuch
5. The laws were perceived as comprehensible and
achievable by those whose hearts were right with
God.
1 John 5:2-3
2 This is how we know that we love the children of
God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.
And his commands are not burdensome,

46. Can we apply the Pentateuch/Torah to
our lives today?
1. Jesus is the fulfillment of all that was written
(On the Road to Emmaus after resurrection)
Luke 24:25
25 He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow to
believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the
Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his
glory?" 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets,
he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures
concerning himself.

47. Jesus Explains to the Disciples
Luke 24:44 -45
44 He said to them, "This is what I told you while
I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled
that is written about me in the Law of Moses,
the Prophets and the Psalms." 45 Then he
opened their minds so they could understand
the Scriptures.

48. Lesson Application:
Stories of the Israelites as an Example
2. Their story represents our delivery from the
bondage of slavery (sin) and the journey of
life (battles and struggles) to get to the
promised land (heaven).
- You cannot compromise with the pagan culture
and not be affected by it.
- God provided all they needed – daily bread only
- Celebrate the victories with choice food and
sweet drinks

49. REMEMBER
Celebrate the victories with choice foods and
sweet drinks!
Nehemiah 8:10

52. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16 NKJV
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 14:6 NKJV
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me.”

53. Romans 3:23 NKJV
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of
God,
Romans 6:23a NKJV
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve
death, died in this life to pay the penalty for
our sins.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the
second death explained in Revelation 21:8.

54. Revelation 21:8 NKJV
8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters,
and all liars shall have their part in the lake which
burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death.”
Romans 6:23b NKJV
23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus
our Lord.

55. Romans 5:8 NKJV
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in
that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Revelation 21:7 NKJV
7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I
will be his God and he shall be My son.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to accept
Jesus as our Savior.

56. Romans 10:9-10 NKJV
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord
Jesus and believe in your heart that God has
raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto
righteousness, and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation.
Romans 10:13 NKJV
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD
shall be saved.”

57. If you have questions or would like to know
more, Please, contact First Baptist Church
Jackson at 601-979-1900 or
http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/