Joy in the Mourning
“For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.”
Nehemiah 8:9 ESV
“My doom is sealed, for I am a foul-mouthed sinner, a member of a sinful, foul-mouthed race; and I have looked upon the King, the Lord of heaven’s armies.”
Isaiah 6:5 TLB
Sometimes it seems like the closer we get to God, the worse we feel. We become more and more aware of how sinful we are and how far we are from His ideal vision for us. We are ashamed. We realize just how holy He is and just how holy we are not, and we mourn. We grieve because we know what He longs for us to be, and we just can’t seem to get there no matter how hard we try. Ever feel that way? I have. So did the ancient Israelites when they returned home from exile. But Nehemiah had some encouraging words for them, and for us as well . . .
“To wrap up this chapter of the story, the children of Israel have returned from captivity to their homeland. They have rebuilt the the temple for God’s presence to dwell, and they will rebuild the wall around Jerusalem to protect themselves from surrounding enemies. The most important building project of all is the rebuilding of their lives with God. At the people’s request, Ezra stands up in the presence of all Israel and reads God’s story from the beginning. . . .
For several hours — daybreak until noon — he reads, and as he shares God’s laws with the people, they begin to weep and mourn. As they listen to God’s instructions for living well in community with him and each other, they are heartbroken over their failure to obey. . . . The very words God had given to Moses convict them, and they are overwhelmed with a spirit of repentance.”
Randy Frazee
“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.”
Nehemiah 8:9-10 NIV
Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites realized something that the people themselves did not: Their recognition of their sinfulness was actually a good thing and a necessary part of their rededication to God. As intended, the reading of the Law led to a spirit of repentance in the people, and that was something to be celebrated.
” . . . if we don’t see ourselves as sinners, we won’t see our need for a Savior. And the good news is this, that this type of deep mourning or sorrow for our sinfulness, it doesn’t drive us away from the Father. But it actually draws us to the Father. . . . So, don’t worry if you’re broken and hurting and grieving over your sinfulness. Worry if you’re not.”
Craig Groeschel
Randy Frazee points out something significant that is easy to overlook in this chapter: When the Israelites returned home, ready to begin their lives again in the Promised Land, one thing they did not do is call for a king to lead to them. The Israelites had finally learned an important lesson. They needed God. They needed Him for their salvation, for their strength, and for their joy. They couldn’t do this on their own. Neither can we.
“Somewhere inside of you, you’ve come to the realization that you’re just not strong enough to live the holy life that Christ has called you to.
Charles F. Stanley
Good! God never meant you to live the Christian life by your own resources. The trials that you’ve been experiencing are part of the breaking process, whereby God fresh you from your self-sufficiency so that you’ll allow Christ to live in and through you. . . . Brokenness is God’s requirement for maximum usefulness. It’s through brokenness that you stop depending on yourself and start looking to Him for your strength, wisdom, and power.”
If the story of Israel and all its struggles teaches us anything, it’s that we cannot rely on ourselves. We are all sinners. We all need God to save us. And through Christ, He has! We have even more reason to celebrate than the ancient Israelites did because we know what comes next in the story. As we move into the next chapter, we see God’s plan unfold in a wonderful way. We see Him defeat sin once and for all through His Son.
So, as we feel convicted by the Holy Spirit through the reading of God’s Word to do better, we can feel joy in spite of our sadness over our mistakes, because God offers us forgiveness. When we turn to Him in humble repentance, and accept His gift of salvation in Christ, He frees us from the hold sin has over us. He gives us His righteousness, His strength, and His power. And as we learn to rely on Him, we become a little more holy every day. God doesn’t point out our sins to make us feel bad. He points out our sins so that we can finally be free of them.
“Nehemiah remembered that God not only gave the law to help his people live well but also made a way for them to atone for their sins when they broke the law. He knew that the community God envisioned was one characterized by joy and contentment, not tears.”
Randy Frazee
“God makes Himself known to people who have long forgotten or ignored who He is. . . . He says ‘I’m not giving up on you.’ God is committed to being known by His people and being in relationship with them. He’s so patient and persistent! And their hearts respond with an ache and a shout of joy. After all this time, they’re finally seeing Him. And hopefully they’re realizing He’s where the joy is!”
Tara-Leigh Cobble
No matter how many mistakes they made, God never gave up on His people. He fulfilled every promise He made to them. It may have taken a lot longer than it should have, but Israel finally learned that the source of their joy and strength is not in themselves, in a human king, or in a mighty army, but in God alone.
The same is true for us. God will not give up on us, and He will keep His promises. So, let’s never stop seeking Him. As we study the Scriptures, we will begin to sense, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, when we are straying off of God’s path. And honestly, that’s not a pleasant feeling! But it is a vital part of the process and a sign that we’re growing closer to God. So, rather than running from feelings of guilt and shame, let’s learn to take them to our Father. When we do, He promises to forgive our sins and replace our sorrow with comfort and peace. So, let’s mourn for our sins, but let’s not stop there. Let’s take them to our Lord, accept His forgiveness, and be filled with joy for what He has done for us!
“Every time Israel lost their way, their good and godly leaders would gather them together to read, in chronological order, God’s story to them. We would be wise to do the same, even before we lost our way. Constantly immerse yourself in God’s Word to come into his presence, to discover his plan, to rehearse his promises, and to realign your life to your part in this amazing adventure!”
Randy Frazee
This week’s Scripture passages remind us that we can find joy even in the mourning of our sins. We can find forgiveness and comfort in the Father. We can find righteousness in Christ. And we can find hope and freedom in the truth of God’s Word. As the Scriptures remind us, our weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning. And the joy of the Lord is our strength!
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4 NIV
References:
- Cobble, Tara-Leigh. The Bible Recap: A One-Year Guide to Reading and Understanding the Entire Bible. Bethany House, 2020.
- Frazee, Randy. The Heart of the Story: Discover Your Life Within the Grand Epic of God’s Story. Zondervan, 2017.
- Groeschel, Craig. “Matthew 5:4.” YouVersion Bible App, 20 September 2023, Life.Church, https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/.
- Stanley, Charles F. 30 Life Principles Study Guide: A Study for Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God. Thomas Nelson, 2008.
- The Story: Read the Bible as One Seamless Story from Beginning to End. Rev. ed., Zondervan, 2008.
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About The Author
Christa
My vision for Wondertakings was to create a devotional blog for "nerdy" Christians like me. I do believe, as Socrates said, that wisdom begins in wonder. So I love to read or watch anything that inspires wonder and figure out what I can learn from it. I view it all through a Christian lens. I believe that God can and does speak through many sources in many ways, even if those speaking are not aware of it. I am not an expert in theology or religious studies. My goal with this blog is simply to share what I've learned as a fellow student and sinner in the Christian walk. My hope and my prayer is that by doing so I may be able to help someone else. In Deuteronomy 5:33 (NLT), we are told: "Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives. . . ." So in the words of Moses (and Spock), live long and prosper, my friends!