From The Book Of The Law Of Moses To The Bible

Hi! and happy 1st day of the month to all of us; and it's just 85 days to go before Christmas, GUYS.  Let's open the month of October with this:

THE GOOD NEWS (01 October 2015)

"In the seventh month, all the people gathered as one man in the square before the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which YAHWEH had given to Israel...  It was the first day of the seventh month.  Ezra read the book before all of them from early morning until midday in the square facing the Water Gate; and all who heard were attentive to the Book of the Law...

 Ezra blessed YAHWEH, the great GOD; and all the people lifted up their hands and answered, 'Amen! Amen!'  And bowed down their heads to the ground.

The Levites Joshua, Bani and the rest of their brothers explained the Law to the people who were standing.  They read from the Book of the Law of GOD, clarifying and interpreting the meaning, so that everyone might understand what they were hearing.

Then Ezra, the teacher of the Law, said to the people, 'This day is dedicated to YAHWEH, your GOD, so do not be sad or weep.'  He said this because all wept when they heard the reading of the Law.  Then he said to them, 'Go and eat rich foods, drink sweet wine and share with him who has nothing prepared.

This day is dedicated to the LORD, so do not be sad.  The joy of YAHWEH is our strength.'...

And the people went their way to eat, drink and share, and they had a great feast, because they had understood the words that had been proclaimed to them." - Nehemiah 8:1-3, 6-10, 12

(This first public hearing of the Law marks a very important date of sacred history.  Until that time, the people of Israel lived their faith through praying and taking part in the Temple ceremonies.  Decisions and preaching came to them through priests and prophets.  They did not feel the need to read a Bible.

 

Several books of our Bible were already in existence but they were kept in the Temple or the king's palace:  they were not within reach of the people nor were they the foundation of their faith.  Now, however, new demands are made and they no longer have prophets as before.  Ezra understands that in the future, the Jewish community will grow through the reading, meditation on and interpretation of the sacred book.  Ezra himself tries to gather and complete the sacred books, and a new age begins wherein the Bible will be everyone's book and the basis of their faith.

 

This religious and cultural transition is similar in the Church in recent years.  People went to church; they prayed and they were taught, but the Bible was foreign to them.  However, now the Christian faith can only become strong through the word of GOD read and heard in the community.  Indeed we are behind time:  this renewal should have started four centuries ago when Protestantism began.

 

The assembly gathered by Ezra will serve as the model for the religious life of the Jewish community.  The solemn worship in the Jerusalem Temple is not suppressed, but, from that time on, in every city the Jews will have a synagogue, that is, a meeting place where they will gather on the Sabbath to hear GOD's word and to sing psalms.)