Rejoice

"This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep. For this day is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad: the joy of the Lord is your stronghold."
—Nehemiah 8: 9,10

When this was the reading for Lauds on the first Sunday of Lent, I was surprised by how that was exactly what I needed to hear that morning. “Do not be sad: the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.” I carried it in my heart for the rest of the day. Last week I was happily surprised by it’s reprise. After reading it again this morning, I couldn’t help peeking ahead to see how long I’d get to enjoy this weekly gem. Alas, next week will be its last appearance at Sunday Lauds for this season.


Last week I read the context surrounding this passage to better understand the exhortation to rejoice in the Lord. It is quite an appropriate passage to study given the first reading from Mass today. So I shall unleash my high school exegesis skills for Nehemiah 8: 1-12 for the edification of anyone who chooses to keep reading. ;)



The book of Nehemiah mainly concerns the work of the man Nehemiah, the Persian appointed governor of Judea who was responsible for rebuilding Jerusalem some 70 to 80 years after the return from exile. Chapters 8 through 10, however, focus on the priest Ezra and the Levites, the establishment of the “law of Moses” as central in the lives of the people after the return, and the renewal of the covenant.

At the center of this passage is the way the people hear and respond to God’s word. We see in Nehemiah 8 that the people love the law. They urge Ezra to read the law (v. 1), they are attentive (v. 3), and they build the platform for Ezra to use for his reading (v. 4). Ezra does not force the law upon them; they desire to hear and understand it. However, the people are grieved over the reading (v. 9-10). Perhaps this is because it reveals their sinfulness or because they have neglected the law. What is emphasized though, is a great sense of joy at its hearing. Both Ezra (v. 9-10) and the Levites (v. 11) emphasize this, and in response the people’s grief gives way to their joy (v. 12).

On this holy day, “rejoicing in the LORD must be [the people’s] strength” (v. 10). This reading is about both the faithful and joyous reception of God’s word seen in the people, and about the faithful proclamation and interpretation of that word to the people by Ezra and the Levites. It is a word for both congregation and preacher. In this combination, the fruitful joy, amazement, and worship that God’s word engenders comes forth. The word of God comes to life. The emphasis in the passage is not on some abstract reverence for the ‘law of Moses’. It is about the life-giving, renewing, nature of God’s word, the joy that it can engender, and the joy of wanting to hear it. These are suitable words to hear in the midst of the penitential season of Lent.

"The joy of the Lord is your stronghold" (v. 10). What a great word for grieving people who see the evil in their lives and the lives of those around them and mourn over their suffering. The word that brings joy is that of forgiveness. God can forgive! He does, and He will restore. That is what Jesus meant when He said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Matthew 5: 4). I don't think you will ever be comforted until you learn to mourn. When you see the hurt, pain, and despair that sin can produce and you grieve over it, then you are ready for the comfort of forgiveness. When faced with the choice of self-pity or rejoicing, let us respond with rejoicing.

Though weeping is necessary, it is not the final message God has for us. To show this, Nehemiah and Ezra speak up and correct the people. What a powerful statement of the effect of the Word of God—to enlighten and empower the faithful to change their lives. When people understand and embrace God’s Word, it will cause rejoicing.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!”
—Philippians 4:4