Exhorting From The Text (Part 2)

Here is a good illustration of why exhortation is so necessary.

In Nehemiah 8 we read of Ezra teaching the people of Israel during a festival in Jerusalem. Now Ezra was a good teacher. In Ezra 7:10 it says, "Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel." Ezra was a man of the word. Tradition tells us that Ezra had memorized the Penteteuch (the first 5 books of the Bible). As Ezra 7:6 says, "He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses."

So, this godly man, skilled in the law, taught the people that day and through Ezra and those there to help him, the word was explained (verse 7) and the people were given the sense of it (verse 8). So godly teachers clearly taught and explained the word to the people.

What do we know about the people? The people asked Ezra to bring the book and teach them (verse 1). All the people were attentive to the teaching (verse 3). The people were humble and worshipful (verse 6). This sounds like the ideal congregation.

Now you would think that with teachers like Ezra and a congregation like this one that they would have rightly understood the message and made a proper application. Right? So how did the people respond? Verse 9 tells us that they were "weeping when they heard the words of the law." Was this the right response? No. Nehemiah and Ezra had to tell them to stop mourning and weeping (verse 9). The people had to be told to celebrate instead (verses 10-12). This is amazing.

This account reminds us that you can have the best preacher and the best congregation and the people can still misapply the teaching. There needs to be an exhortation to a proper application of what is taught. We cannot assume that those hearing the message will know the right thing to do with the teaching even if they are eager, attentive, and humble.

This is a valuable lesson for any preacher, teacher, or parent.