Nehemiah 8:8 "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading."
Recently, I was reading through a book I had previously read, and there it was. I was absolutely shocked! I could not believe how much of my brilliance was plagiarized in just one chapter! "I said that! I thought that!" Well, the reason I was shocked-and shouldn't have been-is that all of that information had been locked up in my head from ten years ago!
Isn't it amazing what is in our heads? What we read, what we hear, and how we process the information has a bearing on who we are. Nehemiah 8:8 tells us that Ezra and others rightly divided God's Word ("distinctly") and explained what it meant. God's Word does make sense! The Bible is not inspired because it makes sense; It makes sense because It is inspired.
What became of this "preaching service"? The people understood the Bible! People need to hear from the Word of God, not some contemporary writer, however good he may be. People need to hear from God. Notice that these folks gave time and place to the Word of God. They gave a good part of the day to stand outside and listen to the Bible! Do you give time and place to the Bible? If you are a preacher or Sunday school teacher, do you give time to the Word of God in your sermon or lesson?
Take the Word of God, read it, and explain it to people. The best way to defend the Bible is to use It! Tell people what the Bible says! There is a place for being a good communicator and telling attention-grabbing illustrations; but at the end of the day, any merit to what you say has to be found in God's Word.
I have found that the more time I spend actually thinking about what I've read in the Bible, the more I glean from reading, and the more I have to give others. At the end of the day, what people need is what God has said. Give the Bible time, place, and reverence. When God gives you opportunity to teach or preach the Bible, remember that people need to hear from God!
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