Contemplative Bible Reading

Nehemiah 8:10 (New Living Translation)

10 And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Nehemiah was reading the Book of the Law to the people who had returned to Jerusalem. Many of the people had never heard these words. They were hearing that much of their lifestyles were not what the LORD wanted. They wept in shame.

“Don’t weep, don’t be dejected,” encouraged Nehemiah.

And then he added, “Joy in the LORD is strength.”

Let’s party! Right? Well, I guess that depends on what a “party” is. We have changed the meaning of words over a few thousand years. Words like singing, dancing, celebrating, and others meant one thing in one place at one time and, well, they mean something else today. There is a difference between dominoes and doobies (slang for marijuana).

Let’s celebrate! Right? Right. In this case, Nehemiah describes the celebration as,

12 So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Eat and drink and share gifts of food. Well, that sounds like fun to some of us and boring to others of us. What’s the answer? Each of us has to provide that answer. Each of us has a conscious and so on.

Joy in the LORD.