NEHEMIAH 8:1-3-And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”

Let us imagine we are sitting in our churches on a Sunday morning. Our pastor announces the next Lord’s Day will be a special service. He says, “The time of the service is going to be at sunrise which will be 6:00 am. The order of service contains one thing–a public reading of God’s Word with proper instruction given throughout the reading. Nothing else. The service will last six hours and end at noon.”

Well, what would we think of such a service? Or better yet, how would we react? And even better yet, would we be in attendance? Before we answer any of those questions, pay attention to the response of God’s people in today’s scripture: And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law (Nehemiah 8:2-3). Six hours of reading and explaining the scriptures and the people were attentive to the Word! Here is a time the Word of God is really a sword that cuts and exposes us: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

Please, for the sake of our souls, families, churches, and nation, evaluate ourselves honestly and thoroughly by today’s scripture, and more importantly, the example of God’s people in their appetite for God’s Word. They held such a high regard for the Word of God as evidenced by their self-discipline, self-control, and self-denial to be under its preaching and teaching. And this was not a “sermonette” of fifteen to twenty minutes, or even an hour. For six hours, they were attentive to the Word. Why? They hungered for the Word. They longed for it and would not allow the cries of their flesh for comfort and ease keep them from its proclamation.

As a pastor and my vantage point of observing and interacting with God’s people, I am fearful the hunger for God’s Word in its public proclamation is weak, perhaps even non-existent, among many of God’s people. Is my statement accurate? That is up to us to determine in and of ourselves. Do we hunger for the Word to the point when it is publicly proclaimed in our churches, unless there is an emergency or we are physically incapacitated, we will not miss an opportunity to be under it? If we easily miss those opportunities by choosing pleasures, personal desires, and do so with no remorse or regret, what does that say about our appetite for God’s Word? Should that describe us, we would be uncomfortable and out of place in the gathering of God’s people in today’s scripture. The early church father, Jerome, said, “To neglect scripture is to neglect Christ.”

So, what if this coming Lord’s Day our church services start at sunrise. For six hours, we are going to hear and have the Word of God explained to us. Is our appetite for the Word so intense and healthy that we would be there? And in attendance with joy and anticipation? How we answer says a lot about our attitude toward God’s Word and His Person.

PRAYER: “Father, may I never lose a zeal and appetite for Your Word.”

QUOTE: “Our appetite for the Word is a direct revelation of our appetite for Christ.”