Why Hearing God’s Word Out Loud Still Matters (Nehemiah 8-13)
Have you ever wondered if reading the Bible out loud makes a difference? Scripture was originally heard in community and meant to stir hearts through spoken word.
Nehemiah 8-13
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Does it matter if we read God’s Word silently, or is there something to reading or hearing Scripture read out loud?
Because the sixty-six books of the Bible we read today are often neatly bound in one book, it’s easy to forget that Scripture was meant to be spoken. In an era with high illiteracy rates, people in Ezra and Nehemiah’s day would gather publicly to hear God’s Word read out loud. We see this in Nehemiah 8:1, which says, “All the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate.” This Water Gate, as H.G.M Williamson writes, “lay to the east (and so outside) of the new line that Nehemiah’s wall took along the crest of the Kidron Valley. Its name, in addition, suggests association with the Gihon Spring to which it probably provided access.”[1] There, the people “asked the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses that the Lord had given Israel.”
Ezra does just this. Verse 3 says, “While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the law.” And verses 5-6 state, 5 “Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, ‘Amen, Amen!’ Then they knelt low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.”
Keep in mind that, as Hannah Harrington writes, “The book of the Torah was a scroll, not a codex. In modern synagogue practice, opening the Torah scroll establishes a moment of awe and brings the congregation to their feet. This action is usually done silently in reverence for the word and submission to its authority.”[2] Notice the people’s response. As the law is read, they listen attentively, give verbal affirmation, and weep. As Williamson writes,
The people’s response was threefold, and may have followed a customary pattern. Their cry of “Amen! Amen!” (repeated for emphasis) expressed their concurrence in Ezra’s words (cf. 5:13); the raising of their hands demonstrated their sense of need and dependence (cf. Ezra 9:5; Ps 28:2; 134:2), no doubt with the thought that God would meet that need through the Scripture soon to be read; and their prostration demonstrated both their worship, as stated, and humble adoration. We are left to infer that they stood up again for the reading itself.[3]
This passage shows the value of listening to God’s Word together in community. In his book, Hear Ye the Word of the Lord: What We Miss If We Only Read the Bible, Brent Sandy writes, “Hearing God speak invites us to draw near, to listen to his heartbeat, to pay attention to what he cares about, how he loves, what makes him angry. It’s interpersonal communication.”[4]
The next chapter, Nehemiah 9, shows that after hearing God’s Word, the people's natural response is to confess their sins and worship God. Listening to the words of Scripture, they couldn’t help but be convicted by the image of a holy God who wanted a holy people. This motivated them to action.
A Meditation to PRAY
Praise | Lord, I praise you for the gift of your holy word and the community of believers you have placed me in. Your word brings unity, understanding, and joy among us. Thank you for the scriptures that not only guide us individually but also bind us together in faith and worship.
Release | I release my tendency to isolate myself and neglect the power of communal worship and study of your word. Forgive me for the times I have withheld my confessions and failed to join with others in heartfelt worship. Cleanse me from any pride or fear that hinders true fellowship.
Ask | Lord, I ask for a heart that eagerly listens to your word alongside my brothers and sisters in Christ. Help us understand your teachings deeply and support one another in living them out. May your word transform our confessions, leading us to genuine repentance and renewal. Empower our worship to be a true reflection of our love and reverence for you.
Yield | I yield to your guidance and commit to seeking your word in community. I surrender my individualism to embrace the collective wisdom and strength found in your church. Use our gatherings to draw us closer to you and each other, transforming our hearts and lives through your living word.
