Six days after they finished rebuilding the wall, the whole assembly of Jews who had returned to Jerusalem and had joined Nehemiah in the rebuilding process, gathered together in an open square just inside the Water Gate. They came together “with a unified purpose,” to hear the reading of the Book of the Law of Moses.

This was God speaking to them. They hadn’t heard these words for years. Even years before they were captured and led away into exile, when they could have heard these words, they hadn’t, because they had become disobedient. They didn’t want to hear them. Their hearts were hard. The words would have just bounced off them. But now it was different. Their hearts were soft. Their hearts were hungry. They were humbled. They were broken. They were drawn together by a mutual desire to confess their sins and hear from God. And when they heard the words of the law through the mouth of Ezra the scribe, as he shouted  from the tall platform they had built for him so that everyone could hear, they bowed their faces to the ground and wept.

All those years in idol worship, foreign wives and excess had gotten them nothing but a ticket to Babylon and a life of servitude. Few even remembered what it was like to live honoring and worshipping the God of Israel. Now they were simply overwhelmed with remorse and not sure how to approach this God. How would they ever get back the lost years? Yes, the wall was back up — thank God for that — but the city was mostly still in ruins, their homes destroyed, and their fields burned to the ground.

What now? They had paid dearly for their sin. How would God ever receive them back? Hearing the Book of the law of Moses only drove them deeper in despair over how far they had gotten away from the truth.

But then something they weren’t expecting happened. Nehemiah, Ezra and the priests who had been observing the people drowning in their sorrow, addressed the crowd: “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God … 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!” (8:9-10)

Joy? Celebration? Feasting? Rich foods? Sweet drinks? I am reminded of the New Testament story of the prodigal son who returns home expecting the worst, only to find a lavish welcoming party instead. What a turn of events! What a God we have! If remorse plays any role in our return to God from our sin, it shouldn’t last very long; there’s too much to celebrate.

What a treasure — the word of God that they pulled out of the rubble bringing not sorrow, but joy. What have you rescued out of the rubble of your life that you can treasure and celebrate today and forever?

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Today we celebrate you coming to the Catch. We celebrate what God is rebuilding in all of our lives through His Holy Spirit. And we celebrate the many, many, many who are yet to join us as we capture the vision of introducing the gospel of welcome — grace turned outward — to everyone, everywhere.

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