Daily Encouragementنموونە

“Ezra opened the book” - that was the essential work of the scribe then, as it is the chief task of the preacher now. “He was standing above them” - that is the right place for the preacher to be, not only so that he can be seen and heard, but because the word of God deserves an exalted position. Let us not be in a hurry to bring down the preacher to our level. It is right for us to look up with humility as he opened the book, and he too will be humbled as he climbs the pulpit steps.

The opening of the book involves the expounding of the word of the Lord. So it is written of Ezra’s assistants, “They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read” (Neh. 8:8).

The proper response to the opening of the book is reverence, obedience and worship: “as he opened it, the people all stood up . . . and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’ Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground” (Neh. 8:6).