Be Still And Know

Nehemiah 8.6 NLT Then Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and all the people chanted, “Amen! Amen!” as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in just 52 days was an amazing achievement. But Nehemiah was quite clear that there was something that was even more important and that was to ensure that God was at the centre of the city’s life. In this chapter, Ezra the priest addressed all the people and brought out the Book of the Law of Moses. This may refer to the whole of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) or perhaps just the Book of Deuteronomy. What we know for certain is that Ezra read for six hours, from daybreak to noon! This was quite a marathon, but it is recorded that the “people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.” We read that Ezra stood above the people and as he opened the Book the people all stood up and praised God. What an amazing moment that must have been as the