Nehemiah 8 is an important chapter so I decided to read the water gate passage in several translations. I love the Message versions:

“By the time the seventh month arrived, the People of Israel were settled in their towns. Then all the people gathered as one person in the town square in front of the Water Gate and asked the scholar Ezra to bring the Book of The Revelation of Moses that God had commanded for Israel. So Ezra the priest brought The Revelation to the congregation, which was made up of both men and women—everyone capable of understanding. It was the first day of the seventh month. He read it facing the town square at the Water Gate from early dawn until noon in the hearing of the men and women, all who could understand it. And all the people listened—they were all ears—to the Book of The Revelation.” (the bold print is mine)

I think this is powerful because Ezra read the law to everyone who could understand it. He didn’t select his listeners by gender or race or position. He read it out loud so anyone listening to understand. He faced the town square where people would be. He read it for HOURS. The book says from ‘early dawn until noon’. I’m exhausted after reading to Caleb for an hour, I can imagine Ezra was drained and wiped out after reading this holy text to the people. I don’t always have a positive image in my mind when I hear the word ‘priest’ but Ezra makes me smile. I love his willingness to read for hours to men and women alike and allow everyone to hear God’s word.

Caleb will start by reading the ABC books and then work his way up to the Ezra stuff. 🙂