And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the
priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the
people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all
the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go
your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has
nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the
joy of the Lord is your strength.” So the Levites calmed all the people,
saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people
went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great
rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. (Nehemiah 8:8-12 ESV).
Guilt can be hard to get over. The
feelings can last a long time. And, while this may be what we deserve, grace
has changed that. Since all sins are against God, even when a sin is also
against others, God’s situation is totally opposite to ours. He could demand
that we wallow in our sorrow. But that’s not who God is. God loves us and is
overjoyed when we want to be in a good relationship with him again. In fact,
God has so much joy when we repent of our sin that his joy provides the
strength we need to forgive ourselves.
Nehemiah urged the people to experience
that joy. He called for a feast so that the people could enjoy fine foods and
drinks and share with others. This wasn’t about just going through motions; it
was about recognizing that God’s law calls for a relationship with us. And as
far as God is concerned, if we are ready to stop moving away from him and start
moving toward him, that brings him the most joy.
The life Jesus came to give us is one
where we recognize that He paid the price we could never pay, and died the
death we deserve!
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