Go and enjoy choice food
Nehemiah 8:10 - This is one perfect example of believers being moved by the Spirit of God to not only gather together, but to desire the Word of God. Sounds like revival, doesn’t it?
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“Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.””
Nehemiah 8:10 NIV
Chapter 8 of the Book of Nehemiah is all about revival. Enduring Word uses this heading to describe the chapter: “The Spirit of God, Working Through God’s Word, Brings Revival”. That same commentary starts by quoting J. Edwin Orr, who defined revival as: “The Spirit of God working through the Word of God, in the lives of the people of God.”
So what’s going on in Chapter 8? All of the people are gathered “as one man” in front of the Water Gate in Jerusalem, and they send Ezra the scribe to “bring the book of the Law of Moses”. Ezra then reads The Law of Moses to the assembled crowd. This is one perfect example of believers being moved by the Spirit of God to not only gather together, but to desire the Word of God. Sounds like revival, doesn’t it?
Next, a group of Levites help the people to understand The Word - “Ezra … and Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.”
The people were obviously hungering for not only hearing The Word, but understanding it as well. By the time we get to verse 10, the prophet Nehemiah is telling the people — who are weeping after hearing The Word and realizing that repentance is needed — not to grieve! Instead, they are told to “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
What a wonderful message from the prophet! Telling the people to eat choice food and sweet drinks is instructing them to celebrate; to rejoice for God’s provision and blessings. And while they are celebrating, they should share food and drink with others in the community who do not have the means to enjoy a feast.
Saying that “This day is holy to our Lord” aligns with God’s wish to have His people gather at specific times for community, reflection, and renewal of their covenant with God. When Nehemiah instructs them to “not grieve,” he is reminding them that God is merciful and forgives repentant sinners. That’s something to be happy about!
The final line of the verse has found its way into many hymns and modern praise songs — “the joy of the Lord is your strength”. BibleHub explains this as follows:
This phrase encapsulates a profound theological truth: true strength and resilience come from the joy found in the Lord. This joy is not circumstantial but rooted in the relationship with God. It echoes themes found in other scriptures, such as Psalm 28:7 and Philippians 4:4, where joy in the Lord is a source of strength and encouragement.
Being a believer should be joyful, especially when we understand that we are loved by God and are the recipients of His grace through the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Today’s prayer comes from Knowing Jesus:
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are my joy and my strength. Thank You that there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus and that Your grace is sufficient for me. Keep me faithful to You, for You are my faithful and generous God. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.