A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 8
Nehemiah CHAP. VIII.
THIS Chapter is a double Deſcription of the Jews Festival Joys, the First is General, the Second is Special.
Remark the Firſt, Upon the General: To every Act there is a Seaſon (ſaith Solomon) a Time to Weep, and a Time to Laugh, &c. Eccleſ. 3.1, 4. now was the Time come of the Jews General Joy, when Zechary's Prophecy was now accompliſhed [Jeruſalem ſhall be inhabited in her own Place, even in Jeruſalem] Zech. 12.6. Then all the People aſſembled as one Man, ver. 1. as they had done before, Ezra. 3.1. (which though that Deſcription be like this, yet is it not the ſame [Omne ſimile non eſt Idem, this is a distinct History] All the Jews met unanimouſly (ſaith Piſcator) and call'd upon Ezra to bring forth the Pentateuch, eſpecially Deuteronomy (ſaith Menochius) which plainly ſheweth that all the Holy Books were not burn'd at the burning of Jeruſalem by Nebuchadnezzar (as ſome ſay) and were reſtor'd by Ezra, for they only bid Ezra here bring them forth out of his Cuſtody, and read therein to them: Here Grotius notes excellently, that now their City being rebuilt and repleniſh'd with People, it was moſt meet that thoſe Laws by which they were to live, ſhould be recall'd into their Remembrance.
Remark the Second; The Women Aſſembled with the Men, and their Children that were grown up to Years of Diſcretion and to an Age of Underſtanding, ver. 2, 3. all theſe muſt hear the Law Read.
Mark 1. Souls have no Sexes, but both Sexes are all one in Chriſt, Gal. 4.28. God gave to them both Rational Souls, and made them both Joint-Heirs of the Grace of Life, 1 Pet. 3.7. therefore the means of Salvation muſt be afforded both to Male and Female. N. B. This condemns that curſed Saying of the Romiſh Church, That a Diſtaff is fitter for a Woman than a Bible, &c.
Mark 2. Parents ought to take care of their Children, that they be brought under the Droppings of the Sanctuary, when they come to any competent growth; thoſe little Pitchers have Ears; little Children muſt be ſuffer'd to come to Chriſt, Matth. 19.14. who (if well Principl'd) may underſtand much and be bleſt by Chriſt.
Remark the Third; The Time when this Solemn Feſtival-day was Celebrated; 'tis ſaid to be on the firſt Day of the ſeventh Month, ver. 2. which was ſaid to be at hand, Chap. 7.37. In every Month the firſt Day was Feſtival to the Jews (call'd Neomenia, or New-moon (ſaith Menochius) Numb. 28.11. 2 Kings 4.23. and 1 Chron. 23.31.) but in the ſeventh Month, the firſt Day thereof, was the more Solemn, becauſe (beſide the New-moon, common to all Months) there was on that firſt Day the Feaſt of the Blowing of Trumpets, on the tenth Day the Feaſt of the Day of Reconciliation, and on the fifteenth Day the Feaſt of Tabernacles, which laſted at the leaſt ſeven Days; ſo that this Month was a Month of more Solemnities than any other, and this firſt Day was a double Holy-day, Levit. 23.24, 34, 35. Deut. 31.11.
Remark the Fourth, The Manner how this Great Feſtival Day was Solemnized: This was Celebrated by a Sermon, as the principal part of that Solemnity in both thoſe Feaſts of Trumpets and Tabernacles; the Preacher was Prieſt Ezna. N. B. 1. He is no Right Prieſt (ſaid Gregory of old) that is not a Preaching Prieſt. 2. The Place out of which Ezra Preached, is call'd [Migdal gnets, Hebr.] A Tower of Wood, ver. 4. becauſe (ſaith Mariana) not only he was to ſtand Higher than his Hearers, but alſo his Pulpit was built in the form of a Tower in an Orbicular or Round Figure. N. B. This is enough to confute the Cuſtom of the Capuchins and other Popiſh Prieſts that muſt have long Pulpits, wherein they may walk and Act as upon a Stage, eſpecially in Lent, &c. 3. The Time that this Preacher took up in thoſe Holy Duties of Reading and Expounding the Law, and of Bleſſing the Lord, (mentioned ver. 6, 7, 8.) is expreſs'd to be [from the Haor, Hebr. or Morning-light to Mid-day] ver. 3. which was about five or ſix hours, ſaith Piſcator; from whence the raiſed Devotion both of Ezra the Preacher and of the People his Hearers (ſaith Lyra) doth plainly appear. N. B. Oh then, what a ſhame it is, that the moſt among us are tyred with the time of an hour, ſitting as in the Stocks while the word of God is preached, accounting the Sermon tedious if but a little extended beyond the Glaſs, and then come out of the Church like Priſoners out of a Jayl, &c.
Now come we to the Second Part, which is in Special, of the two Feaſts.
Remark the Firſt, Upon the Feaſt of Trumpets, from ver. 5, to ver. 13.
Mark 1. Nehemiah, &c. tells the People that this Day was Holy to the Lord, ver. 9. a Day of blowing Trumpets, Levit. 23.24. ſo muſt be conſecrated ſolemnly to God as a Feſtival of Rejoicing in all Holy Duties; and that their weeping at the Word they heard ſo heartily (diſcovering to them their Sins) was now unſeaſonable, Eccleſ. 3.3.
Mark 2. This Congregation was ſo great, that they all could not Hear Ezra, therefore were they divided into Thirteen ſeveral Sacred Aſſemblies, and had (in all) Thirteen ſeveral Prieſts to preach to them, (all named, ver. 4, 7.) ſome on the one hand of Ezra and ſome on the other, all reading the Law diſtinctly, ver. 8. (not tumbling it over ſo faſt as few were the better) and Interpreting it by comparing one place with another, as Acts 9.22. Paul did at Damaſcus.
Mark 3. The People obſerved good Order here, where Great was the Company of Preachers, Pſal. 68.11. They in each Aſſembly kept their own Stations, ver. 7. without ſhuffling and ſhifting from Preacher to Preacher, [ Ʋehagnam gnal gnamedam, Hebr.] Vatablus renders, the People ſtood in their Stations, as they were diſtributed (ſaith Piſcator) that divers Companies might have divers Doctors. N. B. They did not confuſedly gad to and fro, one to hear this Teacher, and another that, as thoſe of itching Ears do in our day, but abode under the Miniſters God had ſet over them.
Mark 4. Thoſe Hearers are highly commended for their Attention, Intention, and Retention, which three Ingredients make up that excellent compound of a Right Hearer. 1. The Attention of their Ears, appeared in their ſtanding up, ver. 5. to hear the better and more fully; 'tis ſaid [The Ears of all the People were Attentive to the word] ver. 3. they even prick'd up their Ears, ſo Montanus ſaith. 2. The Intention of their Hearts; The former Phraſes import not only their Attention External, but alſo their Affection Internal to what they heard of Truth deliver'd out of the Law; this made them to draw up the Ears of their Souls to the Ears of their Bodies, that ſo one Sound might pierce both at once, ſo thoſe good Souls did, Luke 19.4, 8. where they (as it were) hang'd their Ears at Chriſt's Mouth (as the Original foreign there ſignifies) as being loth to loſe even the leaſt part of his precious Language. So here, their doubling of the Anſwer Amen and Amen, ver. 6. was an evidence of great Elevation of their Hearts, giving not only Aſſent, but alſo having aſſurance that their Prayers would be granted; the Septuagint is, So be it, &c. 3. The Retention of their Memories; Man's Memory loſt its Retentive faculty when wounded by the Fall of the firſt Adam, but the ſecond Adam heals it by his Spirit, which ſo accompany'd the Word here, that now they remembred what God had commanded them to do by Moſes, Deut. 31.11, &c. the remembrance of ſo long a Neglect ſet them on weeping.
Mark 5. Hereupon Nehemiah gives them an Amicable Diſmiſſion, bidding them to break off their Sorrow (now out of ſeaſon) and go away to eat the fat and drink the ſweet, &c. for the joy of the Lord was their ſtrength, ver. 10. intimating, that their Rejoicing in God (who had now done ſuch great favours for them in reſtoring their Land, City and Worſhip to them) would both pleaſe God more, and profit themſelves better, ſaith Junius; for ſhould they indulge their Griefs, it would weaken both Body and Mind, whereby they will be both unfit for God's ſervice, and become an eaſie prey to their Adverſaries. The Levites alſo concurr'd to allay their Paſſions, ver. 11. and then they went away and kept an Holy Jubilee of Joy, ver. 12.
Remark the Third, Upon the Feaſt of Tabernacles, deſcribed in Special.
Mark 1. After the Day of their Jubilee of Joy, (call'd ſo from Jobal, Hebr. a Trumpet that was blown in token of Triumph) the Princes, Prieſts and Levites came the next Day to Ezra (that perfect Scribe, Matth. 13.52.) for his fuller and further Information of them in the Law of God: This was (ſaith Wolphius) a good evidence both of their Humility and Piety, in not pretending to any more Knowledge than indeed they had, preferring rather to proclaim their own Ignorance in order to their better Edification, than to preſerve their Reputation among the People, ver. 13. The wiſeſt know but in part here, &c. 1 Cor. 13.9.
Mark 2. Ezra informs them of a farther Feaſt, which ought to be celebrated in this ſeventh Month, ver. 14, 15, 16. Namely, the Feaſt of Tabernacles, or dwelling in Booths, which God had plainly commanded, Levit. 23.34, to 44. Deut. 16.13.14, 15. Theſe very Teachers of the People came to be Reſolved of their Doubts in caſes of Conſcience (ſaith Junius) by Wiſe and Holy Ezra, who was both Apt to teach the Truth, foreign, 1 Tim. 3.2. and no leſs able to maintain it: He Reſolves them that none of thoſe great things, Hoſ. 8.12. excellent things, Prov. 22.20. and marvelous things, Pſal. 119.18. written in the Law of God, muſt be neglected, eſpecially this Feaſt of Tabernacles, or Booths, built of Boughs and Branches of thick Trees, in a grateful Memorial of God's gracious Deliverance of them from Egypt when they Journied from Raamſes to Succoth, (which ſignifies Booths) Exod. 12.37. and 13.20. their firſt Rendezvouz; and where they built Bowers, &c. and alſo of their Powerful Preſervation in the Wilderneſs, where they dwelt in Tents or Tabernacles. N. B. And it likewiſe ſignified that the Remembrance of our Redemption by Chriſt out of this evil World, ſhould be perpetuated with Spiritual Joy in all Ages, Zech. 14.16, to 20.
Mark 3. The Celebration of this Feaſt here, ver. 17, 18, 19. It was a none-ſuch Celebration, which relateth not to the Matter (ſaith Maſius) as if it had been wholly neglected from Joſhua to Nehemiah; 'tis improbable that ſo many pious Princes, Prieſts and Prophets within that time (who were all expert in God's Law, and ſome of them commended for their univerſal obedience to it, Acts 13.36.) ſhould be guilty of ſo groſs a Neglect: Beſides, that this Feaſt had been obſerved, is implied 1 Kin. 8.2, 65. 2 Chron. 7.9. and particularly expreſs'd Ezra 3.4. but this Lo-ken, Hebr. non taliter, reſpects the Manner only; therefore (ſaith he) this Particle [So] is purpoſely added to ſhew, this exceeded all former in Circumſtances: As 1st. With ſo much Joy and Solemnity: 2dly. With ſo much Ʋnanimity (ſaith Lyra) all as one Man, ver. 1. 3dly. Nor had they ever built Booths on the tops of their flat-roof Houſes, as now, ſaith Cajetan. 4thly. Nor with that Religious Devotion (ſay Junius and Piſcator); for whereas the firſt and laſt Day of that Feaſt were celebrated with an Holy Convocation, Levit. 23.35, 36. and John 7.37. but here Ezra Preached and the People willingly heard every day of the ſeven. 5thly. Nor with ſuch a long reading of the Law, which continued ſeven Days together (ſays Oſiander) the People refraining all that time from ſervile Works. 6thly. On the eighth Day alſo they had a Solemn Aſſembly, N. B. To prefigure our Chriſtian Sabbath, the firſt Day of the Week, as likewiſe Chriſt's Tabernacling in our Fleſh, John 1.14. and Chriſtians travelling toward Heaven, having here no Dwelling-place ſettled on them, Heb. 11.18. 1 Chron. 29.15, &c. Mich. 2.10.