HOMILETICS Vers. 1-3.-A special fast day-how spent. This chatter and the next contait. an account of the proceedings of a day set apart for specia fasting and humiliation These three verses give a general description of the proceedings. I. The DATE. The 24th day of the month Tisri ; only one clear day having passed since the rejoicings of the feast of tabernacles. So joy and sorrow succeed each oth~r in life; in the religious life also. No inconsistency in the indulgence of each ID turn. The people had shown a preparedness for special humiliation at the beginning of the month, at the feast of trumpets, when, the law being read to them, they wept. But they were bid to restrain their grief at that time because they were keeping a festival Since then, on the tenth of the month, the day of atone- ment, the only fast day prescribed by the law, had doubtless been observed. But services of a more special kind were felt to be desirable, in which, by the united expressions of repentance and renewed covenant with God, the formdation should be laid for a life more in harmony with the law. II. The SEPARATION from aliens effected. The meeting and its exercises were to be strictly for "the seed of Israel" Others could not really have fellowship with them in their recital of God's dealings with their fathers and their nation, nor share their sorrow or new resolutions. The Jews therefore "separated themselve!I from all strangers" for the time, and held a meeting of Jews only. Such seems to be the meaning of the words. Observe that community of faith and feeling is essential to rmited worship, and the deeper and fuller it is, so much the more real and profitable will the llilited worship be. The mixed congregation has its advantages, but earnest Christians will desire a closer fellowship than it affords, and which can be found only in meetings of those like-minded, apart for a time from the formal and half. hearted. III. The EXTERNAL SIGNS of humiliation adopted. Fasting, abstinence from food, more or less rigid. A practice sanctioned by our Lord, and employed not only as an expression of humiliation, but as an aid to intense devotion (see Matt. iv. 2; xvii. 21 ; Acts xiii. 2, 3). Whether its very general disuse amongst Western Protestant Chris- tians is to be attributed to a decreased devoutness, or an increased spirituality to which such methods and instruments of piety are alien, or to the experience that in W estem climates fasting does not aid devotion, is worthy of consideration. What is certain is, that it is of no worth as a religious observance except as it promotes or expresse11 spiritual religion. In addition to fasting, these Jews wore sackclothes, and put earth on their heads-usages not uncommon with them in similar circumstances. Such signs of humiliation as these are, however, distinctly forbidden by our Lord, at least in the case of private devotion (Matt. vi. 16), as savouring of ostentation ; and, doubt- less, the more the spirit of the gospel prevails, such external signs be~ome distat1t~ful. And at any period they were valuable only as expressing and promotmg real feelmgs of penitence. We can easily imagine how, where they were recognised signs of wourning, o. whole assembly appearing in them would excite each other to deeper OH. IX, 1-38,] THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH. 97
grief, as in fact among ourselves is done when hundreds or thousands meet, on some occasion of general sorrow, all clothed in black. Iy. The RELIOl_ous EXERCIBEB _o~ the day. 1. The :worship o~ God. Including-(1) Pra1Be. Declarations of the D1vme glory, and recitals of his wondrous works in creation and in their national history. (2) Confession of sins. Their own sins ~nd those of their fathers. The substance of the confession made is given in vers. 7-35. Confession of one's own sins is not only appropriate, but is a condition of forgive- ness (Prov. xxv:iii. 13; 1 John i. 9). But why confess the sins of their fathers? It is to be remembered that this was a national gathering for national humiliation, introductory to a better national life. In such an assembly a review of the nation's sins would be very appropriate and profitable. It recalled the great cause of past national suffering, and of present degradation and subjeotron. It brought into light what must be avoided if better times were to arise. It produced the personal con- viction of participation in the sins of those gone before, and the necessity of abandoning them. It enhanced the feeling of the great forbearance and mercy of God towards their nation, which at once deepened repentance and encouraged hope. (3) Prayer (ver. 32). 2. Reading of the law. This had held a prominent place in the celebration of the feasts both of trumpets and of tabernacles (see previous chapter), and had been the chief means of awakening that general sorrow for sin which had prepared the people for this special fast day. It would seem that they had been heretofore unfamiliar with "the book of the law," and that what they had recently heard had excited a hunger not easily satiated. On this occasion half the time was spent in reading and hearing portions of the book. Its precepts and histories would increase their penitence; the declarations which, amidst its legal enactments, it contained of the pardoning mercy of God, and the instances of its exercise which it recorded, would assure them that their repentance would not be in vain ; and the whole would guide and stimulate their praises and confessions, suppli- cations and good resolutions. V. The TIME OCCUPIED (ver. 3). It was a "protracted meeting." For six hours the congregation kept together. Half the time was employed in the reading of the law, doubtless with explanations similar to those recorded in eh. viii. 7, 8, and half in worship. Perhaps the two alternated with each other throughout the service. In times of general religious feeling very long services may be held without weari- ness ; ordinarily they are undesirable; but the demand for very short ones is usually a sign of the decay of spiritual life. In conclusion-1. The foundation of a new or improved religious life must be laid in genuine repentance. 2. Knowledge of God's word is essential to an intelligent, acceptable, and lasting piety. The reading and exposition of Holy Scripture should therefore be prominent in public worship. 3. The reality and worth of our religious knowledge is to be estimated by its influ- ence on our heart and life. Does it work in us repentance and a more godly and righteous life ?