Day 271: What Did “Giving the Sense” Mean? (Nehemiah 8:8)

“They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.”
‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭8:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Through the Bible: Nehemiah 8-10

My favorite class in seminary was Christian Teaching, taught by Dr. John Hendrix. He had a childlike delight in teaching, and he was nearly giddy whenever a student showed that he or she “got it.”

One of his favorite sayings has stuck with me: “The difference between a teacher and a lecturer is that a teacher can make the complicated simple. A lecturer makes the simple complicated.”

That truth lined up perfectly with what I learned from Dr. Kathryn Chapman, my children’s ministry professor: “Share the gospel simply, so that people are able to understand, and kindly, so that people want to understand.”

When Ezra read the law in Nehemiah 8, understanding is the theme. Verses 2–3 say that “all who could understand” were gathered in the public square from morning until midday. Verse 7 notes that Levites moved among the crowd “helping the people to understand.” And verse 8 says they read “clearly” (mephorash in Hebrew), which may mean Ezra paused frequently so the priests could explain, or even translate, what was read. In other words, they didn’t just read; they gave the sense.

This is a word for pastors: if you think your sermon has more impact than small group Bible study, think again. People can worship in rows, but they grow in circles.

If you think your sermon has more impact than small group Bible study, think again.

The end result of Ezra’s teaching was simple: “the people understood the reading” (v. 8). And when they understood, they responded:

• They lifted their hands.
• They bowed their heads.
• They fell on their faces (8:5–6).
• They wept (8:9).
• They celebrated with “great rejoicing.”
• Why? “Because they had understood the words that were declared to them” (8:12).

Understanding the word of God is never automatic. Scripture says the capacity to understand is itself a gift of the Spirit (Job 32:8; Isa. 11:2; John 14:26). At times it is even withheld by the Spirit (Isa. 6:9–10; Rom. 11:7–9; 1 Cor. 2:14). But even Spirit-given capacity requires Spirit-empowered teachers who labor to make the word plain.

That’s a challenge to me as a preacher. It’s easy to blame lack of understanding on distracted listeners: “They were already thinking about the Cowboys game.” Sometimes I even try to spiritualize it: “Maybe the Spirit has darkened their understanding.” Maybe. But often the simpler explanation is that I haven’t worked hard enough to make the truth clear.

Good teaching is marked by several things:

• A message worth understanding.
• Learners with the Spirit-enabled capacity to understand.
• Attentive hearts that want to understand.
• Teachers who labor to be understood.
• Understanding that results in changed behavior.

That day at the Water Gate, all of these markers were in place. And the result was worship, repentance, and joy.

I pray the same is true in my church this Sunday morning—and in yours.

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