Zerubbabel successfully rebuilt the Temple. Ezra reestablished worship. Nehemiah accomplished the extensive task of reconstructing Jerusalem’s walls. The next undertaking for Ezra and Nehemiah was to rebuild the people. The Temple, the worship, and the walls were meaningless if Jerusalem’s inhabitants remained broken. The Judeans were taken into Babylonian captivity due to their perpetual backsliding. It didn’t matter how beautiful the Temple was, how organized the sacrifices were, or how fortified the walls were if the people were less than whole.
“And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel” (Neh. 8:1). How do you build broken people? With the Word of God. Nehemiah gathered all of the people together and had Ezra read from the Law of Moses. Ezra stood upon a pulpit made of wood, opened the Word of God and began to read aloud to the people.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Every Christian can know the Bible. It is God’s desire for every believer to know and understand the Word of God. Christians should not be handicapped in their ability to read and study the Bible. To know truth, attain joy, have victory and, grow spiritually you must be able to read, study and understand the Bible.