“So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month” (Nehemiah 8:2, NKJV).

The law was given to those who had understanding. It had an audience. Think about not throwing your pearls before swine. God’s law is for a certain people: those with understanding. Jesus talks about people who hear and never understand. We want to be those who listen to Him, hear, and understand.

Who are these ones who understand God’s law? I found another description of them, “The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding” (Nehemiah 10:28, ESV).

Those who had understanding and were given the law were those who showed understanding by separating themselves. They separated themselves from the peoples of the land to the Law of God. It’s not just a separation from, though important, it’s also a separation to. We are holy unto God, separated to Him. Think of it as choosing sides. There’s a line drawn in the sand. Most Christians want to walk one foot on each side of the line. God won’t allow that forever. We need to choose our side.

In Nehemiah, I found a couple other descriptions of people who had understanding. It mentions David and calls him a man of God. He was God’s man; he had chosen His side. It is said of Abraham that God found his heart faithful. His loyalty wasn’t divided; he devoted himself to One alone.

May our hearts be loyal and true, separated out to God alone, that we may be one who hears and understands His word to us.