Have you ever noticed how enjoyment or interest changes the feel of time movement? About a year after I was born again, I was attending a non-denominational church that had solid teaching and moved in the Spirit. Our services generally lasted a couple of hours as there was worship, an informative sermon, then there was more worship and perhaps ministry of some kind. I truly enjoyed it and felt like it was never long enough. Back then there was even Sunday evening and mid week services, and I liked to hit all three...
My best friend's dad went to a church (occasionally) where from start to finish, the service was usually 20min. yet he felt the service was too long if it went over that short time. Obviously he didn't enjoy or find it interesting, but was going just to do his duty- which he did confess to me once. For him, time was moving far too slow and every moment there stretched out longer.
These days, I love to study the Word as much as I am able, but it wasn't always that way. For many years I was very inconsistent with reading the Bible; sometimes you could write in the dust on its cover. It often grieved me to be that way, but it was as if no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't change. If I had been in the longest Bible study, I wonder how fast I would have felt time move.
(Ezra brought the Law) And he read in it before the street in front of the Water Gate from the morning until noon, in front of the men and the women, and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people listened to the Book of the Law. Nh. 8:3
The word for morning actually means light, so this is a potential six hours of listening to the Word, the Law being read. There were way over thirteen people (v.7,8) helping the listeners understand the words of the law during the hours they listened. Imagine that! Such a huge crowd all there listening and present to learn and understand the Word for that long!
How did the people enjoy the study? "...all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law." (v.9) The people were mourning and grieving, possibly because they hadn't heart it or understood it before that time. Then later they were rejoicing "because they had understood the words which were declared to them." (v.12) Later, we read they were obeying the Words they heard (v.14 on) and they spent seven days listening to the Word.
I wonder how many of us would listen to the Word and its explanation for six-ish hours, rejoice in the learning of it, go out and obey it, and then do it all again for seven days?