THE PEOPLE MOURN OVER THEIR SINS, CONFESS THEM, AND ARE LED BY THE LEVITES IN A PRAYER OF CONTRITION AND REMEMBRANCE OF GOD'S GRACE CONTINUALLY REVEALED TOWARDS THEM IN THE PAST, IN HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE HE WILL AGAIN RESTORE HIS PEOPLE (NEHEMIAH 9:1). On the second day following ‘the eighth day'... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PEOPLE GATHER SPONTANEOUSLY TO ADMIT THEIR SINFULNESS AND FAILURES TO GOD SEPARATING THEMSELVES FROM ALL WHO WERE TAINTED WITH IDOLATRY (NEHEMIAH 9:1). Nehemiah 9:1 ‘Now on the twenty fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackcloth, and earth upo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHIEF LEVITES WHO LED THE CONFESSION, WORSHIP AND INTERCESSION (NEHEMIAH 9:4). In Nehemiah 9:4 we presumably have a list of the princes of the Levites, who took their stand on the stairs of the Levites, and led the continual worship, and in Nehemiah 9:5 the names of those who actually led the f... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CRY OF THE LEVITES TO GOD ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE (NEHEMIAH 9:4). What follows was presumably the culmination of the three hours of confession and worship, and was a summing up in prayer by the chiefs of the Levites in terms of Israel's history, as their thoughts led up to a renewal of the coven... [ Continue Reading ]
YHWH AS UNIQUE CREATOR (NEHEMIAH 9:6). The initial emphasis was now on YHWH as sole Creator and Lord over all things, Who thus had control of all affairs whether in Heaven or on earth. Behind their words was their distress that they were still subject to the Persians (Nehemiah 9:39). But they recog... [ Continue Reading ]
YHWH'S CHOICE OF, AND COVENANT WITH, ABRAM/ABRAHAM (NEHEMIAH 9:7). Not only had YHWH created all things, however, but He had also out of all the nations chosen their forefather Abram, adopted him as His own (changing his name to Abraham), and had given to him and to his seed the promise of the land... [ Continue Reading ]
THE DELIVERANCE FROM EGYPT (NEHEMIAH 9:9). They now reminded YHWH what, having established His sovereign power over all things, and having chosen Abraham and made a covenant with him to give him and his descendants the land, this had caused Him to do. It had caused Him to deliver the children of Ab... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S INITIAL GREAT DELIVERANCE OF HIS PEOPLE FROM FOREIGN OWNERSHIP, HIS WONDERFUL PROVISION FOR THEM, AND THEIR RESPONSE BY SEEKING ANOTHER CAPTAIN WHO WOULD TAKE THEM BACK INTO BONDAGE (NEHEMIAH 9:9). The Levites first outline to God their recognition of His original great deliverance, and of al... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LEVITES' PLEA ON THE BASIS OF GOD'S PAST MERCIES (NEHEMIAH 9:9). The Levites now reminded God that He had been faithful to His covenant throughout their history, declared their recognition of His constant goodness, and of His continuing munificence towards them, confessed their own failures and... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S RESULTANT FULL PROVISION FOR HIS PEOPLE (NEHEMIAH 9:12). Having delivered them so wonderfully and powerfully God had made full provision for His people in the wilderness: · He had made His presence with them known in the form of the pillars of cloud and fire, pillars which led them forward b... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HIS PEOPLE'S RESPONSE TO HIS GOODNESS HAD BEEN TO OPENLY DISOBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS AND TO TURN TO OTHER GODS. HOWEVER EVEN SO HE DID NOT FORSAKE THEM BECAUSE OF WHAT HE IS (NEHEMIAH 9:16). Here the first acknowledgement of how sinful their fathers had been is now given. It refers to their arrogan... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S FAITHFUL PROVISION FOR HIS PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE WILDERNESS PERIOD AND HIS SUCCESSFUL BRINGING OF THEM INTO THE LAND AND ESTABLISHING OF THEM IN PROSPERITY (NEHEMIAH 9:18). Here we have what is to some extent a reiteration of what was described in Nehemiah 9:12, but now seen in the light of Hi... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S CONTINUAL ACTIVITY ON BEHALF OF HIS PEOPLE (NEHEMIAH 9:18). In this second main section they now outlined to God how regularly the people had rebelled against Him, and yet how nevertheless He had constantly abundantly provided for them. The first sub-section (Nehemiah 9:18) repeats the pattern... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FIRST CYCLES (NEHEMIAH 9:26). Note the pattern of the initial cycles. Rebellion (Nehemiah 9:26). Deliverance to enemies (Nehemiah 9:27 a). The plea for help (Nehemiah 9:27 b). The provision of saviours (Nehemiah 9:27 c). The mention of the slaying of the prophets indicates that this is going bey... [ Continue Reading ]
REPEATED CYCLES OF REBELLION, DELIVERANCE INTO THE HANDS OF ENEMIES, FERVENT INTERCESSION, DIVINE INTERVENTION (NEHEMIAH 9:26). They now described to God how they had behaved as a nation, the constantly repeated cycles of rebellion, deliverance into the hands of enemies, fervent pleas to God, follo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE INTERMEDIATE CYCLES (NEHEMIAH 9:28). Nehemiah 9:28 “But after they had rest, they did evil again before you; therefore you left them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them. Yet when they returned, and cried to you, you heard from heaven; and many times you delive... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FINAL CYCLES (NEHEMIAH 9:29). Nehemiah 9:29 “And testified against them, that you might bring them again to your Law. Yet they dealt proudly, and did not listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances, (which if a man do, he will live in them), and withdrew the shoulder, and h... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY REMIND GOD OF THE POSITION THAT THEY ARE IN, GOVERNED BY A FOREIGN POWER, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT WAS THROUGH THEIR OWN FAULT BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN SINS AND THE SINS OF THEIR FATHERS, AND ASSURE HIM THAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO RENEW COVENANT WITH HIM (NEHEMIAH 9:32). The covenant that they were about t... [ Continue Reading ]