Covenant made

[32] Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. [33] Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: [34] Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. [35] For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. [36] Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it: [37] And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. [38] And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it. Nehemiah 9:32-38

The Israelites reflected on the past and realized how wrong they were. Praising and glorifying God they confess their sin, “for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly” and start to rectify the situation.

Verse 34 notes not one of them, from the common person to the leaders had kept the law. They think about where they were and in what direction they now will be traveling. Realizing they are in “great distress” they look to the One who is willing and waiting to help.

A solution is found, make a sure covenant. Sure, in this verse, is the Hebrew word for fixed. Not only make a covenant to obey and follow the Lord, but write it out and seal it. When something is written out we see it in black and white. It is easy to break an oral agreement but if it is written out and signed, one is reminded of what they pledged.

Have you made oral promises to God, which have been repeatedly broken? Keep a quiet time journal and write down goals and aspirations that you would like to achieve in your Christian life. Pray and ask Him for daily wisdom.

Have a blessed day,
Donna

Wrongdoing continues

[28] But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies; [29] And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. [30] Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. [31] Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God. Nehemiah 9:28-31

Wow! What do we have here, a time of rest away from the enemy then turn right around and do the same thing again and again and again. A vicious circle, a merry go round that never stops and one cannot jump off.

Were the people of Israel any different than us, I dare say, absolutely not. Praise God for His mercy, grace and longsuffering. Before any judgments are placed on the prideful, rebellious or disobedience, think again, there for the grace of God go I. Only because God is a gracious and merciful God did He not consume them.

We need to learn from past history, ours as well as others.

Have a blessed day,
Donna

Rescue

Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. Nehemiah 9:27

God let them fall into the hands of the enemies. He had not left them but was there all the time, waiting to hear from His children. Hear He did, as the Israelites called and asked for forgiveness.

He sent people who rescued them from the clutches of the enemies. He is waiting to deliver us from the enemy all we need to do is call out and ask.

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. Psalm 18:3

[16] As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. [17] Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. Psalm 55:16-17

Have a blessed day,
Donna

Disobedience

[22] Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. [23] Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it. [24] So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would. [25] And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. [26] Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. Nehemiah 9:22-26

God blessed the people of Israel with many blessings. This portion of scripture lists a few of them.

Given kingdoms - Numbers 21:23-35

The nation of Israel grew - Exodus 12:37; I Chronicles 27:23

Brought into Promised Land - Joshua 1:3-4

Took over kings and kingdoms - Deuteronomy 3:1-6

Captured lands with vineyards/gardens - Joshua 24:13

Even with all the blessings and provisions the nation was disobedient and rebelled against God. Lessons upon lessons were taught but still were not learned.

I know I feel that way about a lot of things. How many times does God need to bring something into my life so I will learn the lesson? I thank Him daily for his longsuffering and patience to teach me as many times as necessary until I learn it.

Is God trying to teach you something? If so, be obedient not disobedient to His lessons.

Have a blessed day,
Donna

Rebellion

[18] Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations; [19] Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. [20] Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. :[21] Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not. Nehemiah 9: 18-21

As we look at these verses we see rebellion. Aaron, Moses’ brother made a golden calf and told the Israelites, “Here is your god that brought you out of Egypt.” Doing this was total rebellion against God and the commandments that God gave to them.

God was angry with this rebellion and we are told in chapter 32 of Exodus that Moses pleaded with God and He repented of the evil that He was going to do to the people. In verse 19 of chapter 9 in Nehemiah we are told the reasons of God’s turnabout.

In God’s manifold (abundant) mercies (compassion) He did not leave them in the wilderness but gave them a cloud to follow in the daytime and a pillar of fire to follow at night to lead the way. God’s abundant compassion does not end there but He provided food and water for the journey.

For forty years God provided physical protection as well as food and water. The clothes on their backs did not rot or get old nor did their feet swell. Remember walking was the mode of transportation during this time.

God is still full of abundant compassion. Is there something in your life you are rebelling against? Is God dealing with you about serving Him in a certain capacity? Pray and seek God’s will.

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. Psalm 86:15

The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. Psalm 145:8

Don’t rebel but trust Him today to lead you in the right way, like only He can.

Have a blessed day,
Donna

Pride

[16] But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, [17] And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. Nehemiah 9:16-17

God promised the Israelites a home land (v15). The response is not what one would think. We are told “they dealt proudly and hardened their necks (stubbornness)… and refused to obey.” They obviously forgot all the wonderful things the Lord did for them.

How would you treat someone that treated your kindness that way? We would be angry, and probably very unforgiving. The next words out of our mouth would be, “If that is the way you are going to treat me then you can forget me ever doing anything for you.” Praise God He is not like us. He is longsuffering.

Have you done anything you think got God mad at you? Has pride kept you from coming back to God? He is waiting with outstretched arms.

God is great. He is always ready to pardon (forgive). All we need to do is ask Him to forgive us. It is usually our foolish pride that holds us back. God is gracious and merciful (full of compassion), slow to anger and full of kindness. What is holding you back? The ball is in your court. God is waiting!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:9

Have a blessed day,
Donna

Great Deliverance

[6] Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. [7] Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; [8] And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous: [9] And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea; [10] And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day. [11] And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters. [12] Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go. [13] Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments: [14] And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant: [15] And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them. Nehemaih 9:6-15

The Levites are proclaiming all the great deliverances of God. They are bringing back to mind what the Lord did for them. Each of the events can be documented in the Word of God.

God created the heavens and earth Genesis 1:1

God choose and directed Abraham Genesis 12; 17

God found Abraham faithful Galatians 3:9; James 2:23

God heard their cry Exodus 2:23; 14:10

God plagued Egypt Exodus 7-12

God divided the Red Sea for Israel to cross Exodus 14:21-22

God led the Israelites by a cloud and fire Exodus 13:21-22

God gave the Ten Commandments Exodus 20

God provided “bread from heaven” and water from a Rock Exodus 16; 17:1-6

God promised them a land Genesis 12:1-3

Join me the next time as the Levites reveal the responses of the people to the deliverances.

Have a blessed day,
Donna

Confess, Worship, Praise

[1] Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. [2] And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. [3] And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God. [4] Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God. [5] Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Nehemiah 9:1-5

Here we have a picture of the children of Israel getting right with God. The wall is built and prepared with guards to protect the area. It is now time for the people to be “built up” in the Lord. It is time for them to draw nigh to God so He will draw nigh (get close) to them (James 4:8).

What were the steps that were taken to accomplish this task?

~ Fasted – The act of abstaining from food.

~ Stood and confessed their sins and the sins of their fathers.

~ Read the book of the law for ¼ of the day – earnestly striving to know what God wanted them to do

~ Confessed – asked for forgiveness

~ Worshipped God after reading the word and confessing their sin

~ Praised His glorious name

Each step taken was toward God and away from self.

Today as one speaks to a Christian most of the “buzz” words spoken are praise and worship. Not much is said in regard to repentance, confession, fasting. As with everything Christianity is not just one or two items, but a multitude of things that need to be together. One cannot truly worship and praise God without repenting (to turn away) of sin and asking God for forgiveness.

As with the Israelites of this time Christians need to be in tune with God. We need to examine ourselves and make sure our motives are right before God.

[23] Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: [24] And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

Have a blessed day,
Donna