HoHum:
Some folks think they are really good people. Let’s suppose that a person sins 3 times a day. A sin in the morning, a sin during the day, and a sin at night. Sounds like a pretty good person! Let’s think for a moment. If that person is saved at 10 years old and dies at 80 years old that person will commit 76,650 sins in their lifetime! Imagine nearly 80,000 sins and this is from the life of a “good person.” The truth is we have all sinned (more than we would really like to know) and all need Jesus.
WBTU:
Journey with me quickly through the book of Nehemiah. In chapter 1, Nehemiah receives word while serving as the cupbearer to the Persian king that Jerusalem is in a desperate state. The wall is in disrepair. The city is unprotected and in a condition of despair and great reproach. Chapter 2, Nehemiah secures King Artaxerxes blessing, and journeys to Jerusalem to lead the effort to restore the city. In the third chapter the work of rebuilding the wall is started with great excitement and awesome teamwork. In chapter four, enemies surrounding the city of Jerusalem are getting concerned with the progress, and begin plotting and planning attacks to disrupt the work. Chapter 5, the grumbling begins among the people doing the work. They have been making significant sacrifices to focus their efforts on rebuilding the wall, and it is beginning to take a toll on them financially, physically, and emotionally. Nehemiah takes steps to correct this. In chapter six, the villains of the story Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem, scheme and plan to pull Nehemiah away from the work, but he stands firm to the great work that he has been called. And the wall is completed in 52 days in chapter 6. Chapter seven provides us a genealogical listing of those individuals who were a part of this great reconstruction effort. Nehemiah is concerned about the lack of people in the city so he looks at the genealogical records and this will be important later. With the physical structure restored, in chapter eight it is time to focus in on the spiritual condition of the community. So Ezra gathers all the people together, and reads from the law of God. Reestablishes the order of feasts and celebrations that God had commanded of His people. And spiritual renewal, revival begins to take place within the nation. In the midst of the Feast of Tabernacles, the people wanted to weep and grieve as the Word of God was read but Nehemiah and the leaders told them to rejoice. Here in chapter 9 we have a solemn ceremony to address the people’s grieving and repentance first expressed in chapter 8. We have now arrived at the twenty-fourth day of Tishri, after the feast of Tabernacles- Read Nehemiah 9:1-7- This is the Longest prayer of confession- others being Daniel 9 and Ezra 9- The prayer starts with acknowledging who God is, Maker of heaven and earth and animals, humans
Thesis: God is right in…(Nehemiah 9:33- for thou hast done right- KJV)
For instances:
A. In Goodness
God’s goodness is seen in 4 ways in the opening of this prayer:
1. Forming (read vs. 7-18)
God chose Abram and brought him out of Ur and made a covenant with him. Then, when God’s people were suffering in Egypt, verse 10 says that God made a name for Himself by dividing the sea and releasing His people from bondage. In verse 13, they recall God’s goodness in the giving of the Law and in verses 14 and 15, they praise God for how the newly formed nation was given possession of the land that was promised to them. The nation is guilty of abandoning God but we find in vs. 17 that God is a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.
2. Leading (vs. 19-21)
After forming the nation, God was committed to lead His people on a daily basis even when they disobeyed Him. We see that Verse 19 that God directed them in miraculous ways. Verse 20 says that God gave His Spirit to the people to provide for their spiritual needs and food and water to meet their physical needs. Verse 21 tells us that for forty years, as the children of Israel wandered in the desert, their feet did not swell and their clothes did not wear out.
3. Providing (vs. 22-24)
God’s goodness is seen through His forming of the nation and by how he led them on a daily basis. He also provided them with everything they needed. He helped them defeat their enemies and gave them kingdoms and nations. He multiplied their numbers by blessing them with children. Verse 25 is a good summary of how God showed His goodness by providing for their needs- read vs. 25. In a similar way, God has given us everything we need as well. 2 Peter 1:3: “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” Next part is alluded to with words already read like arrogant, stiff necked, refused, rebellion, committed awful blasphemies
4. Correcting (vs. 26-30)
God corrected them by sending their enemies to rule over them. God used successive world powers to both punish and correct them. First, it was Assyria, then Babylon, Persia, Greece and finally Rome. But all of this was done because He is a good God. He demonstrates that fact clearly through His forming of the nation, by leading them, by providing for them, and even by correcting them. How do we respond to correction?
Hebrews 12:9-11: We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
B. In Wisdom
What is the difference between a wise boy and foolish one? We should not think the wise one is the one that does no wrong. This is unrealistic. God says children are naturally foolish (Proverbs 22:15- Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far away). The real difference is not that one is naturally good and the other naturally foolish. All are foolish. Then what is the difference? The wise ones get something that the foolish ones do not get. What is that? Love through discipline. Hebrews 12:7-8: Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline —then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Proverbs 13:24: Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. This seems so wrong. What is wisdom? One man said that wisdom is the right use of knowledge. The Bible gives a fuller definition. Proverbs 9:10: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Must start with a reverence, a high respect for God and from this we start to have wisdom. What is our natural reaction when things go wrong? “God, where were you? God, you did not come through.” Some will reject or condemn God. God is not forgiving, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love (Nehemiah 9:17). "Why is God not this way? Because I can see it in my life. I am exhibit #1." Now before we start talking about suffering, we must point out that many times we do not know why bad things happen to good people. If God were to give a complete explanation that our finite minds could comprehend for the reasons why bad things happen, I think our emotions would cry out in protest. It reminds me of a talk I gave about suffering. A man was in the audience who suffered from physical problems that lead to the dissolution of his marriage and also to him being greatly limited in his abilities. He felt like a shell of a man he once was. I often provided counsel and words of affirmation to him but on this talk he had enough. He spoke up loudly and interrupted me with, “Why? Why would God do this to me? That is not the God that I love and how dare you even bring up these things!” I was speaking from the Scriptures but this man’s emotions had him doubting the goodness and wisdom of God. God is a good God and we just covered this. A better question than “Why?” Is “How?” What good can come from bad things? Find something that we need to learn from the situation. Notice what is says before “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 9:8-9: Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you; rebuke the wise and they will love you. Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.
Vs. 26-30 talk about the bad things that happened to them. Vs. 31 talks about how God is gracious and merciful. Grace is getting what we do not deserve (a gift we do not deserve)- “You did not put an end to them.” Mercy is not getting what we deserve- “Abandon them.” Hell is to be abandoned by God, completely and totally, unlike now. See allusions to the gospel here.
C. In Justice (Nehemiah 9:32-38)
Notice that there is a change, been talking about “they, them, their,” now we go to “we, us, our”
Sins of fathers affect children but they also admitted to their sins “Because of our sins (vs. 37)”.
Focus on vs. 33- Is God Just? This generation was born into this pitiful situation so is God just?
2 Timothy 4:8- Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day. God is a just judge. Notice in Romans 3:26 says, “He (God) did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time,” what demonstration? Romans 3:25- God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement. Jesus paid the price for our sins to satisfy the wrath of God, to demonstrate his justice. Romans 3:26, “So as to be just”- had to be a penalty for sin or else God is an unjust Judge. “And the one who justifies the man who has faith in Jesus.” Romans talks much about justification. Just-as-if-I-had-never-sinned. Mixing words here- I know same spelling but “just” as an adjective and “just” as an adverb have two different meaning. No sin then no need for a penalty. Jesus paid the penalty, no penalty for you- Jesus Paid It All, All to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain, he washed it white as snow
