Nehemiah 9:26-38, Nehemiah 9 Revisited (3)

Continuing in Nehemiah 9.

·       9:26: “Nevertheless.”  At this point, this is an ominous word.  He has just concluded describing God’s goodness to Israel.  Yet, he has pointed out, they still rebelled against God.  So, “nevertheless” God is now going to be hard on Israel; has His goodness has come to an end?  There are people today who, in my view, have such a view.  The rebellion of Israel at the cross, when they put to death their Messiah, seems too much for some.  They conclude that the literal promises made to Israel in the OT are no longer to be understood that way but are, in some spiritual way, now transferred to the Church. 

o   In the days of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the temple there were “replacement” people as well.  Read what the Edomites said in Ezek. 35:10 (now these two nations, Israel and Judah, will become ours because God has taken it from them). 

o   However, look at the upcoming words of this great prayer of confession.  Many times You delivered them (v28).  For many years You had patience (v30).  There is no denying that God had again and again been merciful, because Israel had again and again been unfaithful. 

o   So you see, in 9:31 there is another “nevertheless.”  This one reminds me so much of Eph. 2:4-5: But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).  So here, literally, “for your mercies sake,” God was true to His Name (“You are God, gracious and merciful” comes from the name that God announced before Moses in Ex. 34:5-6) and continued to forgive them.  By the way, the word the NKJV translates “mercy” is the word for “womb,” and might be better translated “compassion.”  But think about that!  God is a “womb” for Israel, a place of protection and nurture for the weakest of humans.

9:32: On a similar note, and after all, this is a lengthy confession of sin that is pleading for nothing but mercy, the one praying asks God to have His eyes open to “the trouble that has come upon us.”  These are words that might suggest he is about to make an excuse for their pitiable situation.  But no!  This is a true and righteous confession: there are NO EXCUSES!  9:33 is clear: You are just … we have done wickedly.  Again, 9:36 might sound like a pity party: “here we are, servants today.”  Look at us, Lord, how hard it is.  Give us a break.  Our taxes are totally unreasonable (9:37).  But no, according to 9:38, all this is a set-up for the people to seek to do better, to be righteous, especially in the provision for the temple and temple-worship (Ch. 10).  Confession is never “if I have done wrong, please forgive me.”  It is never, “sure, Lord, I was wrong; but look at what he did to deserve it.”  It is always clear about the sin and the iniquity (guilt).