A study of the book of Nehemiah 

#9 Amazing Grace! Nehemiah 9

Jehovah God is the main subject of this chapter—who He is, what He does for His people, and what His people must do for Him. This prayer reviews the history of Israel and reveals both the majesty of God and the depravity of man. Israel responded to God’s “great kindness” (Neh. 9:17), “great mercy” (v. 31), and “great goodness” (vv. 25, 35) with “great provocations” (vv. 18, 26) that resulted in “great distress” (v. 37).

It is interesting that three of Israel’s great “national prayers” are recorded in Ezra 9, Nehemiah 9, and Daniel 9. Behind these prayers is the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 as well as the example of Moses when he interceded for the people (Ex. 32–33).

Dr. Arthur T. Pierson said, “History is His story”; and this chapter bears that out. “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach,” wrote Aldous Huxley; and philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it.” The church today can learn much from the experiences of Israel, if we are willing to humble ourselves and receive the truth.

As you read this prayer, notice that it reveals the greatness of God (Neh. 9:1-6), the goodness of God (vv. 7-30), and the grace of God (vv. 31-38).

The greatness of God (Neh. 9:1-6)

(Nehemiah 9:1-6)  "On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads. {2} Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers. {3} They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the LORD their God. {4} Standing on the stairs were the Levites--Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani--who called with loud voices to the LORD their God. {5} And the Levites--Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah--said: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. " "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. {6} You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."

The Feast of Tabernacles had ended, but the people lingered to hear more of the Word of God. Feasting had turned to fasting as the Word brought conviction and people started confessing their sins. In most churches today, a six-hour service—three hours of preaching and three hours of praying—would probably result in some requests for resignations; but to the Jewish people in that day, it was the beginning of a new life for them and their city.

God’s greatness is seen in the fact that He receives our worship (vv. 1-5). True worship involves many elements: hearing the Scriptures, praising God, praying, confessing sin, and separating ourselves from that which displeases God. Each of these elements is recorded in this paragraph.

Worship involves the Word of God, for the Word of God reveals the God of the Word. “The essence of idolatry,” wrote A.W. Tozer in The Knowledge of the Holy, “is the entertainment of thoughts about God that are unworthy of Him” (p. 11). The better we know the Scriptures and respond to them, the better we will know God and become like Him. Israel was chosen by God to receive His Law (v. 13) and to know His will. Any worship service that ignores the Scriptures will not receive the blessing of God.

In the Scriptures, God speaks to us; and in prayer and praise, we speak to Him. “Stand up and bless the Lord your God!” (v. 5) is a command every true believer wants to obey. God’s name is exalted above every name (Phil. 2:9-11), and we should honor it as we praise Him. It should be “exalted above all blessing and praise” (Neh. 9:5).

The people also took time to confess their sins (vv. 2-3) and seek the Lord’s forgiveness. The annual Day of Atonement was past, but the worshipers knew that they needed constant cleansing and renewal from the Lord. We must not major on self-examination to the extent that we start ignoring the Lord, but we must be honest in our dealings with Him (1 John 1:5-10). Whenever you see sin or failure in your life, immediately look by faith to Christ and seek His forgiveness; and keep on looking to Him. The more you look at yourself, the more discouraged you will become. Focus on His perfections, not your own imperfections.

Finally, the people separated themselves from the world as they drew near to the Lord (Neh. 9:2; Ezra 6:21). Separation without devotion to the Lord becomes isolation, but devotion without separation is hypocrisy (see 2 Cor. 6:14–7:1). The nation of Israel was chosen by God to be a special people, separated from the pagan nations around them. “You are to be holy to Me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own” (Lev. 20:26, niv). The Apostle Peter applied those words to Christian believers in the church today (1 Peter 1:15; 2:9-10).

God’s greatness is also seen in the fact that He is God alone (Neh. 9:6a). The nation of Israel was surrounded by idolatry and the degrading lifestyle that was associated with pagan worship. In his reading and explaining of the Law, Ezra had certainly emphasized the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:1-17; Deut. 5:6-21), including the first two commandments that declare the uniqueness of God and the wickedness of idolatry. Even today, faithful Jews still recite “The Shema” (6:4-6) as their declaration of faith in the one and only true God.

One of Israel’s ministries to the world was to bear witness to Jehovah, the true and living God. Their Gentile neighbors were surprised that the Jews had no idols (Ps. 115). When Israel turned to idols, as they often did, God disciplined them. In His eyes, their idolatry was like adultery (Jer. 3:1-5); for He had been “wedded” to them at Mt. Sinai when He gave them His covenant.

A third evidence of God’s greatness is the fact that He created the universe (Neh. 9:6b). “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) is a statement that can be applied only to Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Whenever God wanted to encourage His people, He would point to creation around them and remind them that He had made it all (Isa. 40). He used the same approach to remind them of the foolishness of worshiping idols (Isa. 41).

To know that our Father in heaven is the Creator of all things is a great source of strength and peace. Idolatry means worshiping and serving the creature and the creation rather than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). “Thus does the world forget You, its Creator,” wrote Augustine, “and falls in love with what You have created instead of with You.”

God’s greatness is seen in the fact of His providential care for His creation (Neh. 9:6c). He did not simply make everything and then abandon it to its own course. He is involved in the affairs of His creation: He sees when a sparrow falls (Matt. 10:29), and He hears when a raven cries out for food (Ps. 147:9). He has the stars all counted and named (v. 4), and He has even numbered the hairs on your head (Luke 12:7). “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Ps. 145:16, nkjv).

Finally, God’s greatness is seen in the fact that the hosts of heaven worship Him (Neh. 9:6d). You and I can’t duplicate the mighty works of the angels, but we can imitate their devotion to the Lord as they worship before His throne. And we have more cause to praise Him than they do! We have been saved by the grace of God and shall one day be like the Lord Jesus Christ. We are not just servants; we are children of God (1 John 3:1-3) and will dwell with Him forever!

In our worship, it’s wise to begin with the greatness of God. If we focus too much on what He gives or what we want Him to do, we may find our hearts becoming selfish. Sincere worship honors God in spite of circumstances or feelings or desires.

The goodness of God (Neh. 9:7-30)

This prayer rehearses the history of Israel, revealing God’s goodness to His people and their repeated failure to appreciate His gifts and obey His will. The word “give” is used in one way or another at least sixteen times in this chapter (kjv), for our God is indeed the “giving God,” who delights in meeting the needs of His people (1 Tim. 6:17). God gave Israel a land (Neh. 9:8, 15, 35), a law (v. 13), the ministry of the Spirit (v. 20), food and water (vv. 15, 20), deliverers (v. 27), and victory over their enemies (vv. 22, 24). What more could they want?

Centuries before, Moses had warned the people not to forget God, either His gracious hand of blessing or His loving hand of chastening (Deut. 8). Alas, the nation didn’t thank God in times of blessing, but they were quick to turn to God for help in times of suffering (see Pss. 105–106). Let’s not be too quick to judge them, because some of God’s people today treat God the same way.

Forming the nation (Neh. 9:7-18).

(Nehemiah 9:7-18)  ""You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. {8} You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous. {9} "You saw the suffering of our forefathers in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. {10} You sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. {11} You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. {12} By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take. {13} "You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. {14} You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. {15} In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them. {16} "But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. {17} They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, {18} even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, 'This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,' or when they committed awful blasphemies."

It was an act of pure grace when God chose Abram and revealed Himself to him, for Abram was an idolater in a pagan city (Josh. 24:2-3). Eventually, God changed his name from Abram (“exalted father”) to Abraham (“father of a multitude”), because He had promised to make him a great nation (Gen. 12:1-3; 17:1-8). Though Abraham had occasional lapses of faith, for a century he trusted the Lord and walked in obedience to His will. His obedient faith was made especially evident when he gave his son Isaac on the altar (Gen. 22; Heb. 11:17-19).

God’s covenant (Gen. 12:1-3) was the basis for all that God did with and for Abraham and his descendants. It was God’s purpose that all the world be blessed through Israel, and He did this in the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:8). God gave the land to Abraham and his descendants, even though during his lifetime Abraham owned nothing in the land but a cave for burying his dead (Gen. 23).

In the land of Egypt, the nation multiplied greatly, saw God’s power over the pagan gods, and experienced deliverance from bondage by the mighty hand of God (Ex. 1–15). God opened the sea to let Israel through and then closed it again to destroy the Egyptian army. It was complete deliverance; Israel was to have no further relationship with Egypt.

God led His people by day and by night, giving them food to eat and water to drink. He also gave them His holy Law, so that in their civil, personal, and religious life, they knew the will of God. The Sabbath was given as a special sign between God and His people (Ex. 31:13-17), but there is no evidence in Scripture that the Sabbath law was given to any of the Gentile nations.

In Nehemiah 9:16-18, Nehemiah tells us how the nation responded to all that God had done for them: They refused to bow to His authority (“hardened their necks”), listen to His Word (“hearkened not”), or obey His will. At Kadesh-Barnea, they tried to take matters in their own hands and appoint a new leader to take them back to Egypt (v. 17; Num. 14:1-5). When Moses was on the mountain with God, the people made and worshiped an idol (Neh. 9:18; Ex. 32). Moses interceded for the people, and God pardoned them.

How could these people turn their backs on God after all He had done for them? They did not truly love Him. Their obedience was only an outward form; it didn’t come from their hearts. In their hearts, they were still living in Egypt and wanting to return there. They did not have a living faith in God but were willing to receive His help and enjoy His gifts. Read Psalm 78 for an “x-ray” of Israel’s spiritual history.

Leading the nation (Neh. 9:19-22).

(Nehemiah 9:19-22)  ""Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. {20} You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. {21} For forty years you sustained them in the desert; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen. {22} "You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan."

During the forty years of Israel’s discipline in the wilderness, the old generation died and a new generation was born; but God never forsook His people. He led them by the cloud and fire, taught them the Word, provided them with the necessities of life, and gave them victory over their enemies. God keeps His promises and fulfills His purposes. If we obey Him, we share in the blessing; if we disobey Him, we miss the blessing; but God’s purposes will be fulfilled and His name glorified.

Like too many of God’s people today, the Jews were shortsighted: They forgot the glorious purposes that God had in mind for the nation. Had they meditated on God’s promises and purposes (Gen. 12:1-3; Ex. 19:1-8), they would not have wanted to go back to Egypt or mingle with the godless nations around them. Israel was a people who lived beneath their privileges and failed to accept fully God’s will for their lives.

Chastening the nation (Neh. 9:23-30).

(Nehemiah 9:23-30)  "You made their sons as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their fathers to enter and possess. {24} Their sons went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you handed the Canaanites over to them, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. {25} They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness. {26} "But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. {27} So you handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies. {28} "But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time. {29} "You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. {30} For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples."

God promised to multiply His people, and He kept His promise (Gen. 22:17). He also promised to give them a good land, and He kept that promise (13:14-18; 17:7-8). Under the leadership of Joshua, the army of Israel invaded Canaan, conquered the land, and claimed all its wealth. It was God who gave them victory and enabled them to possess cities, houses, lands, and wealth in the land of Canaan.

It was a “fat land” (“fertile,” niv), and Israel became a “fat people” (nourished, satisfied); and this led to their downfall. “But Jeshurun [Israel] grew fat and kicked; you grew fat, you grew thick, you are covered with fat; then he forsook God who made him” (Deut. 32:15, nkjv). Moses’ warnings went unheeded (Deut. 8). Israel delighted themselves in God’s great goodness but they did not delight themselves in the Lord. Like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-24), they wanted the Father’s wealth but not the Father’s will.

“For every one hundred men who can stand adversity, there is only one who can stand prosperity,” said Thomas Carlyle. Novelist John Steinbeck wrote, “If you want to destroy a nation, give it too much—make it greedy, miserable and sick.” It’s possible for a local church to get proud of its “riches” and become poor in God’s eyes (Rev. 3:14-22). The church that we may think is poor is probably rich in God’s eyes (2:8-9).

“Give me neither poverty nor riches,” prayed Agur the wise man. “Feed me with the food You prescribe for me; lest I be full and deny You, and say ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God” (Prov. 30:8-9, nkjv). Through the power of Christ, Paul had learned by experience “how to be abased” and “how to abound” (Phil. 4:12); and that is the lesson all of God’s people need to learn.

Once in the land, Israel enjoyed rest during the days of Joshua and the elders who had served with him; but when those godly leaders were gone, the new generation turned away from the Lord (Judges 2:6-15). God disciplined them, so they cried out for help; and God raised up deliverers to rescue them. Then they would walk in God’s ways for a time, lapse back into sin; and the cycle would be repeated. The Book of Judges records the sad story of how God disciplined His people in their own land by allowing their pagan neighbors to rule over them.

Against the dark background of Israel’s unfaithfulness shines the bright light of the faithfulness of God. When Israel obeyed Him, He was faithful to bless; when they disobeyed Him, He was faithful to chasten; when they asked for mercy, He was faithful to forgive. God is willing to give His people many privileges, but He will not give them the privilege of sinning and having their own way. God’s purposes are more important than our pleasures, and He will accomplish His purposes even if He has to chasten us to do it.

Israel’s sins finally became so disgusting to God that He decided to discipline them away from their own land. He used the Assyrians to destroy the Northern Kingdom, and then He brought the Babylonians to take the Southern Kingdom (Judah) captive and to destroy Jerusalem and the temple. It was as though God said to His people, “You enjoy living like the heathen so much, I’ll let you live with the heathen.” The nation’s seventy years of captivity in Babylon taught them to appreciate the blessings they had taken for granted, and they never again returned to pagan idolatry.

God’s chastening is as much an evidence of His love as is His bountiful supply of our needs (Heb. 12:1-11). We should be grateful that God loves us too much to allow us to become “spoiled children.” The Father is never as close to us as when He is chastening us. “Blessed is the man You discipline, O Lord, the man You teach from Your law; You grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked” (Ps. 94:12-13, niv). “Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now have I kept Thy Word” (119:67).

The grace of God (Neh. 9:31-38)

(Nehemiah 9:31-38)  "But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. {32} "Now therefore, O our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes--the hardship that has come upon us, upon our kings and leaders, upon our priests and prophets, upon our fathers and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. {33} In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong. {34} Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the warnings you gave them. {35} Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways. {36} "But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our forefathers so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. {37} Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress. {38} "In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.""

God was good to His people when His people were not good to Him. He sent them prophets to teach them and to warn them, but the nation refused to listen (2 Chron. 36:14-21). He was merciful to forgive them when they cried out for help, and He was long-suffering with them as they repeatedly rebelled against His Word. He could have destroyed the nation and started over again (see Ex. 32:10 and Num. 14:11-12), but He graciously spared them. In His mercy, God didn’t give them what they deserved; and in His grace, He gave them what they didn’t deserve.

As the Levites prayed, they acknowledged the sins of the nation and God’s justice in sending punishment. “In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong” (Neh. 9:33, niv). Note that the Levites used the pronoun “we” and not “they.” As they prayed, they identified with the nation and acknowledged their own guilt. Nehemiah had prayed the same way at the beginning of the book (1:6-7). It is easy to be convicted about other people’s sins, but God forgives only when we repent and confess our own sins.

In the past, although the nation had enjoyed abundant blessings, they still sinned against the God who had blessed them. Now those blessings had been taken away from them. They were back in the land, but they could not enjoy the land; for everything they worked for was given to somebody else! The Persian king was in control of everything, including their own bodies.

When God had been their king, the Jews had enjoyed great blessing; but when they rebelled against His will, they found themselves enslaved to kings who had no compassion on them. Samuel had warned them (1 Sam. 8), and Moses had prophesied that the nation would forfeit its wealth to its conquerors (Deut. 28:15ff). Whatever we fail to give God, we cannot keep for ourselves. He will take it one way or another. Christians who refuse to honor God joyfully by faithful giving often end up having to spend that money reluctantly on obligations that are painful and unexpected, like doctor bills or home repairs (see Mal. 3:7-12).

The Levites had acknowledged God’s greatness and goodness; and now, on the basis of His grace, they asked Him for a new beginning for the nation. They couldn’t change the servitude they were in, but they could surrender themselves to a greater Master and seek His help. No matter who exercises dominion over us, if we are yielded to the Lord, we are free in Him (1 Cor. 7:22; Eph. 6:5-9). If God had been merciful to Israel in the past, forgiving their sins when they cried out to Him, would He not be merciful to them now?

But they did more than ask God for mercy; they also made a solemn covenant with God to obey His law and do His will. The nation had made a covenant with God at Mt. Sinai and then broken it (Ex. 24:3-8). They had renewed the covenant when they entered Canaan (Josh. 8:30-35) and after they had conquered the land (24:14-28), but then they rebelled against the Lord (Judges 2:6-15).

Samuel had led the people in renewing their covenant vows (1 Sam. 11:14–12:25), but King Saul led the people back into sin and defeat. As soon as his throne was secure, David sought to bring the people back to the Lord (2 Sam. 6); and Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple was also a step in that direction. Sad to say, however, Solomon sinned against the Lord and almost destroyed his own kingdom.

Throughout the history of Israel, there was always a remnant of faithful people who trusted God, obeyed His will, and prayed for God to fulfill His promises (1 Kings 19:18; Isa. 1:9; Luke 2:38). This believing remnant was God’s “lifeline” to maintain the ministry of Israel in the world. They kept the light of faith and hope burning in the land; and because of them, God was able to fulfill His promise and bring the Savior into the world. The Jews in Jerusalem in Nehemiah’s day were a part of that remnant, and God heard their prayers.

Our God is a glorious God (Neh. 9:5). He is powerful (v. 6), faithful (v. 8), and concerned about the needs of His people (v. 9). He is a pardoning God (vv. 17-19, 31), who is long-suffering when we sin (vv. 21, 30) but who chastens if we rebel (vv. 26ff). He is a generous God (vv. 24-25, 35), who gives us far more than we deserve. He is a God who keeps His promises even if we are unfaithful.

Surely this God deserves our loving obedience! Perhaps the time has come for a new beginning.

Nehemiah 9

Nehemiah 9:1-3. A solemn fast and repentance of the people.

Verse 1. Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month—that is, on the second day after the close of the feast of tabernacles, which commenced on the fourteenth and terminated on the twenty-second (Leviticus 23:34-37). The day immediately after that feast, the twenty-third, had been occupied in separating the delinquents from their unlawful wives, as well, perhaps, as in taking steps for keeping aloof in future from unnecessary intercourse with the heathen around them. For although this necessary measure of reformation had been begun formerly by Ezra (Ezra 10:1-17), and satisfactorily accomplished at that time (in so far as he had information of the existing abuses, or possessed the power of correcting them) yet it appears that this reformatory work of Ezra had been only partial and imperfect. Many cases of delinquency had escaped, or new defaulters had appeared who had contracted those forbidden alliances; and there was an urgent necessity for Nehemiah again to take vigorous measures for the removal of a social evil which threatened the most disastrous consequences to the character and prosperity of the chosen people. A solemn fast was now observed for the expression of those penitential and sorrowful feelings which the reading of the law had produced, but which had been suppressed during the celebration of the feast; and the sincerity of their repentance was evinced by the decisive steps taken for the correction of existing abuses in the matter of marriage.

Verse 2. confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers—Not only did they read in their recent sufferings a punishment of the national apostasy and guilt, but they had made themselves partakers of their fathers’ sins by following the same evil ways.

Verse 3. they … read in the book of the law—Their extraordinary zeal led them to continue this as before.

one fourth part of the day—that is, for three hours, twelve hours being the acknowledged length of the Jewish day (John 11:9). This solemn diet of worship, which probably commenced at the morning sacrifice, was continued for six hours, that is, till the time of the evening sacrifice. The worship which they gave to the Lord their God, at this season of solemn national humiliation, consisted in acknowledging and adoring His great mercy in the forgiveness of their great and multiplied offenses, in delivering them from the merited judgments which they had already experienced or which they had reason to apprehend, in continuing amongst them the light and blessings of His word and worship, and in supplicating the extension of His grace and protection.

Nehemiah 9:4-38. The Levites confess God’s manifold goodness, and their own wickedness.

Verse 4. Then stood up upon the stairs—the scaffolds or pulpits, whence the Levites usually addressed the people. There were probably several placed at convenient distances, to prevent confusion and the voice of one drowning those of the others.

cried with a loud voice unto the Lord—Such an exertion, of course, was indispensably necessary, in order that the speakers might be heard by the vast multitude congregated in the open air. But these speakers were then engaged in expressing their deep sense of sin, as well as fervently imploring the forgiving mercy of God; and “crying with a loud voice” was a natural accompaniment of this extraordinary prayer meeting, as violent gestures and vehement tones are always the way in which the Jews, and other people in the East, have been accustomed to give utterance to deep and earnest feelings.

Verse 5. Then the Levites … said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God—If this prayer was uttered by all these Levites in common, it must have been prepared and adopted beforehand, perhaps, by Ezra; but it may only embody the substance of the confession and thanksgiving.

Verses 6-38. Thou, even thou, art Lord alone, etc.—In this solemn and impressive prayer, in which they make public confession of their sins, and deprecate the judgments due to the transgressions of their fathers, they begin with a profound adoration of God, whose supreme majesty and omnipotence is acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and government of all. Then they proceed to enumerate His mercies and distinguished favors to them as a nation, from the period of the call of their great ancestor and the gracious promise intimated to him in the divinely bestowed name of Abraham, a promise which implied that he was to be the Father of the faithful, the ancestor of the Messiah, and the honored individual in whose seed all the families of the earth should be blessed. Tracing in full and minute detail the signal instances of divine interposition for their deliverance and their interest—in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage—their miraculous passage through the Red Sea—the promulgation of His law—the forbearance and long-suffering shown them amid their frequent rebellions—the signal triumphs given them over their enemies—their happy settlement in the promised land—and all the extraordinary blessings, both in the form of temporal prosperity and of religious privilege, with which His paternal goodness had favored them above all other people, they charge themselves with making a miserable requital. They confess their numerous and determined acts of disobedience. They read, in the loss of their national independence and their long captivity, the severe punishment of their sins. They acknowledge that, in all heavy and continued judgments upon their nation, God had done right, but they had done wickedly. And in throwing themselves on His mercy, they express their purpose of entering into a national covenant, by which they pledge themselves to dutiful obedience in future.

Verse 22. Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations—that is, put them in possession of a rich country, of an extensive territory, which had been once occupied by a variety of princes and people.

and didst divide them into corners—that is, into tribes. The propriety of the expression arose from the various districts touching at points or angles on each other.

the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon—Heshbon being the capital city, the passage should run thus: “the land of Sihon or the land of the king of Heshbon.”

Verse 32. Now therefore, our God … who keepest covenant and mercy—God’s fidelity to His covenant is prominently acknowledged, and well it might; for their whole national history bore testimony to it. But as this could afford them little ground of comfort or of hope while they were so painfully conscious of having violated it, they were driven to seek refuge in the riches of divine grace; and hence the peculiar style of invocation here adopted: “Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy.”

Verse 36. Behold, we are servants this day—Notwithstanding their happy restoration to their native land, they were still tributaries of a foreign prince whose officers ruled them. They were not, like their fathers, free tenants of the land which God gave them.

Verse 37. it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins—Our agricultural labors have been resumed in the land—we plough, and sow, and till, and Thou blessest the work of our hands with a plentiful return; but this increase is not for ourselves, as once it was, but for our foreign masters, to whom we have to pay large and oppressive tribute.

they have dominion over our bodies—Their persons were liable to be pressed, at the mandate of their Assyrian conqueror, into the service of his empire, either in war or in public works. And our beasts are taken to do their pleasure.

Verse 38. we make a sure covenant, and write—that is, subscribe or sign it. This written document would exercise a wholesome influence in restraining their backslidings or in animating them to duty, by being a witness against them if in the future they were unfaithful to their engagements.

9:1–38 This chapter is arguably one of the most significant in the whole of Hebrew Scripture. It presents a compelling recital of the basic OT story line, with a glorious focus on the work of Yahweh in the lives of His people. The passage does not end with history but with response. Any true understanding of the person and work of God leads to actions of righteousness and attitudes of worship. Most of the chapter (vv. 5–38) is often regarded as a prayer to God. If it is a prayer, it may be the longest prayer recorded in the Bible. But in its form and content, it appears more like a psalm, showing affinities particularly with Pss. 105 and 106. The text does not record who wrote these words, but we may cite the tradition that Ezra wrote them, and call this “Ezra’s Grand Psalm.”

9:1 the twenty-fourth day of this month: The people’s public worship had begun on the first day of the seventh month (8:2). More than three weeks later, the people were still engaged in public worship. Fasting, sackcloth, and dust were traditional signs of mourning; here these signs were preparation for the confession of the people’s sin (v. 2).

9:2 Of Israelite lineage means “the seed of Israel.” The separation from all foreigners was a sacred separation from foreign persons who worshiped other gods and whose practices might have brought harm to the integrity of the Lord’s worship by His people. their sins and the iniquities of their fathers: The confession of the people’s own sins was for personal and corporate forgiveness; the confession of their father’s sins was for remembrance, that they might not continue in past evil actions and attitudes.

9:3, 4 As in 8:5, the people stood in reverence at hearing the reading of the Scriptures. one-fourth of the day: Approximately three hours (compare 8:3) were spent in public reading and three hours were spent in corporate worship. confessed: When this word is used with God as its object, as in this verse, it refers to the praise of God.

9:5 Stand up and bless the Lord your God: These words were shouted by the Levites. Forever and ever: The Lord of Hosts will be praised through all eternity. Your glorious name: The importance of the name of God can scarcely be overestimated. This psalm is solidly based on the theology of the Law (the Books of Moses) as would be expected following the three-week reading of the Scriptures (8:1, 2). Thus this poem’s exaltation of the Lord’s name is based on God’s own revelation of His name recorded in the Book of Exodus (Ex. 3:14). The prophet Isaiah also praised the Lord’s “glorious name” (Is. 63:14).

9:6 One of the fundamental teachings of Scripture is that God is not one among many; He alone is the living God (Deut. 6:4). heaven … earth … seas: God alone has made all things, and He alone preserves all things. Therefore, worship is due Him. The first section of this psalm (vv. 5, 6) establishes the mood for the whole poem: God is incomparable (Num. 23:8, 9; Deut. 4:32–40; Ps. 113:4–6).

9:7–31 Here is a recital of Yahweh’s faithfulness to His people despite their checkered history. This lengthy section is the heart of the Psalm. The poet dramatically contrasts the faithfulness of Yahweh to the sorry record of Israel’s disobedience to His commands, disregard for His wonder, and disdain for His chastening actions. Yet He remains faithful.

9:7, 8 You are the Lord God: The word order of the Hebrew text is striking: “You are He, Yahweh (the) God.” The use of the definite article on the word God marks Him as “the true God.” Abraham: The story of the election of Abraham begins in Gen. 12:1–3. The point here is to emphasize God’s grace. Abraham did not seek out the Lord. Instead God sought him. You found his heart faithful: None of the people of biblical history was without sin except Jesus. Still, there were some whose faithfulness to God was constant. Among were Abraham and Sarah (Heb. 11). The subsequent history of the people of Israel was not marked by the steady faithfulness seen in Abraham, much to the displeasure of the Lord. The Promised Land, the land of the Canaanites, was populated by diverse groups of people who had all lost their right to the land because of their sinfulness (Gen. 15:18–21; Ex. 3:8, 17; 23:23; 33:2; Deut. 7:1; Josh. 3:10). You have performed Your words: This is the essence of the psalm. God’s faithfulness to His people cannot be challenged. You are righteous: One of the greatest reasons to celebrate the character of God is His conformity to His own standard of perfection (v. 33).

9:9 The Book of Exodus tells about the plight of the Israelites in Egypt and their complaint to the Lord for deliverance. It then speaks of God’s mercy in His response to the people’s need. This verse suggests that before the people expressed their hurt, the Lord was already aware of their troubles.

9:10 The signs and wonders were the ten plagues of Ex. 7—12. These great acts of God were directed primarily against Pharaoh. acted proudly: In Ex. 18:11, Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, used this same phrase to describe the presumptuous actions of the Egyptians. It was the proud actions of the Egyptians that brought God’s judgment on them.

9:11, 12 You divided the sea refers to God’s acts of deliverance at the Red Sea (Ex. 14; 15). Note the simile of Pharaoh’s troops sinking as a stone (Ex. 15:5). cloudy pillar … pillar of fire: The continued presence of God in the lives of His people was indicated by these symbols (Ex. 13:21, 22; Num. 10:11, 34; Deut. 1:33).

9:13, 14 The significance of the Sabbath in God’s Law for Israel is celebrated here (Ex. 20:8–11; 23:10–13; 31:12–18). By the hand of Moses: The Law came from the Lord, but it was given by the agency of Moses (John 1:17).

9:15 The gifts of bread, or manna (Ex. 16:9–35), and water (Ex. 17:1–7) demonstrated God’s care for His people in their journey to the Promised Land.

9:16, 17 But they: These words stand in shocking contrast to the description of God’s actions in vv. 9–15. The sin of the Israelites was that they acted proudly—that is, they behaved toward God in the same way that the people of Egypt had behaved toward them. The primary reference here is to the rebellion of Israel against the Lord at Kadesh (Num. 13; 14). The people’s rebellion went so far that they appointed a leader to take them back to Egypt. But You: These words contrast the words “But they” at the beginning of v. 16 (Ex. 34:6). Ready to pardon means abounding in forgiveness. Slow to anger: This phrase translates a Hebrew idiom (“long of nose”) that has the same meaning as the English expression “to have a long fuse.” Kindness, from a word that means “loyal love,” is used often in the Book of Psalms (Ps. 13:5). Because of the God’s loyalty and steadfastness, He did not forsake His people.

9:18–21 In these verses, the poet describes the faithfulness of God to the Israelites in the wilderness despite their wretched behavior. Molded calf is a reference to the act of rebellion described in Ex. 32. Manifold mercies describes deep feelings like those of a mother for her child. You did not forsake them is repeated from v. 17. God would have been justified in abandoning His people because of their extreme sinfulness and wicked rebellion; yet He was compelled by His character not to do so. You also gave Your good Spirit: God not only gave gifts to His people, He made Himself known in their midst. Forty years: The wilderness experience (Deut. 2:7) is viewed in two ways in the Bible: (1) as a period of prolonged punishment because of rebellion; and (2) as a period of continued mercy because of God’s unchanging character. clothes … feet: God’s provisions were daily experiences of divine miracles (Deut. 8:4; 29:5).

9:22–25 The poet describes the mercies of God in Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land and in God’s continuing provision for them. kingdoms and nations: The Bible celebrates the conquest of the land east of the Jordan, as well as the conquest of Canaan itself. as the stars: The miraculous growth of the people is described in this familiar hyperbole (Gen. 15:5; 22:17). the people went in: The conquest of the land as described in the Book of Joshua is indicated here. strong cities … rich land … houses: With few exceptions, the people of Israel conquered the inhabitants of Canaan in such a way that they were able to move into the Canaanites’ undamaged homes and cities. The Israelites were also able to enjoy crops and wells for which they did not have to work. All of this is testimony to God’s great goodness.

9:26–29 The rebellion of the people was expressed during the period of the judges and throughout the period of the kings. Cast Your law behind their backs is a graphic metaphor for rebellion. killed Your prophets: Jesus also directed this charge against the rebellious people (Matt. 23:31). You delivered them into the hands of their enemies refers to the experiences of the Israelites during the period described by the Book of Judges. he shall live by them: Salvation in any period is only by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8, 9). Keeping the Law was never a means of salvation, but a guide for living a life that pleases the Lord.

9:30, 31 God continued to be faithful to His disobedient people. For many years refers to the history of the people of Israel from Saul to the last of the kings. Your spirit in Your prophets speaks of God’s work in inspiring the words of the prophets of Israel (Jer. 1:9). You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands refers to the captivity of Israel. nor forsake them: For the third time in this psalm (vv. 17, 19), this reality is affirmed.

9:32–35 On the basis of the Lord’s continuing mercy through the centuries, the poet now turns to the present situation and asks that God’s faithfulness will continue to be experienced by His people. This is a marvelous demonstration of the manner of biblical prayer. On the basis of God’s past actions, the beleaguered believer requests in faith God’s continuing mercy.

9:32 Now refers to the time of the great revival under Ezra (8:1, 2). covenant and mercy: God’s covenant loyalty is unbreakable (Heb. 6:17, 18). Do not let all the trouble seem small: In view of the unspeakable wonder of God, the hardship of His people might seem too small a matter to be noticed. kings … people: The effects of Israel’s trouble were all-inclusive. From the days of the kings of Assyria: The incursions of the Assyrians, beginning with Tiglath-Pileser III, began a period of oppression for the Jewish people.

9:33–35 You are just: The poet affirms the righteousness of God. You have dealt faithfully … we have done wickedly: This is the basic reality not only of this chapter, but of the history of God and His people.

9:36, 37 Servants is used as a term of irony here. The people of Israel had been called to be the servants of God (Lev. 25:55), but here they were servants of foreign rulers. The produce of the land did not belong to them; it went to kings. The people were taxed by Persians for the produce of the land that was God’s gift to them.

9:38 The psalm ends in action, not just sentiment. The intent was changed behavior. The pledge was to mirror God’s faithfulness. The new covenant community desired to demonstrate the faithfulness of Abraham and Sarah.^[1]