A study on Nehemiah 9

Today's Bible reading was from the book of Nehemiah chapter 9. 

The people of Israel dedicated a time of fasting and repentance.  They confessed their sins and the sins of the generations before them (today, some would gasp and call that judging.  Back then, it was being honest and humble before God asking for His mercy and forgiveness).  

Confession is good for the soul.  It helps reveal some ways in us that needs to change.  The people of Israel came to see that as they made confession before God.  

Throughout that chapter we see a repeated pattern.

They rebelled (vs 16-17)

God had mercy and didn't forsake them (vs 17)

They rebelled again (vs 18)

God had mercy again, didn't forsake them, and provided for them (vs 19-25)

But they rebelled again and killed the prophets who were sent to warn (vs 26)

This time God issued consequences and punished their rebellion by sending them into captivity (vs27)

But once again God had mercy when they cried unto Him and sent deliverers (vs 27)

How quickly they forgot and rebelled against the Lord again (vs 28) 

So God again issued consequences and punished their rebellious ways and left them in the hand of their enemy (vs 28)

And once again God had compassion and mercy when they turned back to Him.  Many times He delivered them despite their rebellion (vs 28)

Yet again we see in verse 29 that they rebelled again, not listening to God or His Word.

Many years God was merciful time and again (vs 30)

Yet many times, over and over again,  they would not listen and rebelled (vs 30)

God again had to punish them and issue consequences for their rebellion (vs 30)

Nevertheless,  God was merciful again and did not allow them to be destroyed (vs 31)

Reading that account, you would scratch your head and wonder why they didn't learn. But how many times have we done the same thing with God?

The chastening of the Lord is not pleasant, but it is necessary just as a loving parent uses correction to redirect bad behavior.  

If the Lord corrects you, know that it's because He loves you. 

Hebrews 12:6-11  KJV

6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Correction is not pleasant or joyous at the time it is received, but I thank God for His correction and His mercy.  It reveals that He loves us and helps to keep us on the right path  IF we obey His voice and don't harden our hearts in rebellion as the children of Israel did. 

Rebellion and sin make you captive and a slave to unclean spirits.  The children of Israel came to realize that.... 

Neh 9:37 - ....because of our sins: they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in distress.

While their captivity was literal,  it is also a typology of what happens when we allow sin to reign over us. 

Romans 6:16 - Know ye not that to whom he yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:12-14  - Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourself unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you!

I don't want sin to have dominion over me. I'm sure you do not want it for you either. The wages of sin is death (vs 23). Rebellion and disobedience open the doors for sin to rule our mortal bodies.  It's better to obey God and listen to the instructions of the Ministers of God as they lead and direct us in the paths of righteousness.