Sermon Notes: But ...... based on Nehemiah 9:16-32
Introduction: My introduction last week focused on
various views of God that people in the church and in our culture have. We looked at who God is based on Nehemiah’s
prayer. God creates, God keeps his
promises, God rescues, God provides.
How do you view characters in the Bible?
Opening:
How do you view yourself? How do you view humans?
Abraham-lied, Noah-got
drunk, David-committed adultery, killed someone, Peter-denied Jesus,
Paul-killed Christians
·
As I mentioned last week, Nehemiah 9 is
the longest recorded prayer in the Bible. The emphasis throughout the prayer is
on what God has done.[1]
·
Pattern in this prayer but they
(Israelites)….but you (God)
They
…but God was forgiving, gracious, compassionate, slow to anger abounding in
love (vs. 16-17)
·
Vs. 16-arrogant & stiff necked &
did not obey-
o
“Stiff-necked” is a common biblical
expression for stubbornness. The imagery is that of an animal that struggles
against having a yoke placed on its neck.[2]
o
Or think about the image of baby fighting
sleep?
·
Vs. 17-Refused to listen and failed to
remember
o
How often do we refuse to listen to God? We choose our way over God’s way which is always best.
o
Appointed a leader to return back to Egypt
(Numbers 14:1-4)
o
Failed to remember the miracles. We often
forget God and what He has DONE for us.
·
Vs. 17-God is forgiving
o
In spite of all the people’s failures, God
kept on forgiving[4]
·
Vs. 17-Gracious and Compassionate
o
Grace-we get what we don’t deserve
o
Gracious & Compassionate-the quality
of showing favor and mercy. The term is usually applied to a person of superior
position and power who is kindly disposed toward a person of inferior position
and power. In the Bible, it is above all God who is gracious toward human
beings[5]
cannot be earned by human beings. God’s people experience his mercy after they
have engaged in periods of sinful activity, disobedience, or complacency.
·
Vs. 17-Slow to anger and abounding in
love
o
Hebrew word, hesed translated as loving
kindness, steadfast love
They
made idols & blasphemed, but God did not desert or abandon them (vs. 18-25)
·
Vs. 18-They made a calf idol, blasphemed
God but He did not desert them
·
Vs. 19-21-Even in their sin,
o
Vs. 19-You did not abandon but guided them
because of your compassion
§ This
prayer indicates that to view the Old Testament God as a God of anger and the
God of the New Testament as a God of love is a false dichotomy. Even when the
people acted rebelliously, God graciously guided them with pillars of cloud and
fire [6]
o
Vs. 20-Gave the Spirit to instruct them
o
Vs. 20-Provided food, water
o
Vs. 21-You sustained them for 40 years,
they lacked nothing
§ Negative
view of wilderness causes us to miss God’s love, faithfulness, provision
§ Clothes
did not wear out, or feet become swollen
o
Vs. 22, 24, 25-You gave them kingdoms,
land, victory over other nations
o
Vs. 23-You made their offspring as
numerous as the stars (referring to Genesis 12:2; 15:5; 22:17)
o
Vs. 25-Provided houses with good things,
wells that were dug, vineyards, groves & trees in abundance
o
Vs. 25-They reveled in your great goodness
They
rebelled & did evil but God heard and delivered them (vs. 26-28)
§ Vs.
26-The people disobeyed, rebelled, ignored law, killed prophets, blasphemed
§ Vs.
27-Cried out, you heard and in compassion
o
Delivered and Rescued them by the Judges
(Deborah, Gideon, Samson)
§ Vs.
28-They did evil, you abandon (NIV, NASB, ESV), left (KJV, AMP), let (NLT)
o
Abandon (someone leaving permanently) Vs.
Left(letting them go, temporary, Chuck E. Cheese)
o
Cried out, you heard and in compassion
delivered them time after time
They
disobeyed, but God was merciful and keeps his covenant (vs. 29-32)
§ Vs.
29-The people were arrogant, disobedient, sinned, stubborn, refused to listen
§ Vs.
30-But God was patient, admonished them (EXILE)-prophets
§ Vs.
31-But in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them or abandon them
o
Mercy-don’t get what we deserve
o
Why? Because they were good people, no
because God is gracious and merciful
§ Vs.
32-But God is great, mighty, and awesome who keeps his covenant of love
o
Despite what His people do
Closing:
Tension
presented in the prayer of but they & but God. How can God forgive people described as
rebellious, blasphemers, stiff necked and still be holy? Can God just ignore or not punish the sins of
the people? At the cross, we see where
God’s perfect justice and mercy meet.
Sin--------------Righteousenss
Judgment--------------No
condemnation, no judgment
Wrath-------------------Love,
grace, mercy
Faithfulness
of God vs. faithfulness of people
[1]
Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah,
Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 236). Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers.
[2]
Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah,
Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 239). Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers.
[3]
Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah,
Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 239). Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers.
[4]
Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah,
Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 239). Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers.
[5]
Lemke, W. E. (2011). gracious. In M. A. Powell (Ed.), The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated) (Third
Edition, p. 346). New York: HarperCollins.
[6]
Breneman, M. (1993). Ezra, Nehemiah,
Esther (electronic ed., Vol. 10, p. 239). Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers.
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