Being thankful and repent for our guilt

Nehemiah 9:23-28 (New International Version)

²³ 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. ³¹ 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.

The Agreement of the People

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."

I. Core Message

Content:

1. Prayer with a grateful heart (v23-25)
2. Repent in front of God for our forgetfulness, betrayal, and ignorance (v26-31)
3. Tell God about our circumstances- we are the slaves in our given land (v23-37)
4. Israel people again make an agreement with God. Their leaders, their Levites, and their priests are affixing their seals to it (v38)

Theme:

1. Being thankful and repent for our guilt
2. Again, make a binding agreement with God

II. Who are God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit?

1. God who gives people their sons (v23)
2. God who gives people their lands (v23, v35, v36)
3. God who gives people their abilities (v24)
4. God who is betrayed by his people (v26)
5. God who sends the prophets (v26)
6. God who gives ordinances (v26, v29, v34)
7. God who has ability over all (v27)
8. God who listen to prayers (v27, v28)
9. God who is merciful (v27, v28, v31)
10. God who saves his people (v27, v28)
11. God who talks with the prophets through the Spirit (v30)
12. God with blessings (v31)
13. God who is great, powerful, and worthy for our respects (v32)
14. God who keeps his promise (v32, v33)
15. God who remembers his people (v32)
16. God who punishes the sinners (v32)
17. God who make agreement with his people (v38)

III. What does the passage teach us (about commands, promises, examples, exhortations, and warnings?)

1. Prayer with A Grateful Heart

In the prayer, they remembered how great God had treated them: he gave them sons as numerous as the stars in the sky, and helped them entered and posses the land. The land was what God had promised to give their fathers. They took possession of the Canaan and subdued the Canaanites. God give power to his people so they can deal with the Canaanites as they please.

God’s people also 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 tress in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they revealed in your great goodness. (v23-25) For the above goodness, they offered their thanks.

Reflection: Do I often remember about the past which was greatly blessed by God, and offer my thanks?

2. Prayer with A Repentant Heart

In their prayer, they admitted their guilt- they forgot about God’s love and blessings. They betrayed God while they are living on the land given by God. God sent prophets to admonish them. However, they did not listen to them; instead, they killed God’s prophets. Therefore, God turned over them to their enemies. However, God rescued them whenever they repent because he is a gracious and merciful God.

They prayed like this: “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 aweful blasphemies. 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. 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. 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. 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. But in your great mercy you did not put an end on them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. ” (v26-31)

Reflection: Do I often look back, and see how I had sinned against the God, and learned from it?

3. Pray with A Repentant Heart II (telling God about the current circumstances)

This was the last part of the prayer. It talked about the current circumstances- returning home after the fall of the nation. The land was still the same; however, now the Israel people are slaves. They have to serve the king who role over them now. This is because they sinned against God. And they also admit that they deserved this harsh punishment. They prayed, "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.” (v32-37)

Israel people tell about their sins, the reason why they are suffering through the prayer.

Reflection: Do I often repent? Do I understand why I am suffering?

4. Pray with A Repent Heart (Ask for God’s mercy)

Israel people see the truth and repent because God’s ordinances shine upon their heart. Therefore, they prayed, “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.” (v32-34) This repent is hard, especially that they agree that they deserved this kind of hardship. They begged for God’s mercy with a sincere heart, and asked God for the blessings.

Reflection: Do I repent with a sincere and humble heart when I sinned, and ask for God’s mercy?

5. Pray with A Repent Heart

When Israel people saw their sins when the God’s law shined upon them, they also experience God’s teaching. Therefore, they made up their mind. They decide not they will never disobey God. They also knew that building temple and cities are not enough. They had to build them with their lives. Thus, they made an agreement with God to restrict themselves never being away from God. At the end, the bible records, “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.” (v38)

Reflection: Do I often make agreement with God to restrain myself be in God’s way?