Neh 9:16-21 ESV

16 “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. 17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. 18 Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, 19 you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

THE GREAT MERCIES OF GOD

For the good that God has showered upon them, they acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey His commandments. It was a horrible response to the great works of God on behalf of Israel, wasn’t it? God had been so good to Israel, but they and their fathers acted proudly.

Isn’t God good to us today? We don’t want to classify sins for all sins are distasteful to God. But, the sin of pride or presumptuousness appears worse. Hence, it is done boldly when experiencing the goodness of God. The Jews sinned greatly during the time of blessing – when they have seen the wonders and signs that God has done.

Yet He loved them despite of what they’ve done. They made a golden calf to substitute God. But, He did not abandon them in the wilderness. Instead God was pursuing them with His goodness. As they confessed, “you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness.”

God has completely pardoned them. Instead of God requiting them for their rebellion, He showered them with unconditional graces – protection and provision in the wilderness. For forty years , God gave them the pillar of cloud and fire to protect them by day and night, supplied them manna everyday except during the Sabbath, and made their clothes and shoes not to wear out. Simply said, He patiently sustained them in the wilderness.

We are often impressed at how patient God is with us, sinners. He held back His terrible judgment against them who deserve it so badly. Yet, in reality, it seems to us todaythat His patience toward us is even more, is it not? In our dispensation we have Christ and the Spirit who is in us, but are still no different than Israel in a lot of ways. Indeed, its by His mercies that we are not consumed. [Lam 3:22,23]

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Neh 9:9-15 ESV

9 “And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, 10 and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. 11 And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. 12 By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go. 13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14 and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. 15 You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.

YOU MADE A NAME FOR YOURSELF

God was there when the Jews were in deep crisis. He saw their afflictions and heard their cry at the Red Sea, respectively. He routed the proud Pharaoh and Egypt in spectacular fashion. The signs and wonders [10 plagues] demonstrated against Pharaoh had exalted God’s name, even until now.

Here, Ezra, Nehemiah and all had recognized God’s goodness, namely; the crossing of the Red Sea as if walking on a dry land, the drowning of the Egyptians, the pillar of fire that guided, comforted and lighted them for 40 years; the giving of the laws at Mount Sina including the Sabbath; the manna[bread] from heaven and water out of the flint rock and the possession of the Promised Land. This summary list isn’t comprehensive. But, they are enough to provoke our minds to wonder and awe, aren’t they?

Another sure sign of revival (following the brokenness of heart) is reflection on the goodness of God. When our pride is cast down, and our hearts humble before God, we can begin to see Him for who He is - and when we see that, we see how good God is. As Paul writes, “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”[Rom 2:4]

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Neh 9:7-8 ESV

7 You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.

YOU HAVE KEPT YOUR PROMISE

In this part of their prayer, they recognized that God chose Abraham and brought him from Babylon [Ur of Chaldees] to Canaan, the Promised Land. For what reason? He found Abraham’s heart faithful to Him. But, did not Abraham fail God a few times?

God saw beforehand that Abraham would fail Him in the future. He lied about Sarah, his wife and went to Hagar, so that Ishmael was born. He called him anyway and made covenant with him. It does follow that God understands our frame. He doesn’t expect us to fail. Abraham failed but had sought God’s forgiveness. In that light, he was faithful before God.

God’s covenant to Abraham was to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. Abraham died and it took many years for his descendants to see it fulfilled. Nehemiah and the Jews celebrated the righteousness of God. They worshipped God and said, “And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.”

God’s promise may not be immediate but it would be fulfilled. Thus, the writer of Hebrews says;

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,

“Yet a little while,

and the coming one will come and will not delay;

but my righteous one shall live by faith,

and if he shrinks back,

my soul has no pleasure in him.”[Heb 10:35-38]

For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.[2 Cor 1:20]

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Neh 9:4-6 ESV

4 On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.6 “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

DO WORSHIP GOD

God wants us to praise Him like these humble leaders. We should bow ourselves before Him, and trust Him. He gives us the good reason, in fact, plenty of reasons, has He not? But, foremost is His being a sovereign Creator God. They said, “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”

Should a man achieves anything else apart from worshiping and glorifying God, he is doing a vain thing. God has created everything, including the rebuilding of the wall, in order to glorify Him. Creation reveals the glory of God and we must ascribe it to Him. As David even writes;

‘The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,

and night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words,

whose voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world”[Psa 19:1-4a]

In fact, you and I are created for His glory. Isaiah writes, “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”[Isa 43:7]

We are not the center of creation, are we? Jesus is. As Paul said, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. or by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”[Col 1:15-17]

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Neh 9:1-3 ESV

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. 2 And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE

When man comes face to face with God, he should have a contrite spirit. Certainly, the Holy Spirit was doing a significant work in the lives of people so that they have had a dramatic and humble repentance. It should not seem strange that after such great victories [both with physical building and spiritually] that there was such humble repentance. This great, humble gathering of God's people took place only two days after the end of the joyful celebration of the feast of tabernacles.

Their fasting has shown their lowly or humble state. They had considered themselves so poor before God that they felt desperate. They also wanted to say, "we are so troubled by our sin, food seems unimportant." By wearing rough fabric and pouring dust unto their heads, they demonstrated their complete poverty of spirit before God. As if they wanted to say, "we are so grieved by our sin so that the normal comforts of life are insignificant." They couldn’t have done this in public should they were proud and ashamed to admit their sinfulness.

Aside from confessing their sins, they confessed the sins of their fathers. Did not Nehemiah do the same when he was in the palace a few months earlier? Since we still sin, repentance isn't something irrelevant after coming to Jesus. Rather, it is something that grows as we grow closer to Jesus. The closer we are to the light, the more we see our sinfulness.

The author, Dr. Redpath says, “God will never plant the seed of His life upon the soil of a hard, unbroken spirit. He will only plant that seed where the conviction of His Spirit has brought brokenness, where the soil has been watered with the tears of repentance as well as the tears of joy."

What kind of heart do we possess? God doesn’t demand perfection but sincerity. Thus, He knows our frame that we are made of dust. We could sin but should not be hardened by it. But, we should confess and repent in order to receive His forgiveness, freedom from guilt and power of sin. As James said, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”[Jas 5:16]

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Neh 8:13-18 ESV

13 On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. 14 And they found it written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and publish it in all their towns and in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the people of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

OBEDIENCE

The heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. Undoubtedly, this has demonstrated their new spiritual pursuit. For change to effectively happen, the leaders should initiate it.

As they were reading, they found out that it was written in the Law that the LORD had commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month. This was about the Feast of Tabernacles. It was all about remembering how God had blessed and provided for Israel in the wilderness during the Exodus. They could see God's blessing and provision for them right at this point, and it made something old seem brand new to them. It had not been done for quite a while, since the days of Joshua.

So, in their gladness, the ‘heads’ published and encouraged the people to go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written. Everyone responded and obeyed with gladness in their hearts. Oftentimes, we are deceived into thinking that doing our own thing is the key of happiness, don’t we? However, under the control of the Spirit, our happiness is in our obedience to the will of God. A spirit filled believer finds obedience to God as a pleasure not a burden.[see 1 John 5:4]

And day by day, from the first day to the last day, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God and the people listened. True revival doesn’t fizzle out. The people who have life now has find joy in serving God. They continued in the ministry of the Word, growing stronger day by day.

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Neh 8:9-12 ESV

9 And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

GRIEF AND JOY

Soaking in the law they heard having been read by Ezra for six hours has had profound effect upon the people. They wept under the conviction of the Holy Spirit trough the Word of God. Indeed, the scriptures is like sharp sword that reprove and correct us.[2 Tim 3:16,17] Thus, Nehemiah and the other leaders had encouraged them, saying, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.”

It’s good to recognize the thing that should grieve us – our sinfulness. We should be thankful that we’re guilty when we rebel and transgress the will of God. Otherwise, we are already hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.[Heb 3:13] We need not to remain broken and grieving mercilessly, do we? As a ball that falls, we can bounce back with joy from grief because of the grace of God’s forgiveness. Jesus said, “ Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”[Matt 5:4] that is, true joy is preceded by brokenness of sin.

Certainly, the people of Judah felt sad because they were aware of their sins. However, they could lift up their spirits in joy because of the great work God was doing in their midst. Indeed, it’s the goodness of the Lord that leads us to repentance.[Rom 2:4]

At the end of the day, they did choose joy, didn’t they? All the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them. They were grieving yet rejoicing at the same time. Yes, our joy for having been forgiven becomes sweeter when we remember how awful sinners we have been. A paradoxical truth impressed by the Spirit we should appreciate in our lives.

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THE REVIVAL AT THE SQUARE

All the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. Certainly, the Spirit of God was at work among them so that they requested Ezra to read God's Word. People won’t gather together as one man for the things of God or desire God's Word unless and until the Spirit of God has moved them.

And why was it Ezra that they requested? For he was the man responsible for having the temple rebuilt in order that God's people to worship. Hence, Nehemiah, in all his work of rebuilding the walls, had just continued on the work Ezra had begun. He was a scribe devoted to God Himself, because he was also a godly priest.

And, it was the book of the Law of Moses they wanted to hear, which refers to the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). This was Israel's specific instruction manual for how to walk before God.

Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people. And as he opened it, all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Their reverence was unquestionable.

Ezra read God's Word from daylight to mid-day. For some six hours he read God's Word and the people listened. This was a move of the Spirit of God. People who will be attentive to the Book of the Law for some six hours are people touched by the Spirit of God. From morning is literally, "from the light." Wow, these people gathered from dawn to hear God's Word. Their hunger and thirst were evident as they were willing to sacrifice something to hear it - they wanted it so much. Like, Jacob in desperation, they would not let go until they had their blessing from God. Everyone who could understand it, heard it clearly.

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-Neh 7:5-6, 66-73 ESV

5 Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it: 6 These were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his town.

66 The whole assembly together was 42,360, 67 besides their male and female servants, of whom there were 7,337. And they had 245 singers, male and female. 68 Their horses were 736, their mules 245, 69 their camels 435, and their donkeys 6,720.

70 Now some of the heads of fathers' houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests' garments and 500 minas of silver. 71 And some of the heads of fathers' houses gave into the treasury of the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. 72 And what the rest of the people gave was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 priests' garments.

73 So the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants, and all Israel, lived in their towns. And when the seventh month had come, the people of Israel were in their towns.

THE PIONEERS

There were only about 2% of the Jews who were exiled to Babylon who came back. Surely, these ones who have the pioneer spirit are worthy of mention. Thus, their names are mentioned here as well as in Ezra 2.

Each of these individuals were dear to God. Just think of what they did that the rest of the Jews did not do. They took the challenge and adventure to return to the Promised Land after they had already set down roots for seventy years in the Babylonian empire.

As a people having a pioneer spirit, they were willing to endure hardship and discomfort, because they had a call from God that was more important than their own comfort. Certainly, life was easier in Babylon if they just want convenience. But, it was better in Jerusalem! Why? It was home where God is.

Notedly, in this list several things were important. Who they were individually was important, so that, there specific names were mentioned. What tribes they came from was important, so that, most family heads are named). Lastly, their gifts to support the work were important so that they are specifically listed also. God does have a book of remembrance (see Mal 3:16), and surely the names of God's faithful pioneers will be in it.

The fact that our names are written in heaven is wonderful, is it not? In fact, Jesus wanted his disciples to rejoice that their names were written not because of what they had done. He said, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”[Luke 10:20].

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Neh 7:1-4 ESV

Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, 2 I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. 3 And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.” 4 The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.

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Nang ang pader ay naitayo na at nailagay ko na ang mga pinto, ang mga bantay-pinto, mga mang-aawit, at ang mga Levita ay nahirang na, 2 aking ibinigay kay Hanani na aking kapatid at kay Hananias na tagapamahala ng kuta, ang pamamahala sa Jerusalem, sapagkat siya'y isang higit na tapat na lalaki at natatakot sa Diyos kaysa marami. 3 Sinabi ko sa kanila, “Huwag bubuksan ang mga pintuan ng Jerusalem hanggang sa ang araw ay uminit; at samantalang sila'y nagbabantay, isara nila at ikandado ang mga pinto. Humirang kayo ng mga bantay mula sa mga mamamayan ng Jerusalem, bawat isa'y sa kanyang binabantayan, at bawat isa'y sa tapat ng kanyang bahay.”

A FAITHFUL AND GOD-FEARING MAN THAN MANY

It was a joyous occasion when the gates were finally attached to mark the completionof the rebuilding of the wall as the singers and the Levites were there to lead the people in worship. These walls were not rebuilt so the people of Jerusalem could look nicer. They were rebuilt so they could worship God with greater glory and freedom than ever before, were they not? The wall was not the end but the means to praise and worship God.

Then, the ‘charge over Jerusalem’ was handed over by Nehemiah to his brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor. For what reason? They were faithful and God-fearing among many. On top of being gifted and skillful, the character and spirituality of the person is paramount.

And, they are rare treasures to find .According to Solomon, “Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?[Prov 20:6] Today, we’re not short of men with great minds and skills. But, seldom could we find men with great hearts.

The true measure of our faithfulness is in ‘the little things’ we do. Jesus said, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.”[Luke 16:10] In other words, our promotion from the Lord depends upon our faithfulness in seemingly insignificant things that we do. Joseph was promoted as a prince because he was faithful in the little things that he did as a prisoner.

Today, let’s put premium in honing our character and relationship with the Lord above anything else. As Solomon has written on what he observed, that is, “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”[Prov 22:29]

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