Nehemiah 9; Psalm 103:8–10; Lamentations 3:22–23

Recurrent Thought

Human Beings are recipients of Gods Mercy which provides manifold blessings revealing that while humanity continually fails Him, His mercy continually pursues His people.

• The book of Nehemiah records the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile. The First section (Chapter 1-7) is the Rebuilding of the City Walls of Jerusalem while Chapters 8-13 is the Rebuilding of the People of Jerusalem. The activities of Chapter 9 & 10 are connected with Chapter 8 and they happen within the same month, the seventh Month (Tishiri). The First Day, they had six hours of reading, second day, leaders had a study of the Book in which they discovered they were not following the Practices of Festivals of Booths. They did this from 15th to 21.st Nehemiah 9, is the records of activities that happened on the 24th of the same month. On this day, they read the Book of the Law for three hours and they confessed the national sins for another three hours.
• This chapter is not merely a prayer, it is actually the longest Prayer in the scriptures, but it is also a narrative of Gods Mercies in Israeli’s history, and the confession of a nation. Nehemiah 9 is a national confession of sin and a renewal of the covenant with God, (whose conditions are set in Chapter 10), and it contrasts God's unwavering faithfulness, mercy, and, steadfast love throughout history with Israel's chronic disobedience. It is a massive theological Chapter that discusses other concepts including repentance, worship, God's sovereignty in creation and His extension of mercy to his creation. It has three sections: Ch, 9:1-3 is the setting of their Assembly; Ch.9:5-37 It is a Great Confession arranged with historical narrative. Ch.9:38 is the Recording of a Covenant whose conditions and signatories are set in Chapter 10

The Setting of the Assembly (Ch. 9:1-3)

1. How they Dressed declared their hearts (Sackcloth and Ashes)
   • Neh 9:1  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.
   • Sackclothe and ashes signified a Person on mourning When we encounter God and behold his greatness, it triggers a spirit of humiliation.
   • Our clothes indeed reveal our hearts, and express who we are. Clothe Make a Person
2. ii.   Where they stood spoke of their allegiance.
   • They stood separated from others, from foreigners
   • They were distinct, different and separate
     • 1Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 
     • 1Pe 2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
   • Daring to be different (1 Peter 2:9) Chosen, Sanctified, and Sprinkled by the Blood
   • The people we stand with reveal our allegiance.
3. What they Said Revealed their Needs (9:2b-37)
   • They Confessed their sins and the wickedness of their fathers
   • Critical Observation: We have an accepted assumption that Spiritual Encounters should always produce a positive effect in our lives, such as victory, influence, miracles, etc.
   • However, in this encounter, the people of God Confess their sins extensively and deeply. Thus, wailing, mourning, confessing in a spiritual encounter seems alien to our understanding
   • It is also interesting that the Present church hates the reading of the Law of the Lord. But it is only the reading of the Law that understand the Knowledge of our sins; it is only when we know the depth of our trespasses can we confess, and only when we confess can we have our father forgive us.
   • Sin is an offense against God. There is one significant Principle: There is no genuine progress without the acknowledgement of Sin. Therefore, the call on the People of God is to handle the internal challenges of life; we confess our sins before we wage spiritual warfare with the outside entities
   • The Confession is done, but it only makes sense when it is spoken in the light of the Mercy of God.

Description of the Mercy of God

• Mercy is a compassionate treatment of someone in need. It is a virtue that acts on behalf of the unfortunate.  God’s Mercy is His Character upon which forgiveness is expressed when He Pardons human Sin. Mercy is God’s lovingkindness in withholding the punishment that humanity rightfully deserves. By His divine quality of mercy, God remains faithful to His covenant promises and His relationship with His people despite their unworthiness and faithlessness (Exo.34:6–7, Deut. 30:1–6; Isaiah 14:1; Rom. 9:15–16, 23; Eph. 2:4–9).  God heals our failures through Mercy. In fact, Our failures are many, but God’s mercy is greater. There are many dimensions to God’s Mercy but two deserves stressing. First, it is when God withholds punishment from sinners even though they deserve it (Neh. 9:31). Second, God’s mercy also causes Him to give good gifts to those who are undeserving (Luke 1:78,). The substitutionary death of Jesus Christ is the fullest expression of God’s mercy to humanity. Through the Cross, we receive forgiveness instead of the punishment we deserved; by the Cross the Justice of God is satisfied while God extends his Mercy to us

Here are Five Elements of the Mercy of God revealed in the Chapter

1. His Mercy is Shown in Creation
   • God mercy is shown even before humanity deserves anything
     • Nehemiah 9:6
     • Neh 9:6  “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. 
   • God Created Everything. He alone created the heaven, earth, and everything in them.
     • The Hebrew word for create implies intentional design and authority.
     • Life itself is already an act of mercy. Your life began with mercy. Before we ever sinned, God had already given us breath. This was mercy. Our Lives today, is a a gift from God.
   • God did not only create us but he also Sustains Everything (You preserve all of them 9:6b)
     • We must know for a fact that God has preserved us even when we didn’t acknowledge Him.
     • If you are still breathing, God is still preserving. you
   • Creation Calls Us to Worship Him! (The Host of Heaven worships YOU)
     • If stars worship Him, how much more should we? The Psalamist declared
     • The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 
     • Psa 19:2  Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 
     • Psa 19:3  There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. 
2. His Mercy is Shown when He Chooses Imperfect Abraham
   • Mercy Overcomes Imperfections
   • His mercy chooses imperfect people and makes them Perfect in Christ
     • Nehemiah 9:7–8
     • Neh 9:7  You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 
     • Neh 9:8  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.
   • God Chooses Us by Grace Abraham was chosen by God’s initiative.
   • Salvation begins with God’s grace. It is important to note that Grace chooses before merit appears.”
   • By His Mercy, He Changes Identities.
   • Abram (Exalted Father) became Abraham (Father of Many Nations)
   • He transforms destinies. Just as God changed Abram’s name, He changes our story.
     • His mercy is in that He changes your name before He changes your circumstances.
     • God does not call perfect people; He perfects the called.
   • God is Faithful and Keeps His Promises. He made a covenant with Abraham and kept his Promises. He fulfilled His covenant. God is faithful even when we are not.
     • When You see the History recounted, God’s promises outlive our failures.
3. His Mercy is seen in Our Deliverances (9:9-11)
   • Mercy and Pain: God brings compassion in stressful times, although we don’t deserve it
   • God sees the affliction of his people and rescues them even when they are helpless
   • The Section of Scripture shows how God rescued the Children of Israel in their troubles
     • God notices suffering. He sees your struggles today. Be assured that God sees what others ignore.”
   • He hears Our human cries. He heard their cries by the Red Sea
     • Prayer moves heaven. Because of their Cries, he was moved. Heaven listens when hearts cry.”
   • By His Mercy, He always makes a way. Sometimes to the point of dividing the Sea before his people
     • This God creates miracles when there is no path. God still makes a way today.
   • Trust him, His mercy is powerful: Where there is no road, He builds one
4.  His Mercy is Seen in our Worst Failures (Neh. 9:16-18)
   • In this section, they confess and recount times during the wilderness they unashamedly rebelled against God.
   • Despite God’s mercy, human nature degenerates in rebellion
   • Mercy was shown when their Pride led to Rebellion. Pride caused Israel to resist God.
   • Pride is the root of many sins. The Children of God forgot what God did for them. They were Like people who forget yesterday’s blessing. They forgot God’s miracles. Forgetfulness Leads to Sin
   • Watch out against Pride, which inspires Rebellion.
   • Rebellion when unchecked, leads to the rejection God’s Leadership
   • Despite what God did for them, they appointed a captain to return to bondage. They wanted to go back to Egypt.
   • This is a sad situation. It shows how many believers want deliverance but not transformation.
     • Some people leave Egypt, but Egypt never leaves them.
5. His Mercy Endures
   • The Confession reveals the fact that the Children of Israel continuously failed and sinned against God, yet God persistently forgave them
   • His mercy endues and continues to manifest on our behalf despite on repeated failures
     • “Neh 9:31  Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. 
     • Neh 9:33  Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. 
   • When we deserved judgment, His Mercy restrained it.
   • God Remains Faithful. He never abandoned Israel, neither will he abandon us.
     • Even when we fall, God calls us back. He stays faithful in rescuing us from our failure
   • His Mercy does not ignore our human responsibility. God still want us to go beyond remorse and repent. Confession is not the end, repentance must be the responsible action and thereafter practice obedience in the way of righteousness