Lesson Seven Confession Nehemiah 9 The Rebuilt Life Studies in the Book of Nehemiah Last Week in Review Nehemiah 7 recorded the register of returnees from Babylon and the establishment of further leadership over the people. It would have been easy for Nehemiah to bask in the great accomplishment of building the wall, but he realized how dangerous it would have been to only build externally, when the people needed to be rebuilt internally to avoid another downfall. To accomplish this task, Nehemiah (chapter 8) called upon Ezra and the Levites to lead the people in a spiritual return to the Word of God, to worship, to rejoicing in the Lord, and to obedience to the Law. It was an awesome time in which the people gathered as one and praised God with their whole hearts. Yet many of them wept as they were convicted by the Word of God. There is a place for that, but it wasn t for that day. It was a time to: Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved. And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them (Nehemiah 8:10-12, NKJV). They also celebrated the Feast of Booths in a way that hadn t been seen since the days of Joshua! But the people were now going to celebrate in another way, for now the time had come to deal with their sin before God. Some have thought it contradictory to have the people in humiliation because of their sin right after being told to rejoice. This is best understood in one of two ways: this confession of their sin possibly happened about three weeks later, as the NLT states it took place about October 31, 445 B.C., or likely they also chose to observe the Day of Atonement as well as the fasting that was a part of that month s requirements. 1 Let s turn to this important chapter in which we will learn much about the mercies of God despite our human nature, and consider how we too can experience personal renewal and revival. 1
Day One: A Call to Confession Please carefully read Nehemiah 9:1-6 and answer the following questions. 1. As Solomon well said, To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 NKJV). This was the time for the people to deal with their sin before God and to turn away from the destructive paths their forefathers had led them down. What did they do on this day (vv. 1, 2)? Note: For those of you new to the Old Testament, wearing sackcloth and putting dust on one s head was their cultural way of expressing mourning and grief. 2 2. How did they go about this time of seeking the Lord (v. 3)? 3. The Levites lead the people in this confession and worship. What did they cry out in admonition to the people (vv. 4-5)? Note: For ever and ever (NJKV) or from everlasting to everlasting (NIV) is the repetition of the Hebrew word meaning that which is hidden away from our sight or comprehension, from the vanishing point of the past to the vanishing point of the future, and is time immemorial, without end! 3 4. What did they first focus on in their prayer of recalling God s mercies despite their sins (v. 6)? 2
Note: The NIV translates the end of verse 6 as You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. 5. It is strange to think that confession of our sins can be an act of worship. Yet it is, and it is standing up against them and blessing His glorious name! God wants us to be walking rightly with Him, not hindered by failing to confess and deal with our sin. Read the following important passages about confession and record some of the things that they teach us about this action on our part. Psalm 32:1-5; 51:1-4 Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9 Isaiah 1:18; 59:1, 2 Scripture Memory: This week we will be memorizing Nehemiah 8:5b-6. Review the passage several times throughout the day each day this week, and by the end of the week, you should have it memorized completely. Stand up and bless the LORD your God forever and ever! Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You. Nehemiah 9:5b-6, NKJV 3
Day Two: God s Faithful Mercies Please carefully read Nehemiah 9:7-15 and answer the following questions. 1. In this confession prayer/psalm, the Levites focused first on the faithful mercies of God in establishing them as a nation. How did they describe the founder of their people? What does this also teach us about God (vv. 7, 8)? 2. They then turned to considering God s rescuing them from Egypt and transforming them into a nation. What are some of the incredible ways that God worked to deliver His people? What did this also show us about the heart of their enemies (vv. 9-12)? 3. What are some other things that Psalm 106:7-12 adds to our understanding God s faithful mercies to Israel at that time? 4. After Israel left Egypt, they received God s Law at Mt. Sinai, and began their trek toward the Promised Land. Again how did God prove Himself to be faithful in these experiences (vv. 13-15)? 5. What do we also learn from John 6:30-35 and I Corinthians 10:1-6 regarding what verse 15 means for us today? 4
Scripture Memory: Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today. Stand up and the LORD your God forever and ever! Blessed be Your glorious, which is exalted above all blessing and praise! You alone are the LORD; You have heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You them all. The of heaven worships You. Nehemiah 9:5b-6, NKJV Day Three: God s Manifold Mercies Please carefully read Nehemiah 9:16-21 and answer the following questions. 1. Despite receiving God s Word and seeing His great work on their behalf, what did the people do (v. 16-17a)? 2. Despite this, what did the Levites recall about God s merciful nature (v. 17b)? What else do Psalm 86:5, 15; 130:4, and Micah 7:18, 19 tell us about our God of pardons, and His great mercy? 3. Unbelievably, how far did these people go at the foot of Mt. Sinai itself (v. 18)? What are some of the other ways they fell into sin, and what warning is there in all this for us (I Corinthians 10:7-12)? 4. Despite their sinfulness, God didn t turn away from them in the wilderness as they deserved (His mercy), but gave them what they didn t deserve (His grace)! He is a God of manifold (abundant, numerous) 4 mercies (compassion, sympathetic pity, sensitive love)! 5 What are some of the ways God demonstrated His graciousness: In guiding their way, v. 19 5
In instruction and provision, v. 20 In preserving them, v. 21 5. God s mercy and grace are so far beyond our understanding, yet oh how grateful we are that He hasn t left or destroyed us many times over! What wonderful truth did Jeremiah remind us of in Lamentations 3:22-24? Scripture Memory: Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today. Stand up and the LORD your God forever and ever! Blessed be Your glorious, which is above all blessing and praise! You alone are the LORD; You have heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the and everything on it, the and all that is in them, and You them all. The of heaven worships You. Nehemiah 9:5b-6, NKJV Day Four: God s Severe Mercies Please carefully read Nehemiah 9:22-31 and answer the following questions. The Levites next recalled the entry of the people into the Promised Land and its conquest under Joshua, through the time period of the Judges and Kings (although much of the information about the Kings is skipped), to the point of the Babylonian captivity. This section instructs us about the times God has to resort to more severe mercies in dealing with His rebellious children. 1. What are some of the great things that God accomplished for His people as they were established in the land (vv. 22-25)? 6
2. Interestingly, how does the end of verse 25 seem to indicate part of the problem that led them to rebel? What do passages such as Deuteronomy 32:15-18; Jeremiah 5:27, 28; and Hosea 13:4-6 add to this? 3. To what extent did these people begin to rebel, and what did God do about this, yet respond out of His grace (vv. 26-29a)? Notes: When they were described as casting God s Law behind their backs, it meant in the sense of ignoring it, but some literally did so, such as King Jehoiakim who took the Scroll of Jeremiah s writings out of the hand of the one who read it, cut it up and burned it in the fire (Jeremiah 36)! The phrase great provocation means shameful, disgraceful blasphemies, and was a disrespecting rejection and attack on someone, usually in both words and deeds. 6 The word deliverers (v.27, NKJV) or saviors (KJV) is from the root word meaning to open wide or free something, the opposite of being cramped up, so it means to be helped, saved, delivered, preserved, rescued, and defended; in fact this root word is where the name Jesus (Yeshua) came from! The Book of Judges uses a different name for these judges, describing the heroic leaders who led Israel in that time period, and was a governmental or administrative type of term. 7 4. How did the people respond to God s efforts to show them His mercy and to restore them to Himself, and graciously provide for them (vv.29b-30)? 5. Despite all this, what remained true about God (v. 31)? 7
But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are! Nehemiah 9:31, NLT The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. Psalm 145:8, 9, NKJV Scripture Memory: Try to fill in the missing words in the blanks below, by memory if at all possible, and then review the passage several times today. Stand up and the LORD your God forever and ever! Blessed be Your glorious, which is above all and praise! You are the LORD; You have heaven, the of heavens, with all their host, the and everything on it, the and all that is in them, and You them all. The of heaven worships You. Nehemiah 5b-6, NKJV Day Five: Learning from History Please carefully read Nehemiah 9:32-38 and answer the following questions. The philosopher George Santayana said, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. 8 This is why these Levites went to such lengths to recall the sinfulness of their forefathers and review the goodness of God in spite of it all. The believer today is wise to do the same, as Paul said in I Corinthians 10, and not repeat the same sins and mistakes made by those who preceded us. 1. After reviewing all this in prayer, what did they request of God (v. 32)? 2. What did they acknowledge had been the very reasons they were in such an awful situation (vv. 33-35)? 8
3. How did they commit the current problems into God s hands, and what did they do to show the difference between them and their fathers (vv. 36-38)? Note: Nehemiah 9:38 is actually Nehemiah 10:1 in the Hebrew Bible. 9 more of covenant in our next study. We ll look at 4. This whole prayer recognizes that God would be absolutely just, to completely forget His people, to wipe them out and start over again, as He stated He might have done in Exodus 32 (the golden calf incident). If it weren t for Moses bold intercession for the people, and their repentance (at least temporarily), they would have been doomed, but God was merciful and gracious. How did God reveal His nature to Moses after this event, and how did Moses recommit himself and the people to the Lord (Exodus 34:5-9)? 5. God is in the business of restoring and reviving the lives of His people. Sometimes we may appear to others as being right with God and very active in His service, but we may actually be like the church of Ephesus Jesus addressed in Revelation 2:2-5: I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works (NKJV). Our Great Physician s prescription for our spiritual renewal and personal revival is found in three steps: Remember our sins, repent of them, and repeat the things we once did, but in a renewed spirit of love. What do the following passages add about how we are to be seeking renewal and restoration from the things that would keep us from Him? 2 Chronicles 7:14 9
Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 13:5 Hebrews 12:1-3 2 Peter 1:5-11 Scripture Memory: Can you write out this week s passage by memory here below? Give it a try, and keep reviewing the passage several times throughout the day. Nehemiah 9:5b-6 Day Six: Building, Guarding, Growing 1. Imagine that Nehemiah 9 was a record of your personal walk with the Lord instead of Israel s history. How would it read? Would it record stories of your great faithfulness in response to all God has done for you, or would it read much more like what we have seen here this week? Think back through your life and about the times that God has shown you His undeserved mercy. Share some of these thoughts here and with your group, so others can grow in their love for God and His amazing grace. Stand up and bless the Lord through your confession and your rejoicing in the great undeserved mercy and grace He has demonstrated to you! 10
2. There do come times in our lives when we have been so blinded by our emotions or have strayed so far off the path of righteousness that God has to do something drastic to get our attention and bring us back to Himself. Read the following passages and record how they personally speak to you about God s times of more severe mercy in your own life: Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your word...it is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes (Psalm 119:67, 71, NKJV). Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, NKJV). Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:9-11, NKJV). 11
Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up (James 4:7-10, NKJV). 3. Alan Redpath saw four important principles of revival recorded in this chapter. 10 Read through your study again and consider how you may need personal revival in any or all of these areas. Record your thoughts about this here, and pray through them together with your group: (1) Revival involves a return to broken-heartedness over sin: (2) Revival stems from reflecting on God s goodness to us: (3) Revival stems from recognition of our own personal sinfulness: (4) Revival stems from a renewal of obedience to God s Word: 12
4. There has been much ground covered in this study. Please record here any further things that God has showed you personally as you studied this week, and share them with your group so all can be encouraged. Scripture Memory: Hopefully you now can write out this week s passage completely by memory. Do so now, and keep on reviewing it so that you will be ready to share it with others in your group time. Nehemiah 9:5b-6 13
Lecture Notes 14
Group Prayer Requests 15
1 Edwin M. Yamauchi, Ezra-Nehemiah. In. The Expositor s Bible Commentary V. 4 F.E. Gaebelen (Ed). (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan Publishing House, 1988), p. 729. 2 Gene A, Getz, Nehemiah. In The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament J.F. Walvoord and R.B. Zuck (Eds.) (Wheaton Victor Books/SP Publications, 1985), p. 690. 3 Spiros Zodhiates (Ed.), The Complete Word Study Old Testament (Chattanooga, Tenn: AMG Publishers, 1994), pp. 2347-2348. 4 Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter (Ed.), The Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament (Chattanooga, Tenn: AMG Publishers, 2003), p. 1028. 5 Spiros Zodhiates (Ed.), The Complete Word Study Old Testament, p. 2365. 6 Warren Baker and Eugene Carpenter (Ed.), The Complete Word Study Dictionary Old Testament, p. 697. 7 Spiros Zodhiates, pp. 2324, 2327. 8 Robert J. Morgan (Ed.), Nelson s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations, and Quotes (Nashville; Thomas Nelson, Publishers, 2000), p. 435. 9 F. Charles Fensham, The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. In The New International Commentaries on the Old Testament R.K. Harrison (Ed.), (Grand Rapids, Mich: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1982), p. 234. 10 Alan Redpath, Victorious Christian Service (Westwood, NJ: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1958), pp. 155-162. 2004 Harvest Christian Fellowship; All Rights Reserved; Written by Thomas Klock for Men s Bible Fellowship, 2004-2005. www.harvest.org 16