Effective Christian Living - Nehemiah
9 - Chapter 9
History records that God is pleased to visit His people in a special way from time to time. We call this divine visitation "revival". Such a visitation took place in Nehemiah's time, and we saw its impact when we looked at chapter eight. We look now at chapter 9.
Any Christian, with any degree of love for the Lord, will want to keep close to Him and please Him. We don't want to lose His touch. We want His blessing to continue in our lives. God is always willing to bless us. Our experience of God's blessing will depend on us maintaining a certain attitude before Him. Nehemiah chapter nine reveals to us that attitude.
The first characteristic of believers who want to be open to the Lord's continual blessing, is humility. Verse 1 says, "The Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads" This was a state of contrition and self-abnegation before the King of Kings. We read in 2 Chronicles 7, verse 14, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sin and heal their land".
Fasting revealed their determination to allow no selfish desire to obstruct their relationship with the Lord. It is a real expression of self-denial so as to do what is pleasing to God. The Lord Jesus said in Luke 9 verse 23, "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me". Are you missing the rich blessing of God because your life is cluttered up with your own selfish desires and ambitions?
Sackcloth speaks of mourning. Dust applied to the head speaks of distress. We should never be proud over our sin. Any thought of offending God should fill us with sadness and distress. In Isaiah 6 verse 5, Isaiah the Prophet said, "Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips" The Christian takes no delight in anything that displeases his Saviour. Rather you will mourn over it.
Secondly, God's people concerned for God's blessing will be a separated people. We read in verse 3, "Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners". The foreigners mentioned here were the heathen people living in the land. God will not bless a people who are no different from their unsaved worldly neighbours. God sees worldliness as spiritual adultery. He says to us in James 4, verse 4, "You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God".
The well-known Puritan, Thomas Brooks said, "The way of holiness that leads to happiness is a narrow way. There is but just room enough for a holy God and a holy soul to walk together". Are you missing God's blessing because of a worldly lifestyle? It will move your heart away from God. Paul said of his friend Demas in 2 Timothy 4, verse 10, "Demas, because he has loved the world, has deserted me". It may be that you are far away from God today. God wants to renew fellowship with you. You are where you are because you became entangled with the world. Return to the Lord today!
The third characteristic of a person who is determined not to lose the blessing of the Lord, is confession. This will be seen in a twofold acknowledgement. The rest of Nehemiah chapter 9 shows this. From verse 5 to verse 38 the people of God acknowledge God's grace and faithfulness, and their own sin. This passage of scripture records the longest prayer in the whole of the Bible. Like any good prayer it begins with the worship of God. Verse 5 says, "Blessed be your glorious name and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise". The Lord Jesus taught us to begin our prayers in the same way. In Matthew 6, verse 9, He said, "This is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name".
In Nehemiah chapter 9 he is recognised as our creator and sustainer.
There then follows a potted history of the nation of Israel from Abraham to their own time. In verses 9 to 17 reference is made to Moses and the deliverance from Egypt. Verses 18 to 21 remind them of the wilderness wanderings. In verses 22 to 25 we read of the time of the Judges. The Prophets are mentioned in verses 26 to 31. They conclude by saying in verse 36, "We are slaves today - in the land you gave our forefathers".
Throughout the prayer they readily recognise God's great goodness to all their experiences as a nation. For example, we read in verse 19, "Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert".
A growing Christian is a thankful Christian. Look for the kindness of the Lord in your life. Note His good providences. Remember His tender care of you. When you practice this you will always be grateful to Him and you'll stay close to Him.
We also notice that they did not cover up their sin. They knew that all the troubles they had experienced were the direct result of their own foolishness in disobeying God. In verse 16 they admit their arrogance. "Our forefathers became arrogant", they said. The list continues with idolatry in verse 18, and indifference to God's word in verse 29, "They disobeyed your commands", they said. The thing to notice is they didn't try to excuse their sin or to cover it up. They confessed it. You will never prosper in your Christian life while you allow unconfessed sin to remain there. We read in Proverbs chapters 28 verse 13, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy". The Lord promises in 1 John 1 verse 9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness ".
Walking close to God is His will for your life. You will experience a deepening fellowship with the Lord as you humble yourselves before Him; when you are living a life separated from the world. As you confess your sin and recognise His goodness. This will lead to worship, and the joyful response we find in verse 5, "Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting".