This chapter of Nehemiah is one among the recitals of God’s marvellous acts in Israelite history. The others being Moses’ “Song of the Sea” (Exod.15), “The Song of Moses” (Deut. 32), “Deborah Song” (Judg.5), “Hannah’s Song” (I Sam.2), David’s “Song of the Bow” (II Sam.1). The occasion for this psalm was not on an official day of the Feast of Tabernacles (15th to 21st day of the 7th month of Tishri) but two days after, on the 24th day of Tishri.
After the people kept the Feast of Atonement (7th month 10th day) and the Feast of Tabernacles, Ezra read the law in the open square in front of the Water Gate, indicating to them the need to confess their sins. They gathered with fasting in sackcloth, and with dust on their foreheads, to confess their sins, to praise the LORD and to renew their commitment to the covenant. They read from the Book of the Law of the LORD and worshipped the LORD their God (v.1-4).
The Levites led the confession with the psalm recorded in this chapter. The psalm vividly spells out the story of the Israelite nation with focus on the glory of God’s gracious deliverance and saving works among His people. The psalm has four parts: (1) glorification of God’s name 9.5-6 (2) recital of God’s faithfulness to His people despite them being unfaithful to Him 9:7-31 (3) Acknowledgment of God’s righteousness 9:32-35 (4) Confession 9:36-37.
This Levites’ psalm about the history of Israel’s deliverance evoked a response. The Israelites humbled themselves before the LORD and recommitted themselves to the covenant (v. 38).
CONTENTS & COMMENTARY
True understanding of God’s merciful work always leads us to confession, worship, and renewal. The psalm in Nehemiah chapter nine is of the category that helps us to restore a true picture of the gracious Lord we worship.
The LORD who alone made the heaven with all the host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, chose Abram and brought him out of Ur from the land of the Chaldeans. He gave him the name ‘Abraham’ for He had made him a father of all many nations (v.6-7) (Acts 7:2-4; Gen. 15:7; 17:5).
He found his heart faithful before Him and made a covenant to give him the land of Canaan (v.8). The descendants of Abraham were the elect who later took possession of the promise land of Canaan, led by Joshua, the man whom Moses anointed as his successor.
The LORD saw the affliction of the Israelites in Egypt and heard their cry by the Red Sea. He showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, his servants and the Egyptians for He knew that they acted proudly against the Israelites. He divided the sea before them that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land but the Egyptians their persecutors He threw into the deep as a stone into the mighty waters (v. 9-11).
The Book of Exodus recorded the LORD’s sending Moses back to Egypt to deliver the Israelites from bondage, the ten plagues that the LORD inflicted upon Egypt and the going forth of the Israelites out of captivity into the wilderness, and also the crossing of the Red Sea during which the waters were divided for the Israelites to cross on dry land (Exod.12:51; 13:18-20; 14:21-31) and the waters returned and drowned the Egyptians.
The LORD led them by day with the pillar of cloud, and by night with the pillar of fire to give them light on the road which they travelled (v.12). The pillar of cloud in the day and of fire in the night appeared to guide the Israelites for forty years from the day they left Egypt to journey in the wilderness till they crossed the Jordan (Exod.13:21-22)
The LORD came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. He gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, and made known to them His holy Sabbath. He commanded them precepts, statutes and laws by the hand of Moses His servant. He gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and brought them water from the rock for their thirst. He told them to go in to possess the land which He swore to give them but they and the fathers of the people acted proudly, hardened their necks and did not heed the commandments. They refused to obey and were not mindful of the LORD’s wonders that He did among them. They rebelled and appointed a leader to return to their bondage.
Yet the LORD their God was ready to pardon, being gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in kindness. He did not forsake them (v. 13-17). The LORD gave the two tablets of the Ten Commandments to Moses at Mount Sinai, also His statutes and ordinances for the people of Israel to keep and conduct themselves accordingly (Exod. 16: 12-26; 17: 1-7; Num.13:21-14:4).
Even when they made a molten calf for themselves and said, “This is the god that brought us up out of Egypt,” and worked great provocations, yet in His manifold mercies, He did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them to lead them on the road; nor the pillar of fire to show them light and the way they should go.
He also gave them His good Spirit to instruct them, and did not withhold His manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst. Forty years the LORD sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell (v. 18-21).
The LORD gave them kingdoms and nations. So they took possession of the land of Sihon; the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan (v.22). (refer: Num. 21:21-35)
The LORD multiplied their children as the stars of heaven and brought them into the land which He told their fathers to go in and possess. He subdued before them the Canaanites who were the inhabitants of the land with their kings and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they wished.
They took strong cities and a rich land, and possessed houses full of all goods; cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. So, they ate and were filled and grew fat, and delighted themselves in His great goodness (v. 23-25). (refer: Josh. 23:3-16)
Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against the LORD, cast His law behind their backs and killed His prophets who testified against them to turn them to Him. They worked great provocations. Therefore He delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them; and in the time of their trouble when they cried to Him, He heard from heaven and according to His abundant mercies gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies.
But after they had rest, they again did evil before the LORD. Therefore, He left them in the hand of the enemies so that they had dominion over them; yet when they returned and cried out to the LORD, He heard them from heaven and many times delivered them according to His mercies, testified against them that He might bring them back to the law.
Yet they acted proudly, and did not heed the commandments but sinned against His judgments, ‘which if a man does, he shall live by them.’ They shrugged their shoulders, stiffened their necks, and would not hear. Yet for many years the LORD had patience with them, and testified against them by His Spirit in His prophets, yet they would not listen; therefore, the LORD gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands (v.26-30). (refer: Book of Judges 2:1-6, 11-22; 3:5-31; 4:1-3,12-15; 6:1-8:22; 10:6-11:33; 13:1; 15:1-20.
There were seven cycles when the people did evil and rebelled against the LORD, and the LORD sent deliverers to save them during the period of the Judges. He did not utterly consume them nor forsake them for He is God, gracious and merciful).
The Levites in the period of Ezra’s revival, acknowledged the righteousness of the LORD God, saying, “Now, therefore our God, the great, and almighty and awesome God, who keeps covenant and mercy; do not let all the trouble seem small before You that has come upon us, our kings and princes , our priests and prophets, our fathers and on all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.
However, You are just in all that has befallen us; for You have dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly. Neither our kings nor princes, our priests nor our fathers have kept Your commandments and Your testimonies, with which You testified against them. For they have not served You in their kingdom, or in the many good things that You gave them or in the large and rich land which You set before them. Nor did they turn from their wicked works.” (v.32-35)
The people confessed before the LORD, saying, “Here, we are servants today! And the land that You gave to our fathers, to eat its fruit and its bounty, here we are servants in it! And it yields much increase to the kings You have set over us, because of our sins; also they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle at their pleasure; and we are in great distress. And because of all this, we make a sure covenant and write it; our leaders, our Levites and our priests seal it.” (v.36-38)
TEACHINGS
Do not presume upon the forbearance and longsuffering of the Lord God (Rom. 2:4).
The forbearance of God is meant for us to repent and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Rom. 2:4; 9:22-23; 11:22-23; Phil. 2:13; II Pet.3:9).
Do not procrastinate to repent and confess our sins before the Lord God, for He is gracious and full of mercy, ever ready to forgive the sins of all who turn to Him with remorse and sincere faith (Luke 7:36-39, 44-50; 18:13-14; 19:5-10).
Trust in the faithfulness and righteousness of the Lord God to forgive sins; always pray and confess our iniquities before Him. Do not deceive ourselves to think that we have no sins and continue to be self-righteous (I John 1:8-10; Luke 18:9-12; Psa. 130:3-4).
