Nehemiah 9:32

_NOW THEREFORE, OUR GOD, THE GREAT, THE MIGHTY, AND THE TERRIBLE GOD, WHO KEEPEST COVENANT AND MERCY, LET NOT ALL THE TROUBLE SEEM LITTLE BEFORE THEE, THAT HATH COME UPON US, ON OUR KINGS, ON OUR PRINCES, AND ON OUR PRIESTS, AND ON OUR PROPHETS, AND ON OUR FATHERS, AND ON ALL THY PEOPLE, SINCE THE TIME OF THE KINGS OF ASSYRIA UNTO THIS DAY._ Now therefore, our God ... who keepest covenant and mercy. God's fidelity to His covenant is prominently acknowledged; and well it might, because their whole national history bore testimony to it. But as this could afford them little ground of comfort or of hope, while they were so painfully conscious of having violated it, they were driven to seek refuge in the riches of divine grace; and hence, the special style of invocation here adopted, "Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy....

4-38 The summary of their prayers we have here upon record. Much more, no doubt, was said. Whatever ability we have to do any thing in the way of duty, we are to serve and glorify God according to the utmost of it. When confessing our sins, it is good to notice the mercies of God, that we may be the more humbled and ashamed. The dealings of the Lord showed his goodness and long-suffering, and the hardness of their hearts. The testimony of the prophets was the testimony of the Spirit in the prophets, and it was the Spirit of Christ in them. They spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and what they said is to be received accordingly. The result was, wonder at the Lord's mercies, and the feeling that sin had brought them to their present state, from which nothing but unmerited love could rescue them. And is not their conduct a specimen of human nature? Let us study the history of our...

Verse 32. _ON OUR KINGS, ON OUR PRINCES_] I believe Nehemiah in this place mentions the whole of _civil society_ in its _officers_ as they stand related to each other in _dignity_: - 1. KINGS, as supreme. 2. PRINCES. 3. PRIESTS. 4. PROPHETS. 5. The FATHERS, heads or chiefs of tribes and families. 6. The COMMON PEOPLE. Those who disturb this natural order (for it subsists even in _Britain_) are enemies to the peace of the _whole_, whatever they may pretend to the contrary....

EXPOSITION SOLEMN FAST KEPT, WITH CONFESSION OF SINS; AND VOLUNTARY COVENANT WITH GOD ENTERED INTO BY THE PEOPLE, AND SEALED TO BY THE PRINCES, PRIESTS, AND LEVITES (Nehemiah 9:1.). When the law was first read to them on the opening day of the seventh month, the people had shown strong feelings of compunction, an earnest desire to return to God by the thorny way of repentance. In checking this feeling on that particular day, Ezra and Nehemia

CHAPTER 9 _ 1. The public humiliation and confession (Nehemiah 9:1)_ 2. The great confession and prayer (Nehemiah 9:6) Nehemiah 9:1. Two days after the feast of tabernacles had been concluded this humiliation and confession of sin took place. The assembled congregation fasted, with sackcloth and earth upon them. Separation was next. Evil confessed must mean evil put away. They separated themselves from all strangers, and after their confession they worshipped the Lord. Here again is the right order of a spiritual revival. Reading, hearing and believing the Word always comes first; humiliation, self-judgment, confession and true worship follow....

THE FAST AND A NATIONAL CONFESSION. All that took place, as described in this section, was the result of the reading of the Law. The command to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles having been observed, there followed a spontaneous outburst of self-condemnation on the part of the people, who were conscience-stricken on account of having hitherto neglected to observe the Law; they had clearly been desirous of expressing their sorrow before (see Nehemiah 8:9), but it would have been inappropriate during the feast. Fasting and prayerful confession were fitly followed (see next section) by a solemn act of resolution of amendment. Nehemiah 9:1. the twenty and fourth day: the second day after the celebration of the feast, _i.e._ in the seventh month (see...

MERCY. lovingkindness, or grace. AND. Some codices, with six early printed editions, omit this "and"....

Israel's sufferings in the past a just punishment from God 32. _our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God_ Cf. note on Nehemiah 1:5. See Deuteronomy 10:17, -the great God, the mighty and the terrible." Daniel 9:4. _who keepest covenant and mercy_ Cf. Nehemiah 1:5. _trouble_ R.V. TRAVAIL. The Hebrew word (_t'lâah_) here used is only found in the O. T., Exodus 18:8; Numbers 20:14;...

8. Prayer for present mercy. TEXT, NEHEMIAH 9:32-38 32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who dost keep covenant and lovingkindness, Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before Thee, Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and on all Thy people, From the days of the kings of Assyria to this day. 33 However, Thou art just in all that hast come upon us; For Thou hast dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly. 34 For our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our fathers have not kept Thy law Or paid attention to Thy commandments and Thy admonitions with which Thou has admonished them. 35 But they, in their own kingdom, With Thy great goodness which Thou didst give them, With the broad and rich land whi

THE RENEWAL OF THE COVENANT 4. Stairs] lit. 'ascent': probably the pulpit of wood mentioned in Nehemiah 8:4. BANI.. BANI] One of the two names is probably an error for 'Binnui': cp. Nehemiah 12:8....