Nehemiah 9:37

_AND IT YIELDETH MUCH INCREASE UNTO THE KINGS WHOM THOU HAST SET OVER US BECAUSE OF OUR SINS: ALSO THEY HAVE DOMINION OVER OUR BODIES, AND OVER OUR CATTLE, AT THEIR PLEASURE, AND WE ARE IN GREAT DISTRESS._ It yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins - our agricultural labours have been resumed in the land-we plow, and sow, and till, and thou blessest the work of our hands with a plentiful return; but this increase is not for ourselves, as once it was, but for our foreign masters, to whom we have to pay large and oppressive tribute. THEY HAVE DOMINION OVER OUR BODIES. Their persons were liable to be pressed, at the mandate of their Assyrian conqueror, into the service of his empire, either in war or in public works (whence we may see how groundless the boast of their descendants, John 8:33); and 'our beasts are taken to do

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 37. _IT YIELDETH MUCH INCREASE UNTO THE KINGS_] Good and fruitful as the land is, yet it profits us _little_; as the chief profits on all things go to the kings of Persia. _OVER OUR BODIES_] Exacting _personal_ and _feudal services_ from us, and from our _cattle_; and this not by any _fixed rate_, or _rule_, of so _much rent_, so _much labour_, or _boons_; but _at their_ _pleasure_; so that we can neither call our _persons_, our _time_, our _land_, nor our _cattle_, our own: therefore _we are in great distress._ Miserable are the people that live under such a government. Think of this, ye _Britons_! think of your liberties and rights. Compare them with any other nation under heaven, and see what a _balance_ is in _your favour_. Almost all the nations of the earth acknowledge Britons the most happy of all men. May I not say,...

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...

_yieldeth much increase_ Literally -its produce it maketh in abundance." The allusion is to the pressure of the tribute exacted for the Persian revenue. Cf. Nehemiah 5:4. See Rawlinson's _Ancient Monarchies_, vol. III., pp. 421 423. -Besides money payments -a payment … had to be made in kind, each province being required to furnish that commodity, or those commodities, for which it was most celebrated.… While the claims of the crown upon its subjects were definite and could not be exceeded, the satrap was at liberty to make any exactions that he pleased beyond them.… Like a Roman proconsul, he was to pay himself out of the pockets of his subjects; and, like that class of persons, he took care to pay himself highly." _dominion_ R.V. AUTHORITY. Cf. Deuteronomy 28:33, -The fru

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....

THE *JEWS BUILD JERUSALEM’S CITY WALL AGAIN NEHEMIAH _ROBERT BRYCE AND ROBERT BETTS_ CHAPTER 9 Nehemiah still had not finished his work for God. He could have returned to Persia. He had a successful career there. But he remained in *Judah for 12 years. He wanted to make the *Jews into a holy nation of God’s people again. V1 On the 24th day of the same month, the *Israelite people gathered together. They did not eat anything. They wore rough clothes and they put dust on their heads. V2 The families of *Israel had separated themselves from all foreigners. The *Israelite people stood and they confessed their *sins. They also confessed the *sins that their *ancestors had done. V3 The people stood where they were. For three hours they read from the book of the Law of the *Lord their God. For