Return from Exile: Nehemiah 9.4-38 (4)

Pray Psalm 22.29-31.
All the prosperous of the earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.

Sing Psalm 22.29-31.
(Dix: For the Beauty of the Earth)
All the prosp’rous of the earth shall before His mercy fall;
bending low before His worth, hear them humbly on Him call.
Even those low in the grave He will by His mercy save.

Let the generations all witness to His saving grace;
let them to all nations call, “Bow before His holy face!”
Let the children of the earth hear of Jesus’ saving worth!

Read Nehemiah 9.1-25; meditate on verses 22-25.

Preparation
1. What did God do for His people in the land of Canaan?

2. How did the people respond?

Meditation
It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that God has called us to His Kingdom and has conveyed us into it by sending His Spirit to dwell within us (1 Thess. 2.12; Col. 1.13; Gal. 4.6). Ask yourself: How often do I praise the Lord and thank Him for these incredible works of grace?

The people of Israel were no different than you and I: short memories, ungrateful hearts. So the Levites added to their litany of things for which to give God praise His conquest of the land of Canaan and establishing them as a kingdom of priests before Him. He prepared the way for them, overcame their fears and disobedience, and led them to settle in the land of promise, just as He had promised to Abraham and all the patriarchs.

For a while—a brief while—the people rejoiced, gave thanks, delighted themselves in the goodness of the Lord, and increased in each successive generation (v. 25). The Levites led the people to experience that conquest all over again and to share in the joy and gratitude those first kingdom-dwellers knew.

We do well to follow this example in our own prayers and worship, giving thanks and praise to God for His Kingdom.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
How often do we remember to thank and praise God for the conquest He has wrought in our hearts? Do we remember to thank and praise Him daily for His victory over our sin and death? And for bringing us out of captivity to life in Him? The psalmist wrote: “Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments” (Ps. 119.164).

But unless we know His Word and understand His righteous judgments, we will not be able to praise Him properly, because everything He does is “according to His Word.”

“Let my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your word” (Ps. 119.169).
“Let my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your word” (Ps. 119.170).
“I am afflicted very much; revive me, O LORD, according to Your word” (Ps. 119.107).
“Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your word to Your servant” (Ps. 119.76).

God’s Word also guides us in avoiding sin:
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119.11).

God’s Word explains our salvation:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2.8, 9).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3.16).
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5.8).

God’s Word gives us the work we are to do:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2.10).

God’s Word gives us comfort:
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me” (Jn. 14.1).
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (Jn. 14.6).
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit…” (Jn. 15.16).

All of these commands, promises, and encouragements are “according to God’s Word.”
How often should we thank and praise Him for them?
How often should we read, meditate, and contemplate them?
How often do we want to please Him?
Do we really want to know Him and the truth He proclaims?
The better question really is: How can we possibly live without His Word?
And why wouldn’t we want to know everything “according to His Word”?
Because then we can properly praise Him, as we ought, for all of His wondrous blessings.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits…” (Ps. 103.1, 2)

According to His Word.

For reflection
1. Why is being in the Kingdom of God Good news?

2. With whom do you talk about being a citizen and ambassador of God’s Kingdom?

3. Whom will you encourage today to join you in giving praise and thanksgiving for the victories in Jesus we have come to know according to His Word?

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. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Nehemiah 9.4-38

Pray Psalm 22.23-25.
Thank God for calling you to His Kingdom and glory. Praise Jesus, our King, and offer yourself to Him today, to seek His Kingdom and righteousness in all you say and do.

Sing Psalm 22.23-25
(Darwall: Rejoice, the Lord Is King)
All you who fear the LORD, now praise His holy Name!
You children of His glorious Word, declare His fame!
We stand in awe of our eternal God, and on His mercy call.

For He has not despised the anguish of our King,
nor from Him hid His eyes, Who knew such suffering.
Let praise arise from all who love and serve the Ruler of the skies!

T. M. and Susie Moore

Two books can help us understand our own captivity and lead us to seek revival and renewal in the Lord. The Church Captive asks us to consider the ways the Church today has become captive to the world. And Revived! can help us find the way to renewal. Learn more and order your free copies by clicking here and here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available free by clicking here.