Nehemiah 9:19-25

ISRAEL�S history illustrates both individual Christian experience, and also illustrates the life of the church corporately. Whereas the true believer can never be forsaken by the Lord, a particular church or congregation may be forsaken and judged. The individual believer may experience chastisement from the Lord for correction and learning, however the Lord will never forsake the believer because we are secure in God�s love on account of Jesus Christ our Saviour. A particular church however may so depart from the Lord that it is judged and given up by the Lord, though this is never done without patient pleading and correction from the Lord. If after much pleading and calling to repent a church refuses to change, then, as is illustrated in the history of Israel that church will be judged. Churches which have existed in the past now have ceased to be because they have turned away from the Lord.

This chapter we are looking at in Nehemiah, with this long resume of the history of Israel, illustrates both these things. Up until now we have been hearing of the history of Israel before the entry into the promised land, and being led to praise God for his gracious dealing with his people through this history, and seeing how this illustrates the individual Christian�s life in the main, though at this time the whole nation of Israel has been illustrating the church. We will be continuing to look at the individual Christian�s life as illustrated in the present verses before us. However from verse 26 the resume of Israel�s history deals with the period from Joshua to the time Israel was carried off into captivity, and this is a different story. The resume changes from praise to prayer, seeking the mercy of God.

Israel�s history, as far as it illustrates the church of God, shows that God will judge his church in its visible manifestation in the world as he did Israel, but the true church of believing people will be preserved, though in the visible church seen on earth evil branches will be cut off. After Christ the true church continues, not in the nation of Israel, but in the true Israel of God which is the church of true believers.

The verses before us this month (v.19-25) reveal a compassionate God, and this truth and experience of the believer is a source of great praise. God�s compassion is expressed in verse 19 where we are told that God did not desert his people, even though they sinned so much and so gravely, because he is a compassionate God. God�s compassion is founded in his grace towards us in Jesus Christ, where God has provided in Jesus a Saviour in whom we stand accepted and righteous in his sight eternally. How is this compassion seen?

The first expression of God�s compassion remembered from the life of Israel is God�s guidance and protection. God remained with Israel through all the wanderings in the wilderness on the journey to the promised land, even when through lack of faith they had to wander a further 40 years. His presence was made visible by the pillar of cloud during the day, which turned into a pillar of fire at night.

The way forward was always indicated as the cloud went before them. When the cloud moved the Israelites journeyed. When the cloud stopped the Israelites rested. Always they had this evidence of the presence of God with them visibly in the sky.

God�s compassion to us is just the same. There is no cloud in the sky to guide us, but God has promised never to leave us or forsake us, and to guide us until he brings us to the eternal promised land of glory in the life to come. When we have to go forward in some way God will and does make his will and purpose plain. When there is no particular guidance, then like Israel we may rest and wait. However we must be ever waiting upon the Lord so that we do not miss his instructions to go forward when they come. We are never, never alone. God is with us. Praise and thanks be to God for his compassion and goodness.

Nehemiah remembers in this prayer of praise how God sent his good Spirit to instruct the people. In those days the Spirit did not indwell the faithful, but came from time to time with the word of the Lord. In the New Testament church each believer has the privilege of being indwelt by the Spirit of God.

Here is a great blessing issuing from our compassionate God, that he dwells within us by his Spirit and instructs us. The Christian knows this blessing because the Bible becomes loved and understood. Further the Spirit speaks to us through the other means of grace such has worship and the gathering of the people of God for prayer and study, and many other ways.

However, though the Spirit instructs us we must be diligent in our seeking to hear. There is no substitute for reading the Bible with attention and a listening mind and heart; and there is no substitute for the obedient spirit which obeys, when the Spirit�s instruction is heard.

The experience of the Israelites in their journey through the wilderness was that at no time did God cease to provide food for them, and water to drink. Further because there was no means to provide of new clothes for themselves, God provided that their existing clothes did not wear out. The words in verse 21 summed up this blessing. The Israelites lacked nothing, that is God provided for them all that they needed, and more besides, though this did not mean that they could have anything that they liked.

This is true for the believer. Some believers may be rich and very well-off, and this is a great trust and responsibility for such Christians that they use such bounty from the Lord mindful of God�s purposes of love in the world. However there is no promise in God�s word that we will be rich, but that God will provide. This provision will be according to our need - that is according to the society we live in, and the purpose of God for our lives. In the United Kingdom believers will be provided according to the standard of living in our society, and according to where we are in this society. Some will have more than others, but all will be provided for. We may feel that we are made to struggle more than some, but God�s knows what is good for us, and what will be best for us, and his provision will be tempered by this knowledge. Some, if they were well-off, this would be a snare to them, and they would be led away from the Lord. It is also true that when we discern need we are more depended on the Lord, and so seek his face and blessing. Wealth is not the blessing that it seems to be in worldly wisdom. Riches bring many temptations, and often encourages and nurtures our fallen nature, rather than to increase our Christian graces.

Because of this compassion of the Lord to provide for his people, it is not unspiritual to pray for our temporal needs. Jesus gave us instruction in his model prayer to prayer for our temporal needs. Jesus tells us to ask God for our daily bread, which encompasses all our daily needs of body and mind.

Verses 22-25 describe how the Lord, in his compassion, was with the Israelites as they met all obstacles and all enemies on their journey to the promised land. God gave them the strength and wisdom to overcome their enemies, and those who would prevent them from realising their spiritual heritage - that is gaining the promised land.

The Christian life is a journey and a pilgrimage on which we find we have many battles to fight, and enemies to overcome. This is both in our own spiritual fight against sin, the world and the devil, and also in our work and witness for God whatever this may be for us in our lives.

For our own spiritual warfare against sin and Satan, Jesus promised us that he would be our strength. Paul tells us that no temptation or testing is given us, except what is common human experience, and that God will provide a way of escape when the temptation comes, that we may be able to bear it. Paul also tells us that we have the armour of God, which we must put on and which will enable us to resist sin and the devil�s wiles.

Jesus told his disciples that there witness for him would have dangers, and that they would know attack and persecution because the world hates the disciple of Jesus as the world hated Jesus first. Jesus promised that at the time of need words would be given to us, so that we will be able to witness with courage and with power.

God made a promise to Abraham that he would be given the land of promise that he wandered through during his life time, but never possessed. This promise to Israel, the descendants of Abraham may have seemed to be long in coming, but it did come. God was faithful to his promise, and as Nehemiah remembers here, the people of Israel were given the land of Palestine according to God�s promise.

Abraham saw in this promise a much better and more lasting promise. Paul speaks of this in Hebrews 11. Abraham sought a better country, even a heavenly, whose builder and maker is God. This is the promise of God in Christ to all who believe. All who believe will have eternal life. Jesus promised his disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them in this eternal glory, and he would come again to take them there.

This is the promised land for all believers. We have no permanent dwelling place on earth. We are pilgrims for we are citizens of this heavenly realm. God was faithful in giving Palestine to Israel in the days of Joshua and after, and this is to assure us that he never will allow his promise of eternal life for all who believe, in Christ as Saviour, to fall.

In this promise is included the assurance that God has pledged his word to bring us to this promised land safely. This is the reason that in his compassion he guides us, instructs us, sustains us, and defends us, and strengthens us. Heaven is our home, and heaven is our certain destiny.

God�s compassion is all embracing, and let us remember that this compassion never fails in spite of our sin and failure. Israel throughout their journey to the promised land were continual failing in faith and life, but God�s compassion never failed. This is God�s grace to us in Christ.