Rev. David Holwick A Nehemiah series
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 7, 2007
Nehemiah 9:1-3,30-37
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I. Long prayers.
A. Some preachers have a reputation for this.
There is a great story about evangelist D. L. Moody who once
asked a certain brother to pray at a service in Moody's
Chicago church.
The man began to pray and was still droning on after ten
minutes had gone by.
Finally, Mr. Moody stood up and said, "While our dear brother
is finishing his prayer, let's turn to hymn number 342 and
sing it together!"
And here is a strange twist - a young medical student was
attending the service and was so bored with the prayer he
got up to leave.
But Moody's interruption grabbed his attention and he sat
down, listened to the sermon, and got saved.
He was Wilfred Grenfell, and he went on to become a famous
medical missionary to the deep sea fishermen of Newfoundland.
#12070
B. The prayer of Nehemiah 9.
1) It is not as long as Moody's friend's, but it is the longest
in the whole Bible.
2) It can teach us a lot about our own praying, and our
relationship with God.
II. Laying the foundation.
A. They gathered together. 9:1
1) Jews had regular festivals, but this was special.
a) Each one of them was identifying themselves with their
nation's sin.
2) There is still a need for committed gathering.
a) Member - what verse says you have to attend church.
b) I quote Hezekiah 2:13 - they burn in hell.
c) Hebrews 10:25 is serious, though.
1> Alone, we tend to shrivel up.
B. They fasted. 9:1
1) The sackcloth and dust added to the sense of abasement.
2) Quite a turn-around: previously they were told to be
happy and pig out on food.
3) Everything is appropriate in its season.
C. They separated themselves. 9:2
1) An example of obedience rather than arrogance.
2) The Jews are acknowledging that their problems are due to
their own sin, not someone else's.
D. They confessed.
1) Double sense of confession:
a) Acknowledging God's glory.
b) Acknowledging their own sin.
2) Confession is a growth industry today.
a) Just think Michael Richards and Mel Gibson.
b) But usually the last thing we do is acknowledge
any sin.
c) We deflect it and run to rehab.
d) Instead, we need to face it - and face God.
E. They worshipped. 9:3
1) They are not just wallowing in guilt.
2) All their poverty and troubles are transcended by the
glorious reality of God.
3) They were serious about it - a quarter of the day involved
just confession and praise.
F. They prayed.
1) Not exactly clear who said the prayer.
2) Traditionally, Ezra did it.
3) It is filled with biblical allusions.
III. A spiritual review.
A. Their focus begins with God. 9:6
1) We tend to begin with "me" and keep right there.
a) Do your prayers say more about God and his nature than
"Dear God..."?
2) A review of what God has done in history.
a) Special emphasis on Abraham - his calling and naming.
b) God kept his promises.
c) God performed miracles at just the right times.
B. The great "But." 9:16
1) People are the problem.
2) Genuine confession highlights the nature of sin.
a) We can only justify ourselves when we compare ourselves
to humans.
b) The great spiritual writer Andrew Murray said that any
genuine spiritual renewal must be preceded and
accompanied by a deeper sense of sin.
C. The sin cycle.
1) STEP ONE: Because of their sins, God turns the Israelites
over to be enslaved and oppressed by other nations.
He does this to discipline them, waking them up to their
own unrighteousness and their need of him.
2) STEP TWO: It works.
After being oppressed for a while, the Israelites repent
and humble themselves, and call on God to rescue them.
3) STEP THREE: God delivers the people from bondage. 9:27
He abundantly reestablishes their fortune.
4) STEP FOUR: After being at rest and in freedom for a while,
they begin taking for granted God's ongoing care.
His law seems now a burden rather than a means to freedom.
They sink back into sin and don't care.
5) STEP FIVE: go back to step one and repeat the cycle. 9:28
"You delivered them time after time."
#34067
IV. Mercy is the key.
A. Throughout the prayer, God's positive nature is center stage.
1) God is forgiving. 9:17
2) God is compassionate. 9:27
3) God is patient. 9:30
4) God is merciful. 9:31
God's mercy is a rich theme.
It is filled with feeling, compassion, and pity.
It is sovereign, unhindered by our unworthiness.
It is steady and constant.
B. God rises above our failure.
1) He expects it.
2) He forgives it.
3) He uses it.
4) He sees past it.
V. Bow before him.
These Levites teach us how to confess.
Notice how specific they are: "We did wrong.
We did not pay attention to your laws.
We did not hear your words," etc.
Some Christians think they are confessing whey they say,
Lord, if I have injured any soul today,
If I have caused some foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way,
Dear Lord, forgive.
But that is not confession.
There is no "if" in true confession.
You do not say, "If I did this..."
You say, "Lord, I did it. I failed. I turned aside.
I forgot your Word. I walked in my own willful way."
Then God hears, forgives and restores.
That is his gracious nature.
That is what he wants to do.
#34068
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
Parts of my outline were adapted from "Making Investments That Last" by
Rev. Brian Bill, Pontiac Bible Church; Pontiac, Illinois
(http://www.pontiacbible.org), November 5, 2000. Kerux sermon #24803.
#12070 "While the Brother is Finishing...," adapted from Basil William
Miller, HOW THEY WERE WON, Nazarene Publishing House (no date).
#34067 "Israel's Sin Cycle," by Dave Lennert, Discipleship Journal #16,
in his article "I Did It Again" (adapted by Rev. Holwick),
July-Aug 1983.
#34068 "No "ifs" About It," by Rev. Ray C. Stedman, Peninsula Bible
Church, Palo Alto, California, from his sermon "Let Us Bow
Before Our Maker," February 12, 1989, Kerux Sermon #5476.
This sermon also suggested the opening illustration.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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Commentaries:
Derek Kidner, Tyndale OT Commentary on Ezra & Nehemiah
I. The six-hour service.
A. It reverses our expectation - fasting follows feasting.
1) They must face the facts of the past, and the challenge
of the future.
2) Concrete expressions of their spiritual anquish.
a) Sackcloth.
b) Separation from foreigners.
B. Separation from foreigners.
1) Caused by obedience to the Law.
2) Dedication rather than arrogance.
a) Solidarity in guilt.
1> It is usually upheld in Old Testament.
2> Only rejected when used to question God's justice,
or shirk personal responsibility.
3) Book of the Law is central to the events of the day.
C. Praise.
1) All their poverty and troubles are transcended by the
glorious reality of God.
2) The context of eternity outweighs it.
II. God as their Creator and Savior.
A. Abraham gets special mention.
B. God is generous and patient.
C. God warns and disciplines.
III. The difference between pity and self-knowledge.
A. Verse 37 does not proclaim rebellion against the Persian king.
1) They admit their own sins have led to this bondage.
B. Their great distress shows they have not given up yet.
Mark Roberts, "Mastering the Old Testament"
I. Nehemiah's confession.
A. An essential aspect of confession is to tell the truth.
B. Double sense of confession:
1) Acknowledging God's glory.
2) Acknowledging their own sin.
a) They are worshipping, not just wallowing in guilt.
C. Nehemiah's is a rich recounting of biblical history.
1) From Creation to their own day.
2) Moves between their sin and God's gracious (and corrective)
response.
3) Verse 33 sums up confession.
a) They are reaping what they sowed.
II. Confession - telling the whole truth.
A. Chiasm structure, verses 6 to 31.
III. Telling the whole truth highlights the nature of sin.
A. We can only justify ourselves when we compare ourselves to
humans.
B. Andrew Murray - any genuine spiritual renewal must be preceded
and accompanied by a deeper sense of sin.
IV. Telling the whole truth encourages us to confess our sins.
V. Telling the whole truth and the Cross.
A. Romans 5:8.
B. In communion remember God's faithfulness and our unfaithfulness.
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