“They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them…”
Nehemiah 9:17
Last time we saw how the exiles’ ancestors stiffened their necks toward Yahweh and His commands. Today we see their further defiance along with God’s unending mercy.
“They refused (maen – to utterly refuse) to listen (shama – listen with intent to obey) and were not mindful (zakar – bring to mind, celebrate, remember, be mindful, recount) of your wonders (pala – to be surpassing or extraordinary, deal marvelously, make wonderful, show your power, accomplish, arise; from pele – a wonder) that you did (asah – accomplished).”
They utterly refused to listen with intent to obey, and did not bring to mind and celebrate your surpassing, extraordinary wonders that you accomplished among them.
Last time our verse pointed out the Israelites did not listen to His commands. Today, the hurt seems to go deeper: they weren’t willing to bring to mind the incredible wonders He’d done among them. Not paying attention to a command is unfortunately common; forgetting and choosing not to bring back to mind all the ways He’d fought for them during the exodus and desert wandering? A real slap in the face.
I wonder how often I do that. I wonder if I looked a little more closely at my worry if it would tell me.
Why do I wonder if He’ll leave me high and dry this time? Why do I start to worry He won’t take care of the details? Keep everyone’s needs in mind? Show up when the answer isn’t obvious?
Pretty sure it’s because I don’t recount, bring to mind, and celebrate how He’s already shown up in such a way in the past. And what a lie that this time I need to take matters into my own hands.
How about all of us corporately? Where are we utterly refusing to listen with intent to obey – and not bringing to mind ways He has shown His power before? In some situations, it might be how He brought corporate discipline after lack of repentance. Or public outcry to injustices the Church had ignored. May we know the holy tremble of answering to the One Who takes personally wounds of the least powerful.
In other situations of corporate Church life, it could simply be lack of faith that anything can change. When we forget ways He has moved in relationships, healing, and revival in the past, our vision will be myopic in how we pray and believe for our today.
“…and hardened their necks (stiff-necked from last time) and in their rebellion (meri – rebellion, bitter; from marah – to be most contentious, rebellious, disobedient, provocation, bitter, unpleasant) appointed (nathan – give, set, allow, appoint) a leader (rosh – head, bodyguard, captain, chief) to return (shub – turn back, return, withdraw) to their bondage (abduth – slavery, servitude).”
They became stiff-necked in their contentious, bitter rebellion, and appointed a leader to turn back to slavery.
I keep thinking about how the situation referred to in these verses was less about the Israelites plowing forward with what they thought best, and more a lack of faith to move forward at all. Their rebellion came from bitterness. God was holding out on them. He delivered them only to fail them. There was no way they could take the land He promised they could possess.
They were so sure the Promised Land was a lost cause, they wanted to appoint a different leader: one who would march them right back to bondage.
Is there anything God wants you to move forward on, but the step of faith it takes makes chains on your wrists seem easier? Better? Less of a hassle?
What about as His Body on our planet during this time? Anything He wants us to move toward but our desire for comfort or sameness or not getting it wrong pulls us toward a spiritual jail cell?
What if, together, we just took that step? What if we all get it wrong but keep getting back up? What if – when the past pulls or our flesh gets in the way – we put courage back into each other to move forward and trust He knows what He’s doing?
Our Israelites did not. In their unpleasant disobedience they chose a different leader and an alternative path.
But God.
“…You (attah) are a forgiving God (Eloah – El selichah – forgiveness, pardon) gracious (channun – gracious; from chanan – beseech, show favor, fair, grant graciously) and merciful (rachum – compassionate; from racham – to love, find mercy)…”
But You are a forgiving God, gracious and fair, compassionate and merciful
I’m a fan of the wording of this phrase in the Hebrew: You Yourself are a forgiving God. It is Your nature, the character You possess. You are not one form of a god who forgives. You are the Most High, Forgiving God. You show gracious favor where none is deserved. You are so secure in Yourself, Your holy, triune Self, You can show compassionate mercy to those Who turn from You.
And it gets even better.
“slow to anger (arek – long, long-suffering, patient, slow; from arak – endure, delay, stick) [to anger – aph – nostril-flaring wrath) and abundant (rab – much, many, great, exceedingly, full) in hesed (checed – favor, goodness, loving-kindness)…”
…sticking with us and slow to inflict the nostril-flaring wrath our rebellion deserves…exceedingly abundant in hesed…
This is such incredible, good news. We’ve seen this nostril-flaring anger on here before, witnessed the depth of His holiness. How we turn not only away from the Beautiful, but toward a prison sentence. That He sticks with us, that He not only loves us, but is exceedingly abundant in favor, goodness, and loving-kindness to us, is a miracle. A logic-defying, mind-boggling miracle.
“…and did not forsake them (azab – leave, loose from self, fail, refuse, leave destitute)…”
…and You did not loose Yourself from them, leaving them destitute.
Of course, this good news cost Him. Nothing but the blood would do. No other way to maintain such absolute purity and never loose Himself from us. Our rebellion required it. Our hearts longed for it. We couldn’t find ourselves in our lostness. We were lost. We had to be found.
May we praise Him forever He has never left us destitute.