“So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.”
Nehemiah 9:27
Last time we saw our Israelites revel in God’s goodness, then quickly turn to bitterness and blasphemy. Today we see the consequences.
“You delivered (nathan – gave) into the hand (yad) of their enemies (tsar – adversary, narrow, tight, anguish, foe, distress, affliction, crowding opponent; from tsor – hard pebble, flint, and tsuwr – confine, cramp, bind – stone as if pressed hard or to a point) who oppressed them (yatsar – narrow, vexed, distressed).”
Because You are a faithful God, You gave them into the power of their enemies (narrow, anguish, afflicted, crowded, cramped, bound, hard pebbled pressed to a point) who vexed and distressed them.
Yep. Nothing like a time of being hard pressed and feeling afflicted for God to get our attention. But how much worse when this cramped, crowded, vexed feeling is coming from those we perceive as enemies?
When was the last time the narrow squeeze of constriction was put upon your soul? When did you feel as though the people in your life were there simply to exasperate you? Have you ever wondered if in fact it was God’s mercy toward you?
Hear me out. How often do we seem to sail through life with only minor inconveniences here and there? I often think it is on the regular. (And if you are in a particular season of anguish, this could seem callous, but please know I feel you and do not apply what does not fit.)
When things seem to be going well, the sun shining, birds singing, moving in a predictable routine, we are notorious for losing gratitude and focus toward the Gift Giver, aren’t we? But even worse, we can begin to take for granted the good stuff and start to turn away from Him. Focus on what we don’t have and commit those blasphemies, acts of contempt, we looked at last time.
Is there anything in such a state that would wake us up to our sins like being handed over to our enemies? For ancient Israel, it was actual enemy nations taking them captive. For us it could be anything from being under power from a particular person or group to suddenly feeling our wings clipped with no way out.
It is in these times we cannot rely on our old methods or simply will or work ourselves out of a mess. And when such things fail, we will finally look up.
“But when (in the time – eth – season, appointed time) they were oppressed (of their trouble – tsarah – tightness, trouble, a female rival) they cried out (tsaaq – call out, cry out, call together, appeal, to shriek, to proclaim in assembly) to you.”
But during the appointed time of their trouble they appealed, shrieked, assembled to proclaim to You.
Call me crazy, but I’m so grateful for the assembled together portion of this definition. Sometimes we just need to know we’re not the only one going through something. Not the only one feeling the pressure of a God-ordained tight path, squeezing out our sin for all to see.
And we’re not. So many of us have been in times of trouble – even ones brought on by our own pride or contempt or rebellion. That was the case for our Israelites. So, what to do? Assemble together! Cry out to the One Who allowed the circumstance in the first place and ask for mercy. Because there’s such good news when we do:
“You (attah – You Yourself) heard (shama – hear with intent to obey; to cause to) from heaven (shamayim)…”
And You Yourself heard.
Do you not love how it was not an angel who heard, but Him? You. You Yourself. He not only sees our rebellion, He hears our cries for relief from the consequences. And with an ability to do something about it.
That word shama implies an intent to obey when applied to humans. But when applied to Yahweh? More likely the sections of “to pay heed, hear with attention; to cause to” apply better. We may have the intention to obey, but He has the intention to cause an action. And not begrudgingly:
“…according to Your abundant (rab – many, much, great, exceeding, full) mercies (racham – compassion, deep mercy, tender love, pity, womb – as cherishing fetus)…”
Please tell me you saw the “tender love as cherishing a fetus” portion. What more helplessly compassionate love can you imagine than that of parents anxiously awaiting a new life? Nothing to fix, unable to make them grow on their own power, they simply wait in love.* Mind you, this fetus has done nothing to earn this love; he or she cannot do anything but rely on the mother’s body to supply what they need to grow.
Now, take this portion of the definition and allow it to inform your understanding of “according to your abundant mercies.” What tender love He feels for us. Even in our own self-inflicted rebellion. Nothing we could do to earn such love and compassion, nothing we can do to lose it. It is simply bestowed from Creator to creation. From a merciful Father to His treasured children. Even after such contempt toward Him.
And into what did this intent to action, moved by exceeding compassion, manifest?
“You gave (nathan) them deliverers (yasha – deliver, avengers, bring salvation, help, save, victorious, defend, preserve, rescue; to be open, wide and free, safe) who saved them (yasha again) from the hand (yad) of their enemies (tsar).”
You gave them avengers/helpers/defenders to be wide open and free/safe, who made them victorious from the hand of their adversaries.
God’s Word is simply stunning. Look at these synonyms for pasha, deliverers: to be open, wide, free, safe. Contrast that with tsar and tsuwr from before, enemies who oppressed: to confine, cramp, narrow, bind.
Yes, He reverses what our rebellion invites. With the compassion of a humiliated father who never stops looking for his son to come home. His son who callously demands his inheritance and spends it on liquor and lust. This father runs when he sees his son and throws a party. Won’t even let him finish his “I’m sorry and worthless” speech.
I know. Our skeptical hearts wonder if He could really be like that. But when He walked around with skin on, He said and showed it is True. It just is. He will not cease to become this effusively, compassionately loving simply because we have a hard time believing it. Rather, we should probably join the party.
In Israel’s history, God did send deliverers. Avengers who led His people out of their cycles of rebellion. It is not lost on me that we’re studying this text during a time when one of the best-selling movies is entitled Avengers.
It does make you think of our innate desire to see justice and trust someone will rescue us. Bring us into a wide open and safe space. One we don’t deserve but eagerly seek.
And not just for ourselves, in our own walks with God. We want to see it for humanity as a whole. We desire to see things put right, for justice to be served, communities and nations healed, reparations made. For mass shootings to end, wars to cease, peace to prevail, and love to triumph over hate and greed.
Thank this God He provided such a Deliverer, and such a Kingdom is advancing.
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*Because of poverty, abusive relationships, and sexual assault, I must address this: I can easily understand not feeling this sort of excitement or love toward an unborn child. Please know this same God Who sees and hears knows your pain as well. And cares about those systems, abuses, and criminal attacks. He is a just God. And He is calling His people to join Him in justice in these areas, driven by His tender, cherishing compassion.*