For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
Nehemiah 9:30-31
Last time we listened in as the Israelites continued to stiffen their necks and choose rebellion over obedience, arrogance over mishpat. Today we see how God continued to bear with them.
“And yet you had patience (mashak – draw, draw out, draw along, drag, bore, defer, extend, follow, march, prolong, stretched) with them for many years.”
You bore with, extended, drew out the Israelites for many years.
Today I’m just so glad He continues to draw us out, stretch us, okay, even drag us along. Some days I’m not sure what I would do without such endurance. And His Church? Where would we be without such extended bearing on His part in each generation as we struggle to be unified in our love?
It takes much more than our efforts. More than what we can do on our own strength, in the love we have in our naturally selfish hearts. It takes Him living inside of us, taking over more of our lives as we cooperate. Unifying us all by the the part which needs no coercing toward peace and love: our spirits overtaken by the Spirit.
Such love draws us out, knows how to defer and follow, will march toward freedom – even when it knows death is required. Because it knows death is required. It prolongs relationships when pride would say, “It’s not worth it.” It stretches us beyond natural inclination toward those we already know and love to those who need to be known and loved.
“And testified (uwd – to return, go about, repeat, do again, earnestly, charge, protest, reiterate testify, intensively, duplicate, relieve, solemnly, stand upright, give warning) against them by your Spirit (ruach – breath, wind, air, anger, cool, courage, exposed, quick-tempered, motives, thoughts, trustworthy, wind, wrath, a sensible [or even violent] exhalation; figuratively, life; by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being) through your prophets (nabi – a spokesman, speaker).”
And earnestly charged them, stood up and gave warning to them by Your Spirit (wind, temper, trustworthy, exhalation, life, cool, courageous thoughts…by a rational being) through your prophets (spokesmen).
Our faithful Yahweh not only bore with and drew out the Israelites, He pointed out their errors. Because love not only bears all things, it rejoices in Truth.
Do you not love all the synonyms for Spirit in this definition? “His life, breath, wind.” A wind which blows wherever it pleases, yet never out of line with His perfect character.
“Anger, quick-tempered, a sensible or violent exhalation.” We need not fear or draw back from this definition of spirit here. When referring to the Spirit which hovered over the great deep since before time began, this anger or temper will be only ever pure. A reaction to sin we brought into perfection, a violent exhalation when beauty is marred and justice perverted.
Trust me, we want this kind of God. This is the kind of life, wind we want breathed into those who choose the Way of Jesus. We can be ambivalent about justice until it is desired in our lives. Then, as we feel the rub of deception, bias, or offensiveness, we suddenly realize how much we yearn for God to be One Who is Himself integrity, virtue, and uprightness.
When you see fellow human beings beaten and killed for no reason, does a sensible, violent exhalation naturally come? When babies are taken from their parents, some only months old, does your temper show up? Is it possible such reactions are a testament to the Spirit inside us, groaning? Of course, we react imperfectly with our tempers. But the Spirit never does. The One Who rides on the clouds and defends the fatherless does so with perfection.
And how about “cool, courageous thoughts…by a rational being”? Rather than implying a social status, this cool seems to refer to the rationality of our perfect, mysterious Spirit. Don’t take this to aloof, robot status. Even Paul said, “If I am out of my mind it is for the sake of Christ.” Sometimes the Spirit moves us in ways that seem the furthest thing from rational, logical, sensical. But it is never unthinking or unintelligent. And I appreciate one definition of rationality is, “Agreeable to reason.”
“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
And now we are back to this faithful God drawing out and bearing with His people. This is what cool and courageous thoughts lead to. Never covering over reality, always clear of the boundaries and consequences.
And through whom were such thoughts conveyed to the people? “Through your prophets.” Those who were to listen to God and tell others what they heard never had the most enviable job. They still don’t. But it is a necessary one.
While the Spirit does not contradict the Sword, He does speak into people’s lives with clarity and uniqueness. As we test prophesies, refusing to quench His Spirit, we both hold fast to the good and reject evil. Because love never delights in evil.
“Yet they paid no attention (azan – to give ear, to heed, listen, pay attention), so you gave them into the hands of the peoples of the land (erets – earth, land, nations, ground).”
And we know what happens to our Israelites when they refuse to listen: given over to their desires to be free of loving leadership, they find themselves in bondage to captors.
“But in your great (rab – exceedingly abundant) mercy (racham – compassion, deep mercy, tender love, pity, womb – as cherishing a fetus) you did not put an end to them (kalah – complete destruction, annihilation, consumption, utterly destroy) or abandon them (azab – loose them from Yourself, leave destitute).”
But in your exceedingly abundant compassion you did not annihilate/utterly destroy them or loose them from Yourself, leaving them destitute.
He disciplined but never forsook them. He allowed consequences, but wooed them back. He came after them with prophets and allowed them lament with psalms. And He ultimately came to them in the One Way necessary: like them. Like us. God with us.
And why?
“For you (attah – You Yourself) are a gracious (channun – gracious; from chanan – beseech, show favor, fair, grant graciously) and merciful (rachum again) God.”
For You Yourself are a gracious and fair, tender and merciful God.
I wish I could fully absorb in my heart that God is not mean-spirited. All the wooing and parenting, rescuing and warning were because of this character. This deeply compassionate and tenderly loving God.
He loves us. Isn’t it amazing?