Sermon Tone Analysis

Nehemiah 9:5-38

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2000

Looking for the Light

 

G.

Campbell Morgan was once approached by a soldier who said he would give anything to believe that God would forgive sins, "but I cannot believe He will forgive me if I just turn to Him.

It is too cheap."

Dr. Morgan said to him: "You were working in the mine today.

How did you get out of the pit?"

He answered, "The way I usually do; I got into the cage and was pulled to the top."

"How much did you pay to come out of the pit?" "I didn't pay anything."

"Weren't you afraid to trust yourself to that cage?

Was it not too cheap?"

The man replied, "Oh, no!

It was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink that shaft."

The man saw the light, that it was the infinite price paid by the Son of God for our salvation, which comes to us by faith and not by anything that we can do.

Salvation is free, but it's not cheap.

Grace is *G*od's *R*iches *A*t *C*hrist's *E*xpense.

Introduction

 

Last Sunday morning we saw how Israel worshipped the Lord.

God is great and worthy of our worship.

The people worshipped Him by hearing the Scriptures, confessing their sin and separating from themselves from all that displeased Him.

They prayed to God and praised Him for His greatness.

The people wanted to be restored to God.

They longed to be right with Him and took the necessary steps to accomplish this!

The Levites prayed on behalf of the people.

Their prayer reviews the history of Israel and reveals both the majesty of God and the depravity of man.

Israel responded to God’s */great kindness/*, */great mercy/*, and */great goodness/* with */great provocation's/* that resulted in*/ great distress for the nation/*.

*/Today we will look at:     /*

I.  The Goodness Of God                  &                      II.

The Grace Of God

 

/Firstly/ The Goodness Of God     

 

This prayer rehearses the history of Israel, revealing God’s goodness to His people and their repeated failure to appreciate His gifts and obey His will.

The word */give/* is used in one way or another at least sixteen times in this chapter, for our God is indeed the/ giving God/, who delights in meeting the needs of His people.

God's goodness is revealed in the way that he /Formed the Nation, Lead the Nation and Chastised the Nation./

/a.

Formed the Nation/

/ /

*Nehemiah 9:7-8* /You are the Lord God, Who chose Abram, And brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and gave him the name Abraham; You found his heart faithful before You, And made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, The Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites — to give it to his descendants.

/

/ /

When God called Abram from Ur of the Chaldees, He did it totally on the basis of grace.

Since Abram was an idolater he had done nothing to deserve God's favor.

However God called him and showed great kindness to him.

He */gave/* him a new name.

God made a covenant with him because his heart was faithful.

Although Abraham had occasional lapses of faith he walked with God for 100 years.

God also */gave/* His descendants the land of Canaan to inherit.

Abraham means father of a multitude.

The Lord blessed his descendants and multiplied them to become the nation of Israel.

This took over four hundred years to accomplish including a sojourn in Egypt.

But nevertheless God kept His covenant promises to Abraham.

God saw the affliction of His people and sent Moses to deliver them.

He freed the nation from Egypt, performing great signs and wonders to accomplish this.

He destroyed Israel's enemies in the Red Sea.     

/ /

A Potter

/ /

When a potter works with a piece of clay he has purpose in mind.

He can make a jar or drinking cup.

He may have a vase or plate in mind.

But the thing he makes is formed for a particular purpose.

God formed the nation of Israel for a purpose.

He chose them to be His light in the world.

He formed the nation for this special purpose.

Through the nation God would reveal His Word and bring forth His Son, the Savior.

/ /

/b.

Lead the Nation/

/ /

Verse 12 tells us that God*/ gave/* His people */Leadership/*.

He went before them to show the way.

A pillar of cloud led them by day and a pillar of fire gave them light by night.

Verse 13 reveals how God */gave/* Israel */Laws/*.

He spoke to them from Mount Sinai and gave them His Laws for their own good.

He wanted them to be a special people and a holy nation to Himself.

The Law revealed God's will for Israel.

When they kept the Law God blessed them and they enjoyed life.

Verse 15 tells us that God */gave/* them*/ Livelihoo/*d.

He sustained them as they traveled through a barren wilderness.

The manna did not fail until they had entered Canaan.

He provided them water from the rock.

God met their every need.

/ /

Verse 15 also tells us that God */gave/* them */Land/* to possess.

The land of Canaan was a good land flowing with milk and honey.

God promised it to Abraham and now he gave it to Israel.

Verse 20 tells us that God */gave/* them */Light./*

His Holy Spirit instructed them of His ways.

The Holy Spirit was with Moses and Joshua and 70 of Israel's elders.

/ /

Leaders Lead The way

/ /

In the army the best leaders are those who identify with their men.

They lead them into war.

They understand first hand their trials and hardships because they live with them.

They are on hand to give advice in times of trouble.

They seek to meet their needs and solve their problems.

God did this for Israel.

He was present with them.

He led the way in the pillar of cloud and fire.

He gave them food and water.

He revealed His will to them through the Law.

He gave them spiritual light through His Good Spirit.

/Could they have had a better leader?/

/ /

Israel's Response To God's Goodness

/ /

/How did Israel respond to God's goodness?

/They refused to bow to His authority hardening their necks.

They refused to listen to His Word or obey His will.

At Kadesh - Barnea, they tried to take matters in their own hands and appoint a new leader to take them back to Egypt.

God didn't allow them to do that but punished them for their sin.