Hello I'm Mel Olson and this is
Let God Speak. We continue our
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study in the book of Nehemiah.
The city is rebuilt and secure
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and the leaders have
reintroduced their formal
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worship. Today we are
looking at what followed these
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celebrations. ¤ ¤
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On our panel today we have
Nathan Tasker and Rod Butler.
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Welcome to our panel today. We
should commence our talk today
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with prayer. Let's bow our heads
Heavenly Father, as we review
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the journey of the Israelites
and as they confessed their sins
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and came closer to You, we want
to reflect on our lives and come
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closer to you as well. So thank
you for this opportunity of
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sharing God's word again today,
we ask this in Your Name, Amen.
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Amen, amen. So throughout the
religious festivals that they'd
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been following through as the
book of Nehemiah unfolds all of
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this, is a reading of God's
word. A lot of that was done
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during this period of time
and reassurance of God's love.
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and I'm reading Nehemiah chapter
eight and the last part of verse
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10. Do not sorrow for the joy
of the Lord is your strength. So
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Nathan, how does Nehemiah
describe the last week of
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celebrations?
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Well there some somber moments
but this is obviously a very
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exciting time to catch up
with friends and family and in
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Nehemiah 8:17 at the end there
it says: There was very great
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gladness. This isn't just like a
party, let's all go out and get
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plastered but this is a let's
really reflect and think and be
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grateful for the past, more
like an Anzac day, a kind of a
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reflection perhaps.
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Yes, all right, and so they
read from the book of the Law of
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God during this period of time?
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That's right.
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And they had a sacred assembly
which followed on from there.
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So there was a notable change
after this sacred assembly
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a couple of days later.
So what was that change, Rod?
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When we read in chapter nine and
verse one. It says, Now on the
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24th day of the month
the children of Israel were
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assembled with fasting and
with sackcloth and earth upon
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them. Apparently where they've
come from, they've just had
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eight days of sitting listening
to the Law being read, that had
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had a powerful _They
realized how holy God was and
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how sinful they were and
it brought them to humble
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themselves. Nehemiah, two
days later, he calls a sacred
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assembly and they've
humbled themselves for that.
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Yes, I understand that they
had sackcloth on, they had ashes
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and dirt on their head. So
these were outward tokens of
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mourning and sadness,
weren't they? Yes. They were
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demonstrated in their dress as
well as in their hearts. So what
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two events followed
the humbling of themselves?
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Pick up chapter nine verse two;
It says: Then those of Israelite
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lineage separated themselves
from foreigners and they stood
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and they confessed their
sins and the iniquity of their
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fathers. Now I was just thinking
about that. Sometimes in a
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modern context, we think
of separation, we think of
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exclusiveness. Now I 'm over
here you're over there so we'll
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just steer clear and I'm going
to be holier than you. But this
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is a different kind of
separation. This is a separation
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that involves a focus. Like when
a pilot's flying an airplane and
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he says all right, final
approach, time to concentrate,
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time to focus. Everybody in the
plane's important but I've got a
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special important priority here.
So I think the separation here
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is one of focus and awareness,
not one of exclusivity.
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Yes. The sins of course that
were being confessed were the
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sins their own sins and the
sins of their nation and those
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foreigners in that environment
weren't actually a part of that
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sinful process.
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Yes it's a bit of a choice
if you look at verse three they
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stood up and their place and
read from the book of the Law of
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the Lord their God for
one-fourth of the day and it
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goes on. Obviously when there
was the circumcision and the
Sabbath that had been
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instituted earlier, God made
that available for all people
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but only for those that were
committed to picking out the
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stranger who was just visiting
and just checking the place out
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his heart wasn't in it, he
wasn't involved. But those that
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had the backgrounds that had
chosen your God will be my God
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they were included I believe.
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Yes. What were the activities
that actually took place on that
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day?
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So yes on the first part of
the day it says here the first
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quarter and I could be corrected
on this but my understanding
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this is a 12-hour day from
sunrise to sunset so the first
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quarter meaning three hours,
they were reading the word
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together as we discussed
and the part that I find
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very interesting,
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the next quarter of the day, it
says here if you look at verse
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three, they spent that time
confessing and worshipping the
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Lord. I'm thinking three hours
that's a long time to be sitting
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down to do anything. You're
watching a movie or something
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like that, but three
hours to think how can I be
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right with God, how can I be
right with my neighbor. That's
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a serious reflection time. They
must have been really engaged
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deeply for like
three hours to do that.
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So they were really taking
an inward look at their own
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selves during
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this period of time. Yes
during this... Yes that's right.
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Yes. So Rod do you see a link
between reading the Torah and
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confession, the first
five books of the Bible?
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Absolutely I do. When you
read the Law of God it changes
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us. It's the word of God. In
this particular case, they had
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so much time hearing it read to
them could have had a big impact
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upon them
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and when you consider, too, the
Holy Spirit was very active back
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then. If you turn to Nehemiah
9:20. It says: Thou gavest also
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Thy good Spirit to instruct
them Now the Hebrew word for
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instruct there is sachau
which means to understand, be
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prudent and be
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wise. So the Holy Spirit was
actually working on their hearts
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as well as convicting of sin. I
read now in John 16:8, it says:
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When He is come He will convict
us of sin, the world of sin.
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so hearing the word and the Holy
Spirit working on the hearts it
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convicted them of sin and
they were brought to confession.
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Okay. So the Holy Spirit
was active in the Old Testament
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as well.
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He absolutely was.
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Sometimes we think when Jesus
said I'll send the Comforter
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it's a New Testament event. But
this is an Old Testament event
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isn't it? And the Holy Spirit
was very active in the lives and
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the minds of those people.
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That's a good point because many
people don't think that the Holy
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Spirit was working
back in the Old Testament.
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It jumped out at me not only
is God asking us to be forgiving
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and gracious to others but
He's actually providing us the
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the mechanisms and the support
to achieve that, He's helping us
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in this act of
forgiveness. That's wonderful.
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Yes, it's a support Ron isn't
it? So I read back in Nehemiah
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8:9 that the people had been
reading the word of God and then
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they wept. What would
cause them to weep, Rod?
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Well, again let's just go back
to chapter eight and read verses
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eight and nine: Verse
eight So they read in the book
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in the Law of God
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distinctly and gave the sense
and caused them to understand
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the reading. And verse nine: And
Nehemiah, which is the governor
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and Ezra the priest the scribe
and the Levites that taught the
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people, said unto all the people
This day is holy unto the Lord
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you God; mourn not, nor weep.
For all the people wept, when
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they heard the words of the law.
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So they're saying
don't weep and yet they wept.
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Oh yeah and this the impact of
what the word does to us because
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on the one hand yes it convicts
us of sin and confession
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and on the other
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hand we can weep with joy We see
the goodness and graciousness
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and longsuffering of God who is
always ready to forgive but on
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the other hand we see our
sinfulness and how far we've
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deviated from God's requirements
for us, our disobedience.
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It's really powerful there
when we talk about God is always
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willing to forgive
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Yes. Very much so. So in
Nehemiah chapter nine and verse
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four we start this very long
prayer that is prayed on this
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occasion. And they cry out
to the Lord with a loud voice to
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the Lord their God. So what
do they ask the people to do,
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Nathan? We could just read that
together Nehemiah 9:5. These are
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Levites in support of Ezra of
guiding the people in I guess a
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praise ceremony and they're
saying, this is Nehemiah 9:5:
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Stand up and bless the Lord your
God forever. Blessed be your
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glorious name which is exalted
above all blessing and praise.
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So they're not only thinking
about themselves and the
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challenges and the opportunities
to move forward spiritually with
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God but they're also thinking
now hang on a minute, what kind
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of a God is this? What has this
God done for us? And they begin
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begin after this passage and
realize this is a God who has
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actually done a lot of creating
and a lot of protection for us.
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We're going to pray and
discuss in a few moments...
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This is the kind
of God that we want to
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draw attention to. So
they're turn now from themselves
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to their God.
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Yeah, they used the word blessed
there a few times in that
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particular text. So blessing
God I guess it's praising God
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isn't it? Thanking
God part of that process.
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You know, I looked to impart
something significant like here
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God is a gift or a prize
but here's a recognition from us
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thank you God
for what you've done.
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Thanks. Yes. So what description
of God did they add to this
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that they'd already offered Him?
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So this is quite a good passage.
Maybe we could use it in our own
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worship services. This is a God,
verse six: You alone are the
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Lord; You have made heaven, the
heaven of heavens with all their
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hosts, the earth, the seas,
everything that's in them and it
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goes on to outline this is the
God that made things, everything
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Everything?
Heaven? Heaven? Everything.
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Heaven though the
skies.. Heavenly hosts?
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Those angels I
guess, earth, sea?
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And everything
that's in those places.
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We're covering a lot there
aren't we? He's the creator
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God as well as
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a forgiving God, yes this is
the Creator God. All right so
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does the New Testament, Rod,
support this concept of God the
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Creator?
00:11:09.70\00:11:11.60
Yes it does. A very good text
to cover that is Colossians one
00:11:11.63\00:11:14.84
verses 16 and 17. And that
says: For by Him were all things
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created that are in heaven
and on the earth, visible and
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invisible, whether they
be thrones or dominions or
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principalities, or powers: all
things were created by Him and
00:11:30.39\00:11:33.52
for Him. And verse 17 says: And
He is before all things and by
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Him all things consist.
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Okay, so, that's supporting the
Creator God isn't it. Yes indeed
00:11:39.49\00:11:43.67
I noticed in chapter 9:6
that Nathan read you've got the
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words and You preserve them
talking about the creation in
00:11:49.40\00:11:52.27
that context. You preserve them.
Rod, can you unpack that a bit
00:11:52.31\00:11:56.88
more for us. What does it mean
that God preserves His creation?
00:11:56.91\00:12:02.05
Chapter nine and
verse six we've got there.
00:12:02.08\00:12:05.75
Yeah, it's the last part
of chapter nine verse six: and
00:12:05.79\00:12:08.79
I preserved them all and the
host of heaven worshiped Thee.
00:12:08.82\00:12:11.79
Now it's one thing, you know,
say in business it's one thing
00:12:11.83\00:12:14.80
to make a million bucks, it's
another thing to keep it. And
00:12:14.83\00:12:19.03
This is not only the God who
has created all things but He
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sustains it. He doesn't just
create it and then walk away
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and let it sort of just fend for
itself. He's maintaining it He's
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making, He's providing life to
it. That word preserve is quite
00:12:30.15\00:12:35.18
interesting because in
the Hebrew word it's the word
00:12:35.22\00:12:39.09
kayel which means basically
to have life, remain in life.
00:12:39.12\00:12:45.66
The NIV for
00:12:45.69\00:12:47.43
example translates that you
give life to everything. And
00:12:47.46\00:12:50.27
other versions have different
ways of putting it. Some say
00:12:51.03\00:12:53.13
that you keep them all alive,
you keep giving them life but
00:12:53.17\00:12:57.04
the emphasis is that
God is the sustainer.
00:12:57.07\00:12:59.37
So creation is
ongoing. Is that right?
00:12:59.41\00:13:05.05
I think that there is
a dependency there that's
00:13:05.08\00:13:06.41
that's possible that
the children of Israel
00:13:06.45\00:13:08.25
had remembered God as
their creator but they may have
00:13:08.28\00:13:11.39
forgotten to realize that each
day, each breath, every crop
00:13:11.42\00:13:16.59
that they harvested, everything
was also a recurring gift of
00:13:16.62\00:13:21.43
of creation and perhaps this
is a reminder corporately here
00:13:21.46\00:13:25.40
Hey this is the God that not
only made everything but also He
00:13:25.43\00:13:28.84
gave us continuing life support.
00:13:28.87\00:13:30.21
Absolutely+- +. Yes?
00:13:30.24\00:13:31.74
Another thing which is important
is verse six where it's
00:13:31.77\00:13:34.74
emphasizing that God is
the creator, everything. How
00:13:34.78\00:13:37.81
relevant is that for us today.
We live in a world where we're
00:13:37.85\00:13:41.58
told that we all just happened
by chance, we've evolved and
00:13:41.62\00:13:45.42
here is a message. No, no, no
we weren't. We were created by
00:13:45.45\00:13:47.89
a God who created everything.
00:13:47.92\00:13:49.42
In this prayer, Abraham was
introduced there, Nathan. Why
00:13:49.46\00:13:53.93
is that significant?
00:13:53.96\00:13:55.46
I guess that's not so clear
to us today but for the context
00:13:55.50\00:14:00.17
the people were talking about
when they would hear the name
00:14:00.20\00:14:02.70
Avram, Abram, Abraham this was
their ancestor, this was their
00:14:02.74\00:14:08.91
founding father. This is the one
that's received the promise from
00:14:08.94\00:14:12.48
God so this is I guess their
background, their reference
00:14:12.51\00:14:16.62
point and also their example.
Because Abram or Abraham as we
00:14:16.65\00:14:21.52
know did not always live an
exemplary life. He had to lie
00:14:21.56\00:14:27.00
about his wife on a couple
of occasions. The same fault was
00:14:27.03\00:14:29.46
repeated and I guess Abraham was
on a journey himself of faith.
00:14:29.50\00:14:33.57
And I guess as these people were
thinking about their ancestor
00:14:33.60\00:14:36.77
they're thinking not only did
God select him and help him but
00:14:36.81\00:14:40.91
God also forgave him and God was
generous with him, even with his
00:14:40.94\00:14:45.28
flaws. Maybe God can
be the same way for us.
00:14:45.31\00:14:47.12
He even made a covenant with
them didn't He. And I'll bless
00:14:47.15\00:14:50.82
you and I'll bless the nations
that follow you. Yes. Very
00:14:50.85\00:14:53.29
powerful. So give us
00:14:53.32\00:14:54.66
a little bit of the journey.
The the prayer that covers some
00:14:54.69\00:14:57.09
of the journey now.
00:14:57.13\00:14:58.46
Nathan, can you just
a few brief highlights.
00:14:58.49\00:15:01.46
So if you have your Bibles there
for our viewers Nehemiah chapter
00:15:01.50\00:15:05.57
nine, there's an extended...
I guess it's a summary really
00:15:05.60\00:15:09.14
of the way God has lead His
people over the last few years
00:15:09.17\00:15:12.97
and you can skip through
in your own leisure but it
00:15:13.01\00:15:16.61
recalls the way
00:15:16.64\00:15:17.98
that God lead Abram out of his
homeland, how they were brought
00:15:18.01\00:15:23.99
to a new land. They had famine.
They find themselves in Egypt
00:15:24.02\00:15:27.76
where they were sustained.
Things turned bad there. God
00:15:27.79\00:15:30.73
rescued them from Egypt, brought
them through the wilderness and
00:15:30.76\00:15:35.06
preserved them in that
wilderness. This is a God who
00:15:35.10\00:15:38.43
has repeatedly stepped into
their history and they're giving
00:15:38.47\00:15:40.90
I guess a summary report of the
way God has led in the last few
00:15:40.94\00:15:45.67
generations.
00:15:45.71\00:15:47.04
Yes and all of that happened
in spite of the fact that they
00:15:47.08\00:15:49.11
failed so often with God and
yet He still continues to be a
00:15:49.14\00:15:55.25
forgiving God doesn't
He. through all of that.
00:15:55.28\00:15:56.62
It's very, very important there.
So we've covered the history
00:15:56.65\00:16:01.22
there but tucked into verse 17,
Rob, is a very powerful text. I
00:16:01.26\00:16:06.19
think it's the crux of the whole
prayer. Would you like to share
00:16:06.23\00:16:09.26
Yeah it is, it is Verse 17 says,
this is chapter nine verse 17:
00:16:09.30\00:16:14.87
And refused to obey,
neither were mindful of Thy
00:16:14.90\00:16:16.87
wonders that Thou didst among
them, but hardened their necks,
00:16:16.91\00:16:20.38
and in their rebellion appointed
a captain to return to their
00:16:20.41\00:16:22.61
bondage: but thou art a God
ready to pardon, gracious and
00:16:22.64\00:16:27.58
merciful, slow to anger and
of great kindness, and forsook
00:16:27.62\00:16:31.22
them not. These are people who
were terribly disobedient. They
00:16:31.25\00:16:35.92
were given all the requirements
and they had stiff necks, they
00:16:35.96\00:16:38.59
turned their back and yet God
was always there to, to forgive
00:16:38.63\00:16:45.60
basically. And it seems to me
when you go through that because
00:16:45.63\00:16:49.50
though they read
the description of God
00:16:49.54\00:16:51.81
being ready to
pardon, gracious and merciful.
00:16:51.84\00:16:55.01
If you go to Exodus 34
verse six it talked about God
00:16:55.04\00:17:00.18
describes himself. And I'll just
turn to that now and I'll read
00:17:00.22\00:17:02.68
that because that's a very, very
important text. Exodus 34:6 says
00:17:02.72\00:17:07.99
And the Lord passed by before
him, and proclaimed... this is
00:17:08.02\00:17:11.29
passing before Moses, the back
of him anyway, The Lord, the
00:17:11.33\00:17:15.73
Lord God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abundant in
00:17:15.76\00:17:18.30
goodness and truth. So
that's the description of God by
00:17:18.33\00:17:21.27
Himself. And here we have now
Nehemiah's prayer. I remember
00:17:21.30\00:17:26.51
this calling upon
that attribute of God.
00:17:26.54\00:17:28.68
So earlier we talked about them
confessing their sins, so what
00:17:28.71\00:17:34.28
does the confession like a hand
in a glove, Rod, What's another
00:17:34.32\00:17:38.82
activity there?
00:17:38.85\00:17:40.46
Confession usually brings on
repentance. And repentance is
00:17:40.49\00:17:45.53
very important. In fact, if
we just turn back to verse three
00:17:45.56\00:17:50.37
in chapter, sorry, chapter
three and verse 19. Acts 3:19.
00:17:50.40\00:18:01.08
It says: Repent ye therefore
and be converted that your sins
00:18:01.11\00:18:03.95
may be blotted out when the
times of refreshing shall come
00:18:03.98\00:18:07.22
from the presence of the
Lord. So we're called to repent.
00:18:07.25\00:18:13.02
And this is mandatory because
God requires us to repent. If we
00:18:13.05\00:18:22.00
turn to another text, turn to
2 Peter and we'll look at verses
00:18:22.03\00:18:27.47
chapter 3 and verse 9, 2 Peter
chapter 3 and verse 9 and it
00:18:27.50\00:18:35.31
says: The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise as some
00:18:35.34\00:18:38.61
men count slackness, but He
is longsuffering to usward, not
00:18:38.65\00:18:42.55
willing that any should perish
but that ALL should come to
00:18:42.58\00:18:45.99
repentance. Not some but all
of us. So confession brings on
00:18:46.02\00:18:50.19
repentance.
00:18:50.23\00:18:51.56
Thank you. So in Nehemiah
chapter nine verses 23-31 there
00:18:51.59\00:18:56.13
is a statement there that
the children of Israel they
00:18:56.16\00:18:59.13
delighted themselves in the
Lord Could this have been both a
00:18:59.17\00:19:02.70
positive and a
negative situation, Nathan?
00:19:02.74\00:19:04.97
I guess the double edged sword
of being really blessed and end
00:19:05.01\00:19:09.71
up with lots of wonderful things
and if we were to go through
00:19:09.74\00:19:15.28
that passage, I guess time
is a bit short on us today, but
00:19:15.32\00:19:17.72
Nehemiah 9:24-31 outlines
the manifold ways that God had
00:19:17.75\00:19:22.96
blessed and I suppose speaking
from my personal experience when
00:19:22.99\00:19:26.36
things go really well for
me it's really hard to require
00:19:26.39\00:19:29.83
myself to be dependent
upon somebody or something or
00:19:29.86\00:19:33.13
someone else. And I suppose the
danger of being so well blessed
00:19:33.17\00:19:37.47
and I guess the Israelites and
myself struggled with this is
00:19:37.51\00:19:40.48
then God wasn't so much a
necessary part of their daily
00:19:40.51\00:19:43.75
life. He was an accessory that
was, I guess, optional. And we
00:19:43.78\00:19:48.08
know how that works.
00:19:48.12\00:19:49.45
Yeah, yes the word remember
comes in in the text there in
00:19:49.48\00:19:53.32
the commandment doesn't it?
It says remember because you are
00:19:53.36\00:19:56.62
likely to forget so it could
be negative. I read in Leviticus
00:19:56.66\00:20:00.16
18:5 these words: Ye shall
therefore keep my statutes, and
00:20:00.20\00:20:04.23
my judgments: which if a
man does, he shall live by them;
00:20:04.27\00:20:08.00
I am the Lord. These words come
up again. Rod, what do you think
00:20:08.04\00:20:15.54
about this or is
that Nathan's question?
00:20:15.58\00:20:17.35
I'm happy to (indistinct). This
is Nehemiah 9:29 speaking about
00:20:17.38\00:20:25.55
how they got on a bit of a
negative path there. It says:
00:20:25.59\00:20:28.32
Yes they acted proudly and they
did not heed Your commandments,
00:20:28.36\00:20:32.13
but they sinned against
Your judgments and then it's the
00:20:32.16\00:20:34.83
quote you just read which if a
man does he shall live by them.
00:20:34.86\00:20:38.83
And they shrugged their
shoulders and stiffened their
00:20:38.87\00:20:40.54
necks. So evidently the
spot the encouragement in
00:20:40.57\00:20:43.77
Leviticus 18:5, there had been
a forgetfulness, amnesia if you
00:20:43.81\00:20:48.61
like, and I suppose as
this is being read this helps us
00:20:48.64\00:20:51.68
understand why these people were
cut to the heart, why they were
00:20:51.71\00:20:55.58
a little bit somber this time
because they've been reminded
00:20:55.62\00:20:58.72
of what they should
have remembered earlier.
00:20:58.75\00:21:00.72
Yes, it is. Okay so the
conclusion of the prayer
00:21:00.76\00:21:04.86
of confession turns to praising
God. How did they address God
00:21:04.89\00:21:09.26
and what request
did they make Rod?
00:21:09.30\00:21:11.73
Well if we look in verse 32
of chapter nine it says: Now
00:21:11.77\00:21:15.97
therefore, our God, the great,
the mighty, and the terrible God
00:21:16.00\00:21:19.64
who keepest His covenant and
mercy, let not all the trouble
00:21:19.67\00:21:22.84
seem little before thee, that
has come upon us, on our kings,
00:21:22.88\00:21:26.61
on our princes, and on our
priests, and on our prophets,
00:21:26.65\00:21:30.15
and on our fathers and on all
our people since the time of the
00:21:30.19\00:21:33.72
kings of Assyria unto this day.
This prayer of confession they
00:21:33.76\00:21:38.46
recognized God is a mighty God,
he's a terrible God if you're on
00:21:38.49\00:21:42.36
the wrong side of
Him. He's a holy God.
00:21:42.40\00:21:43.77
Could another word for terrible
be awesome. Awesome yes.
00:21:43.80\00:21:47.90
Yes that's a fairly
modern word for that, yes.
00:21:47.94\00:21:50.57
And but notwithstanding all
that they've got some requests.
00:21:50.61\00:21:54.98
They've been pounded over the
time for their disobedience and
00:21:55.01\00:21:57.85
they're calling upon
God to answer their prayer.
00:21:57.88\00:22:02.08
Yes, it's a real cry isn't it?
00:22:02.12\00:22:05.85
They're after God's blessing.
00:22:05.89\00:22:07.76
They were after God's blessing,
yes indeed. And during that
00:22:07.79\00:22:10.73
process they had actually
described God and they're saying
00:22:10.76\00:22:14.36
listen to me, listen to me.
I guess they'd been estranged
00:22:14.40\00:22:18.20
somewhat from God and now they
want to make sure that God is
00:22:18.23\00:22:22.14
actually hearing this time.
So while they're reviewing their
00:22:22.17\00:22:25.97
history what conclusion do they
come to about God's treatment
00:22:26.01\00:22:29.21
of them. I think Nathan.
00:22:29.24\00:22:32.51
Turn to Nehemiah chapter nine
verse 33. I suppose I would see
00:22:32.55\00:22:38.25
this as a point of encouragement
I'll just read out the passage
00:22:38.29\00:22:42.82
here. It says: However you are
just in all that has befallen us
00:22:42.86\00:22:48.40
for You have dealt faithfully
but we have done wickedly.
00:22:48.43\00:22:53.90
Now I thought to myself, at
least in my life and experience,
00:22:53.94\00:22:57.81
oftentimes love or forgiveness
can be a business contract. Now
00:22:57.84\00:23:02.14
if you do this, I'll do that.
If you don't forgive me, I won't
00:23:02.18\00:23:03.95
forgive you. You hit me first,
I'll hit you back and this is a
00:23:03.98\00:23:07.42
one way street. God is saying
no matter what happens whether
00:23:07.45\00:23:11.49
you guys are faithful or not,
I'm going to stand up and do
00:23:11.52\00:23:14.99
the right thing by you. At
least people are acknowledging
00:23:15.02\00:23:16.36
God you have done the right
thing by us. We may not have
00:23:16.39\00:23:18.46
done our job, but you have done
the right thing by us and we are
00:23:18.49\00:23:23.57
very grateful for that. There's
also a promise in Isaiah, Isaiah
00:23:23.60\00:23:31.64
chapter 59 verse one. Isaiah
59:1 is a promise that I'd like
00:23:31.67\00:23:38.01
to cash in on. It says this:
Behold the Lord's hand is not
00:23:38.05\00:23:44.69
shortened that it cannot save
nor His ear heavy that it cannot
00:23:44.72\00:23:50.39
hear. There's
are powerful promises
00:23:50.43\00:23:52.93
there. Can you elaborate
a little bit more on that.
00:23:52.96\00:23:56.73
Well I suppose that in the
idea of the context here that
00:23:56.77\00:24:01.90
people are really struggling
and the question is are we deep
00:24:01.94\00:24:04.51
enough that God can't find us?
Are we far enough away that God
00:24:04.54\00:24:07.48
can no longer hear our cry for
help. And this author here is
00:24:07.51\00:24:12.55
saying you know it doesn't
matter how far you think you are
00:24:12.58\00:24:16.22
God doesn't have limitation. You
might think you're too far away
00:24:16.25\00:24:19.89
from God but He can still reach,
He can still hear and rescue.
00:24:19.92\00:24:22.66
I just want to emphasize that
some of those words were for You
00:24:22.69\00:24:25.83
have dealt faithfully.
Now in reality they had been
00:24:25.86\00:24:30.47
separated, they had been
put into slavery and back again,
00:24:30.50\00:24:34.37
had been put in foreign
countries and they're saying
00:24:34.40\00:24:38.14
You dealt faithfully. Really?
00:24:38.17\00:24:44.25
Well I suppose it really points
out to us the fact that they
00:24:44.28\00:24:47.48
realized what their just
desserts were and they realized
00:24:47.52\00:24:51.02
that they had not
been short-changed.
00:24:51.05\00:24:54.39
Uh-huh, also too God said
in Deuteronomy 28 He said very
00:24:54.42\00:24:57.23
clearly if they were disobedient
what would happen and God was
00:24:57.26\00:25:00.23
faithful, it happened.
00:25:00.26\00:25:01.60
Okay. So it was not a surprise
to them the journey they
00:25:01.63\00:25:05.63
had taken because God had said
this will happen and now they
00:25:05.67\00:25:10.47
could see it has happened. And
so God was just and he was also
00:25:10.51\00:25:14.21
faithful. Very powerful
recognition wasn't it? After
00:25:14.24\00:25:19.41
their confession of sin and
so on. Very, very powerful. So
00:25:19.45\00:25:21.18
as the enormity of
their findings were accepted,
00:25:21.22\00:25:23.52
they had given
00:25:23.55\00:25:24.89
themselves a new
title. What's this, Nathan?
00:25:24.92\00:25:27.32
Well I guess it's the
recognition of their true
00:25:27.36\00:25:29.92
position in relation to God. If
we turn here to Nehemiah chapter
00:25:29.96\00:25:34.46
nine verse 36, it says: Here
we are servants today and the
00:25:34.50\00:25:42.04
land that you gave our fathers
to eat it's fruit and it's
00:25:42.07\00:25:44.94
bounty. Here we are, servants in
it. So it sounds to me, and we
00:25:44.97\00:25:51.08
could talk about the Hebrew word
servant there, it's not really
00:25:51.11\00:25:55.85
a slave, it's more someone who
is a custodian or manager who's
00:25:55.88\00:26:00.76
taking care of an asset, an
asset that belongs to somebody
00:26:00.79\00:26:03.63
else. In this case, they
recognize hey God we thought
00:26:03.66\00:26:06.39
this was all about us but
we realize once again we're
00:26:06.43\00:26:08.53
dependent upon You. We are Your
servants looking out for Your
00:26:08.56\00:26:11.57
assets. We going do our duty
with pleasure because you're
00:26:11.60\00:26:14.94
a good God to work for.
00:26:14.97\00:26:16.30
Okay and Jesus, of
course, challenged us didn't He
00:26:16.34\00:26:20.64
to follow Him, to
00:26:20.68\00:26:22.01
serve Him, to become His
servants indeed as followers
00:26:22.04\00:26:25.58
of Jesus Christ. Yes, that's
good. So, Rod, I asked you a
00:26:25.61\00:26:29.72
question earlier from Nehemiah
chapter nine verse 17. Now
00:26:29.75\00:26:33.69
there was crux a whole lot.
What do you... Come back to that
00:26:33.72\00:26:38.26
because I really think it
summarizes this whole prayer.
00:26:38.29\00:26:41.76
Well you're right. Again it says
that Thou art a God ready to
00:26:41.80\00:26:46.90
pardon, gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great
00:26:46.94\00:26:50.64
kindness. Here we are,
sinful humans. We keep making
00:26:50.67\00:26:57.41
mistakes, we keep falling by the
wayside, but God is there every
00:26:57.45\00:27:01.72
time we want to have His
intervention, we just have to
00:27:01.75\00:27:03.99
pray, He hears us
and He always forgives.
00:27:04.02\00:27:07.16
What a God! What a God. And
people have woken up to this
00:27:07.19\00:27:10.99
whole process of reconversion.
All right, so I think that's
00:27:11.03\00:27:15.13
probably about our time. As the
people opened their hearts to
00:27:15.16\00:27:18.97
God in praise and confession,
they were blessed. We too can
00:27:19.00\00:27:22.87
receive the same blessings as
they experienced. Thank you for
00:27:22.90\00:27:26.78
joining us on Let God Speak.
You can view all past programs
00:27:26.81\00:27:30.31
and the teacher's
notes on our website
00:27:30.35\00:27:32.61
3abnaustralia.org.au.
You can e-mail us on
00:27:32.65\00:27:37.22
lgs@3abnaustralia.org.au.
God bless and please join us
00:27:37.25\00:27:43.29
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00:27:43.32\00:27:46.33
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