Neh 9:22-29 | KingComments | STEP | God had not only surrounded them with His care, He had also helped them to take possession of kingdoms and nations. The land of Sihon and the land of Og are mentioned by name. These are the first kingdoms that Israel had to take possession of even before they crossed the Jordan. Furthermore, the LORD has blessed them with numerous offspring, so that they could populate the land. This offspring has been commanded to take possession of what the LORD had promised their fathers. They have done so, helped by the LORD Who gave the inhabitants of the land in their power. He has given them a free hand to do with those nations what they wanted. In doing so, He had put them to the test. Would they act with those nations as He commanded? He had told them to exterminate the inhabitants. Because of their unfaithfulness, the roles have been reversed. The nations reign over them, and the nations do with them as they please ( ). Their conquest of the land threw a treasure of blessings into their lap. They have feasted upon it. That is lawful. It has all come within their reach by the grace of God. God wants to give His people everything to enjoy. He wishes, however, to be involved, to be recognized as the Giver, and for His people to thank and honor Him for it. This is not an ambition of God, as it would be with us. He knows that enjoyment without Him leads to selfishness and excesses, from which much evil arises. Enjoyment without Him has a devastating effect on the relationship between people. Where the bond with Him is broken, the bond between people is also broken.

‏ Nehemiah 9:22-29

What the LORD Has Given

God had not only surrounded them with His care, He had also helped them to take possession of kingdoms and nations. The land of Sihon and the land of Og are mentioned by name. These are the first kingdoms that Israel had to take possession of even before they crossed the Jordan.

Furthermore, the LORD has blessed them with numerous offspring, so that they could populate the land. This offspring has been commanded to take possession of what the LORD had promised their fathers. They have done so, helped by the LORD Who gave the inhabitants of the land in their power. He has given them a free hand to do with those nations what they wanted. In doing so, He had put them to the test. Would they act with those nations as He commanded? He had told them to exterminate the inhabitants. Because of their unfaithfulness, the roles have been reversed. The nations reign over them, and the nations do with them as they please (Neh 9:37).

Their conquest of the land threw a treasure of blessings into their lap. They have feasted upon it. That is lawful. It has all come within their reach by the grace of God. God wants to give His people everything to enjoy. He wishes, however, to be involved, to be recognized as the Giver, and for His people to thank and honor Him for it.

This is not an ambition of God, as it would be with us. He knows that enjoyment without Him leads to selfishness and excesses, from which much evil arises. Enjoyment without Him has a devastating effect on the relationship between people. Where the bond with Him is broken, the bond between people is also broken.

Unfaithfulness of the People and God’s Salvation

When man departs from God, no longer involving Him in his actions, he comes to “great blasphemies”. Then the greatest of God’s blessings are returned by man with the greatest evil. The rebellion of the people manifests itself in rebellion against God. They cast His law behind their backs. That is an act of contempt. If then God sends His prophets to bring them back to Him, they kill them.

They have settled with God. They don’t want Him anymore. They’re declaring Him out of time. Their “enlightened” thinking is hindered by His existence and presence. That is why every voice that interprets Him must be silenced. As if this can silence God.

God does not give up. He has another method to bring His people to repentance. If they do not want to listen to His voice, they will listen to His actions. He delivers them into the hands of their enemies. That does not miss its effect. They are oppressed and cry out to the LORD. And, miracle of grace, He hears them. In His “great mercy” He gives deliverers.

And that does not happen just once. No, it repeats itself many times. Each time after their deliverance, they do evil again. They really are repeat offenders, people who fall into the same mistake over and over again. In His faithfulness the LORD then delivers them into the hands of opponents. Then they get oppressed again, and in their distress they cry out to the LORD. According to His unchanging mercy He then hears their crying and delivers them. The book of Judges impressively describes the course of these events.

The People Sin Against God’s Provisions

In spite of all these acts of God in mercy, the people went further and further downhill. God exhorted His people to return to His law, for in keeping the law lies life. In not listening to the law, in breaking it, lies death. His people did not act as ignorant ones. They knew God’s law. However, they did not put their shoulders under it, but they turned their backs on it. They did not bend their necks under it, but stiffened them. They piled sin upon sin.