Nehemiah, Chapters 9, 10
When the Jewish people had heard God’s words read each day, they were very sorry that they had so often disobeyed Him, and one day they spent half of the time in prayer. This prayer was written by Nehemiah, which we may now read. That prayer gave the past history of their nation, and also could be called a very brief review of the whole Old Testament.
They spoke much of God’s goodness, but of the peoples’ disobedience. After the prayer was finished, the leaders and men of the temple agreed together to follow God’s words. Each man wrote down his name to show others that he wished to obey God; then all the people, even the boys and girls, said they too, would obey God’s words.
The people especially agreed not to choose the neighbors, who did not honor God, to be their friends or members of their families; and not to give their sons or daughters to be husbands or wives in their neighbors’ families, most of whom worshiped idols; nor to buy or sell on the Sabbath day, which God had given this people to keep as a holy day and a day of rest from work, for all their generations to remember that God had saved their nation from the slavery of Egypt. We will read later if these promises were kept.
As we read that prayer we, too, think of God’s great mercy, and that we too sadly dishonor Him each day.
The first words of the. prayer were: “Blessed be Thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.
Them, even Thou, art Lord alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven heavens, with all their host. The earth, and things that are therein The seas, and all that is therein, and Thou preservedth them all and The host of heaven worshipeth Thee.” The answers to these questions are all found in that prayer:
From what land did Abram come? It was the same land from Which the captive Jews had come. (Ans. Verse 7).
What did God do to the sea that the, people could cross over? (Ans. Verse 11).
What protected the people from the He; sun in the day time? and what gave them light at night? (Ans. Verse 12).
From what mountain did God speak, and give them right laws? (Ans. Verse 13).
From where did the people receive bread in the deserts? (Ans. Verse 15).
Was it a good land God gave this people? (Ans. Verse 25).
ML 01/21/1940