Context No. 4144 of 4322 · Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:26-30: in context

26“Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against you, cast your law behind their back, killed your prophets that testified against them to turn them again to you, and they committed awful blasphemies. 27Therefore you delivered them into the hand of their adversaries, who distressed them. In the time of their trouble, when they cried to you, you heard from heaven; and according to your manifold mercies you gave them saviors who saved them out of the hands of their adversaries. 28But after they had rest, they did evil again before you; therefore you left them in the hands of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them; yet when they returned and cried to you, you heard from heaven; and many times you delivered them according to your mercies, 29and testified against them, that you might bring them again to your law. Yet they were arrogant, and didn’t listen to your commandments, but sinned against your ordinances (which if a man does, he shall live in them), turned their backs, stiffened their neck, and would not hear. 30Yet many years you put up with them, and testified against them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not listen. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

In a great prayer of confession, the Levites recount the long, painful history of Israel's dealings with God, and the pattern that recurs again and again: the people rebelled, cast God's law behind them, and killed his prophets; God gave them into the hands of enemies; when they cried out, he heard and delivered them; and then, having found rest, they did evil again.

Around and around the cycle went, rebellion, judgment, crying out, deliverance, and rebellion once more. And through it all runs a thread of astonishing divine patience: many years you bore with them, and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. What stands out is not mainly the people's persistent faithlessness, real as it was, but God's persistent patience. Time after time they turned from him, and time after time he warned them, waited for them, and delivered them when they cried out. God's forbearance is deeper than we can fathom; he does not give up on his people at the first, or the tenth, betrayal.

Am I humbled to see how prone I am, like Israel, to forget and drift from God, and do I take hope in his astonishing patience, who bears long with his wayward people, warning and waiting and delivering far beyond what we deserve?

Sources

Nehemiah 9:30: "Yet many years you put up with them, and testified against them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not listen."
Nehemiah 9:28: "But after they had rest, they did evil again before you... yet when they returned and cried to you, you heard from heaven."
Nehemiah 9:27: "In the time of their trouble, when they cried to you, you heard from heaven; and according to your manifold mercies you gave them saviors."