Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “Confession”, pages 37-41, in Steps to Christ. In Nehemiah 9:25, the Hebrews talked about how their ancestors “delighted themselves” (NKJV) in God’s great goodness. The verbal root is the same as the name Eden, as in the “garden of Eden” (Gen. 2:15). Perhaps, the best translation would be “they edenized themselves” if only edenized … Continue reading –>
Read Nehemiah 9:32-38. What is the focus of the conclusion of the prayer of confession? Once again the prayer turns to praising God for who He is: great, mighty, and awesome, one who keeps the covenant and mercy. They seem sincere in their acknowledgment of God’s goodness to them. They also bring a petition in the … Continue reading –>
Read Nehemiah 9:23-31. How are the Israelites described in comparison to God’s “great goodness” (Neh. 9:25)? This next section of the prayer/sermon focused on life in Canaan as the Israelites possessed the land that God had given them. They had been handed land, cities, vineyards, and fields ready for use, but they had taken it all for … Continue reading –>
Read Nehemiah 9:9-22. How does this part of the prayer differ from the first part? The prayer transitions from praising God for His faithfulness to recounting the contrasting unfaithfulness of the Israelites in their Egypt and wilderness experiences. It outlines all the different things God gave the Israelites; but unfortunately, the response of the “fathers” … Continue reading –>
The response of the people to the Bible reading was a long prayer that recounted the goodness of God in contrast to the history of the Israel’s faithlessness. One can observe that the reply is more like a sermon than a prayer, because almost every verse has a parallel somewhere in the Bible. Read Nehemiah 9:4-8. … Continue reading –>
Read Nehemiah 9:1-3. Why were the people separating themselves from all foreigners? Although Nehemiah was eager to make sure that the people associated this time with joy, he now led the assembly to fasting. They humbled themselves before God and threw dust on their heads, while wearing sackcloth. Because the foreigners didn’t have a share in … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Neh. 9:1-3; Dan. 9:4-19; Neh. 9:4-8; Col. 1:16-17; Neh. 9:9-38; Rom. 5:6-8. Memory Text: “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13, NKJV). After the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was finished, the leaders again gathered the people. They had just spent time celebrating; now it was time … Continue reading –>
Breaking a Curse By ChanMin Chung Sunny and Salma met during orientation for first-year students at a university in the Middle East. Sunny, who is from Asia, is a “Waldensian student”, a Seventh-day Adventist studying at a secular university in the Adventist Church’s Middle East and North Africa Union. Salma is a local student who … Continue reading –>
Further Thought: Ellen G. White, “Instructed in the Law of God”, pages 661-668, in Prophets and Kings. “ “Now they must manifest faith in His promises. God had accepted their repentance; they were now to rejoice in the assurance of sins forgiven and their restoration to divine favor. … Every true turning to the Lord brings abiding joy … Continue reading –>
The “joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh. 8:10) serves as a reminder that it is God’s will that we rejoice and enjoy life. Most of all, it is not just any kind of joy, but it is the joy that comes because we know God and the reality of His love. Delighting in God, in … Continue reading –>
