(The God Who Chastens His People)
(Nehemiah 9:25-28)

Text:
Nehemiah 9:25-28 "And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. 26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations. 27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies. 28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;"

Thoughts from Past Studies

1)  In week #1 we looked at Jehovah as the God of creation. 
2)  In week #2 we saw that Jehovah is a God Who Chooses His People. 
3)  In week #3 we saw that Jehovah is a God Who Sees and Hears His People. 
4)  In week #4 we saw that Jehovah is the God Who Leads His People.
5)  In week #5 we saw that Jehovah is the God Who Teaches His People. 
6)  In week #6 we saw that Jehovah is the God Who Feeds His People.
7)  Last week we saw that Jehovah is the God Who shows Grace and Mercy to His People.
8)  We wrap up our study in Nehemiah chapter 9 with the thought Jehovah ~ The God Who Chastens His People.

The Names of our Great God:
The God Who Chastens His People
 "But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;" 

Some Initial Remarks

As we come to the close of our study in Nehemiah chapter 9 we find today's study opening with the same thought that last week's study ended with.  The sin and rebellion of National Israel.  I will not focus on that today, other than as we see God's response to sin.  Last week we saw that God is gracious and merciful.  This week we will equally see that God deals with sin in the lives of His children.  Sometimes chastisement comes swiftly, sometimes it is prolonged.  But when God's people refuse to judge themselves, they can rest assured God's chastening hand is on the way.  The New Testament is clear, who the Lord loves he chastens.  Equally if you be without chastisement then you are a bastard and not a son.

So with opening thoughts out of the way Jehovah the God who chastens His people.

1)  First we see that all of God's care and goodness which should have lead to a greater reverence and fear and service from the nation of Israel, actually resulted in their turning from the God who had blessed them.
"And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness. 26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations."
We see after all of God's goodness the nation of Israel was "disobedient", they "rebelled" against God, and cast His "law behind their backs", further still they killed God's "prophets" and finally they "wrought great provocations" or great blasphemies against God.

2)  Last week we saw God's mercy and grace, this week we see God's chastening hand.  We see:
"Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies."
First God gave them back over to the very ones whom they had defeated, equally we see their enemies vexed them.  Obvious question:  Did we not learn last week that God is a loving God?  He is!  Here we see our loving God chastening His people, in love. 

3)   Notice the chastening hand of God had the desired affect! 
"and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies."
You see God's turning them over to their enemies, caused them once again to seek after God.  Once again to no longer trust in their own strength, but in the strength of Jehovah.  God gave them over that they might learn that Jehovah and Him alone is the deliverer.  God and God alone.  Not the might of horses or chariots or weapons, but the might of our God.
 
 

Application

So where are you and I today?  What have we done with all the grace and mercy our God has so freely bestowed upon us?  Is God's love drawing us closer to Him?  If we are saved, we are saved to love, serve and obey our God.  I know we are not perfect and I know that all that we put our hands to is tainted by sin.  But the Bible is clear we are new creatures in Christ Jesus, created unto good works, which God has ordained that we should walk in.  My recommendation is to abstain from sin, to seek to follow Christ with the aid of the Holy Spirit with our whole hearts.  To do any different will no doubt cause God's chastening hand to be upon us.  We will not prove the Bible false.  If we are indeed new creations, then it is assured that we must walk that way growing in grace day by day.  May our God find us walking in obedience willingly, not like he found the nation of Israel.