Nehemiah 9:17 “They refused to obey, and they were not mindful of Your wonders that You did among them. But they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion, they appointed a leader to return to their bondage. But You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them.”
Nehemiah 9 recalls the history of Israel, giving snapshots of their journey. In Nehemiah 9:17 we see how God was so faithful to them even when they were rebellious toward Him. One cannot help but notice the contrasting descriptions of how God’s people acted and how God responded. With God’s people, there is rebellion. Let that word sink in for it is very descriptive. Rebellion means to be in opposition. How did they rebel? V 17 says, “they refused to obey.”
Furthermore, they failed to remember God’s wonders in bringing about deliverance from Egypt. They resisted what He was doing (hardened their necks.) In other words, they were stubborn. They were a stiff-necked people which meant they were resistant to turning to go God’s way. They were so against what God was doing and where He was taking them that they recruited leadership (are you ready) to return them to slavery.
Talk about a sad summation of the people of God as they started their journey to the Promised Land. And yet their story is so often our story as we still rebel and resist going and doing what God wants us to do.
Now if you were God how would you respond to such rebellion? After responding to their request for relief from their bondage you have Your people rebel, resisting Your leadership in their lives. Their rebelling against God has them not just wishing to return to Egyptian slavery but working to return back to slavery. Seriously, if you were God, how would you respond?
From Nehemiah 9:17 we find out how God does respond and it is nothing short of remarkable. The verse gives us one of the best descriptions of God we get in the Bible about our God, especially considering how the people of God are behaving. Nehemiah 9:17 tells us that God is, well, God! “But You are God!” And as God you are ready to forgive! As God, He is gracious. This means He will continue to give what they don’t deserve. As God He is merciful. This means He will continue to not give them what they deserve. As God He is slow to anger or He is longsuffering, meaning He has a long fuse. His anger does arise but with great control. As God He is not just kind but demonstrates abundant kindness which means He does for His people things they never would have expected. As God, He does not forsake. He keeps His promise! What a remarkable response, wouldn’t you say?
Nehemiah 9:17 is one of these verses you want to have tucked away in your heart and mind as a reminder of 1) What not to be and it gives 2) a tremendous reminder of who God is!
Continue Strong with much gratitude to God’s remarkable response to your rebellion!
And remember to DATE The Word!