Bless Jehovah for His Constant Mercy

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: Nehemiah 9:5b-37
Psalters: 317, 234, 110, 424
  1. United in sorrow.
    1. It was the seventh month (7:73; 8:2b,13a) and now the 24th day of that month and the church assembled again.
      1. As a body they together gathered, this time for fasting and with sackcloth and earth on themselves.
      2. They are told to “stand up and bless Jehovah your God …” (5b-7).
    2. What really unites these people? And what unites us with each other and with them?
      1. It is the fact that all these individual families had the same history, which history displays God’s mercy.
      2. Also as a body they separated themselves from all the strangers living among them.
  2. Their communal prayer.
    1. We must stop thinking about ourselves and instead bless and praise Jehovah our God forever.
      1. In true worship we must be confronted with God: enter into His presence; come before Him.
      2. And “blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all praise.”
    2. All the history of the true church in the Old Dispensation, which repeatedly shows God’s mercy (17b,19a,27b,28b,31)!
      1. Each historical event demonstrates the greatness of God’s goodness and mercy.
      2. God is just as merciful to each of us today, for He “keepest covenant and mercy” (32).
    3. The proclamation of and demonstration of God’s mercifulness has an effect. Behold Him!
      1. It is this God whom we are to bless and praise in sincere worship (5b).
      2. When faith sees God shines forth in this bright light, then faith sees the ugliness of pride (10,16,29).
    4. Their purpose was to confess their sins and those of their fathers and to worship Jehovah (3b).