WEBVTT - Nehemiah 9 0:00:02.759 --> 0:00:06.720 Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 0:00:06.800 --> 0:00:10.720 walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:15.400 dot com. You're listening to the Chapter a Day Audio Bible. 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:20.560 I'm John Stangey, and today we're in Neemiah chapter nine, 0:00:21.400 --> 0:00:26.520 and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. On 0:00:26.600 --> 0:00:29.360 the twenty fourth day of the seventh month, the people 0:00:29.400 --> 0:00:32.760 of Israel went without eating, and they dressed in sackcloth 0:00:32.920 --> 0:00:35.519 and threw dirt on their heads to show their sorrow. 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:39.200 They refused to let foreigners join them as they met 0:00:39.200 --> 0:00:43.000 to confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:46.840 For three hours they stood and listened to the law 0:00:46.960 --> 0:00:49.520 of the Lord their God. And then for the next 0:00:49.520 --> 0:01:01.800 three hours they confess their sins and worship the Lord. Joshua, Bonnie, Cadmel, Sheebiniyah, Boonie, Shaabiah, Banni, 0:01:02.440 --> 0:01:06.520 and Chennani stood on their special platform for the Levites 0:01:06.760 --> 0:01:09.960 and prayed aloud to the Lord their God. Then the 0:01:10.040 --> 0:01:19.840 Levites Jeshua, Cadmel, Bonni, Hashibneah, Sheabiah, Hodiah, Shehebiniah, and Pethahiah said, 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:24.279 stand and shout praises to your Lord, the Eternal God 0:01:24.840 --> 0:01:28.920 praise his wonderful name. Though he is greater than words 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:33.960 can express. You alone are the Lord, creator of the 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:37.520 heavens and all the stars, creator of the earth and 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.720 those who live on it, Creator of the ocean and 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:45.000 all its creatures. You are the source of life, praised 0:01:45.040 --> 0:01:48.600 by the stars that fill the heavens. You are the Lord, 0:01:48.720 --> 0:01:52.360 our God, the one who chose Abram. You brought him 0:01:52.400 --> 0:01:56.840 from Er in Babylonia and named him Abraham. Because he 0:01:56.960 --> 0:02:00.400 was faithful. You made an agreement to give his descent Indians, 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:04.040 the land of the Canaanites and Hiddites, and of the 0:02:04.080 --> 0:02:09.799 Amorites and Parizites, and of the Jebusites and Gegeshites. Now 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:12.919 you have kept your promise, just as you always do. 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:17.640 When our ancestors were in Egypt, you saw their suffering, 0:02:18.160 --> 0:02:20.359 when they were at the Red Sea, you heard their 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:23.800 cry for help. You knew that the king of Egypt 0:02:23.880 --> 0:02:27.560 and his officials and his nation had mistreated your people. 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:32.520 So you worked fearsome miracles against the Egyptians and earned 0:02:32.520 --> 0:02:36.680 a reputation that still remains. You divided the deep sea, 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:40.720 and your people walked through on dry land, but you 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.520 tossed their enemies in and they sank down like a 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:47.359 heavy stone. Each day you led your people with a 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:50.040 thick cloud, and at night you showed the way with 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:54.720 a flaming fire. At Sinai, you came down from heaven, 0:02:55.120 --> 0:02:58.000 and you gave your people good laws and teachings that 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:02.480 are fair and honest. You commanded them to respect your 0:03:02.480 --> 0:03:06.640 holy Sabbath, and you instructed your servant Moses to teach 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:10.720 them your laws. When they were hungry, you sent bread 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:13.680 from heaven, and when they were thirsty, you let water 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:17.240 flow from a rock. Then you commanded them to capture 0:03:17.280 --> 0:03:22.200 the land that you had solemnly promised. Our stubborn ancestors 0:03:22.240 --> 0:03:25.600 refused to obey. They forgot about the miracles you had 0:03:25.680 --> 0:03:28.760 worked for them, and they were determined to return to 0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:34.000 Egypt and become slaves again. But our God, you are 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:38.080 merciful and quick to forgive. You are loving, kind and 0:03:38.320 --> 0:03:41.680 very patient. So you never turned away from them, not 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:44.320 even when they made an idol shaped like a calf 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:47.560 and insulted you by claiming this is the god who 0:03:47.600 --> 0:03:51.760 rescued us from Egypt. Because of your great mercy, you 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:55.200 never abandoned them in the desert, and you always guided 0:03:55.240 --> 0:03:58.200 them with a cloud by day and a fire at night. 0:03:59.320 --> 0:04:02.920 Your gentles spirit instructed them, and you gave them manna 0:04:03.000 --> 0:04:05.920 to eat and water to drink. You took good care 0:04:05.960 --> 0:04:08.920 of them, and for forty years they never lacked a thing. 0:04:09.480 --> 0:04:13.000 Their shoes didn't wear out, and their feet were never swollen. 0:04:14.000 --> 0:04:17.280 You let them conquer kings and take their land, including 0:04:17.400 --> 0:04:22.279 King Sihan of Heshban and King Og of Bashan. You 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:25.560 brought them into the land that you had promised their ancestors, 0:04:25.920 --> 0:04:29.360 and you blessed their nation with people that outnumbered the 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:33.880 stars in the sky. Then their descendants conquered the land. 0:04:34.240 --> 0:04:36.920 You helped them defeat the kings and nations and treat 0:04:36.960 --> 0:04:40.960 their enemies however they wished. They captured strong cities and 0:04:41.080 --> 0:04:45.600 rich farmland. They took furnished houses, as well as cisterns, vineyards, 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:50.040 olive orchards, and numerous fruit trees. They ate till they 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:56.040 were satisfied, and they celebrated your abundant blessings. In spite 0:04:56.040 --> 0:04:59.960 of this, they rebelled and disobeyed your laws. They killed 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:02.560 your prophets who warned them to turn back to you, 0:05:02.960 --> 0:05:06.600 and they cursed your name. So you handed them over 0:05:06.640 --> 0:05:10.600 to their enemies who treated them terribly. But in their sufferings, 0:05:10.640 --> 0:05:13.560 they begged you to help from heaven. You listened to 0:05:13.600 --> 0:05:16.760 their prayers, and because of your great mercy, you sent 0:05:16.880 --> 0:05:20.560 leaders to rescue them. But when they were at peace, 0:05:20.640 --> 0:05:23.680 they would turn against you and you would hand them 0:05:23.680 --> 0:05:26.800 over to their enemies. Then they would beg for help, 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:30.240 and because you are merciful, you rescued them over and 0:05:30.400 --> 0:05:34.039 over again. You warn them to turn back and discover 0:05:34.240 --> 0:05:38.200 true life by obeying your laws, but they stubbornly refused 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:42.680 and continued to sin for years. You were patient, and 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:46.839 your spirit warned them with messages spoken by your prophets. 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:50.640 Still they refused to listen, and you handed them over 0:05:50.760 --> 0:05:54.800 to their enemies. But you are merciful and kind, and 0:05:54.839 --> 0:05:57.800 so you never forgot them or let them be destroyed. 0:05:58.600 --> 0:06:03.599 Our God, you are powerful, fearsome, and faithful, always true 0:06:03.640 --> 0:06:06.760 to your word. So please keep in mind the terrible 0:06:06.839 --> 0:06:12.560 sufferings of our people, kings, leaders, priests, and prophets. From 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:16.400 the time Assyria ruled until this very day, You have 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:19.280 always been fair when you punished us for our sins. 0:06:20.560 --> 0:06:24.400 Our kings, leaders and priests have never obeyed your commands 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:28.240 or heeded your warnings. You bless them with a kingdom 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:31.960 and with an abundance of rich, fertile land, but they 0:06:32.040 --> 0:06:36.000 refuse to worship you or turn from their evil. Now 0:06:36.040 --> 0:06:38.600 we are slaves in this fruitful land you gave to 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:43.279 our ancestors. Its plentiful harvest is taken by kings you 0:06:43.400 --> 0:06:47.479 placed over us because of our sins. Our suffering is 0:06:47.720 --> 0:06:51.240 unbearable because they do as they wish to us and 0:06:51.360 --> 0:06:57.240 our livestock. And so a firm agreement was made that 0:06:57.279 --> 0:07:00.560 had the official approval of the leaders, the life evites 0:07:01.200 --> 0:07:07.440 and priests. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for your word, 0:07:07.480 --> 0:07:09.680 and we thank you for the privilege of being able 0:07:09.720 --> 0:07:12.000 to look at it today. And Lord, this is such 0:07:12.000 --> 0:07:14.800 a beautiful portion of scripture that we've had the privilege 0:07:14.800 --> 0:07:18.560 to read together as the people confess and repent before you, 0:07:18.920 --> 0:07:22.920 as they acknowledge their sin and seek your forgiveness and 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:26.240 your restoration and your help. And Lord, we know that 0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:28.600 this is a pattern that you want us to emulate 0:07:28.680 --> 0:07:32.239 as well. You invite us to confess our sin before 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:36.280 you and to seek your forgiveness and to recognize our 0:07:36.480 --> 0:07:39.920 need for your rescue, and ultimately you provide that rescue 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:43.280 through your son Jesus Christ, who took our sins upon 0:07:43.400 --> 0:07:47.200 himself and then defeated sin, satan, and death when he 0:07:47.280 --> 0:07:50.320 rose from the grave. And now through faith in Jesus, 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:53.160 we are cleansed of our sin and our relationship with 0:07:53.240 --> 0:07:56.280 you is completely restored. But Lord, we know that in 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:58.760 the midst of our journey on this earth, there are 0:07:58.800 --> 0:08:02.360 times that we dabble our feet or our hands in sin, 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:05.640 and we still need to come before you and confess 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:09.640 and repent of those things, seeking your cleansing. But knowing 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:13.840 Lord that we're completely forgiven through Jesus Christ. So we 0:08:13.920 --> 0:08:15.920 thank you for these things, and we thank you that 0:08:15.960 --> 0:08:18.760 you are kind and merciful, and that you welcome us 0:08:18.800 --> 0:08:21.360 into your presence, even though we know that by nature 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:24.160 we don't deserve that kind of blessing. But Lord, we're 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:26.640 grateful as well that you're present with us today, and 0:08:26.680 --> 0:08:28.760 we commit this day to your care, and thank you 0:08:28.840 --> 0:08:33.000 for all of these things in Jesus' name. Amen.