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Summary of The Old Testament Story
Summary of The Old Testament Story
As we approach the end of our reading of the Old Testament, we can get a good review in our reading of Nehemiah 9. The people have gathered and read / studied the law. With such understanding they become aware of how often and egregiously they have sinned against God. The honest heart at that point will make an open confession of such sins unto God.
- Before the Flood - verse 5 - God is, God is one, the creator of all.
- After the Flood -
- Patriarchs - verse 7 - God chose Abraham and made a covenant with him to give his descendants the land.
- Egyptian Bondage - vs. 9- The affliction of Israel and God's 10 plagues that brought Pharaoh to his knees…
- Wilderness Wanderings - verse 12 - deliverance and the giving of the Law by Moses. He made known unto them the Sabbath and sustained them with manna. YET they were rebellious and refused to obey.
- Conquest of Canaan - vs. 24 - they went in and possessed the land, YET they were disobedient and rebelled and cast God's law behind their back and committed great blasphemies (26).
- Judges - vs.27 - THEREFORE they were delivered into the hands of their enemies until they returned to God. God delivered them time and again with various 'judges'.
- United Kingdom - Divided Kingdom - Judah Alone - Babylonian captivity - verse 32 - The people did NOT serve God through this time. Even until 'this day' (the day of Nehemiah) the people are not free but 'slaves in the land'.
The emphasis put in this whole prayer is that the people have been unfaithful unto a kind, merciful, and patient God. God has been righteous in all of his judgments. God keeps covenant and steadfast love for them.
They then enter into covenant with God to walk in God's law that was given by Moses (10:29). It was the right thing for them to do except, as always, it was short lived and soon they had gone back to their old ways.
Confession of sins before a righteous God is needful (1John 1:8-9). Such confession needs to be coupled with repentance that produces the fruit of righteousness (Matt. 3:8, Gal. 5:22-23).
Our lesson: "Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did"… "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. (1 Cor. 10:6, 11).
Hugh DeLong
