Page 85 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

4. God Manifests His love (9:9-12)
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9 You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea. You performed signs
and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew how arrogantly
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they treated our ancestors. You made a name for yourself that endures to this day. You divided the sea
before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone
into churning waters. You led them with a pillar of cloud by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to
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illuminate the way they should go.

Notice again from this passage of scriptures how many times the pronoun You is used to demonstrate how God
takes the initiative and is the sustainer, provider, and deliverer. God intervened on behalf of Israel because He
knew how arrogantly they treated our ancestors in their days of slavery. Little is said about the plight of slavery
today, but I am compelled to say something at this point. There are more people enslaved today than at any
other time in all of history. The sex industry has enslaved more young girls today than at any other time in
history. This will only be changed as Christians cry out for justice to prevail. We also must cry out for greater
education, including educating young girls. The writers of Half The Sky cry out that “The problem isn’t the girls
in the streets; it’s the men in the pews.” 207 (For more information on this plight, see
www.halftheskymovement.org.)

You made a name for yourself that endures to this day. This decisive victory was the crowning moment of
Yahweh’s revelation as the uncontested one God over all the gods of Egypt. (Who among the gods is like you?
Exodus 15:11) You made a name for Yourself…

5. God unfolds His will (9:13-15)
13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them impartial ordinances,
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reliable instructions, and good decrees and commandments. You revealed Your holy Sabbath to them, and
gave them commandments, statutes, and a law through Your servant Moses. You provided bread
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from heaven for their hunger; You brought them water from the rock for their thirst. You told them to go in
and possess the land You had sworn to give them.

6. God demonstrates His mercy (9:16-18)
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16 But our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands. They
refused to listen and did not remember Your wonders You performed among them. They became stiff-necked
and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious
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and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in faithful love, and You did not abandon them. Even after they
had cast an image of a calf for themselves and said, “This is your God who brought you out of Egypt,” and
they had committed terrible blasphemies.

In this section, Nehemiah confesses that Israel received everything and appreciated nothing. The words that are
used are that our ancestors acted arrogantly; they became stiff-necked and did not listen to Your commands.
They refused to listen and did not remember. Depending on the translation you are reading from, we are told
that they acted arrogantly or became stiff-necked. This is the same term used by the Egyptians during the plagues.
This behavior makes no sense. God had freed them, and what do they want? They want to be slaves again. Notice
the contrast between the Israelites and God.

• They did not listen
• Yet God was a forgiving God
• They became stiff-necked
• God was gracious and compassionate
• They refused to listen and did not remember Your wonders You performed among them.
• God was slow to anger and rich in faithful love
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