Today, I am reading and commenting on  Nehemiah 9-10.

In yesterday’s passage, when the Jews gathered in Jerusalem to hear the Book of the Law of Moses read after rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls, they responded to hearing God’s commands by weeping.  The leaders convinced them to put off their mourning because that gathering was one of celebration.  So, they gathered a second time to once more hear the Book of the Law and mourn their sins.  That right there contains a lesson for us, but is not what I want to write about today.  When they gathered the second time it was to confess their sins and renew their covenant with God.   However, before I get into my main point for today I want to touch on how this gathering also emphasizes my point from yesterday’s entry.  The version of the covenant this group entered into with God specified that all those who had separated themselves from the neighboring peoples along with their wives, and their sons and daughters who were old enough to understand were agreeing to this new covenant.  That is, this renewed covenant was being entered into by men and their wives on an equal footing.

As part of that renewed covenant they recounted the many wonderful things which God had done for their ancestors, and the ways in which their ancestors had turned from God.  We can learn from this that our human nature leads us to turn away from God when times are good,  which leads to suffering and hard times.  Yet, when we do fall on hard times and cry out to God, He will come to our rescue time and again.  I especially want to draw your attention to the characteristics of God which they describe here.

• God gives life to everything
• God gave us regulations and laws which are just and right, and good
• God is forgiving
• God is gracious
• God is compassionate
• God is merciful

The first two are important reminders for us and the other four are characteristics we should seek to emulate.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.