DIVINE MERCIES ABUSED--NEHEMIAH 9:5-19

DIVINE MERCIES ABUSED
NEHEMIAH 9:5-19

Introduction:

“There is grave reason to believe that much Bible reading and Bible study of the last few years has been of no spiritual profit to those who engaged in it. Yea, we go further; we greatly fear that in many instances it has proved a curse rather than a blessing. This is strong language, we are well aware, yet no stronger than the case calls for. Divine gifts may be misused, and DIVINE MERCIES ABUSED. That this has been so in the present instance is evident by the fruits produced.” ----Arthur Pink, Profiting from the Word of God.

I. WE ARE NOT WORTHY OF HIS MERCY

A. The mercies of God are GREAT, 2 Samuel 24:14, “And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man.”

1. Jehovah Himself declare His mercy to Moses, Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

2. David declares that God is plenteous in mercy, Psalms 86:5, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”

B. However, we are NOT WORTHY of the LEAST of God’s mercies, Genesis 32:10, “I AM NOT WORTHY of the LEAST of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.”

1. Because of God’s mercies He FORSOOK NOT ISRAEL in the WILDERNESS, Nehemiah 9:19, “Yet thou in thy MANIFOLD MERCIES FORSOOKEST THEM MOT in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.”

2. Because of God’s MANIFOLD MERCIES He gave them SAVIORS when in trouble, Nehemiah 9:27, “Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies THOU GAVEST THEM SAVIOURS, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.”

3. Because of His great mercies God DID NOT CONSUME Israel for their DISOBEDIENCE, Nehemiah 9:31, “Nevertheless for thy great mercies‘ sake THOU DIDST NOT UTTERLY CONSUME them, NOR FORSAKE them; for thou art a GRACIOUS and MERCIFUL God.”

II. GOD IS GOOD TO ALL

A. God extents the SURE MERCIES of David (of the MESSIAH) to all that will hear, Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, and COME unto me: HEAR, and your soul shall LIVE; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the SURE MERCIES OF DAVID.”

1. Come, John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

2. Hear, John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

3. Live, John 5:25, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”

B. Even though we have rebelled against him He extends His mercy, Daniel 9:9, “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;”

1. This is an exaggeration and illustration of his pardoning grace and mercy for we have sinned against him, v. 18; Psalms 106:43-45, “Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. 44 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: 45 And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.”

C. We have willingly departed from God’s law and yet He extends His mercy, Daniel 9:10-11, “Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.”

C. For God is the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, 2 Corinthians 1:3, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;”

1. He is ready to forgive, Psalms 86:5, “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”

2. Mercies and forgiveness belong to our God, Daniel 9:9, “To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;”

3. Who is a God like our God? Micah 7:18, “WHO IS A GOD LIKE UNTO THEE, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he DELIGHTETH IN MERCY.”

CONCLUSION

UNBELIEF AND DISTRUST have ABUSED GOD’S DIVINE MERCY, however, God CONTINUES TO OFFER FORGIVENESS of sins and SALVATION from hell by faith in His Son Jesus Christ.