Tag: stiffened neck

4.g. “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back”

Nehemiah 9:25   So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness.

“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

“Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.

“Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.

Does this scripture reveal the intent of man’s heart?  Do you see any revelation into the paths mankind takes when they are in times of prosperity?  Time and time again God is sought with an open pleading heart in times of trials and trouble.  This happens when you realize you are powerless in facing the trials and troubles before you.  You humble yourself and call out to God because everything you have tried within your own power has failed.  It is not as though you did not try with all your strength and courage to overcome but in the end, your efforts were not enough.  Worldly wisdom would say to keep trying, get back up again, you can do this, and you are an overcomer.  Too many times we listen to the worldly voice because it is the only words of hope in our mind.  It is the words we latch on to because the word of God is void in our hearts and mind.  However, when we have hit rock bottom and our heart, mind, and soul have become depleted of self-power, self-courage, self-wisdom, and self-strength it is then we can open the door to Jesus Christ and say forgive me please help.  It is then we can make a commitment, put a stake in the ground, and stand firm in conviction to humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow, trust, and obey Jesus Christ.  Nehemiah 9:38 “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests.”

And they did not believe them.

Genesis 19:12  Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place.  For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it.”  So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

Numbers 16:26    And he spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be swept away with all their sins.”

Revelation 18:4-8     Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;  for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.  Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.  As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’  For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

2 Chronicles 36:16    But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Proverbs 29:1    He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

Isaiah 28:22     Now therefore do not scoff, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard a decree of destruction from the Lord GOD

Jeremiah 5:12-14    They have spoken falsely of the LORD and have said, ‘He will do nothing; no disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine.  The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them!’”  Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of hosts: “Because you have spoken this word, behold, I am making my words in your mouth a fire, and this people wood, and the fire shall consume them.

Luke 17:28-30     Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building,  but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—  so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Luke 24:11    but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

1 Thessalonians 5:3    While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them

Disbelief has a way of capturing the hearts and minds of many.  What starts out as disbelief soon turns to scoffing and trying to prove all things of God false.  No urgent warning will be listened too.  No pleas for turning to God will be acted upon.  No promise of God believed.  It is sad to think of and yet we must be mindful of the lies and deceptions of the father of all lies who whittles away truth one small lie or seed of doubt at a time.

Matthew Henry stated it like this: An unbelieving heart was at the bottom of all this. All disobedience to God’s laws, and distrust of his power and goodness, flow from disbelief of his word, as all true obedience springs from faith. It is profitable for us to divide our past lives into distinct periods; to give thanks to God for the mercies we have received in each, to confess and seek the forgiveness of all the sins we can remember; and thus to renew our acceptance of God’s salvation, and our surrender of ourselves to his service. Our own plans seldom avail to good purpose; while courage in the exercise of faith, and in the path of duty, enables the believer to follow the Lord fully, to disregard all that opposes, to triumph over all opposition, and to take firm hold upon the promised blessings.

A disbelieving heart and mind  to God’s judgment, anger and wrath will  certainly hardened their heart to God’s grace, mercy and love.  Jesus gave the example of a rich man and a poor beggar named Lazarus.

“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

How are we to see acts of God move mountains, earth shake, healing,  blessings, protection, courage, and grace, mercy and love without belief?  It is hard to have belief and faith in God unless time is spent with Him and His word feeding our heart, mind, and soul.  When the world is on a wide and easy path to judgment and hell it is more important than ever to be diligent in prayer, reading His word, growing in understanding, knowledge and faith, and proclaiming salvation and forgiveness of sin.

Abounding in Steadfast Love

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away”

Psa 89:1   I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

Psalms 36:5     Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

Psalms 92:2     to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,

Isaiah 25:1     O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

Numbers 23:19    God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

Titus 1:2     in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

Psalms 119:90     Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.

Psalms 146:6     who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;

Nehemiah 1:5    And I said, “O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

Nehemiah 9:17    They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

Luke 1:50     And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.

Hebrews 6:18     so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

Do you ever question God’s faithfulness, promises, steadfast love, mercy, and truthfulness?  Keeping a proper mindset toward God requires us to have a continual desire to know and understand Him more and more.  Having a hunger and thirst for Him that is not quenchable.   Having heart, mind and soul choice to honor and obey Him because of who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised to do.  When you read His word believe it.  When you read His word praise Him.  When you read His word trust it.  When you read His word rely on it.  When you read His word cling to it. When you read His word obey it.  Praise the creator and author of all there is because He has reached out to His creation and offered eternal life to all who would choose to be forgiven of their sin through the precious blood of Jesus Christ.