Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant MosesThis phrase highlights Nehemiah's appeal to God's covenantal promises. The reference to Moses connects to the foundational covenant given at Sinai, where God established Israel as His chosen people ( Exodus 19:5-6). Nehemiah's prayer is rooted in the Torah, specifically Leviticus 26:33 and Deuteronomy 28:64, where God warned Israel of the consequences of disobedience. This invocation of Moses underscores the continuity of God's promises and the importance of the Law in guiding Israel's relationship with God. when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful,
The conditional nature of this phrase reflects the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where blessings and curses were contingent upon Israel's faithfulness (Deuteronomy 28). Unfaithfulness here refers to idolatry and disobedience, which were recurrent issues throughout Israel's history, leading to their eventual exile. This highlights the seriousness of covenantal obligations and the need for repentance and obedience. I will scatter you among the nations,
This part of the verse refers to the exile, a significant event in Israel's history, where the Northern Kingdom was conquered by Assyria (2 Kings 17:6) and the Southern Kingdom by Babylon (2 Kings 25:21). The scattering among the nations was both a literal and spiritual consequence of Israel's unfaithfulness. It fulfilled the prophetic warnings given by Moses and other prophets, such as Jeremiah and Ezekiel. This scattering also set the stage for the eventual regathering and restoration, a theme that points to the hope of redemption and the coming of the Messiah, who would gather God's people from all nations (Isaiah 11:12). Persons / Places / Events 1. NehemiahA Jewish cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, who becomes a leader in rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. 2. MosesThe prophet and leader who received the Law from God and led the Israelites out of Egypt. 3. JerusalemThe city central to Jewish identity and worship, whose walls Nehemiah seeks to rebuild. 4. The ExileThe scattering of the Israelites among the nations due to their unfaithfulness, as warned by God. 5. The CovenantThe agreement between God and Israel, which included blessings for obedience and consequences for disobedience. Teaching Points The Importance of Remembering God's WordNehemiah's prayer begins with recalling God's promises, emphasizing the need to know and remember Scripture in our prayers and daily lives. The Consequences of UnfaithfulnessThe scattering of Israel serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the importance of faithfulness to God. The Power of Confession and RepentanceNehemiah's acknowledgment of Israel's sins and appeal to God's mercy demonstrates the power of confession and the hope of restoration. God's Faithfulness to His PromisesDespite Israel's unfaithfulness, God's promise to gather His people if they return to Him shows His unwavering faithfulness and mercy. Leadership Rooted in PrayerNehemiah's leadership begins with prayer, setting an example for us to seek God's guidance and strength in all endeavors. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Nehemiah's approach to prayer in Nehemiah 1:8 reflect his understanding of God's character and promises? 2. In what ways can we apply the principle of remembering God's word in our own prayer lives and decision-making processes? 3. How does the concept of covenant in the Old Testament relate to our relationship with God through Jesus Christ? 4. What lessons can we learn from the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness, and how can we apply these lessons to avoid similar pitfalls in our spiritual journey? 5. How can Nehemiah's example of leadership through prayer and reliance on God's promises inspire us in our roles within our families, churches, and communities? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 28This chapter outlines the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, including the scattering of the people, which Nehemiah references. Leviticus 26Similar to Deuteronomy 28, it details the consequences of Israel's unfaithfulness, emphasizing the covenant relationship. Daniel 9Daniel's prayer of confession and appeal to God's promises parallels Nehemiah's prayer, showing a pattern of seeking God's mercy based on His word. 2 Chronicles 36Describes the fall of Jerusalem and the exile, fulfilling the warnings given through Moses. Ezra 9Ezra's prayer of confession for the people's sins mirrors Nehemiah's approach, highlighting the importance of repentance and reliance on God's promises. People Hachaliah, Hanani, Israelites, NehemiahPlaces Jerusalem, SusaTopics Abroad, Act, Beg, Beseech, Command, Commanded, Commandedst, Deal, Instruction, Mind, Nations, O, Order, Peoples, Remember, Saying, Scatter, Servant, Transgress, Treacherously, Trespass, Unfaithful, Unfaithfully, Wandering, WrongDictionary of Bible Themes Nehemiah 1:8 7545 outsiders Nehemiah 1:4-11 6655 forgiveness, application
8618 prayerfulness Nehemiah 1:6-8 7160 servants of the Lord Nehemiah 1:6-9 6746 sanctification, means and results Nehemiah 1:7-9 8404 commands, in OT Nehemiah 1:8-9 6734 repentance, importance
7241 Jerusalem, significance
7520 dispersion, the
8833 threats
8840 unfaithfulness, to God Library The Church and Social Evils
'It came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.'--NEH. i. 4. Ninety years had passed since the returning exiles had arrived at Jerusalem. They had encountered many difficulties which had marred their progress and cooled their enthusiasm. The Temple, indeed, was rebuilt, but Jerusalem lay in ruins, and its walls remained as they had been left, by Nebuchadnezzar's siege, some century and a half before. …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScriptureA Reformer's Schooling
'The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, 2. That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Nehemiah, the Praying Builder
We care not for your splendid abilities as a minister, or your natural endowment as an orator before men. We are sure that the truth of the matter is this: No one will or can command success and become a real praying soul unless intense application is the price. I am even now convinced that the difference between the saints like Wesley, Fletcher, Edwards, Brainerd, Bramwell, Bounds, and ourselves is energy, perseverance, invincible determination to succeed or die in the attempt. God help us.--Rev. …
Edward M. Bounds—Prayer and Praying Men Discouragements and Courage
'Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. 10. And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. 11. And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. 12. And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture The Last Days of the Old Eastern World
The Median wars--The last native dynasties of Egypt--The Eastern world on the eve of the Macedonian conquest. [Drawn by Boudier, from one of the sarcophagi of Sidon, now in the Museum of St. Irene. The vignette, which is by Faucher-Gudin, represents the sitting cyno-cephalus of Nectanebo I., now in the Egyptian Museum at the Vatican.] Darius appears to have formed this project of conquest immediately after his first victories, when his initial attempts to institute satrapies had taught him not …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 A Treatise of the Fear of God;
SHOWING WHAT IT IS, AND HOW DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT WHICH IS NOT SO. ALSO, WHENCE IT COMES; WHO HAS IT; WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS; AND WHAT THE PRIVILEGES OF THOSE THAT HAVE IT IN THEIR HEARTS. London: Printed for N. Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, over against the Stocks market: 1679. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and "a fountain of life"--the foundation on which all wisdom rests, as well as the source from whence it emanates. Upon a principle …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Influences that Gave Rise to the Priestly Laws and Histories
[Sidenote: Influences in the exile that produced written ceremonial laws] The Babylonian exile gave a great opportunity and incentive to the further development of written law. While the temple stood, the ceremonial rites and customs received constant illustration, and were transmitted directly from father to son in the priestly families. Hence, there was little need of writing them down. But when most of the priests were carried captive to Babylonia, as in 597 B.C., and ten years later the temple …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament Ezra-Nehemiah
Some of the most complicated problems in Hebrew history as well as in the literary criticism of the Old Testament gather about the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Apart from these books, all that we know of the origin and early history of Judaism is inferential. They are our only historical sources for that period; and if in them we have, as we seem to have, authentic memoirs, fragmentary though they be, written by the two men who, more than any other, gave permanent shape and direction to Judaism, then …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Nehemiah 1:8 NIVNehemiah 1:8 NLTNehemiah 1:8 ESVNehemiah 1:8 NASBNehemiah 1:8 KJV
Nehemiah 1:8 Commentaries
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