Click or tap book name
Use <control> drag to
scroll
Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
About
Links
Home
"
Navigator
Nehemiah 9:4
Comments
There were a number of Levites who were able to address them. It's not clear from verses 4 and 5, whether these godly Levites who addressed the people and led the worship; whether they are listed in this strange order in order to indicate that they did it consecutively, and they all took some portion of the service, or whether they divided into seven or eight congregations – because there are thousands of them – so that these selected Levites could be heard in their preaching of the word of God. And why are they named? Because they presumably stood above the others as being spiritual men and capable men, who could teach and expound the Scripture. But then you come to the worship halfway through verse 5. The Levites who are named said, ‘Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever.’ The LORD there in capital letters, the divine name, Jehovah, the divine initials, and the essential meaning is ‘I am that I am’, the self-existent God, the one true God. They acknowledge in their worship, the eternal God, ‘and blessed be thy glorious name.’ The attributes of God are in mind: that is what is meant by the name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. He is the source and the author of all blessing and praise. This is the lofty nature of the worship which they engaged in. These are the effective opening words after the reading of the Scriptures. The worship begins, and it begins with objective exalting of God.
Application
When you come before God individually, day by day, you should give yourself time to call upon the name of the Lord. That is always the example in the Old Testament. You don't rush into the presence of God and say, ‘Lord, I’ve got this problem; I’ve got that problem.’ God in his graciousness will certainly hear you if you do that. Nor do you say, ‘Do this for me; do that.’ Begin by pausing and thinking and reflecting, and telling the Lord you affirm his greatness, his infallibility, his eternity, his wonder. Just affirm his attributes and reflect upon his goodness and his power and plan and purpose. Worship him, adore him. We begin with this. It is the biblical way.
Questions
Outline
Purpose
Introduction