Gathered Back to God

​Nehemiah 1:8-9 ~ “Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’”
 
Far away from Israel, in the house of a foreign king, Nehemiah received word of the disastrous condition of Jerusalem. His heart was broken, and he wept and fasted in prayer before the LORD (see Nehemiah 1:4). He confessed the sins of the people of God, their rebellious ways and their corruption before the LORD. Nehemiah sought the mercy of God—and the LORD God was merciful. The story of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem provides the illumination to God’s mercy as He brings His people back into the land of promise. There is much to learn from this, and though we cannot fathom the full depths of this tremendous text today, let us glean a little insight into our own life as we strive to walk with the LORD Jesus in this world.
 
How far have we wandered in our unfaithfulness to the LORD? Has the LORD scattered us from that which He promised so that we might learn to obey Him? Paul, in writing to the Corinthian church concerning a man who was engrossed in wicked immorality, commanded that the one be removed from their midst. We read in 1 Corinthians 5:2, “And you are arrogant! Ought you rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.” He would later say in 1 Corinthians 5:5, “you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” What does that mean? Surely, we are not to have dealings with the enemy of God. The purpose of Paul’s directive is to scatter the one back into the world, ruled by the enemy for a time, so that he might despise his sins and repent. Even, as we see in our text today, that the LORD scattered the nation of Israel and sent them into captivity to discipline them and bring them to repentance.
 
God, beloved, desires to have His people gathered to Him. Though He has dealt with them harshly for a time, yet He loves His people and will draw them back to Himself. The nation of Israel was to enjoy fellowship with the LORD. Sin set them apart from God as it does all of us. However, God, in His great mercy, calls us back. And if we return to the LORD as He has directed, no matter how far afield we have gone in sin, we are received. Our text says, “but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.” Three directives are given to the nation in their restoration, and these are applicable to us as well. As the prodigal son returned back to his father and was welcomed home, so we—though we may have sinned greatly—will be received with forgiveness and the fullness of God’s great love.
 
First, we are called to return. God says, “if you return to me.” This is the act of repentance, turning away from our wickedness that separated us from the LORD and drawing near again to God. James tells us in James 4:8, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” Reject the sin that separated you from the LORD and turn back to Christ. Second, we are called to receive. Our text today continues, “and keep my commandments.” The word for “keep” means to protect or hold precious as if they are of great worth. You are to receive the commandments of God as if they were worth more than all the treasures of gold in this world. Psalm 19:10 describes God’s word thus, “More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.” Cling, beloved, to the Word of God. And, third, we are called to respond. The text for today continues, “and do them.” The Scriptures are of little value as a treasure on a shelf. It must be read and applied so that there will be a greater obedience going forward. James 1:22 declares, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” It is self-deception to say you trust the LORD but never do what He commands.
 
And we conclude with the delightful promise that God will gather us—even if we have been scattered so far away that it is as if we are outcasts in the uttermost parts of the heavens. You, dear one, are never out of the sight of God. He keeps watch over His own, and will restore all who return to Him.
 
In His Grace,
Pastor Michael

---