god is slow to anger “long suffering” nehemiah 9:17 “…but you are a god of forgiveness,...
TRANSCRIPT
God is Slow to Anger
“Long Suffering”
NEHEMIAH 9:17 “…BUT YOU ARE A GOD OF FORGIVENESS, GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN LOVINGKINDNESS”
God is Long Suffering God was Slow to Anger with Israel – Nehemiah 9
Nehemiah 9:6-17“O may Your glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 “You alone are the Lord. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them and the heavenly host bows down before You.
7 “You are the Lord God, Who chose Abram and brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name Abraham.
8 “You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give him the land of the
Nehemiah 9:6-17Canaanite, of the Hittite and the Amorite, of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite— to give it to his descendants. And You have fulfilled Your promise, for You are righteous.
9 “You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea.
10 “Then You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants and all the people of his land; for You knew that they acted arrogantly toward them, and made a name for Yourself as it is this day.
11 “You divided the sea before them, so they passed
Nehemiah 9:6-17through the midst of the sea on dry ground; and their pursuers You hurled into the depths, like a stone into raging waters.
12 “And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, and with a pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go.
13 “Then You came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments.
14 “So You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and laid down for them commandments, statutes
Nehemiah 9:6-17and law, through Your servant Moses.
15 “You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger, You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, and You told them to enter in order to possess the land which You swore to give them.
16 “But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; they became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments.
17 “They refused to listen, and did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them; so they became stubborn and
Nehemiah 9:6-17appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness; and You did not forsake them.”
God is Long Suffering God was Slow to Anger with Israel – Nehemiah 9
The Golden Calf During the Exodus - Exodus 32
Exodus 32:1“1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
Exodus 32:7-10“7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go down at once, for your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. 8 They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, and have worshiped it and have sacrificed to it and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’” 9 The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. 10 Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation.”
God is Long Suffering God was Slow to Anger with Israel – Nehemiah 9
The Golden Calf During the Exodus - Exodus 32
God showed that He was long suffering – Exodus 34
Exodus 34:4-7“4 So he cut out two stone tablets like the former ones, and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, and he took two stone tablets in his hand. 5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the Lord. 6 Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; 7 who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin…”
Exodus 34:9-10“…9 If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.” 10 Then God said, “Behold, I am going to make a covenant. Before all your people I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations; and all the people among whom you live will see the working of the Lord, for it is a fearful thing that I am going to perform with you.
God is Long Suffering God was Slow to Anger with Israel – Nehemiah 9
The Golden Calf During the Exodus - Exodus 32
God showed that He was long suffering – Exodus 34
God is Long Suffering What does it Mean to be Long Suffering?
OT - Hebrew (2 Separate Words)
1. Long or Slow
2. Nostril, Nose, Face, or Anger
Literally “Slow to Anger”
NT – Greek
“Long Tempered” or “Slow to Express Wrath”
Other Similar Words
Mercy (or Lovingkindness/Love)
Patience (or “to abide under”)
God is Long Suffering What does it Mean to be Long Suffering?
To be Slow to Anger is Similar to Having Great Power
God has both Power and Long Suffering – Nahum 1
Nahum 1:3“3 The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.”
God is Long Suffering What does it Mean to be Long Suffering?
To be Slow to Anger is Similar to Having Great Power
God has both Power and Long Suffering – Nahum 1
Being Slow to Anger is Greater than Might – Proverbs 16
Proverbs 16:32“32 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
God is Long Suffering God was Slow to Anger with Israel – Nehemiah 9
The Golden Calf During the Exodus - Exodus 32
God showed that He was long suffering – Exodus 34
Israel Reject Joshua & Caleb’s Report – Numbers 14
Numbers 14:6-12“6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” 10 But all the congregation said to stone them with stones.
Numbers 14:6-12Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.
11 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? 12 I will smite them with pestilence and dispossess them, and I will make you into a nation greater and mightier than they.”
God is Long Suffering God was Slow to Anger with Israel – Nehemiah 9
The Golden Calf During the Exodus - Exodus 32
God showed that He was long suffering – Exodus 34
Israel Reject Joshua & Caleb’s Report – Numbers 14
God again is Long Suffering with them – verses 17-20
Numbers 14:17-20“17 But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, 18 ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.’ 19 Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” 20 So the Lord said, “I have pardoned them according to your word…”
God is Long Suffering God was Slow to Anger with Israel – Nehemiah 9
The Golden Calf During the Exodus - Exodus 32
God showed that He was long suffering – Exodus 34
Israel Reject Joshua & Caleb’s Report – Numbers 14
God again is Long Suffering with them – verses 17-20
Israel Chose Kings Rejected God – Nehemiah 9
Nehemiah 9:24-31“24 “So their sons entered and possessed the land. And You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and You gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, to do with them as they desired. 25 “They captured fortified cities and a fertile land. They took possession of houses full of every good thing, hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled and grew fat, and reveled in Your great goodness. 26 “But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, and cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who had admonished them so that they might return to
Nehemiah 9:24-31You, and they committed great blasphemies. 27 “Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their oppressors who oppressed them, but when they cried to You in the time of their distress, You heard from heaven, and according to Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors. 28 “But as soon as they had rest, they did evil again before You; therefore You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they ruled over them. When they cried again to You, You heard from heaven, and many times You rescued them according to Your compassion, 29 and admonished
Nehemiah 9:24-31them in order to turn them back to Your law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances, by which if a man observes them he shall live. And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen. 30 “However, You bore with them for many years, and admonished 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. 31 “Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.”
God is Long Suffering God was Slow to Anger with Israel – Nehemiah 9
The Golden Calf During the Exodus - Exodus 32 God showed that He was long suffering – Exodus 34
Israel Reject Joshua & Caleb’s Report – Numbers 14 God again is Long Suffering with them – verses 17-20
Israel Chose Kings Rejected God – Nehemiah 9
Other examples of God’s Long Suffering Lot and the Cities of Sodom and Gammorah
The Amorites in the days of Abraham
God sent Egypt 11 plagues before killing 1st-borns
God is Long Suffering We Know that Judgment is Coming
Even in our text, God’s judgment was acknowledged – Nehemiah 9
“…yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished” - Exodus 34:7
God “has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness” – Acts 17:30-31
JUDGMENT?
Romans 2:1-4“1 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
God is Long Suffering What then are we to do?
“List some specific unbelievers whom you would like to see trust Christ as Savior. Then begin to pray that God will give them a sense of His long-suffering and use it to bring them to Himself.” - Richard L. Strauss
We Need to be God’s Light Unto the World
Matthew 5
Matthew 5:14-16“14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Ephesians 4:1-3“1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
James 1:19-21“19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.”
God is Long Suffering
We Need to be God’s Light Unto the World, Showing the World God’s Long Suffering through our actions.Mercy – Patience –Being Slow to Anger