Thought #8

(The God Who Chooses His People)
(Nehemiah 9:7-8)

Text: 7 Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; 8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:

Some Initial Remarks

Last week from Nehemiah chapter 9 we saw that Jehovah is the God Of Creation. Continuing with that great Levitical prayer, we now come to verses 7-8. Here Jehovah is described as the God Who Chooses His People. I realize this will not be a popular topic, and many will no doubt disagree with what I say, but hear the scriptures. Here we see these Levites praising God, because He is the One who chose Abram, He is the One who called him out of Ur, He is the One who gave Abram a new name. So we begin our study Jehovah ~ "The God Who Chooses His People".

The Description Our Great God:
You find it in verse 7 ~
"Thou, art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram"

1) The LORD chose Abram. Words could not be any clearer nor any plainer, verse 7 is crystal clear. A mass of humanity sits under the load of sin, under the bondage of Satan. God chooses a man from this mass and because of that choice you will see what follows. Before proceeding I would like to remind you, it is no different for you and I, God has in divine sovereignty, in eternity past chosen you and I (if we are saved). The Bible is replete with mention of this. In John 6:44 Jesus said " No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." Later in that same chapter Jesus again said in John 6:65 "Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." Paul said in Ephesians 1:3-6 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." I could go on and on, the Bible is crystal clear. God chooses His people, that choice is "to the good pleasure of His will". Just a passing note, God does this not to hinder any, but to indeed save some. You see things are much worse for man than we like to admit, we are dead in trespasses and sins, none will come to God, their own sinfulness being the barrier that they cannot penetrate, none will seek after God. But God, steps in and takes the initiative and pardons lost sinners.

A) Having chosen Abram, God calls him out of Ur of Chaldees, this too is clear in verse 7. God didn't just choose Abram, and that is the end of it. But God calls him out of Ur, calls him to a land he had never seen, to a land he had to proceed to by faith, and faith alone. It is the same for you and I. God has chosen us, and He has called us. God has called us out of the world, and this call goes on day by day, as we walk by faith. He has called us also to a home we have not seen, a home we believe exists by faith in the One who promises us the home. Notice how this calling is described in verse 7 God "broughtest him forth" If we would have looked upon the seen with human eyes we would have seen Abram leaving Ur. Yet spiritual eyes would have found something totally different, God bringing Abram out of Ur. Thus the King James writers rightly stated God "broughtest him forth".

B) God gives Abram a new name, Abraham. This is mentioned in verse 7 as well. Today Americans name their children arbitrarily based on how they like the name. But in those days names meant something, they described the character of the person or the character the parents desired for the person. Now picture this in your mind. Here a man who has no heirs, his name Abram. Abram means "exalted father" no doubt many of his servants joked behind his back "exalted father" he has no children. Then along comes God, He chooses Abram out of the mass of humanity, He brings him out of Ur, and now God gives Abram a new name, Abraham. Abraham means "father of a multitude". Can you imagine how some would have joked behind his back, as if "exalted father" were not enough now his name is "father of a multitude". But in time his name would prove to be insufficient for the number of his seed. Does not the New Testament teach that those who have faith in Jesus are the seed of Abraham? (Gal 3:29) God does the same for you and I, we too have a new name, in that I mean a new character, we are new creatures. Just as God renamed Jacob (supplanter), to Israel (God prevails), He has done the same for all His children. They have a new name which corresponds to their new nature.

C) God establishes Abraham's heart faithful before Him. If you look at the mood of that verb you will find it is perfect, this mood is used to express a completed action. So what's in view is not that God took a peek at Abraham, and for that second he was faithful. But that the very righteousness of Christ was given to Abraham, and he is indeed faithful now and forever more. It is the same for you and I. God has chosen us, He is calling us out, He has given us a new name, and He has established us faithful! If it were up to you and I, to be faithful we would ruin it! But praise God it is out of our hands. God has made us faithful, both positionally and day by day, practically as He abides in us.

D) God made a covenant between Himself and Abraham. God enters into a binding agreement with Abraham and his descendants. This is incredible that God would enter into a covenant with a man. But even more amazing God has entered into a better covenant with those who are saved. This covenant is described as the "new covenant", the "better covenant", the "everlasting covenant". This is the covenant ratified by the death and through the blood of our Savior. I want just for a second to look at the great promises of this "new covenant". Hebrews 8:10 "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." If you are God's child when will He will remember your sins no more!

Application

I have already said most of what I want to say but two things are needful:
1) We owe every ounce of our salvation to God. God the Father chose us in eternity past, God the Son went to Calvary and paid the sin debt for us, accomplishing redemption, and God the Holy Spirit goes out into the world through the preaching of the gospel and calls men unto Himself. The work; lock, stock and barrel is the work of God. In reality you and I were reconciled to God while we were enemies. Have you ever thought about that. You were not reconciled once you decided to be a friend, but in fact while you still hated God.

2) The salvation you and I have is the gift of God. No one can snatch it from our hands. We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. Nothing we do today, or tomorrow will change our standing in grace. The obvious question; Brother Rich are you saying no matter what you do, if you are a Christian you are saved? Yes. That is exactly what I am saying. But keep in mind I am equally saying as we learned today, that if you are saved you have a new nature, the bondage sin once had on you has been destroyed, in fact you are dead to sin. Let us not look for ways to test God's grace, but instead marvel at the marvelous grace we possess because of the love that God has bestowed upon us! May the love of Jesus Christ constrain us.