Forgiveness, equals freedom

“They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.”

Nehemiah 9:17
Sometimes readers of the Old Testament focus on the wrath of God, but when they get to the New Testament, they see Jesus and focus on his forgiveness, kindness, and love. We see someone who is willing to die for our sins. However, both the Old and New Testaments show the same God as seen in Nehemiah.

God’s judgment does not mean He is an unloving God. The Israelites, His own people, saw God’s miracles and wonders and still wanted to go back to a life of slavery in Egypt. The verse in Nehemiah talks about how God forgave his people, even when they disobeyed him. God’s mercy is demonstrated through his restoration of them through the Promised Land. It means he still loves them and is working to perfect them.

That same God who showed love to the Israelites in the Old Testament is the same God we see in Jesus in the New Testament. God continually showed forgiveness and mercy to His people consistently throughout scripture and it was when Jesus died on the cross for our sins that he ultimately displayed that love for His people. God has always looked out for His people since the beginning. All we have to do is recognize that and believe.

Because of Jesus, we no longer have to endure the wrath of God, but we can bask in his glorious salvation. God used Nehemiah to show restoration to the Israelites. They were people who were lost, but now are found. Just like we are in Christ. The Israelites were restored to the Promised Land. Jesus saved us, so we can be restored and have a loving relationship with God. We can now belong to him as sons and daughters in Christ because of his grace and mercy.

This week, meditate on God’s word, both the Old and New Testament. Look at the similarities between the God who created the universe and the God who sent his one and only Son to save it.