Nehemiah 9:20, commentary and pictures

Nehemiah 9 belongs to the Levites' retelling of what the Lord had done for His people, recalling His goodness and care for them on the wilderness journey while exposing their sins, ingratitude, and turning from God. Those sins separated them from God, and because He would not serve with their sins He permitted them to become powerless and confused and to be brought under the control of heathen nations and taken into captivity.

The Giver named in the verse is God, who is Christ acting as Israel's Redeemer, Protector, and wonder-working God, enshrouded in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night to lead them and give them light on the way. He gave His good Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to instruct Israel, and He did not withhold manna from their mouth for hunger and gave them water for their thirst. His instruction and daily provision continued despite their rebellion.

This care continued through the wilderness journey for forty years, including the nearly forty years of rejection and banishment under divine rebuke after the rebellion at Kadesh for rejecting God and proving unfaithful to His covenant. During that time He sustained them so that they lacked nothing, keeping their clothes from wearing out and their feet from swelling. The pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night stayed to lead them and give light on the way, the tabernacle service continued, and His providence still supplied their wants, even though the sign of circumcision and the Passover were suspended and the generation of men of war was wasted between Kadesh-barnea and the brook Zered.

He continued this instruction and daily provision even after they dealt proudly, hardened their necks, refused to obey, forgot His wonders, appointed a captain to return to bondage, and made a molten calf with great provocations. He did so because He is a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and He did not utterly or wholly forsake them. Yet these gifts, wonders, and miracles did not save them when they refused to obey His will and walk in obedience, showing that a people greatly favored may still fail to honor God. Their sins separated them from God, and because He would not serve with their sins He permitted them to become powerless and confused and to come under the control of heathen nations and into captivity, and the same rebellious spirit without the love of God was later found in their children when He came in person.

The same Spirit who instructed Israel has sustained God's people in every age and enabled faithful work for His purposes. His guiding and empowering work continues in the church, where those who respond become witnesses and, as they share the light they have received, receive more of the Spirit's power.