Neville Goddard on Nehemiah 9:16-31 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Nehemiah 9 in context

Scripture Focus

16But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

17And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

18Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

19Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

20Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

21Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

22Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

23Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

24So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

25And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

26Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

27Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

28But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

29And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

30Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

31Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

Nehemiah 9:16-31

Biblical Context

The passage speaks of Israel’s pride and stubbornness, then reveals a merciful God who pardons, provides guidance, and sustains them through the wilderness, leading them toward promise despite rebellion. It also shows that grace and forgiveness are available whenever the people turn back.

Neville's Inner Vision

Remember, you are the I AM, the living state behind all script. Nehemiah 9:16–31 is your inner history: the prideful, stiff-necked you who would march back to bondage are the old states; yet the God you call by name is ready to pardon, gracious and slow to anger. The wilderness is your present lack of awareness; the manna and water are the spiritual supply of your imagination; the pillar of cloud and fire are the guidance of consciousness showing the way. Even when you fashion a molten calf of belief, mercy does not forsake you; it continues to lead, instruct, and sustain. The forty years are the time you allow your old self to test your faith, while saviors—your inspirations—come when you cry to the I AM and are heard. Your land of plenty is the state you intend now, lined with abundance, wells of insight, vineyards of joy. The message is plain: mercy is thy natural state; revise the memory of failure by asserting that thou art forgiven and kept by the divine presence, here and now.

Practice This Now

Sit quietly, close your eyes, and revise a moment of rebellion by affirming, 'I am forgiven and kept by the I AM.' Then imagine walking into a land of abundance, feeling the steady guidance of the inner light as real.