Confession and the story of God (Nehemiah reflection #5)

What would be one of the signs of God working powerfully through his Word? 

It is what we see in Nehemiah chapter 9. Namely, the confession of sin.

But let us back up. 

This reflection forms part of an ongoing series in Nehemiah. You can read part 1, and part 2, and part 3 and part 4 as linked. In the last devotional, we ended in Nehemiah chapter 8. There, the people have just had the public reading and expounding of the Law. And it had driven the people to tears – probably as they saw the beautifully good standard and character of God, and their sin and failings in response. But they were told to press pause on that, for that day. Instead, that day was set apart to celebrate with feasting and generosity how far the Lord had brought them in rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls.

But now finally two weeks later, the people are back. This time with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. And we are told:

“they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. While they stood in their places, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day and spent another fourth of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.”

There is goodness to confessing sins as they happen. We should do that! 

But there is also goodness to a confession that comes out of sustained reflection. And one that recognises the depth of both private and corporate sins. We are ultimately and chiefly responsible for our own sin. But it is right to be aware of sins as part of our family/larger systems and structures (cf. Nehemiah 1:6; Ezra 9:4-15; Daniel 9:4-20). And this is what the people do here.

What hope is there? Their sin (and our sins) are many and deep. So, what hope is there?

This is where what comes next is so important. 

In a nutshell, the leaders of the people stand and pray to the Lord, blessing and praising him. And as they do so, they remind one another of the storyline of God working through creation, Abraham in Ur and Canaan, the Israelites in Egypt, Moses and the law at Mt Sinai, the Israelites into the Promised land… and it goes on. And at every stage we see God working with compassionate power to save and rescue his people.

Why is that important?

Because our only hope, as we confess our many sins, is that we do so before a God who keeps providing and showing abundant compassion.

And through the story of the Bible, the story of God’s real acts in real history, we see a constant line of his faithfulness, even in human unfaithfulness. To put it in the language of Nehemiah 9: ‘you have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly’ (9:33).

We need to remember and cling to this. 

Those of you reading this as followers of Jesus: we need this! 

We need the reminder that even though we continue to struggle (and struggle is right!)… even in our failings there is a God whose compassion reaches further than our rebellion and weakness. There is mercy for those who come to him, and joy for those who remain with him. And he continues to provide for his people. Think even through the means of grace (Scripture, Prayer, Community) – means of keeping us going by the Spirit as his people.

Will we keep returning to him though? 

It is pride that says “my sins are too great. My unfaithfulness is too frequent. I am too broken. ”His story and the history of his faithfulness is greater than our blunders and the history (and present) of our sin. The story of God reminds us that it is safe and good (and welcomed) to confess our sins. And all because the God whom we are relating to, is not stingy in grace. He is not waiting to fly off the handle in rage at the slightest misstep. Instead, this is the God we are talking about:

“But you are a forgiving God,

gracious and compassionate

slow to anger

and abounding in faithful love,

and you did not abandon [your people]” (9:17b)

That’s the God, and the story of his ways, to have in mind and heart as we come in confession, daily, hourly. And that God will listen to those who look for mercy from him. Mercy that he longs to give. And mercy that is especially secure for us to reflect on and rest in as we look to Jesus’ life and death and resurrection.