It’s one of the first words that children learn to say, but it’s perhaps one of the words that they don’t really want to say. And so, often, I’ve watched as the child is kept back from playtime or privileges, maybe perched on the naughty step or time out zone, until they say the five letter word. What is it? Sorry. As Elton John once sang, Sorry seems to be the hardest word.
Tonight we’re listening in as the Israelites do just that. They have gathered together to say sorry. The chapter heading put in by the NIV publishers says ‘The Israelites confess their sins’ but that’s another way of them saying sorry to God.
Last week, in chapter 8, we saw how the people had gathered together a few weeks before. Then, they had heard the Book of the Law read out for over five hours. And as they heard God’s Law, they wept, because they realised they had fallen short and failed to obey. But on that occasion, they were told not to weep, because the joy of the Lord is their strength - that joy of hearing, understanding and obeying God’s word.
But now, three weeks later, they are here to do business with God. There’s no party atmosphere this time. They have come to weep and mourn and confess their sins. Do you see how they do it in verse 1? ‘Fasting and wearing sackcloth and having dust on their heads.’ These are all signs of mourning. They are here to confess, to say sorry to God.
Notice that it’s those of Israelite descent (2), they have separated themselves from all foreigners. And they are confessing ‘their sins and the wickedness of their fathers.’ They’re owning up to their own sin, rather than just blaming the generations past. They’re serious about saying sorry. And it shows - for a quarter of the day, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God. Another quarter is spent in confession and in worshipping the LORD their God.
This seems to be private, rather than corporate - each person meeting with God and confessing their own sins. And offering praise to God. but from verse 4 we see what was said from the front, as the Levites (all those guys again) lead the people - calling in loud voices to the LORD their God (4) and in calling the people to ‘Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.’ (5).
The bulk of the chapter, however, is taken up in the form of this long prayer. It appears to be led by the Levites, as they speak to God and confess the sins of the people. But did you notice how it’s composed?
What was your favourite subject in school? Maybe maths or English. Maybe geography or science. Or maybe history. You see, this prayer, this confession, is a retelling of the history of God’s people. This prayer is going to be like a history lesson for God’s people, reminding them (and us) of how things have gone in the history of God’s dealings with his people.
So as the people stand up to praise, that’s where this prayer begins. It begins in praise of God, verse 5-6. There’s praise for God because of who he is, and because of what he has done - his acts of creation. The prayer begins with that desire that God’s glorious name will be blessed and praised, exalted above all blessing and praise. So however much praise anyone else gets - sports stars or pop stars - God’s praise is to be exalted above all other praise. Why? Because God alone is LORD, the God who made everything - the heavens, the starry host, the earth and all on it, the seas and all in them. God made everything, and gave life to everything, so that it is right and proper that the multitudes of heaven worship him.
So when we come to pray, we do well to remember who it is we’re speaking to. His glory, majesty, power. The one who deserves our praise and worship.
From verse 7 through to 15, we get a recap of Israel’s history - all the things that God has done. So, in verse 7, we hear how the LORD God chose Abram, brought him from his homeland, and gave him a new name, Abraham. God then made a covenant with him, to give his descendants the promised land. And the summary is that ‘You have kept your promise because you are righteous.’ (8).
God also saw the suffering of his people in Egypt, and their cry at the Red Sea. And so, God sent miraculous signs and wonders against Pharaoh, working to save his people; and making a name for himself. God split the sea for the Israelites, but drowned their pursuers. And he led his people with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire.
And he gave his people his law at Mount Sinai, God coming down to his people, speaking to them from heaven. God fed his people with bread in their hunger, and gave them water when they were thirsty, and told them to go in and take the promised land.
God had done all this, he had provided and protected and fulfilled his promise so many times. And how did the people respond? We see their response in verse 16. ‘But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them.’
They rebelled against God, even when he had done so much for them. In fact, they even wanted to turn back to Egypt, and appointed a leader to do that. They preferred the thought of slavery, rather than obeying God, whose service is perfect freedom.
What did they deserve from God? They deserved punishment! They had disobeyed, and yet how did God respond? ‘But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them...’ God didn’t abandon them to judgement, didn’t leave them to wander on their own, not even when they made the golden calf. God was patient towards them. They lacked nothing, having God’s provision, God’s Spirit instructing them, and even their clothes didn’t wear out or their feet swell.
Those were the wilderness years. Surely it would be better when they were in the promised land? We see that account from verse 22. God giving kingdoms and nations into their hands. Fulfilling the promise of descendants like the stars in the sky. They captured the land, filled with good things, ‘they ate to the full and were well-nourished; they revelled in your great goodness.’ (25).
But at the start of verse 26, we find that word ‘but’ again. ‘But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you.’ And the pattern would continue. God would send enemies to them, the people would cry out, God would save them, then things would go bad again, and round and round the pattern continued.
But it wasn’t just like playing on a roundabout or a merry-go-round, where you go round and round and then stop where you started. No, this pattern of going round and round was more like a spiral staircase, going round and round, but also going down and down, each time things getting worse, farther and farther from God.
The arrogance continued (29), they continued to turn their backs on God, but God was still patient. Yet God’s patience came to an end, and he handed the people over to the neighbouring peoples. And even then, he didn’t make an end of his people - why? ‘For you are a gracious and merciful God.’ (31)
In verse 32, we see the final plea, the appeal, for God to help his people. They appeal to ‘our God, the great, mighty and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love’ - asking that God would help them. They know they don’t deserve any help - ‘In all that has happened to us, you have been just; you have acted faithfully, while we did wrong.’ (33). So because they can’t ask for justice, they must ask for grace. They’re in the mess they are in because of their sin.
They’re slaves in their own land. Another king rules over them, enjoying the harvests of the land of promise. And how do they sum up their position? ‘We are in great distress.’ They are experiencing the miseries of sin. They are, as the traditional language service puts it, ‘miserable offenders.’ They don’t deserve anything, but they look to the God of their fathers; the God of the covenant. Did you notice how God has been described?
He’s from everlasting to everlasting; blessed; righteous; the promise-keeper; the Lord who worked miraculous signs and wonders; the provider; forgiving, gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and abounding in love; patient; gracious and merciful.
This is our God. He is the same yesterday and today and forever. He still offers us his compassion and mercy - even when you think you have blown it. There is still the opportunity to come back to him, to turn around and return to him. Indeed, as Romans 5:20 says, ‘where sin increased, grace increased all the more.’
And that grace of God is seen in the cross of the Lord Jesus, where our God took upon himself the penalty our sins deserved, in order to give us his righteousness. Forgiveness is available, freely given, if you’ll but ask and receive it.
For Nehemiah and his people, their repentance leads to action. They make a binding agreement, as they resolve to change. We’ll see it next time we’re in Nehemiah. But tonight, perhaps as you fall asleep, take a few moments to reflect on your own life story, on the ways in which God has been faithful, even when you’ve turned your back on him. And rejoice once more in his grace and mercy, his steadfast, and the forgiveness found in the Lord Jesus.
This sermon was preached in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday evening 27th January 2019.
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