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Confessing to a Merciful God

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16 Our stubborn ancestors

refused to obey—

they forgot about the miracles

you had worked for them,

and they were determined

to return to Egypt

and become slaves again.

17 But, our God, you are merciful

and quick to forgive;

you are loving, kind,

and very patient.

So you never turned away

from them—

18 not even when they made

an idol shaped like a calf

and insulted you by claiming,

“This is the god who rescued us

from Egypt.”

19 Because of your great mercy,

you never abandoned them

in the desert.

And you always guided them

with a cloud by day

and a fire at night.

20Your gentle Spirit

instructed them,

and you gave them manna to eat

and water to drink.

21You took good care of them,

and for forty years

they never lacked a thing.

Their clothes didn't wear out,

and their feet were never swollen.

22 You let them conquer kings

and take their land,

including King Sihon of Heshbon

and King Og of Bashan.

23 You brought them into the land

that you had promised

their ancestors,

and you blessed their nation

with people that outnumbered

the stars in the sky.

24 Then their descendants

conquered the land.

You helped them defeat

the kings and nations

and treat their enemies

however they wished.

25 They captured strong cities

and rich farmland;

they took furnished houses,

as well as cisterns,

vineyards, olive orchards,

and numerous fruit trees.

They ate till they were satisfied,

and they celebrated

your abundant blessings.

26 In spite of this, they rebelled

and disobeyed your laws.

They killed your prophets,

who warned them

to turn back to you,

and they cursed your name.

27So you handed them over

to their enemies,

who treated them terribly.

But in their sufferings,

they begged you to help.

From heaven you listened

to their prayers

and because of your great mercy,

you sent leaders to rescue them.

28 But when they were at peace,

they would turn against you,

and you would hand them over

to their enemies.

Then they would beg for help,

and because you are merciful,

you rescued them

over and over again.

29 You warned them to turn back

and discover true life

by obeying your laws.

But they stubbornly refused

and continued to sin.

30 For years, you were patient,

and your Spirit warned them

with messages spoken

by your prophets.

Still they refused to listen,

and you handed them over

to their enemies.

31But you are merciful and kind,

and so you never forgot them

or let them be destroyed.

32 Our God, you are powerful,

fearsome, and faithful,

always true to your word.

So please keep in mind

the terrible sufferings

of our people, kings, leaders,

priests, and prophets,

from the time Assyria ruled

until this very day.

33You have always been fair

when you punished us

for our sins.

34Our kings and leaders,

our priests and ancestors

have never obeyed your commands

or heeded your warnings.

35You blessed them with a kingdom

and with an abundance

of rich, fertile land,

but they refused to worship you

or turn from their evil.

36Now we are slaves

in this fruitful land

you gave to our ancestors.

37Its plentiful harvest is taken

by kings you placed over us

because of our sins.

Our suffering is unbearable,

because they do as they wish

to us and our livestock.

Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
See this passage in other languages or Bible versions

Reflect

As the congregational prayer continues, the people turn from declaring who God is and what he has done (vv 5-15), to acknowledging that their ancestors had stubbornly disobeyed God. Two contrasting behaviors are highlighted: the people’s disobedience, and God’s mercy and loving patience. Even though they turned away from God, he did not turn away from them. Echoing the actions of God toward his people recited in the prayer in verse 7-15, verses 19-35 declare that through the wilderness period and the time of the conquest, God remained faithful: he continued to lead them (v 19; compare v 12); he continued to provide their daily bread and water (v 20; compare v 15a); he gave them possession of the bountiful land he had promised (vv 22-25; compare v 15b). As the recitation of Israel’s history continues through the time of the judges (vv 26-28) and the kings (vv 29-35), it repeatedly emphasizes God’s loving care in spite of the people’s continual defiance against him.

And it is God’s persistent love in the past that undergirds the people’s confession of what is happening “now” (vv 36-37). They take responsibility for their current situation by acknowledging their sin. But they do so with the assurance that God in his loving mercy will not abandon them “now”, just as he had not abandoned his people in the past.

As we approach God, we too need to acknowledge that our spiritual disobedience may be part of the reason behind our current distressing situations. When applicable, we need to take responsibility and own up to our lack of faithfulness in following God. But as we do so, we throw ourselves fully upon the mercy of God who loves us beyond what we deserve and beyond what we can even imagine.

Respond

Father, you have been utterly faithful to your people in the past, despite their sins and failures. We know that you desire to forgive and restore. As we confess our sins, we know that you forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, through the shed blood of Jesus our Saviour. Amen.

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Kelvin Friebel

I hold a M.A. & Ph.D. in Hebrew & Semitic Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I have taught Old Testament at Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina, SK, and Houghton College, in Houghton, NY. I have pastored Wesleyan and Christian & Missionary Alliance churches both in Wisconsin and Saskatchewan. I have taught and preached in Hong Kong, Lebanon, Philippines, Jordan, Thailand, My wife works at the University of Regina, and we have two grown children and five grandchildren.

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God’s faithfulness, God’s love, responsibility, confession, disobedience


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