Read
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.
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.
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.