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The People Confess
1On the twenty-fourth day of the seventh month, the people of Israel went without eating, and they dressed in sackcloth and threw dirt on their heads to show their sorrow. 2They refused to let foreigners join them, as they met to confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3For three hours they stood and listened to the Law of the Lord their God, and then for the next three hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord.
4Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the special platform for the Levites and prayed aloud to the Lord their God. 5Then the Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said:
“Stand and shout praises
to your Lord,
the eternal God!
Praise his wonderful name,
though he is greater
than words can express.”
The People Pray
6You alone are the Lord,
Creator of the heavens
and all the stars,
Creator of the earth
and those who live on it,
Creator of the ocean
and all its creatures.
You are the source of life,
praised by the stars
that fill the heavens.
7 You are the Lord our God,
the one who chose Abram—
you brought him from Ur
in Babylonia
and named him Abraham.
8 Because he was faithful,
you made an agreement
to give his descendants
the land of the Canaanites
and Hittites,
of the Amorites and Perizzites,
and of the Jebusites
and Girgashites.
Now you have kept your promise,
just as you always do.
9 When our ancestors
were in Egypt,
you saw their suffering;
when they were at the Red Sea,
you heard their cry for help.
10 You knew that the King of Egypt
and his officials and his nation
had mistreated your people.
So you worked fearsome miracles
against the Egyptians
and earned a reputation
that still remains.
11 You divided the deep sea,
and your people walked through
on dry land.
But you tossed their enemies in,
and they sank down
like a heavy stone.
12 Each day you led your people
with a thick cloud,
and at night you showed the way
with a flaming fire.
13 At Sinai you came down
from heaven,
and you gave your people
good laws and teachings
that are fair and honest.
14You commanded them to respect
your holy Sabbath,
and you instructed
your servant Moses
to teach them your laws.
15 When they were hungry,
you sent bread from heaven,
and when they were thirsty,
you let water flow
from a rock.
Then you commanded them
to capture the land
that you had solemnly promised.
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Reflect
In the previous chapter, on the first day of that same month the people had celebrated because they understood the Word of God, which strengthened them to obey that Word. Now as the month drew to a close, the time had come for a further action in response to understanding God’s Word: confessing their sins.
Their prayer of confession lays out a pattern that we can follow when confessing our sins. It begins by acknowledging that God alone is to be worshipped because he is both creator of everything (v 6) and also the covenant God (vv 7-15) who has entered into a special relationship with his people. And that covenant relationship specifically means that God hears the cries of his people (v 9); he delivers them (vv 10-11); he leads and guides them (v 12); he reveals himself and he gives his teachings to guide their lives (vv 13-14); he gives daily sustenance of food and drink (v 15a); he gives them a place to dwell (v 15b). Only after recognizing who God is and what he does for his people, does the prayer then turn to confession of sin in verses 16ff.
When we approach God, what a great pattern this provides for our worshipping him. We too need to begin by acknowledging who he is – he is our creator and our covenant Lord. And we need to remember all that he has done for us, both individually and corporately. By reminding ourselves of those things and praising God for them, it puts us into the proper frame of mind, giving us an assurance that, given who he is and what he has already done for us, he will also surely forgive us our sins as we confess them.
Respond
You alone are the creator of the heavens and the earth and all who live in it. You are also the Lord our God, the one who has chosen us, who hears our cries, who delivers us, who takes us by our hand and leads us, who gives us our daily bread and a place to live. You are greater than our words can express. 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.