Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

² And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

³ And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.

⁴ Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God.

⁵ Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the Lord your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

⁶ Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

⁷ Thou art the Lord the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

⁸ And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:

⁹ And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

¹⁰ And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day.

¹¹ And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

¹² Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

¹³ Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

¹⁴ And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:

¹⁵ And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

¹⁶ But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

¹⁷ And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

¹⁸ Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

¹⁹ Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

²⁰ Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

²¹ Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

²² Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

²³ Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

²⁴ So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

²⁵ And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

²⁶ Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

²⁷ Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

²⁸ But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the land of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

²⁹ And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them;) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

³⁰ Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

³¹ Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.

³² Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. (Neh. 9:1-32)

On the twenty-fourth day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, two days after the termination of the FEAST OF THE TABERNACLE, the nation of Israel gathered together for a special day of fasting and prayer. There are special days in the life of every people. There are defining religious moments of renewal. This was such a day for Israel.

There was a great assembly. As there is private worship, there is public worship. Religion is not solely a private act between man and God. Religion has social implications and responsibilities. Everyone who is identified with a local assembly has certain inherent obligations. There is a holy responsibility to the corporate life of the fellowship.

So it was that the seed of Israel gathered one day long ago. They gathered as a distinct people, separated from all strangers. The stranger refers to those who had not embraced the God of Abraham, those who did not believe in the cardinal doctrines of the faith, and those who were not part of the company of the committed.

The true seed of Israel stood. The people stood in readiness for spiritual self-judgment. The Bible says that if we will judge ourselves we will not be judged of God. So the people stood. Serious statements are not to be taken lightly in a relaxed manner. In court, the accused are told to stand and listen to the verdict. It is a serious moment.

So the people stood. They stood with a purpose. They were there to publicly confess to God and to one another their sins and the iniquities of their father. The word for sin is a strong word of wrongdoing. It has nothing to do with confessing social indiscretions or rudeness and everything to do with evil committed against a righteous and holy God. Just how wicked the people confessed to being will be revealed.

The people stood up in their place. There was an assigned order for the people of God. When the Law was first given, precise details were provided as to where the people were to stand around the Tabernacle according to their tribe. God has a definite place where He wants His people to be when the call to worship goes forth.

With everyone standing, with everyone in their assigned place, with everyone ready to openly and publicly confess their sins, the service began.

The service began with the reading of the Law of the Lord their God. The reference is to the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The clock started ticking and the people did not move. They had for many YEARS neglected the Law. Now

they could spend a few HOURS remembering it. For three hours the people listened to the Law being read. Line upon line, precept upon precept. Forgotten commands were remembered. Divine instructions were revealed once more.

The reading of the Law had its desired impact.

The Law condemned the people. The Law said, “Do this and live!” It was soon obvious that Israel was not willing to even try to live spiritually. They decided that the demands of God too great of a burden to bear.

The Law humbled the people. Once they would have justified their sin. Once they would have argued that the Law was not fair. Now they stood humbled and ready to try again to do right. Because of this change of heart, produced in part by the reading of the Law, the people were ready to confess their sin and to worship the Lord.

For three hours the people confessed their sins and worshipped God. Compared to the decades of sin, six hours to get right with God and set a new national policy is not long at all. In fact, the principle of grace is manifested. Like the father who ran towards his prodigal son, God will run to meet with His people who will publicly seek to get right with Him.

To lead His people back to the old paths of righteousness, God raised up eight spiritual leaders from the tribe of Levi. Their names are given in verse four and repeated in verse five, as if double honor were given to those who labor in the ministry. There was

• JESHUA,
• BANI,
• KADMIEL,
• SHEBANIAH,
• BUNNI,
• SHEREBIAH,
• BANI, and
• CHENANI.

United in a common goal, these men stood and cried with a loud audible voice unto the Lord their God. Across the centuries we can still hear their plea, “LORD! BE MERCIFUL! LORD! FORGIVE US OUR SINS!”

Finally, one of them turned to the great congregation and began to preach—or rather—to pray. His prayer had a powerful message. In this solemn address, as noted by Matthew Henry, we have

An awful [majestic] adoration of God, as a perfect and glorious Being, and the fountain of all beings (verse 5-6). God is adored:

• as the only living and true God (v. 6a),
• as the Creator of all things (v. 6b),
• as the great Protector of the whole creation (v. 6c), and
• as the only object worthy of praise (v. 6d).

We have next a thankful acknowledgment of God’s favor to Israel. Israel as the church of the Old Testament had much to be thankful for.

They could be thankful for the call of Abraham (v. 7): “Thou didst choose him.”

They could be thankful for the covenant God made with Abraham to give the land of Canaan to him and to his seeds (v. 8). And God kept his word because He found Abraham’s heart to be faithful. The heart was found to be faithful because the Lord had made it so! Faith is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.

The people of Israel could be thankful for their historical deliverance out of the land of Egypt (v. 9-11). In context, Israel desired to be delivered out of Babylon. Some of the people were free, but not all. The people remembered how their forefathers, in the land of bondage, cried out to God and God had mercy. So now, He might show His mercy and His mighty power once more.

The people of Israel could be thankful for their safe conduct through the desert by the pillar of cloud and fire. All movement then was Divine. God told the Exodus Generation when to go, where to go, and when to rest.

There was a divine orchestration of movement. But the people rebelled. They did not want so much of God controlling their lives, and yet, in matchless grace, God’s presence was still manifested (v. 18).

The people of Israel could be thankful for the plentiful provisions made for them in the desert. They did not perish from hunger (v.15). They had food—manna from heaven. They had water. They had clothing. They had a glorious promise of a possession just ahead.

The people of Israel could be thankful for the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai. It was very glorious (v. 13) for God came and visited His people. Particular notice in verse 14 is made to the fourth commandment as being a great favor. “Thou madest known unto them Thy holy sabbath.”

The people of Israel could be thankful for the actual possession He allowed the people to have in the Land of Promise (v. 22). The Israelites repopulated the land (v. 23). They conquered the tribes (v. 24). They were prosperous and happy (v. 25).

 And yet for all of these favors, the people began to sin again. It is true that, “FATNESS AND FULLNESS OFTEN MAKES MEN PROUD AND SENSUAL.”

The people of Israel could be thankful for the Lord’s readiness to pardon their sins (v. 17). The Bible says that

• God is ready to pardon.
• God is gracious.
• God is merciful.
• God is slow to anger.
• God is kind.
• God is faithful.

A. W. Tozer once wrote that “NO NATION SHALL EVER RISE HIGHER THAN ITS
CONCEPT OF GOD.”

When Israel did not fear or respect her God, she committed great sin all in the name of freedom. The same thing can happen today. When the church does not fear or respect God, she will commit self-destructive acts.

Finally, Israel had much to be thankful for in that God gave them fair warning of judgment by His servants the prophets. Unfortunately, but typically, the people were not grateful for the prophets. Verse 26 tells just how rebellious the people became.

They cast the Law behind their back. The Hebrew says literally they “withdrew their shoulders.” In other words, they stopped supporting the Law.

They killed the prophets. The prophets of God were hurt financially, by the withdrawal of support, and then physically by actual attacks.

Anyone who has been in the ministry long enough knows that both things happen.

Billy Graham received on a regular basis death threats. Some of them were in graphic detail as to how it was to happen.

With some amazing humor George Whitefield wrote in his journals how that after preaching the gospel on one occasion, the people in the town were not grateful. They did not offer him a meal. They did not offer him a room for the night. And to him, worst of all, they did not even offer his horse a bag of oats.

John Wesley was often hit with rocks and rotten food while he tried to preach the gospel.

The ministry is often a very hostile environment as men and women and young people are called upon to publicly confess their sins, to honor the church, to stop hurting each other, to take communion, to be baptized, to attend worship services, and to live holy lives

 For the eight ministers who stood before Israel, they knew the church was guilty. Not only were the people’s fathers guilty but they themselves were guilty (v. 23) and confessed: “WE HAVE DONE WICKEDLY.”

 Two sins were confessed with their fathers. A contempt of the holy Law God had given them (v. 34): “THEY SINNED AGAINST THY JUDGMENTS” and a contempt of the good land or place God had given to them (v. 35).

The people had to change. They had to repent. They had to confess. And they had to renew a covenant with God.

For their part they asked for only ONE thing and that is found in verse 32. They do not tell God what to do. They do not risk demands. They only ask to be remembered.

Then the people moved on with serious consideration, with great solemnity, with joint consent, with a fixed resolution to make a covenant to return to the Law of God (v. 38) and be a people that He would be pleased with.

On one level, this covenant renewal was the fulfillment of prophecy.

“They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten” (Jer. 50:5).

 “One shall say, I am the LORD’s; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD and surname himself by the name of Israel” (Isa. 44:5).

The application to the church today is powerful. We too have a covenant to keep in as far as we are part of an ancient prophesy fulfilled.

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more” (Heb. 8:10-12).

Do we want to be among those who are willing to stand and be judged by God?

Do we want to be among those who are separated from the world?

Do we want to be among those who are willing to ask God for mercy?

“Rise up, O Church of God!
Have done with lesser things;
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of kings.”

~Aaron Williams

There is a covenant to keep.