Nehemiah 9 Study Notes: The Great Prayer of Confession
The Israelites fast, confess their sins, and hear the Levites lead a long prayer reviewing God’s dealings with Israel. It praises God as Creator, recalls Abraham, the exodus, the wilderness and the land, admits Israel’s repeated rebellion against a merciful God, and ends with a written pledge.
General
Israel had grown proud, forgotten God’s wonders and chosen a captain to lead them back to Egypt. How did God respond, according to the prayer (Nehemiah 9:17)?
Answer: He did not abandon them, for He is forgiving and full of mercy
Right after confessing that rebellion, the prayer turns to who God is. He is a God who forgives, who is gracious (giving kindness people do not deserve) and compassionate, patient rather than quick to anger and overflowing with loving devotion, and so He did not abandon them (9:17). Israel did not deserve this; His faithfulness to them rested entirely on His own character, not on anything they had done. The prayer echoes what God said about Himself to Moses at Sinai, right after the golden calf (Exodus 34:6-7). The psalms repeat it (Psalm 103:8) and add that God does not treat His people as their sins deserve (Psalm 103:10). This is grace: undeserved favor from a faithful God.
- Nehemiah 9:17 (BSB)“They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.”After describing the rebellion, the prayer turns to God’s character: forgiving, gracious, compassionate, patient and full of loving devotion.
- Exodus 34:6-7 (BSB)“Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.””The LORD proclaimed this same character to Moses at Sinai.
- Psalm 103:8 (BSB)“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.”The psalm repeats the same description of the LORD’s compassion, grace and patience.
- Psalm 103:10 (BSB)“He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.”God does not deal with His people as their sins deserve.
Theological
What does Nehemiah 9:17 confess about God’s response to Israel’s rebellion?
Answer: He did not abandon them, for He is forgiving and full of mercy
Against the backdrop of Israel’s pride and apostasy, the prayer confesses that God is a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, patient and overflowing in loving devotion, and therefore did not abandon them (9:17). Israel’s preservation is grounded wholly in God’s character, not in any merit of theirs. The confession takes up the LORD’s self-revelation to Moses after the calf (Exodus 34:6-7), echoed in Psalm 103:8, and Psalm 103:10 draws out its meaning: God does not deal with His people according to their sins. Here is sovereign, unmerited grace sustaining a covenant people who had forfeited every claim on it.
- Nehemiah 9:17 (BSB)“They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.”After describing the rebellion, the prayer turns to God’s character: forgiving, gracious, compassionate, patient and full of loving devotion.
- Exodus 34:6-7 (BSB)“Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.””The LORD proclaimed this same character to Moses at Sinai.
- Psalm 103:8 (BSB)“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.”The psalm repeats the same description of the LORD’s compassion, grace and patience.
- Psalm 103:10 (BSB)“He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.”God does not deal with His people as their sins deserve.
General
Even after Israel made a calf idol and spoke terrible blasphemies, what did God do in the wilderness (Nehemiah 9:18-21)?
Answer: He kept leading them and supplied every need for forty years
The prayer remembers the worst moment: the people made a metal calf and called it the god who had brought them out of Egypt (9:18; Exodus 32:4). Yet God in His great mercy did not leave them in the desert. The cloud kept guiding them by day and the fire kept lighting their path after dark (9:19). He gave His good Spirit to teach them, kept feeding them manna and giving them water (9:20), and cared for them for forty years so that they had no lack. Their clothes held up and their feet stayed sound (9:21). Moses had reminded Israel of these same mercies (Deuteronomy 8:4; 2:7). God’s care continued even when His people did not deserve it.
- Nehemiah 9:18-21 (BSB)“Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies, You in Your great compassion did not forsake them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud never turned away from guiding them on their path; and by the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go. You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst. For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.”Even after the calf, God kept guiding Israel, gave His Spirit to teach them, and sustained them for forty years.
- Exodus 32:4 (BSB)“He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!””The calf episode recalled in the prayer, when the people hailed an idol as the god who brought them out of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 8:4 (BSB)“Your clothing did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.”Moses reminded Israel that their clothing did not wear out and their feet did not swell during the forty years.
- Deuteronomy 2:7 (BSB)“Indeed, the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you these forty years, and you have lacked nothing.”Moses said the LORD had been with Israel through the wilderness so that they lacked nothing.
Theological
What does the prayer say God did for Israel in the wilderness even after the calf (Nehemiah 9:18-21)?
Answer: He kept leading them and supplied every need for forty years
Even after the molten calf and the people’s blasphemies (9:18; Exodus 32:4), God in His great mercy did not abandon them: the guiding cloud and fire never left them (9:19), He gave His good Spirit to teach them, did not withhold manna or water (9:20), and sustained them forty years without lack, their clothing unworn and their feet unswollen (9:21; Deuteronomy 8:4; 2:7). The prayer sets God’s unbroken covenant faithfulness against Israel’s gross idolatry, a persevering grace that keeps His people when they give Him every reason to abandon them.
- Nehemiah 9:18-21 (BSB)“Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies, You in Your great compassion did not forsake them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud never turned away from guiding them on their path; and by the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go. You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst. For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.”Even after the calf, God kept guiding Israel, gave His Spirit to teach them, and sustained them for forty years.
- Exodus 32:4 (BSB)“He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!””The calf episode recalled in the prayer, when the people hailed an idol as the god who brought them out of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 8:4 (BSB)“Your clothing did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years.”Moses reminded Israel that their clothing did not wear out and their feet did not swell during the forty years.
- Deuteronomy 2:7 (BSB)“Indeed, the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. The LORD your God has been with you these forty years, and you have lacked nothing.”Moses said the LORD had been with Israel through the wilderness so that they lacked nothing.
General
Later in that same month, on its twenty-fourth day, the Israelites met to fast, dressed in sackcloth, with dirt on their heads. What did they confess (Nehemiah 9:1-3)?
Answer: They confessed their own sins along with the wrongs of their ancestors
On day twenty-four of that month the people of Israel came together to fast, dressed in sackcloth (rough cloth worn in grief) and with dirt on their heads (9:1). The people of Israelite stock stood apart from the foreigners and confessed both their own sins and the wrongdoing of their ancestors (9:2). For a fourth of the day they read from God’s Law, and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped (9:3). They did not blame others; they owned their guilt and their history. The Law had spoken of Israel confessing both their own guilt and their ancestors’ guilt (Leviticus 26:40), and Psalm 106:6 confesses in the same way. The New Testament gives the promise behind such confession: God is faithful and righteous and will forgive those who confess (1 John 1:9).
- Nehemiah 9:1-3 (BSB)“On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.”On day twenty-four of the month the Israelites gather in fasting and sackcloth, confess their sins and their fathers’ iniquities, and spend hours in the Law and in worship.
- Leviticus 26:40 (BSB)“But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me—”The Law spoke of Israel confessing both their own iniquity and that of their fathers.
- Psalm 106:6 (BSB)“We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.”The psalm likewise confesses that the present generation has sinned just as the earlier ones did.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”God is faithful and righteous and will forgive those who confess their sins.
Theological
What did the assembly confess during the fast of Nehemiah 9:1-3?
Answer: They confessed their own sins along with the wrongs of their ancestors
On day twenty-four of that month the people assembled with fasting, sackcloth and dust (9:1). The Israelites stood apart from the foreigners and confessed their own sins together with their ancestors’ guilt (9:2), devoting a fourth of the day to reading the Law and another fourth to confession and worship (9:3). Confession of both present and ancestral iniquity is what Leviticus 26:40 describes, and Psalm 106:6 models the same solidarity in guilt. The ground of hope in confession is God’s own faithfulness and justice in forgiving (1 John 1:9).
- Nehemiah 9:1-3 (BSB)“On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.”On day twenty-four of the month the Israelites gather in fasting and sackcloth, confess their sins and their fathers’ iniquities, and spend hours in the Law and in worship.
- Leviticus 26:40 (BSB)“But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me—”The Law spoke of Israel confessing both their own iniquity and that of their fathers.
- Psalm 106:6 (BSB)“We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.”The psalm likewise confesses that the present generation has sinned just as the earlier ones did.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”God is faithful and righteous and will forgive those who confess their sins.
General
What does the prayer say about God and Abram (Nehemiah 9:7-8)?
Answer: God chose Abram, led him from Ur, and kept His promise
The prayer says the LORD is the One who picked Abram, led him from Ur, and renamed him Abraham (9:7). God saw that Abraham’s heart was true to Him and bound Himself by a covenant (a binding promise) to give his descendants Canaan, and God has kept that promise because He is righteous (9:8). The choice began with God, not with Abram. Joshua reminded Israel that Abraham’s forefathers, Terah among them, had worshiped other gods beyond the Euphrates, and that God took Abraham from there (Joshua 24:2-3). Abram then trusted God, and God counted that faith as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). In the prayer, God’s choosing comes first, and His faithfulness keeps the promise; not one of God’s good promises to Israel failed (Joshua 21:45).
- Nehemiah 9:7-8 (BSB)“You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.”The prayer recalls that God chose Abram, renamed him, found his heart faithful, made a covenant, and kept His word.
- Joshua 24:2-3 (BSB)“And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,”Abraham’s forefathers, including Terah, worshiped other gods, and the LORD took Abraham from there and led him through Canaan.
- Genesis 15:6 (BSB)“Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”Abram believed the LORD, and this faith was credited to him as righteousness.
- Joshua 21:45 (BSB)“Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”Every good promise the LORD made to Israel was fulfilled, as the prayer says God kept His word.
Theological
How does the prayer recount God’s dealings with Abram (Nehemiah 9:7-8)?
Answer: God chose Abram, led him from Ur, and kept His promise
God is confessed as the One who picked Abram, led him from Ur, and renamed him Abraham (9:7); He judged his heart true, covenanted to give Canaan to his offspring, and has fulfilled His word because He is righteous (9:8). The initiative is God’s sovereign choice: Abraham’s forefathers, Terah among them, served other gods beyond the Euphrates when God took Abraham from there (Joshua 24:2-3). In the prayer’s order, God’s choosing comes first and His finding Abram’s heart faithful follows; that faith was counted as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). The covenant rests on God’s righteousness, and Israel’s history bears out that none of His good promises failed (Joshua 21:45).
- Nehemiah 9:7-8 (BSB)“You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites—to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.”The prayer recalls that God chose Abram, renamed him, found his heart faithful, made a covenant, and kept His word.
- Joshua 24:2-3 (BSB)“And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac,”Abraham’s forefathers, including Terah, worshiped other gods, and the LORD took Abraham from there and led him through Canaan.
- Genesis 15:6 (BSB)“Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”Abram believed the LORD, and this faith was credited to him as righteousness.
- Joshua 21:45 (BSB)“Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.”Every good promise the LORD made to Israel was fulfilled, as the prayer says God kept His word.
General
After Israel settled in the land, they rebelled, cast aside God’s law and killed His prophets. What pattern does the prayer then describe (Nehemiah 9:26-28)?
Answer: God heard their cries again and again and rescued them many times
Israel turned against God, threw His law behind them, killed the prophets who urged them to come back, and committed terrible blasphemies (9:26). So God handed them over to cruel enemies. In their trouble they called to Him, and He listened from heaven and in His great compassion gave them rescuers (9:27). But once they had peace they did evil again, and God left them to their enemies. When they called to Him again, He listened and rescued them, many times over, because of His mercy (9:28). This is the pattern of the book of Judges, where God sent rescuers like Othniel when Israel called for help (Judges 2:18-19; 3:9). A psalm sums it up: God saved them many times, remembering His covenant (Psalm 106:43-45).
- Nehemiah 9:26-28 (BSB)“But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies. But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion.”The prayer describes Israel’s repeated rebellion, oppression, crying out, and God’s repeated rescue.
- Judges 2:18-19 (BSB)“Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”The book of Judges describes the same pattern of God raising up deliverers and Israel falling back after each one.
- Judges 3:9 (BSB)“But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them.”When Israel cried out, the LORD raised up Othniel to save them, an example of the pattern.
- Psalm 106:43-45 (BSB)“Many times He rescued them, but they were bent on rebellion and sank down in their iniquity. Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress. And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.”God rescued Israel many times and heard their cry because of His covenant and loving devotion.
Theological
What recurring pattern does the prayer trace after the conquest (Nehemiah 9:26-28)?
Answer: God heard their cries again and again and rescued them many times
Israel rebelled, tossed God’s law aside, murdered the prophets who called them back, and blasphemed (9:26). God gave them over to oppressors; they called to Him; He listened from heaven and in great compassion gave deliverers (9:27). With rest came renewed evil and renewed abandonment, yet when they called again He listened and rescued them again and again out of compassion (9:28). This is the cycle of Judges (Judges 2:18-19; 3:9). Psalm 106:43-45 locates the reason for God’s repeated rescue not in Israel’s constancy but in His remembrance of the covenant and the greatness of His loving devotion.
- Nehemiah 9:26-28 (BSB)“But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies. But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion.”The prayer describes Israel’s repeated rebellion, oppression, crying out, and God’s repeated rescue.
- Judges 2:18-19 (BSB)“Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them. But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”The book of Judges describes the same pattern of God raising up deliverers and Israel falling back after each one.
- Judges 3:9 (BSB)“But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them.”When Israel cried out, the LORD raised up Othniel to save them, an example of the pattern.
- Psalm 106:43-45 (BSB)“Many times He rescued them, but they were bent on rebellion and sank down in their iniquity. Nevertheless He heard their cry; He took note of their distress. And He remembered His covenant with them, and relented by the abundance of His loving devotion.”God rescued Israel many times and heard their cry because of His covenant and loving devotion.
General
According to the prayer, how did Israel come to possess the land (Nehemiah 9:22-25)?
Answer: God gave them a land already full of good things they enjoyed
The prayer gives God the credit. He gave Israel kingdoms and peoples, including the lands of Sihon and Og (9:22), made their descendants as many as the stars, and brought them into the promised country (9:23). He subdued the Canaanites before them (9:24). They took strong cities and rich land, houses already stocked with good things, wells they had not dug, and vineyards and orchards in abundance. They ate until satisfied, grew sleek, and enjoyed God’s great goodness (9:25). Moses had foretold exactly this and warned Israel not to forget God once they were satisfied (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). God later reminded them that He gave them a land they had not worked for (Joshua 24:13), and the stars recall His promise to Abram (Genesis 15:5).
- Nehemiah 9:22-25 (BSB)“You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner of the land. So they took the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had told their fathers to enter and possess. So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land, to do with them as they wished. They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.”The prayer recounts God giving Israel kingdoms, multiplying them, subduing the Canaanites, and filling their lives with good things.
- Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (BSB)“And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”Moses foretold a land of houses, wells and vineyards Israel did not provide, and warned them not to forget the LORD once satisfied.
- Joshua 24:13 (BSB)“So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’”God reminded Israel that He gave them land and cities they had not worked for or built.
- Genesis 15:5 (BSB)“And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.””God promised Abram descendants as countless as the stars, which the prayer says He fulfilled.
Theological
How does the prayer describe Israel’s possession of the land (Nehemiah 9:22-25)?
Answer: God gave them a land already full of good things they enjoyed
Every element is God’s gift: He handed them kingdoms and nations, among them the lands of Sihon and Og (9:22), multiplied them like the stars and brought them in (9:23), subdued the Canaanites before them (9:24), and gave them fortified cities, fertile land, stocked houses, dug wells, vineyards and orchards; they ate, grew sleek and enjoyed His goodness (9:25). The fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise (Genesis 15:5) and of Moses’ prediction (Deuteronomy 6:10-12) is pure grace, a land they had not labored for (Joshua 24:13). The very abundance sets up the tragedy of the next verse, which Moses had warned against: forgetting the Giver.
- Nehemiah 9:22-25 (BSB)“You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner of the land. So they took the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and of Og king of Bashan. You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had told their fathers to enter and possess. So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land, to do with them as they wished. They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.”The prayer recounts God giving Israel kingdoms, multiplying them, subduing the Canaanites, and filling their lives with good things.
- Deuteronomy 6:10-12 (BSB)“And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied, be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”Moses foretold a land of houses, wells and vineyards Israel did not provide, and warned them not to forget the LORD once satisfied.
- Joshua 24:13 (BSB)“So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities that you did not build, and now you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.’”God reminded Israel that He gave them land and cities they had not worked for or built.
- Genesis 15:5 (BSB)“And the LORD took him outside and said, “Now look to the heavens and count the stars, if you are able.” Then He told him, “So shall your offspring be.””God promised Abram descendants as countless as the stars, which the prayer says He fulfilled.
General
According to the prayer, how did God warn Israel before giving them over to the surrounding nations (Nehemiah 9:29-30)?
Answer: Through the prophets, by His Spirit, during many years of patience
God kept warning Israel to come back to His law. They were proud and disobeyed His commands, even the laws that bring life to whoever keeps them. They turned away stubbornly and would not listen (9:29). God bore patiently with Israel year after year, and His Spirit warned them through His prophets. Only when they still refused did He hand them over to the nations around them (9:30). Even then, in His great compassion He did not wipe them out or abandon them, because He is gracious and merciful (9:31). Kings and Chronicles tell the same story: God sent prophet after prophet out of compassion for His people, but they refused to hear (2 Kings 17:13-14; 2 Chronicles 36:15-16). Peter explains that the prophets’ words came from God through the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
- Nehemiah 9:29-31 (BSB)“You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey. You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them; nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.”God patiently warned Israel for many years by His Spirit through the prophets, and in His compassion did not destroy them.
- 2 Kings 17:13-14 (BSB)“Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.” But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God.”The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets, but they would not listen.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 (BSB)“Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.”God sent His messengers again and again because He had compassion on His people.
- 2 Peter 1:21 (BSB)“For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”The prophets spoke from God as the Holy Spirit carried them along.
Theological
By what means and with what patience did God warn Israel, according to the prayer (Nehemiah 9:29-30)?
Answer: Through the prophets, by His Spirit, during many years of patience
God admonished Israel to return to His law, but they arrogantly disobeyed, sinning against the very ordinances that give life to the one who keeps them, and stiffened their necks (9:29). He bore with them many years and testified against them by His Spirit through the prophets; when they refused to hear, He gave them to the surrounding peoples (9:30). Even so, His compassion did not make an end of them, for He is gracious and merciful (9:31). The historical books record the same prophetic warnings rooted in God’s compassion (2 Kings 17:13-14; 2 Chronicles 36:15-16), and 2 Peter 1:21 confirms that the prophets’ words came from God through the Holy Spirit.
- Nehemiah 9:29-31 (BSB)“You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey. You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them; nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.”God patiently warned Israel for many years by His Spirit through the prophets, and in His compassion did not destroy them.
- 2 Kings 17:13-14 (BSB)“Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.” But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God.”The LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets, but they would not listen.
- 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 (BSB)“Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.”God sent His messengers again and again because He had compassion on His people.
- 2 Peter 1:21 (BSB)“For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”The prophets spoke from God as the Holy Spirit carried them along.
General
True or False: The prayer confesses that Israel’s ancestors forgot God’s wonders and chose someone to lead them back to slavery in Egypt.
Answer: True
This is true. The prayer says that the ancestors became proud and stubborn and ignored God’s commands. They would not hear, forgot the wonders God had done among them, and picked a captain to take them back to their slavery in Egypt (9:16-17). This recalls the moment in Numbers when the people talked among themselves about choosing a captain and going back to Egypt (Numbers 14:4). A psalm says Israel forgot the wonders God had shown them (Psalm 78:11), and Stephen later told the same story: the ancestors would not obey and inwardly went back to Egypt (Acts 7:39).
- Nehemiah 9:16-17 (BSB)“But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments. They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.”The prayer confesses that the fathers grew proud and stubborn, forgot God’s wonders, and appointed a leader to go back to slavery.
- Numbers 14:4 (BSB)“So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.””At Kadesh the people proposed appointing a leader and going back to Egypt.
- Psalm 78:11 (BSB)“They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them.”Israel forgot the wonders God had shown them.
- Acts 7:39 (BSB)“But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.”Stephen recalls that the fathers refused to obey and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
Theological
True or False: The prayer confesses that the fathers forgot God’s wonders and chose a captain to lead them back to bondage in Egypt.
Answer: True
This is true. The prayer confesses the fathers’ pride and stubbornness: they would not obey or hear, forgot God’s wonders, and chose a captain to take them back to slavery in Egypt (9:16-17). The reference is to the rebellion of Numbers 14:4. Psalm 78:11 records the same forgetfulness of God’s works, and Stephen’s speech traces the same inward return to Egypt (Acts 7:39). The confession sets up the contrast that follows: human rebellion against divine grace.
- Nehemiah 9:16-17 (BSB)“But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments. They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.”The prayer confesses that the fathers grew proud and stubborn, forgot God’s wonders, and appointed a leader to go back to slavery.
- Numbers 14:4 (BSB)“So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.””At Kadesh the people proposed appointing a leader and going back to Egypt.
- Psalm 78:11 (BSB)“They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them.”Israel forgot the wonders God had shown them.
- Acts 7:39 (BSB)“But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.”Stephen recalls that the fathers refused to obey and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
General
According to the prayer, why did God do miraculous signs against Pharaoh and his people (Nehemiah 9:9-11)?
Answer: The Egyptians had acted arrogantly against Israel’s fathers
The prayer says God saw how His people suffered in Egypt and heard them cry out beside the sea (9:9). He did miraculous signs against Pharaoh, his officials and his land, because He knew the Egyptians had treated Israel’s ancestors with arrogance, and so God made a lasting name for Himself (9:10). He split the sea so Israel crossed on dry ground and threw the pursuers into the deep (9:11). God had told Moses that He saw His people’s misery and heard their cries (Exodus 3:7), and He told Pharaoh that He had raised him up so that God’s power and name would be made known everywhere (Exodus 9:16). The crossing itself is described in Exodus 14:21-22.
- Nehemiah 9:9-11 (BSB)“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea. You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging waters.”The prayer recalls God seeing Israel’s affliction, judging Pharaoh with signs, and parting the sea.
- Exodus 3:7 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.”The LORD told Moses that He had seen His people’s affliction and heard their cry.
- Exodus 9:16 (BSB)“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”God raised up Pharaoh so that His power would be displayed and His name proclaimed.
- Exodus 14:21-22 (BSB)“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.”The LORD divided the sea and Israel crossed on dry ground, as the prayer recalls.
Theological
What reason does the prayer give for God’s signs against Pharaoh (Nehemiah 9:9-11)?
Answer: The Egyptians had acted arrogantly against Israel’s fathers
God saw Israel’s affliction and heard them call out by the sea (9:9); He worked miraculous signs against Pharaoh, his servants and his people because He knew they had dealt arrogantly with Israel’s fathers, and thereby won lasting renown (9:10); He divided the sea and flung the pursuing army into the deep (9:11). The judgment answers Egypt’s pride, as God had declared He saw and heard His people’s distress (Exodus 3:7) and raised up Pharaoh to display His power and spread His name (Exodus 9:16). The deliverance at the sea is recounted in Exodus 14:21-22.
- Nehemiah 9:9-11 (BSB)“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea. You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging waters.”The prayer recalls God seeing Israel’s affliction, judging Pharaoh with signs, and parting the sea.
- Exodus 3:7 (BSB)“The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, and I am aware of their sufferings.”The LORD told Moses that He had seen His people’s affliction and heard their cry.
- Exodus 9:16 (BSB)“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.”God raised up Pharaoh so that His power would be displayed and His name proclaimed.
- Exodus 14:21-22 (BSB)“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.”The LORD divided the sea and Israel crossed on dry ground, as the prayer recalls.
General
How does the prayer describe God’s care for Israel after the exodus, at Sinai and in the desert (Nehemiah 9:12-15)?
Answer: He fed them with bread from heaven and gave them water from a rock
God guided Israel by a cloud in the daytime and by fire at night (9:12). He descended on Sinai and spoke from heaven, giving them right, true and good commands through Moses, and making His holy Sabbath known to them (9:13-14). When they were hungry He fed them with heavenly bread, and when they were thirsty He brought water out of a rock, and He commanded them to enter and take the land He had promised (9:15). These gifts are described in Exodus 16:4 and 17:6. When a crowd later recalled the manna as bread from heaven, Jesus answered that Moses had not been the giver, and that it is His Father who gives the real bread out of heaven (John 6:31-32).
- Nehemiah 9:12-15 (BSB)“You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they should travel. You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments. You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments and statutes and laws through Your servant Moses. In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land that You had sworn to give them.”The prayer recalls God’s guiding pillars, His descent on Sinai, His good laws, and His provision of food and water.
- Exodus 16:4 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.”The LORD promised to rain down bread from heaven for Israel in the wilderness.
- Exodus 17:6 (BSB)“Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.”God provided water for the people from the rock at Horeb.
- John 6:31-32 (BSB)“Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.”Jesus answers that Moses was not the giver of that bread, and that His Father gives the real bread out of heaven.
Theological
How does the prayer summarize God’s provision at Sinai and in the wilderness (Nehemiah 9:12-15)?
Answer: He fed them with bread from heaven and gave them water from a rock
The prayer recalls the guiding pillars of cloud and fire (9:12), God’s descent on Sinai and His speaking from heaven, His gift of right and good laws through Moses, and the revealing of His holy Sabbath (9:13-14), then heavenly bread for their hunger and water out of a rock for their thirst, with the command to take the promised land (9:15). The provisions are those of Exodus 16:4 and 17:6. When the crowd cites the manna, Jesus answers that Moses was not the giver of that bread, and that His Father gives the real bread out of heaven (John 6:31-32).
- Nehemiah 9:12-15 (BSB)“You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they should travel. You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments. You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments and statutes and laws through Your servant Moses. In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land that You had sworn to give them.”The prayer recalls God’s guiding pillars, His descent on Sinai, His good laws, and His provision of food and water.
- Exodus 16:4 (BSB)“Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.”The LORD promised to rain down bread from heaven for Israel in the wilderness.
- Exodus 17:6 (BSB)“Behold, I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. And when you strike the rock, water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.”God provided water for the people from the rock at Horeb.
- John 6:31-32 (BSB)“Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.”Jesus answers that Moses was not the giver of that bread, and that His Father gives the real bread out of heaven.
General
How does the prayer describe the people’s present condition, and what do they do in response (Nehemiah 9:36-38)?
Answer: They said they were slaves in their own land and made a written pledge
The prayer admits that their kings, leaders, priests and fathers had not obeyed God or turned from evil even while enjoying the good land He gave them (9:34-35). It ends by describing the present: they are slaves in the very land God gave their ancestors to enjoy, and its rich produce is taken by the kings God has set over them because of their sins. Those kings rule over their bodies and their livestock as they like, and the people are deeply troubled (9:36-37). Moses had warned that if Israel failed to serve God gladly in good times, they would end up serving their enemies (Deuteronomy 28:47-48). Ezra had also called the people slaves, while confessing that God had not abandoned them in their slavery (Ezra 9:9). In light of all this, the people make a firm agreement in writing, sealed by the names of their leaders, priests and Levites (9:38). The next chapter shows them promising with an oath to follow God’s Law (Nehemiah 10:29).
- Nehemiah 9:36-38 (BSB)“So here we are today as slaves in the land You gave our fathers to enjoy its fruit and goodness—here we are as slaves! Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us because of our sins. And they rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress. In view of all this, we make a binding agreement, putting it in writing and sealing it with the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.””The people describe themselves as slaves in the land given to their fathers and, in light of all this, make a sealed written agreement.
- Ezra 9:9 (BSB)“Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.”Ezra also confessed that they were slaves, yet God had not forsaken them in their bondage.
- Deuteronomy 28:47-48 (BSB)“Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance, you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.”Moses warned that if Israel did not serve the LORD gladly in plenty, they would serve their enemies.
- Nehemiah 10:29 (BSB)“hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to obey carefully all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.”The people commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow God’s Law, carrying out the agreement.
Theological
What present condition does the prayer confess, and what action follows (Nehemiah 9:36-38)?
Answer: They said they were slaves in their own land and made a written pledge
After confessing that their rulers, priests and ancestors refused to serve God even amid all the plenty of His good land (9:34-35), the prayer closes on their present state: enslaved on the soil given to their fathers, its abundant produce going to kings whom God has set over them because of their sins, who rule their bodies and livestock at will, leaving them in deep distress (9:36-37). It matches the warning of Deuteronomy 28:47-48 that a people who would not worship the LORD gladly in plenty would end up in bondage to enemies, though, as Ezra confessed, God had not forsaken them in their bondage (Ezra 9:9). In response the people make a firm written covenant, sealed by the names of their leaders, priests and Levites (9:38), which chapter 10 fills out as a sworn commitment to walk in God’s Law (Nehemiah 10:29).
- Nehemiah 9:36-38 (BSB)“So here we are today as slaves in the land You gave our fathers to enjoy its fruit and goodness—here we are as slaves! Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us because of our sins. And they rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress. In view of all this, we make a binding agreement, putting it in writing and sealing it with the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.””The people describe themselves as slaves in the land given to their fathers and, in light of all this, make a sealed written agreement.
- Ezra 9:9 (BSB)“Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.”Ezra also confessed that they were slaves, yet God had not forsaken them in their bondage.
- Deuteronomy 28:47-48 (BSB)“Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance, you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.”Moses warned that if Israel did not serve the LORD gladly in plenty, they would serve their enemies.
- Nehemiah 10:29 (BSB)“hereby join with their noble brothers and commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow the Law of God given through His servant Moses and to obey carefully all the commandments, ordinances, and statutes of the LORD our Lord.”The people commit themselves with a sworn oath to follow God’s Law, carrying out the agreement.
General
How does the Levites’ prayer first describe God (Nehemiah 9:6)?
Answer: He alone is the LORD, who made the heavens, earth and seas
After the Levites cry out to God and summon the people to rise and praise Him forever (9:4-5), the great prayer opens by praising God as the only LORD. He made the heavens, even the highest heavens and all their hosts, the earth and everything on it, and every sea with everything in it. He keeps all things alive, and the armies of heaven bow before Him (9:6). Before the prayer tells Israel’s story, it sets that story inside God’s rule over all creation. Scripture begins the same way, with God creating the sky and the land (Genesis 1:1). Through Isaiah the LORD said He alone made all things (Isaiah 44:24), and in heaven God is praised as worthy because everything exists by His will (Revelation 4:11).
- Nehemiah 9:6 (BSB)“You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.”The prayer opens by praising God as the only LORD, Maker of everything, who gives life to all.
- Genesis 1:1 (BSB)“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”Scripture begins with God creating the heavens and the earth.
- Isaiah 44:24 (BSB)“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth,”The LORD declares that He alone made all things and spread out the heavens.
- Revelation 4:11 (BSB)““Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and were created.””Heaven praises God as worthy because He created all things by His will.
Theological
With what confession of God does the Levites’ prayer begin (Nehemiah 9:6)?
Answer: He alone is the LORD, who made the heavens, earth and seas
After the Levites summon the people to rise and praise God forever (9:4-5), the prayer opens by confessing God as the only LORD and Creator: God alone is the LORD, Maker of the heavens and highest heavens with their hosts, of earth and sea and all they contain; He sustains the life of all things, and the heavenly host worships Him (9:6). Israel’s history is framed from the outset by God’s universal sovereignty as Creator and Preserver. The confession echoes Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 44:24, where the LORD alone made everything, and the heavenly worship of Revelation 4:11, where everything owes its existence to God’s will.
- Nehemiah 9:6 (BSB)“You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.”The prayer opens by praising God as the only LORD, Maker of everything, who gives life to all.
- Genesis 1:1 (BSB)“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”Scripture begins with God creating the heavens and the earth.
- Isaiah 44:24 (BSB)“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who by Myself spread out the earth,”The LORD declares that He alone made all things and spread out the heavens.
- Revelation 4:11 (BSB)““Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and were created.””Heaven praises God as worthy because He created all things by His will.
General
True or False: In the prayer, the people complain that God treated them unfairly and failed to keep His side of the covenant.
Answer: False
This is false. The prayer says the opposite. It calls on God as great, mighty and awesome, the One who is faithful to His gracious covenant, asking Him not to treat their hardship as a small thing (9:32). Then it confesses that God has been right in everything that has happened to them, because He has been faithful while they have done evil (9:33). The people take the blame and give God the honor. Daniel prayed in the same way, confessing that God is right in everything He does while Israel had not obeyed (Daniel 9:14), and Ezra said God had punished them less than their sins deserved (Ezra 9:13). The New Testament adds that God stays faithful even when His people are faithless (2 Timothy 2:13).
- Nehemiah 9:32-33 (BSB)“So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.”The prayer calls on the covenant-keeping God and confesses that He has been just and faithful while the people have done wickedly.
- Daniel 9:14 (BSB)“Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it upon us. For the LORD our God is righteous in all He does; yet we have not obeyed His voice.”Daniel likewise confesses that God is righteous in all He does, while Israel has not obeyed.
- Ezra 9:13 (BSB)“After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this),”Ezra confesses that God had punished Israel less than their sins deserved.
- 2 Timothy 2:13 (BSB)“if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”God stays faithful even when His people are faithless.
Theological
True or False: The prayer accuses God of injustice and of breaking His covenant with Israel.
Answer: False
This is false. The prayer appeals to God as great, mighty and awesome, faithful to His gracious covenant, asking Him not to regard their hardship as trivial (9:32), and then vindicates Him: He is righteous in everything that has befallen them, for He has dealt faithfully while they have done wickedly (9:33). The confessing people declare God in the right and take the blame on themselves. Daniel 9:14 confesses the same righteousness of God in judgment, Ezra 9:13 acknowledges punishment lighter than their iniquities deserved, and 2 Timothy 2:13 grounds all hope in God’s faithfulness that does not depend on ours.
- Nehemiah 9:32-33 (BSB)“So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.”The prayer calls on the covenant-keeping God and confesses that He has been just and faithful while the people have done wickedly.
- Daniel 9:14 (BSB)“Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it upon us. For the LORD our God is righteous in all He does; yet we have not obeyed His voice.”Daniel likewise confesses that God is righteous in all He does, while Israel has not obeyed.
- Ezra 9:13 (BSB)“After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this),”Ezra confesses that God had punished Israel less than their sins deserved.
- 2 Timothy 2:13 (BSB)“if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.”God stays faithful even when His people are faithless.