Confession and Repentance
Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law… And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Nehemiah 8:3; 6b
Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.
Nehemiah 9:1-3
We are at that time in the calendar when a number of people have solidified their new year’s resolutions, some of which may have already been broken some 2-3 weeks into January. Hey—no judgment here—I don’t even make them. I think it takes a lot of resolve to not only make them but to also keep them. Identifying that there needs to be a change in one’s life is admirable and noteworthy and actually biblical!
I’ve been hanging out in the Old Testament lately in my daily reading—I just finished Nehemiah. I’ve read Nehemiah before, but it didn’t have the effect on me then as it did now. Nehemiah was a layperson who served as the king of Persia’s cupbearer, as position that gained him the trust, respect, and counsel of the king. God put it on Nehemiah’s heart to lead an effort to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, and the king not only granted him the time to do it but also provided the funding and materials for it. Nehemiah restored the physical aspect of the city by involving Jewish citizens who had returned earlier to rebuild the temple, and they rebuilt the wall in only 52 days, despite opposition from the governors of surrounding territories. He worked with Ezra, a prophet, to bring a spiritual restoration to the citizens there as well. It is this revival that had quite an effect on me—the fulfillment of Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Friends, after the wall had been rebuilt and Nehemiah recorded the names of those Jewish families who helped in its restoration, all of those families came together inside near the Water Gate and told Ezra to read to them from the Book of the Law of Moses, and he did so from morning until noon. The entire group stood while he read for at least a good four to six hours, receiving the word and having it explained to them by other learned men and Levites. Afterwards, they are overcome by emotion, because, according to Dr. J. Vernon McGee, they had “never before heard the Word of God.” They then participate in the Feast of Tabernacles over the next several days.
They gather back together some days later having fasted, wearing sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Those of Israelite lineage then stood together and “confessed their sins and the inequities (sins) of their fathers.” They also “read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.” (chapter 9, verses 2b-3). They praise and acknowledge God as Creator and for His grace in dealing with Israel in the past and the current, despite their actions towards Him. “For You have dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly. Neither our kings nor our princes, our priests nor our fathers, have kept Your law, nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies, with which You testified against them.” (chapter 9, vv 33b-34). The people are so convicted of their sin in the sight of the greatness of God that they declare a covenant to the Lord to walk in God’s Law (no interfaith marriage, no buying of wares or grain on the Sabbath, and forgoing of the seventh year’s product and the exacting of debt). They also make an oath to bring money for the service of the house of God, and to bring the first fruits of the grain and flocks.
Twice now, in as many weeks, the people have engaged in the hearing of the Word for an extended amount of time and were moved to worship by its conviction. In the second scenario, they were compelled to confess their sins. Revival happened in those instances—the hearing of the word, the realization and conviction of how far gone they were compared to the greatness of their Lord, the confession of their sins, and the praise and dedicated worship they had for their Lord. In the second instance (Nehemiah 9), they were moved to confess the sins of their ancestors, going back to Moses and what happened in the desert, as well as acknowledging their present sin and its consequences – “However You are just in all that has befallen us; for You have dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly.” (Nehemiah 9:33).
Confession occurs when we as believers agree with God that our sin is wrong. It is an extremely important step in the spiritual growth of a believer, and is a prerequisite to repentance. Repentance takes the believer one step further with, according to Dr. Charles Stanley, a recognition that sin is against almighty God and is utterly wrong. It is heartfelt sorrow for sin, followed by a sincere commitment to forsake it and walk in obedience to Christ.
In a devotion last year, I mentioned a pattern for prayer entitled ACTS, which stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. In the Confession portion, you can start by examining yourself and clarifying who you are before God. Share your sins with Him, and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any secret sin you may not even be aware of. You can do this not only on a personal level, but also on a church, community, and national level. I have found myself numerous times of late confessing sins on behalf of our nation and asking for His forgiveness.
Friends, we get an opportunity every time we come together in worship to allow His message to convict us of our sin. It isn’t always the most pleasant of sermon topics, but it is important. We also get an opportunity to repent of that sin when we go before Him in prayer. To grow in spiritual maturity, we must be in the Word and in prayer. The more we spend in those things, the more we will be open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and He will grow us into the Christ followers He intended us to be.
PRs: Prayer Requests and Praise Reports
Prayers for:
Those who are suffering from COVID
Our frontline healthcare workers and the staff who support them
Our nation during these times of unrest
Praise Reports:
Thankfulness that the Lord has enabled technology in such a way that we can livestream our worship service
That He has sent volunteers to work in His service!
His blessings on Stone Oak Church
May 2021 be the year that we truly pursue living a sanctified life, one set apart by the Lord for His purposes.
Quotes
“Spiritual maturity isn’t measured by how high you jump in praise, but by how straight you walk in obedience.”
“Winners of souls must first be weepers for souls”. --Charles Spurgeon