Because they kept worshipping false idols, Israel was conquered by the Babylonians and they were carted off to the distant land of Babylon for 70 long years. Babylon was ultimately conquered by the Medo-Persians and the Jews were allowed by Cyrus to return to their homeland. The first wave of Jews was led by the priest Ezra, who rebuilt the temple. The problem is, he didn’t completely finish the job and the walls of Jerusalem still were in ruin, so God raised up Nehemiah.
Now they’re at the completion of the walls and it’s time to bring Ezra out of mothballs. When he spoke and opened the Word of God to the people, they were deeply moved and they wept and wanted to turn from their sin. They prayed, confessed, and worshipped before the Lord and that is the theme before us now in Nehemiah chapter 9.
Practical Principles
- The people prayed with fervor. We should too! Verse 3 says, “For three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord” (nlt).
- They separated themselves from ungodly influences. Verse 2, “Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners” (nlt). A modern interpretation of this would be for us to stay away from bad influences, ungodly people or places that pull us down spiritually.
- They heard God’s Word and acted on it. Dedicate yourself to worshipping God, confessing your sins, and hearing the Word of God. Problems, conflicts, temptations, and sickness may still happen, but if you are walking closely in fellowship with God and in His Word, you will have the resources you need to face those challenge when they come your way.
- They confessed their sin. Verse 33 says, “We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved” (nlt). Are you willing to confess your sin to God? It’s so easy to point the finger at someone else. You need to accept responsibility for your actions and say, “Lord, I have sinned against You.”
Relevant Reminders
- The more we see of Jesus, the more we see how unlike Jesus we are. This leads us to want to change.
- We confess our sins because we want to be more like Him.
Applicable Actions
It’s time to pray passionate prayers, to pray with fervor, boldness, and expectation. We need to cry out to God. We need His help. There are people that want to destroy us, people that are bent on our destruction. What we need more than anything else is a spiritual awakening and we need to pray with fervency that God would send one—soon!
