Nehemiah's Prayer is Confession Before Petition
Here is the record of Nehemiah's prayer of confession before petition:
Nehemiah was a man living in the time of exile of 70 years. This was a time when the Jews were still in Persia. He was the king's cupbearer in Persia. Time was coming for the return of the Jews from their exile after 70 years. He was the one famous for raising the project of rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem. But let us examine his prayer verse by verse:
We can see that Nehemiah was in deep repentance and leading others to repentance. It was only after this confession that God has granted Nehemiah's petition. As the great Charles H. Spurgeon said these words in his sermon "True Prayer, True Power" when he also said these words:
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And said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love Him and observe His commandments: [6] Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of Thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel Thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. [7] We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. [8] Remember, I beseech Thee, the word that thou commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: [9] But if ye turn unto Me, and keep My commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.
Nehemiah was a man living in the time of exile of 70 years. This was a time when the Jews were still in Persia. He was the king's cupbearer in Persia. Time was coming for the return of the Jews from their exile after 70 years. He was the one famous for raising the project of rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem. But let us examine his prayer verse by verse:
- Verse 5 begins with Nehemiah acknowledging for who God is. He has acknowledged God is great and terrible. Making light of God is no light matter. People can laugh at Him or try to laugh Him off but His wrath is very real. He acknowledges that the great and terrible God still has mercy for them that love Him and observe His commandments. Those who are truly in Christ Jesus love Him and will keep His commandments as a result.
- Verse 6 has the acknowledgment of the eyes blinded and ears made deaf by sin. Nehemiah is asking for knowledge. Proverbs 3:5-6 says to trust the LORD with all thine heart and to never lean to your ow understanding - in all ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your faiths. He sees the seriousness of how sin has displeased God and that He won't wink at it.
- Verse 7 has Nehemiah confessing the whole truth to why the exile came to place. There is a great price for disobedience. God had warned the Jews over and over again of the consequences yet they didn't believe. How often do we read in Jeremiah that people insisted in their idolatry. It's such a heartbreaking fact that the people have greatly profaned God's name. I've even heard how people have ended up honoring a pagan goddess as the supposed spouse of the one true God. That is truly blasphemous to worship a pagan goddess with God the Father. He sees the sins of the Israelites have driven them to exile. He must have been studying the Scriptures during his time.
- Verse 8 has Nehemiah pleading on the promise of God. He acknowledges the sin that caused the exile. He acknowledges that it's disobedience to God that has led to the exile. He has acknowledged the truth in Leviticus 26:23 and Deuteronomy 4:25 that God means what He says. He sees the seriousness of sin and the consequences of it.
- Verse 9 has him appealing to the mercies of God. He sees the value of true repentance. He looks at God's promise of mercy for repentance. He now appeals to God's mercy and claim of restoration after repentance. But this can't happen without first that sin must first be repented of before any genuine restoration can take place.
We can see that Nehemiah was in deep repentance and leading others to repentance. It was only after this confession that God has granted Nehemiah's petition. As the great Charles H. Spurgeon said these words in his sermon "True Prayer, True Power" when he also said these words:
But do not go to God, and ask for mercy with your sin in your hand. What would you think of the rebel, who appeared before the face of his sovereign and asked for pardon with the dagger sticking in his belt, and with the declaration of his rebellion on his chest? Would he deserve to be pardoned? He could not deserve it in any case, and surely he would deserve double his doom for having thus mocked his master while he pretended to be seeking mercy. If a wife had forsaken her husband do you think she would have the impudence, with brazen forehead, to come back and ask his pardon leaning on the arm of her paramour? No, she could not have such impudence, and yet it is so with you—perhaps asking for mercy and going on in sin—praying to be reconciled to God, and yet harbouring and indulging your lust.
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