Corporate Repentance

Context of the Passage

Nehemiah 9 records the events after the completion of the Solemn Assembly which was held after the seven day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles.  The Feast of Tabernacles took place in the seventh month from the 15th to the 21st.  After that, the people held a Solemn Assembly (Lev. 23:39).

This chapter demonstrates what happens when God’s people seek the Lord, hear the Word of the Lord, and respond to it.  The Word of God necessarily exposes our sin (Heb. 4:12). Upon hearing the Word of God, the people only have two choices: they can ignore it or respond to it.  Here, Israel responds in obedience to the Lord.

Outline of the Passage

9:1-5a – The people confess their sin

9:5b-31 – The Levites lead the people in a Prayer of Confession

9:32-37 – The people signify their commitment with a Covenant

Exegesis of the Passage

9:1 – On the 24th day

• The assembly continued 3 days after the completion of the Feast of Tabernacles and two days after the Solemn Assembly
• Wearing sackcloth (cf. Esther 4:1; Ps. 30:11; 35:13; 69:11; Isa. 22:12; 32:11; 37:1–2; Lam. 2:10; Dan. 9:3) throwing dust onto their heads was an indication of mourning over their sin (cf. Josh. 7:6; 1 Sam. 4:12; 2 Sam. 1:2; 15:32; Job 2:12; Lam 2:10; Ezek. 27:30)

9:2 – Separated themselves

• Here, the purity of the Jewish lineage was enforced
• They were rooting out any vestige remaining from their captivity in Babylon

9:3 – For a fourth of the day

• See John 11:9 – this probably refers to a period of 3 hours, as 12 hours was normally considered a “day.”
• Their actions included:
  • Reading Scripture
  • Confession of Sin
  • Worship
    • The word “worship” (“shachah”) conveys the idea of paying homage or bowing in the presence of the Lord

9:4-5 – They gathered on the “ma-a-leh” of the Levites

• The word can mean “stairs” (Ezek 40:31), ascent (Josh 15:7; 1 Sam. 9:11), or platform
• The ascent may refer to stairs leading up to the Temple
• Two groups of Levites lead out.  The first group in vs. 4 led the people to cry out to the Lord, while the 2nd group in vs. 5 give words to the confession of the people.
  • 5 names appear in both groups

9:5b-31 – The Prayer of Confession

• The Levites lead the people in a prayer of confession
• Fensham notes the similarity of this prayer to Psalms 78; 105; 106; 135; 136. [rep]F. C. Fensham, “Neh 9 and Pss 105, 106, and 136: Post-Exilic Historical Traditions in Poetic Form,” Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages 9 (1981): 35–51.[/rep]
• The prayer references Abraham (7) Moses (14) and the Prophets (26); as well as Abraham’s journey to Canaan, the Covenant, the Exodus and Wilderness journeys, the golden calf, and the captivity.

9:6 – “You alone are Lord”

• The phrase literally means, “You are He, the Lord.”
  • It emphasizes the Lord’s uniqueness
  • This phrase occurs only in 9:6, 7; and Jer. 14:22
• A similar phrase occurs in 1 Kings 18:37; 2 Kings 19:19; Isa 37:20; Jer. 3:22; 31:18
  • For a similar phrase (“You alone are God”) see 2 Sam. 7:28; 2 Kings 19:15; 1 Chron 17:26; Isa 37:16

9:7-31 – NOTE 31 things that Nehemiah extols God for having done for His people

9:8 – You have performed your words

• Nehemiah recognized that the Lord had been faithful to His part of the Covenant

9:16 – “But they”

• Despite God’s goodness, the people rebelled
• See also 9:17, 18, 26, 28, 29, 30

9:17 – They did not remember

• Moses admonished the children of Israel to “remember” 14 times in the book of Deuteronomy (5:15; 7:8; 8:2, 18; 9:7, 27; 15:15; 16:3, 12; 24:9, 18, 22; 25:17; 32:7)

9:20 – Your Spirit

• The activity of the Spirit is the same in the Old Testament as it is in the New Testament
• Cf. Luke 12:12; John 14:26; 16:13

9:23 – As numerous as the stars in the Heavens

• Cf. Gen. 12:2; 15:5.  This is a reference to God’s fulfillment of His promise to Abraham

9:26-31 – Sin, judgment, repentance, and mercy

• Note three cycles of judgment similar to those seen in the book of Judges
  • The people sinned
  • God sent judgment
  • The people cried out to the Lord
  • God heard and had mercy on them

9:32-37 – Now …

• Here is the transition to the Commitment the people are making
• Based on God’s history of Covenant faithfulness and mercy

9:33 – You are just

• All the judgments of God are more than fair

9:36 – The Land you have given to us

• Nehemiah recognized the goodness of God’s gift of the land
  • It provided and yielded abundance

9:38 – We cut an agreement with you

• This verse is 10:1 in the LXX
• “Because of all of this”
  • Lit. “In all of this”
  • This verse links 9:38 with the events of chapter 9
• The Hebrew “karat” is often used with the making of Covenants (See Gen. 15:18; Ex. 34:10; Deut. 4:23; 5:2; 29:24; 1 Sam. 11:1; 1 Kings 8:21; 2 Chron. 6:11; Jer. 34:8; Hos 10:4).
• Normally the Hebrew word cut (karat) that is used here occurs in connection with the word covenant (berit).  Here the word is “agreement” (amana).
  • The use of amana here may be a reference back to 9:8, where Abraham was found “faithful” (aman)
  • Or, it may be a reference to 8:6 where the people echoed their agreement to Ezra’s praise by exclaiming “amen.”

Sermon on the Passage

• A Heart Confronted by His Word (Through the faithful reading and instruction of His Word) Leads to:
  1. Recognition that He is faithful to His Covenant
  2. Admission that He is just is His judgment
     • He is right about our sin
     • He is just in judging our sin
  3. Acknowledgment that He is merciful in forgiveness
• A Heart Changed by Word Leads to
  1. Confession of our sin (33)
  2. Submission to His plan (36)
  3. Commitment to His Word (38)