3. Nehemiah 9:6–38 is one of the longest prayers in the Bible. Notice that the word you begins each sentence in verses 6–15. Take time to note what infor- mation follows the word you in each case. What do you learn about God’s nature and His works?
DAY 3
The Israelites Confess Their Sin (Nehemiah 9:16–31)
FOUNDATIONAL TRUTH
CONFESSION OF SIN To confess our sin means that we admit that we have fallen short of God’s holy and perfect moral standard, that we have rebelled against God. We tell God what we have done (or failed to do)—not because He doesn’t know, but because we need to acknowledge our behavior, and agree with God that we were wrong. This allows us to receive the forgiveness He has already given and restores close fellowship with God. In Nehemiah 9, after the reading of the Law, the people were acutely aware of how they had violated God’s covenant. Their response was corporate and personal confession. As a nation, they took their sin seriously and came to- gether to confess and worship. They acknowledged their own personal sin, their national sin, and the sin of generations before them that had led to the judgment of exile. Confession humbles us and puts our hearts in the right posture to worship the only One to whom our devotion belongs: “You are the L ord , you alone” (Neh. 9:6). 59
1. Read Nehemiah 9:16–31. Write down all that “they” did. What do you learn about the sin of the Israelites?
59 “What is confession of sin?” Got Questions: Your Questions, Biblical Answers. March 2025. https://www.gotquestions.org/confession-of-sin.html
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