(REFLECTIONS ON Nehemiah 9:1-38 )

1 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

As we grow closer to God, as we grow in our faith, does that mean we have left the days of our sin behind? Perhaps it should be so, but do we find that the more we open our heart to the Spirit of God that instead of celebrating our victories of righteous and holy living, we instead find ourselves being convicted more than ever before of the places we have fallen short?

As the Israelites completed their work, fulfilling the will of God in calling them back to Jerusalem, rather than self-righteousness, the people confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. The people knew that the objects were restored, the temple, the city wall, the city itself, but now they needed to be restored as well.

Today’s Scripture reminds us that we are a church of people, not just a building, equipment, or the best and newest technology. If we desire for our church and faith community to grow, then we need to find restoration in Him. It is not enough just to fix what is physically broken, or put a new coat of paint on that which is old and in need of some new colors, if we ourselves as the people of God are not restored as well.

May we be a community and people that confess our sins and the sins of our faith community. May we be a community and people that read His word, leading us to confession, and worshiping the Lord our God. What the Lord desires of us is a restoration of the heart, not just a new coat of paint, or a more efficient IT system.

We are the church, the people of God, and as we approach Him through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, rather than just making things look shiny and new on the outside, may the Holy Spirit convict us and lead us to a restoration of the heart.

May the words of Jesus Christ from Matthew 23:26-28 lead us to confession, worship, and a restoration of the heart today:

26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Nehemiah 9