Day 58 – Confession

Nehemiah 9:1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.

 2 Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from foreigners; they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 They stood in their place and read from the Book of the Law of JEHOVAH their Elohiym for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped JEHOVAH their Elohiym.

 4 Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to JEHOVAH their Elohiym. 5 The Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand and bless JEHOVAH your Elohiym forever and ever! Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above every blessing and praise! 6 You alone are JEHOVAH; You made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and everything in them, and You preserve them. The host of heaven worships You. 7 You are JEHOVAH Elohiym, who chose Abram, and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans, and gave him the name Abraham; 8 You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites—to give it to his descendants. You performed Your words, for You are righteous. 9 You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry by the Red Sea. 10 You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against his servants, and against the people of his land. For You knew they acted proudly against them. Therefore, You made a name for Yourself, as it is this day. 11 You divided the sea before them, so they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors You threw into the deep, as a stone into the mighty waters. 12 Moreover, You led them by day with a cloudy pillar, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light on the road which they should travel. 13 You came down also, on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. 14 You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, and commanded them precepts, statutes and laws, by the hand of Moses Your servant. 15 You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought them water out of the rock for their thirst and told them to go in to possess the land which You had sworn to give them. 16 However, they and our fathers acted proudly, hardened their necks, and did not heed Your commandments. 17 They refused to obey, and they were not mindful of Your wonders You did among them. However, they hardened their necks, and in their rebellion, they appointed a leader to return to their bondage. However, You are Elohiym, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them. 18 Even when they made a molded calf for themselves, and said, ‘This is your elohiym that brought you out of Egypt,’ and worked great provocations, 19 yet in Your manifold mercies You did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud did not depart from them by day, to lead them on the road; nor the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way they should go. 20 You also gave Your good Ruwach to instruct them, and did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, they lacked nothing; their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. 22 Moreover, You gave them kingdoms and nations, And divided them into districts. Then they took possession of the land of Sihon, the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 You also multiplied their children as the stars of heaven and brought them into the land which You had told their fathers to go in and possess. 24 Then the people went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they wished. 25 They took strong cities and rich land, and possessed houses full of goods, cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. Then they ate and were filled and grew fat and delighted themselves in Your great goodness. 26 Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against You, cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets, who testified against them to turn them to Yourself; and they worked great provocations. 27 Therefore, You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them; and in the time of their trouble, when they cried to You, You heard from heaven; and according to Your abundant mercies You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hand of their enemies. 28 However, after they had rest, they again did evil before You. Therefore, You left them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them; yet when they returned and cried out to You, You heard from heaven; and many times You delivered them according to Your mercies, 29 and testified against them, that You might bring them back to Your law. Yet they acted proudly, and did not heed Your commandments, but sinned against Your judgments, ‘Which if a man does, he will live by them.’ They shrugged their shoulders, stiffened their necks, and would not hear. 30 Yet for many years You had patience with them and testified against them by Your Ruwach in Your prophets. Yet they would not listen; Therefore, You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. 31 Nevertheless, in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; for You are Elohiym, gracious and merciful. 32 Now, therefore, our Elohiym, the great, the mighty, and awesome Elohiym, who keeps covenant and mercy: do not let the trouble seem small before You that has come upon us, our kings and our princes, our priests and our prophets, our fathers and on Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until this day. 33 However, You are just in everything that has befallen us; for You dealt faithfully, but we have done wickedly. 34 Neither our kings nor our princes, our priests nor our fathers, kept Your law, nor heeded Your commandments and Your testimonies, with which You testified against them. 35 For they did not serve You in their kingdom, or in the many good things You gave them, or in the large and rich land You set before them; nor did they turn from their wicked works. 36 Here we are, servants today! The land You gave to our fathers, to eat its fruit and its bounty, here we are, servants in it! 37 It yields much increase to the kings You set over us, because of our sins; also, they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle at their pleasure; and we are in great distress. 38 Because of this, we make a sure covenant, and write it; our leaders, our Levites, and our priests seal it.”

God’s names:

JEHOVAH – Self-existent, Eternal

Elohiym – Supreme God

Ruwach – Violent Wind, Whirlwind, Breath, Spirit

Yeshuwa – Jesus

God’s character:

Merciful

Gracious

Kind

Slow to anger

Righteous

Creator

Preserver

Provider

Faithful

What do you do when you finish a major project, and you stood strong against everyone who opposed you during the project?

The priests and Levites stood on the stairs while the rest of Israel stood in sackcloth and ashes, having fasted and confessed their sins. They listened while the Book of the Law was read to them, and heard the prayer prayed to JEHOVAH their Elohiym.

How often do you fast and confess your sins? How often do you read Yeshuwa’s Word? Does it humble you when you read it? Do you realize your sinful nature and fall on your face in shame and repentance for everything you did against Yeshuwa? Do you realize His nature, His love, mercy, grace, forgiveness, kindness and know the sad state of your life in His presence?

When you confess your sin before Yeshuwa, He forgives you. He holds nothing against you. He cleanses you from everything you ever did or thought. His mercies are new every morning. His faithfulness is unlimited.

When Israel returned to the land, rebuilt the temple and the wall, they humbled themselves before Elohiym. They confessed not only their sins, but the sins of their fathers. They knew they were sinful and deserved JEHOVAH’S judgment, but they also knew His great mercy for them.

When you rebuild your temple, and repair the walls of your life, you will find Yeshuwa’s grace and mercy, love and forgiveness in your life too.

What walls are you repairing? You rebuild the walls of praise so that Satan cannot enter and come against you. You rebuild your life to give honor and glory to Yeshuwa for everything He did for you. When you give your life as an offering, you will find Yeshuwa’s blessings in your life as numerous as the stars in the sky and you will know His unfailing love for you.

Let’s pray: Father, help me rebuild the walls of praise in my life to give honor and glory to You. I confess every sin I committed against You and humble myself before You. Let me know Your love and faithfulness to me as I recommit my life to You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Copyright © 17 March 2025 by Valerie Routhieaux