The book of Nehemiah is as much about reforming the culture of God’s people as it is about God’s people rebuilding the wall around the city. The completion of the wall was a big deal. It caused the surrounding people to take notice. Yet just a week after finishing that project all the people gathered again and told Ezra to bring the Book and read it and explain it so that they could understand. There was more to do.

What’s the first thing the people did when they understood the reading? They mourned and wept (Nehemiah 8:9). They were humbled by their disobedience to the Law. But that first day of the seventh month was supposed to be a day of celebration not introspection. “This day is holy to our Lord,” so Ezra and the Levites told the people to stop grieving and get feasting. “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). The people went their way and made great rejoicing. Not long after that the people responded to the Book’s instructions about the Feast of Booths. They heard the Law read every day for another eight days in a row, from the 15th to the 22nd.

Nehemiah 9:1 refers to the “twenty-fourth day of this month.” It sure does seem like we’re just two days later. But when they assembled again it was “with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads.”

This raises questions for attentive Bible readers. Did the people really go from rejoicing back to grieving? From feasting back to fasting? Yes. It wasn’t because they needed to slim down after eating all the fat and drinking the sweet wine. It was because they still had conviction in soul before the Lord. All of Nehemiah 9 is about the group recognition of the people’s need for God’s faithfulness. Verses 6-37 are a prayer of corporate confession.

Perhaps we could get a taste of the change in tone by comparing it to the inauguration of a new president. It’s a big day, a day for pomp and circumstance, for ceremonial celebration. It’s not a time for mourning but a time for music and parades and party food. And yet, when everyone arrives in their government office a few days later, and starts reading through all the documentation of problems, especially in light of the new administration, you might grieve how bad it’s been all over again. Depending on your beliefs you might think it’s worth a call for a day of national repentance.

It’s this but much more in Nehemiah 9. We’ll introduce the scene today and consider the actual corporate confession in verses 6-37 next time.

The people assemble for confession and worship (verses 1-3)

The Feast of Booths was finished (per Nehemiah 8:18), but two days later they are gathered again.

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God. (Nehemiah 9:1–3 ESV)

The Israelites are the “seed” or “descendants of Israel” (NASB) (verse 2), a particular people with particular covenants from God (more on those promises in the prayer itself).

Fasting is giving up good things for sake of acknowledging that you have not done good things. Food is good, comfortable clothes are good, and clean faces are good. Sackcloth is rough and so uncomfortable fabric, and dirt/ earth on the head is abnormal.

They confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. It was in response to the Book. As they heard the history, as they compared their current situation, they recognized the glory of God and their failures to follow His commands. It was another six hour service. If the day was calculated as the light rather than also the dark, a quarter of the day would be three hours for reading and another three for confession and worship.

The Levites lead the people in worship and confession (verses 4-5)

This description probably isn’t after but rather overlapping with verses 1-3.

On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God. Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. (Nehemiah 9:4–5 ESV)

There are two lists of eight names, five of which overlap. There is only a slight difference in what they did, perhaps indicating that they had different parts in leading the worship. Maybe there was what we’d call a “Crying Team.” The stairs probably lead to the platform (see Nehemiah 8:4).

They’ve already been worshipping, and also, verse 5 functions as a sort of call to worship. It begins the recorded prayer which continues through the rest of the chapter.

Conclusion

Feast or fast? Which is more spiritual, more holy? We can do BOTH in the flesh, we can do both in the Holy Spirit.

As one of the shepherds, I’d say that the one we need to work on most, corporately, is still feasting. Or consider which should we work on more, confession or communion? We could say, YES, both. It’s true that communion is wrong if we carry our sin to the table. But Christ died for our sins, to redeem us for eternal rejoicing not eternal remorse and regret. We are not headed to the great Intermittent Fasting of the Lamb, but to the Supper of the Lamb.

It is right to remember that God is holy, and it is crucial to remember that we need Him. So get good at loud shouts of praise and stillness before the Lord, at great feasting and humble fasting.

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Charge

The name of the Lord your God is glorious, exalted above all blessing and praise. He is yours and you are His. Christian, you have worshipped and blessed Him, so go to your week of work with His blessing. Trust Him to make your paths straight and give you grace and peace.

Benediction:

The LORD bless you and keep you;
the LORD make his face to shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
the LORD lift up his countenance upon you
and give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24–26 ESV)