The children of Israel stood and read in the book of the law for three hours and then confessed and worshipped Jehovah their God (Neh. 9:3). Self-judgment cannot be based on self-assessment. Man, when he measures himself against himself, never comes up especially bad, but when compared against God’s standard, how short we fall! “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). We might wonder how they could worship, but self-judgment is not self-judgment if it makes much of self; it must make everything of God.
Special note is taken of the Levites who took the lead in ministering, and they are given by name. Beginning with praise and thanksgiving, they give glory to Jehovah their God before faithfully reviewing God’s history with them. This recounting may be broken up in the following manner:
9:6 Jehovah the Creator-God.
9:7-8 God’s sovereign call of Abraham and His promises to him.
9:9-12 God’s gracious deliverance from Egypt.
9:13-15 The giving of the law and God’s provision for the wilderness.
9:16-18 Israel’s rebellion in seeking to make a captain to return to Egypt; the golden calf.
9:19-21 God’s mercy in not forsaking them in the wilderness.
9:22-25 God gave them kingdoms and subdued the inhabitants of the land of Canaan.
9:26-27 Israel’s rebellion; God’s government, and the raising up of deliverers.
9:28-30 God’s government culminates in their captivity.
9:31 In His mercy, God preserved a remnant of His people.
Three things are especially noted: Israel’s failure, God’s gracious and merciful dealings with them, and God’s righteous government. “But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to Thy commandments. And refused to obey, neither were mindful of Thy wonders that Thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not” (Neh. 9:16-17). “Thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for Thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly” (Neh. 9:33).
In all, they neither justified themselves nor criticized God. In fact, they owned that God was right and had dealt with them according to their doings. How often confession is spoiled by saying, “but . ... ” We can finish this sentence in many ways, all of which involve blaming our circumstances (in other words, God) or other people for our behaviour. We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-9). Furthermore, it is not simply what we sow, but the manner in which we sow it. If we sow with jealousy and selfish strife then we cannot expect to reap the fruit of righteousness (James 3:14,18). We like to remind God that He is loving, gracious, and full of mercy, without accepting responsibility for our behaviour — this is neither confession nor repentance. There was, however, a clear desire with the people to change course — though once again, it was based on their own strength: “because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it” (Neh. 9:38).