Nehemiah 9 Verses 1-3 True Confession September 7, 2025 Lesson 10

Nehemiah 9 Verses 1-3 True Confession September 7, 2025 Lesson 10

The Relentless Pursuit of Obedience Class Presentation Notes AAAAAA

Background Scriptures:

Nehemiah 9:1-37

Main Idea:

· Because of God’s righteousness, we must come before Him with humility and confession, trust Him to show mercy, and then renew our commitment to repent of sin and walk in obedience Him.[1]

Study Aim:

· To understand that God is compassionate and gracious and is willing to forgive and restore those who come before Him with genuine repentance.

Create Interest:

· The returned exiles of Nehemiah’s day were determined to seek after God, His goodness and mercy. They were faced with rebuilding their nation and society. To accomplish what was needed, they needed their spirits revived.

· They needed God to pour out the spirit of His goodness upon them, arousing all the people to work together to build a righteous, just, productive, and loving society.

o Thus, they determined to seek God, begging Him to give them a spirit of revival. With their spirits revitalized and renewed, they could be successful in rebuilding their nation. The promised land would once again be fruitful and economically productive, and the people would someday in the future be given wonderful hope of living in permanent peace. They would be free from all the bondages and enslavements of this life if they gave their lives to God for His guidance. [2]

Lesson in Historical Context:

· In Nehemiah 8:14  the people learned during Ezra’s reading of the Torah that the Festival of Booths was given to remind them of God’s care for them when He brought them out of Egypt. (Lev. 23:43).  In Chapter 9, The joyous seven-day Festival had concluded. It was fitting then that the people give more serious attention to the admonitions which had been received during the many days that Ezra had been reading to them from the law of God.

· After a brief interval following the Festival of Booths, on the twenty-fourth day of this eventful month, the people returned, probably at the invitation of Ezra, to spend a day of fasting, deep soul searching, and prayer.[3]   We can learn much from this and will bring what we learn across the time bridge to today in our lesson.

Bible Study:

Nehemiah 9:1–3 (NASB95) The People Confess Their Sin

   1     Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth and with dirt upon them.

   2     The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

   3     While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.

Vs.  1: The Posture of Genuine Penitence

· Two days after the feast the people assembled with fasting, sack cloth, and earth upon them. What does this all mean?

o When the people mourned, they would throw dust on their heads, which was symbolic of their origin from the dust of the earth.

o Sack cloth was made of goat hair or camel hair and was coarse and black. It was scratchy and irritating. This cloth was used to strain liquids and also for the tarps of their tents. It would breathe when it was hot and shrink up when it rained forming a waterproof barrier. Ornaments or jewels were not worn when a person was in mourning.

Thoughts to soak on:

· Note the physical posture of the Israelites in Nehemiah 9:1 as they gathered to confess their sins. This visible act of humility—fasting, wearing sackcloth, and having dust on their heads—symbolizes their sincere acknowledgment of God's holiness and their own sinfulness.

o In our time connect this to our need to approach God with genuine humility, laying bare our hearts to receive His mercy and renewing our commitment to Him.

§ This act is a reminder for us today of the importance of inward repentance and a return to obedience.

· Vs. 2: The Practice of Holy Separation and Confession

o They separated from all foreigners. Then they took responsibility for their actions, confessing to the Lord their sins and those of their fathers.

§ This separation symbolizes the need to set apart one's life from influences that lead away from God's path.

· The people separated themselves from the world as they drew near to the Lord (Neh. 9:2; Ezra 6:21).

o Separation without devotion to the Lord becomes isolation, but devotion without separation is hypocrisy (see 2 Cor. 6:14–7:1).

o The nation of Israel was chosen by God to be a special people, separated from the pagan nations around them.

§ “You are to be holy to Me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own” (Lev. 20:26, NIV).

The Apostle Peter applied those words to Christian believers in the church today (1 Peter 1:15; 2:9–10).[4]

1 Peter 1:15 (NASB95)

15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all yourbehavior;

1 Peter 2:9–10 (NASB95)

9 But you are a chosen race, aroyal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

· Discuss how Christians today can apply this principle by identifying and distancing themselves from habits, relationships, or environments that hinder spiritual growth, reinforcing the importance of holiness in walking faithfully with God

The word “confessed” to soak on as it is of great importance to our lesson.

· V.s 2:  The Hebrews practiced open confession, admitting their sins to one another.

o Reading and studying God’s Word should precede confession because God can show us where we are sinning.

o Honest confession should precede worship, because we cannot have a right relationship with God if we hold on to certain sins.

o They sensed their guilt personally and collectively as a nation.  

§ Let’s look at the word “confessed” for a second here. What is this all about?

· It was important to confess their sins; they had to realize and admit their missing of God’s mark.

o Curiously, it seems that no one sins anymore; people occasionally make “mistakes,” but it seems no one will admit to sinning! Discuss.

· How do we sin? The English word sin comes from the idea “to miss the mark.” In an archery tournament, if one did not hit the target in the right place, they would say they “sinned.” A sin might miss the target by an inch, or it might miss it by ten feet—but it was still a sin either way. We sin when we do what God has told us not to do (telling us either in His Word, in our conscience, or through legitimate authority), or when we do not do what God has told to do (telling us in Word, conscience, or authority).[5]

· The word “confessed” is from the Hebrew word yadah {yaw-daw’}. The meaning is interesting. It means “to throw or to shoot; to cast or throw down; to confess.” The idea behind the word is to relinquish control or concealment. When you throw or shoot something, you lose control the moment you let it go.

· Confession in the Old Testament took basically two different forms. Negatively, there is the confession of sin. This might take place on an personal level (e.g., when an individual came “to confess sin” as he or she offered a sin-offering in Lev. 5:5), or on a national basis (e.g., Lev. 16:21, where Aaron places his hands on the head of the scapegoat and confesses aloud the sins of the whole nation of Israel). Such corporate confession was required of Israel if they were to avoid the punishments for apostasy included in the Covenant (Lev. 26:40).[6]

· When you confess to the Lord today, you are no longer controlling or concealing what you have done, you are throwing it out into the open. To throw or shoot something effectively requires openness.

o Confession involves being open with God and agreeing with Him about our sinfulness. In the New Testament, homologeo is the word for “confess” and it means “to agree with God or speak the same thing.”

§ 1 John 1:9 (NASB95)

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

· Confession develops humility, accountability, and a new freedom from guilt, and is linked to the reading of the Word of God.

o The word “confess” in the Hebrew also means “to praise.” Praise draws us closer to the Lord because true praise comes from the heart that is grateful to Him.

o The dominant meaning in the New Testament actually seems to be the open and public profession of someone or something. Almost half of its uses speak of “confessing” Christ (Matthew 10:32; Luke 12:8; John 12:42; 1 John 2:23) or “confessing” who or what Jesus is (“the Christ” John 9:22; “Lord,” Romans 10:9, 10; “is come in the flesh,” 1 John 4:2, 3; 2 John 7; “the Son of God,” 1 John 4:15).[7]

o Hebrews 13:15 (NASB95)

15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.

o Philippians 2:8–11 (NASB95)

8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

                     9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

                   10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

                    11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

· Beloved, when we confess our wrongs to the Lord, or to one another, it helps us to live with ourselves.

o Telling the truth should not be something out of the ordinary, but something that is common for us.

o We are to be honest and open with God.

§ With our wrongs cast on the table, we are able to rebuild our lives and relationship with the Lord.

§ When we fail to do this, we suffer and do not succeed or prosper.[8]

A thought worthy of your notice about history before proceeding:

· Dr. Arthur T. Pierson said, “History is His story”; and this chapter bears that out. “That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach,” wrote Aldous Huxley; and philosopher George Santayana wrote, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to relive it.” The church today can learn much from the experiences of Israel, if we are willing to humble ourselves and receive the truth……………Let’s press on……………….

Vs. 3: Pursuit of Scriptural Conviction and Communal Worship

· Note the Israelites dedicated a significant portion of their day to reading from the Book of the Law. Here, we find that one fourth of the day was spent reading the Scriptures out loud and then another fourth of the day was spent in confession and worshiping the Lord.

· This act points to the vital role Scripture plays in guiding our repentance and the continuous transformation of the heart.

o We need to immerse ourselves in the in the Bible and encourage others to do the same, allowing its truth to convict, instruct, and guide them in the paths of righteousness, thereby renewing their minds and spirits to follow God's will.

Thoughts to soak on:

· The Feast of Tabernacles had ended, but the people lingered to hear more of the Word of God. Feasting had turned to fasting as the Word brought conviction and people started confessing their sins.

o Note: In most churches today, a six-hour service—three hours of preaching and three hours of praying—would probably result in some requests for resignations; but to the Jewish people in that day, it was the beginning of a new life for them and their city.

· Note:  God’s greatness is seen in the fact that He receives our worship.

o True worship involves many elements: hearing the Scriptures, praising God, praying, confessing sin, and separating ourselves from that which displeases God. Each of these elements is recorded in this paragraph.

§ Worship involves the Word of God, for the Word of God reveals the God of the Word.

· The people also took time to confess their sins (vv. 2–3) and seek the Lord’s forgiveness. The annual Day of Atonement had past, but the worshipers knew that they needed constant cleansing and renewal from the Lord.

o The gathering and collective confession underscores the importance of community in the spiritual journey.

o Mutual accountability and shared worship experiences foster growth and renewal within the body of Christ, encouraging believers to engage in open confession and praise with fellow Christians as a source of strength and encouragement.  However…see the following.

· In my personal experience as a Stephen Minister, I know that though the previous statement has much merit, some “sins” need to be confessed in private out of earshot of others, i.e. in confidentiality. Something “heard” out of context could be taken wrongly by someone and repeated in the wrong context…and the damage is done.

o In the T. V. series “Hee Haw” years ago, a “spoof” skit was done about “gossip”…It was said…”we don’t repeat gossip, so listen close the first time.”

· What is the value in contemplating the seriousness and immensity of your accumulated sins?  Discuss………………

o What is the danger in doing so? What is the danger in never doing so?

· We must not major on self-examination to the extent that we start ignoring the Lord, but we must be honest in our dealings with Him (1 John 1:5–10).

§ 1 John 1:5–10 (NASB95) God Is Light

5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

6  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;

7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

· Whenever you see sin or failure in your life, immediately look by faith to Christ and seek His forgiveness; and keep on looking to Him. The more you look at yourself, the more discouraged you will become.

o  Focus on His perfections, not your own imperfections.

Thoughts in Closing:

· The Israelites have left all of us with a powerful model, both in spirit and in word. In spirit, they humbled themselves before God.

o In word, they reviewed all that God had done for them, from creation to that moment in their lives when they were still slaves in the land God had graciously given them (9:3–37).

o They made no excuses for their present situation, but confessed their sins and vowed before God that they would, from that point forward, be faithful to His Word.

· Centuries later, a group of Jews who had come to Jerusalem heard a message that for many changed their lives forever.The apostle Peter, speaking in the power of the Holy Spirit, let it be known that those who had rejected Jesus Christ and called for His crucifixion had actually rejected their Messiah (Ac 2:36). Peter’s message pierced their hearts. Stunned and overwhelmed with grief, they asked what they should do.

o “Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Ac 2:38–39)

§ Many responded immediately. Luke recorded,

So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers. (Ac 2:41–42)

· When we hear God’s truth and realize we have violated His will, we should respond with repentance. For believing Jews, it involved a national symbol of repentance—water baptism. Starting that day in Jerusalem, baptism was a demonstration of each individual’s new identification with Christ through His death and resurrection. From that point forward, all true believers were to acknowledge their repentance and salvation with the same symbol.[9]

· You will note the background scriptures for our lesson were the whole chapter including Vs. 5-38 which includes the longest formal prayer in the Bible.   I encourage you to read those verses after you read the following submitted by Dr. Adrian Rogers.

o After they had prayed this prayer; after they had contemplated the goodness of God; after they had examined their own lives and their own failures; and then, after they had reminded themselves of the goodness and the greatness of God, they made a solemn, holy vow and a covenant before God.

o Notice the climax of all of this. Look at it, how sweetly it says it: “And we will not forsake the house of our God.” (Nehemiah 10:39) I want to plead with you. I want to pray for you. I want to ask you, my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ, that you’ll do these three things.

o Number one: Make a personal examination. What kind of a member are you? Don’t look around and see what they’re doing. Make a personal examination.

o Number two: Make a prayerful contemplation. How good our God has been!

o Number three: Make a purposeful determination concerning your faithfulness, concerning your family, concerning your finances.

o I want to tell you something, friend: There’s nothing you need to do. Jesus has done it all. Jesus died for you on the cross, and all you need is to receive by faith the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to tell you today that if you will pray a prayer like this—

§ “O God, I’m a sinner, and I’m lost, and I need to be saved, and I can’t save myself; Jesus, you died to save me, and you promised to save me if I’d only trust you; Lord Jesus, I do trust you right now with all of my heart, once and for all, now and forever; Jesus, I trust you; save me, Lord Jesus”—He’ll save you. For the Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).[10]

A Spiritual Desire    (Pleased read this and share with others)

· It is one thing to announce a meeting; it is quite another thing for people to come to it. Nehemiah must have wondered what sort of a crowd his meeting would draw, indeed whether it would draw a crowd at all. There was no guarantee that after their few days at home the builders would be back in the city “en masse” (in agreement) for the study day, still less that they would bring their families and friends; nor was there any guarantee that the minority whose homes were in Jerusalem would come. But that is what happened.

· Very early in the morning “all the people assembled as one man in the square before the Water Gate”—men, women, and “others who were able to understand” (8:1–3)—that is, older children. There was shared expectation, excitement, and impatience; the great crowd was eager to get going; the desire to learn God’s Law was conscious, pervasive, and strong; the sense that this was going to be a wonderful day ran through the whole gathering.

· People called out for the proceedings to start; “they told Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses.” Imagine an impatient audience at a rock concert picking up the chant, “We—want—Ezra,” saying it over and over, louder and louder, and you get some idea of the feelings being expressed. Yet in their eagerness the people were serious; they were not there for entertainment, they meant business. They knew that this was a time when God was doing great things for Israel, and they did not want to miss any of what North Americans would call “the goodies.” In a real though unfocused way, they looked forward to hearing from God.

· What had happened? In a word, this: the Holy Spirit had worked on these people, giving them an interest in God, a concern for divine things, and a desire for God’s blessing that was altogether out of the ordinary.

o True as is Augustine’s famous statement that our hearts are restless till they find rest in God, fallen human beings do not naturally turn Godward in their restlessness, but look to other things for contentment instead.

o It takes the Spirit of God to generate active desire for God and a purposeful seeking of him. In God’s sovereign strategy for world history there are times when the Spirit works with particular power to stir up this motivation, not just in some few individuals but in entire communities, and this was one such time.[11]   Discuss and share!

[1]James M. Hamilton Jr. et al., Exalting Jesus in Ezra-Nehemiah (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 164.

[2]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 2004), 172.

[3]C. E. Demaray, “The Book of Nehemiah,” in Joshua through Esther, vol. II, Beacon Bible Commentary (Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City, 1965), Ne 9:1–38.

[4]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Determined, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 105–109.

[5]David Guzik, Nehemiah, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2000), Ne 9:2.

[6]Thoralf Gilbrant, “יָדָה,” in The Old Testament Hebrew-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1998).

[7]Thoralf Gilbrant, “Ὁμολογέω,” in The New Testament Greek-English Dictionary, The Complete Biblical Library (WORDsearch, 1991).

[8]Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Nehemiah, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2008), 257–260.

[9]Gene A. Getz, Life Essentials Study Bible: Biblical Principles to Live By (B&H, 2011), Ne 9:1–10:29.

[10]Adrian Rogers, “Not Forsaking the House of God,” in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Ne 9–10.

[11]J. I. Packer, A Passion for Faithfulness: Wisdom from the Book of Nehemiah (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1995), 150–151.