After the wall was completed, the people of Israel came before God in humble repentance. They assembled to hear God’s Word and to worship Him, not just for a little while, but for one quarter of the day each. The length of time is just a reflection of the brokenness of their hearts.

Israel’s history was recounted in the reading of the word. They recalled key milestones in their history where they saw God’s hand at work. However, they also recalled the various times they had rebelled against, and been disobedient to God. Yet God had always reached His hand to help them and to deliver them. He rescued them, provided for them, and guided them. The Israelites were always in a cycle of receiving God’s goodness-being obedient to God-being disobedient to God-being corrected by God-crying out to God-receiving God’s mercy. It seemed like the Israelites could never walk out of the vicious cycle of being disobedience, yet it also revealed God’s great love, mercy, and grace for them despite their disobedience. By recognising this, they could say with confidence that God is the Lord, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, and is righteous. By coming to a place of knowing who God is, the Israelites made a covenant with God and committing to His ways.

Israel’s story is our story. We, like them, are sinful. We are continually in a vicious cycle of disobedience. We constantly need God’s mercy and grace. God’s story with Israel is His story with us. Just like how he showed mercy and grace to the Israelites, He too showed mercy to us, redeeming us from our sins through Christ’s death on the cross. Our stories must be submitted to God’s story. Will we be willing to come before God, acknowledging our sins, thanking God for his goodness and mercy, and submitting to His sovereign authority?

Prayer: Dear God, please forgive me for my disobedience to you. Thank you for being good, merciful and gracious to me. Please help me to submit to your sovereign authority. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray, Amen.