Context No. 2758 of 4322 · Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:9-15: in context

9“You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea, 10and showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants, and against all the people of his land, for you knew that they dealt proudly against them, and made a name for yourself, as it is today. 11You divided the sea before them, so that they went through the middle of the sea on the dry land; and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into the mighty waters. 12Moreover, in a pillar of cloud you led them by day; and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light in the way in which they should go. 13“You also came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14and made known to them your holy Sabbath, and commanded them commandments, statutes, and a law, by Moses your servant, 15and gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought water out of the rock for them for their thirst, and commanded them that they should go in to possess the land which you had sworn to give them.

This is part of a great national confession, and the Levites pray it by retelling their own history. You saw our fathers' affliction in Egypt and heard their cry at the sea. You divided the waters and threw the pursuers into the depths. You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, came down on Sinai and gave them good laws, fed them bread from heaven and water from the rock.

Notice the shape of this prayer. Before the people confess their sins, which comes in the verses that follow, they rehearse God's faithfulness in concrete detail. They ground their repentance in memory: this is the God we sinned against, the one who split the sea and rained down bread. Recalling specific mercies, one after another, is what makes both real gratitude and honest confession possible. Forget what God has done, and prayer thins out into a list of wants.

When I pray, do I take time to rehearse the specific things God has actually done, or rush past them to my requests?

Sources

Nehemiah 9:15: "[You] gave them bread from the sky for their hunger, and brought water out of the rock for them for their thirst."
Psalm 103:2: "Praise the LORD, my soul, and don't forget all his benefits."
Psalm 77:11: "I will remember the LORD's deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old."