God is the giver of good gifts. He gives to us things that are good, and right, and beautiful, and then we drop them, they slip out of our hands and shatter in a thousand pieces on the floor. And then, He gives back to us again and we get our muddy, filthy fingerprints all over it and ruin it. So, He gives to us again and we drop it again, or we set it down and get distracted and go wandering off after other things. Even when we blow it and wreck or neglect what He has given, God gives us second chances, and thirds, and fourths… He is long-suffering, patient and kind. He is merciful and He is willing to forgive if we humble ourselves and ask. But, He’s not just a doormat for us to walk all over – He is also just and fair, and if we don’t see the need for change in our lives, He will allow consequences to come our way sooner or later there’s a price to pay for persistent rebellion against God.

         Please read Nehemiah 8:9-9:37 before reading further. In this message we see both the mercy of God and the justice of God as we look back on the history of Israel. Remember, the events we’re seeing in Nehemiah involve Jews who had returned to Jerusalem, a city that had been destroyed. Invading armies had captured the city and carried away its people and its wealth. Now, several decades later, some of their children and grandchildren have returned to rebuild. When we pick things up in Chapter Eight, they’re gathered to celebrate what they’ve accomplished and to read the Scriptures. Verses 9-12, and Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. Did you catch that? When they heard what the Bible says they were broken. It shredded them emotionally, they saw the difference between what God said and what their lives had been like. Have you ever had one of those moments? I know we’re all wired differently, and we all show our emotions differently we live in a culture where ‘real men’ don’t cry unless it’s at their mom’s funeral or something, but you find men crying all over in the Bible, and it’s not because they’re weak or soft, their tears are almost always shed when they’re thinking about God. Those tears are often an external sign of the cleansing that either needs to happen, or that is happening, on the inside. It’s God scrubbing away the gunk of our lives. The tears being shed in Jerusalem this day were a sign of the conviction that was going on inside of the people. But, Nehemiah and the other leaders said, “don’t mourn or weep today, that puts the focus on you. First we need to celebrate God and what He has done for us.” And once they had done that, there would be another opportunity to mourn, weep, and confess sins.

         Verses 13-18, may not sound like much to you, but it is incredibly significant. God had given the Feast of Tabernacles to the people of Israel after He delivered them from Egypt, as they were on their way into the Promised Land. It was a seven-day feast celebrated in the seventh month, and it was supposed to be observed every year. God tells them why in Leviticus 23: 43 “that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” In other words, the point of the Feast was to remember what God had done for the people when He delivered them from a foreign power and brought them to the Promised Land. Obviously then, it’s quite fitting for the current circumstances as well – God has just brought these men and women and their families out of the place that they were taken as captives and brought them back to this very same land. But stop for a minute and realize – He had already delivered them once from Egypt. Why did He have to deliver them again, this time from Persia? Why were they all gathered together rebuilding what had already been done once? Because they had lost sight of what He did the first time – as a nation they had wandered away from the God they had once known and worshipped. Has that ever happened in your life? Have you ever had to try to rebuild something that God gave you in the first place and you mistreated it? He gave you something nice and you neglected it or broke it? Fortunately for them, and for us, He is the God of “one more chance.” As they lived in their booths that week and heard more reading from the Scriptures, that fact became more and more apparent to them.

         This is confession – it is admitting, we have done wrong. We have received what we deserve, but You, You O God are gracious, merciful, patient and kind. 36 “Here we are, servants today! And the land that You gave to our fathers, To eat its fruit and its bounty, Here we are, servants in it! 37 And it yields much increase to the kings You have set over us, Because of our sins; Also they have dominion over our bodies and our cattle At their pleasure; And we are in great distress. They’re sitting there in front of God recognising the just consequences of their sin, but also recognising the mercy of the God who brought them back to this city, this Promised Land. I wonder if the same thing is going on for you? has that caused you to reflect on any of the issues in your life? Have you seen the goodness of God and the tendency of your own heart to wander?

         If so, you need to know that God is patient, He gives one more chance. We may wish He didn’t have too – we may be working to rebuild things in our lives that He already gave us once, but which were torn down over time. But the good news is, He is willing – He knows our weaknesses and He is willing to forgive. You’ve just heard the story of how that played out time and time again in the nation of Israel. And now, this is your chance to confess and worship – to admit your failings and to praise Him for His goodness.