This long confession gives readers insight into what God wants of us when we come to him. Often our confessions seem empty and selfish. We know more about our failures and needs than God’s desires. After hearing God’s word read and explained, the returning Israelites were able to confess their true situation. They confessed God’s grace, and how they had rebelled against it.
LORD, teach us how to confess the truth, not just our truth.
Nehemiah 9