Last week we considered how the people came together to confess their sin for 3 hours
The people had heard the word of God preached to them over 7 days
On the eight day they mourned their sin
The prayer goes through the kindness of God and the rebellion of the people
The prayer goes on to make a pledge of obedience to God
The prayer doesn't focus on the sin of God's people but more on the goodness and character of God
God is a faithful God
God keeps His promises
The second half of the prayer mentions the chastisements of God
How God sent delivers and restored them
The word 'You' appears 85 times in the prayer
God has been just, God has been fair, God has been true
What has come upon us is because of our own circumstances
The Faithfulness of God
When Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments and to come down with God's glory reflected on his face, the people of God were in rebellion, worshiping a golden calf (v18)
God provided water from a rock, manna, quails
God was merciful every time they cried out to Him
God did not forsake them (v19)
The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night remained
When we are unfaithful, God remains faithful
He will never leave or forsake His people
God will always lead and guide His people (v19, v12)
God was providing for the people in an amazing way (v20-21)
God's love is as immense as His power
The Levites whilst acknowledging their sin were looking to the faithfulness of God
Are we really thankful to God?
We do not live in a war torn nation
We are the 6th wealthiest nation in the world
We have an NHS
We are 2nd in the European educational league table
Are we really thankful to God for His common grace provision?
God was to give people an inheritance of houses, cisterns, vineyards, fruit trees, etc to the people (v22-25)
The people did not deserve this
The Lord gave them victory over the nations
The Lord blessed their descendants
As Christians we do not believe in dominion theology
We are not to gain control over the earth
Our inheritance is in heaven
God has been faithful in provision and granting an inheritance but also in your chastisements (v26-31)
What would a child be like if it was spoiled and never disciplined?
That child would be come wayward, arrogant and selfish
God disciplines His people in love
The people cast God's law 'behind their backs', they worshiped Baal, murdered the prophets
Therefore God gave them over to their enemies
Sometimes God sends hard things into our lives as a way of disciplining us that we should not live for ourselves but for God
If there are problems, things going wrong, things going badly; is this due to secret or known sin?
Sins of gossip, internet sins, reading sins, TV sins, sins behind closed doors
Covetousness, selfishness, dishonesty, watering down the Gospel
A focus on the faithfulness of God
First in always providing and giving guidance
God promising an undeserved inheritance for His people
God chastising and discipling us
The Confession of the Levites
The people confess their sins in a way that we do not
Not using the situation as a scape goat
David with Bathsheba did not excuse himself
God has 'dealt faithfully but we have done wickedly' (v33)
We must get to that position where we name sin for what it is and be honest about it (v29-31)
We must be open before God - then our hearts will be malleable, responsive, alive
Change in the prayer (v36)
'Here we are today!'
Where do the people of God need to confess today?
If we pledge ourselves afresh to God He will do a great thing
The people make a covenant (v38)
Covenants are described but not prescribed in Scripture
They are a great example to us of the people pledging themselves to God
The covenant was started by the leaders and Levites (and confirmed by the people - cf Nehemiah 10)
The people of God were called to a solemn assembly of God
