Hinge verse: Nehemiah 9:17
Nehemiah was promoted to cup bearer to the king while he was in exile in Babylon. He was given the opportunity to speak to the king about the state of Jerusalem and it's temple as reported by some of the exiles, who had returned to their home country. Seeing how sad Nehemiah was, the king gave him permission to travel to Jerusalem to see the ruins for himself. The king generously supplied letters of authority for Nehemiah to cross into certain territories; he provided a protection for him; and he provided the timber needed to rebuild.
Once Nehemiah arrived, he assembled teams and set to work repairing and rebuilding. They faced opposition and discouragement along the way, forcing them to take weapons and, while one crew worked, another crew kept watch over the workers.
When the wall was rebuilt and the doors back where they belonged, the exiles started returning. 42,360 exiles in total, not including servants and singers. (This number matches the account in Ezra 2:64 exactly. God cares about the details. ❤)
The people gathered together and, while men, women and all who could understand listened intently, Ezra read from the book of the law for about 6 hours. Their response--they lifted their hands and said "Amen, Amen!" Then they knelt low and worshiped the LORD, the Great God, with their faces to the ground. (Nehemiah 8:6) {Side note--I LOVE this detail of the change in their posture. #goals}
As Ezra was reading to them, they realized they had not celebrated the festival of shelters--commemorating the 40 years their ancient ancestors had wandered in the desert in centuries. So they sent out a proclamation, built some shelters and, for the first time since Joshua, they celebrated as a huge assembly in the prensence of God. And there was tremendous joy. (This has made me cry along with them. In His presence is fullness of joy. Then and now.)
About 3 weeks later, they assemble again--fasting, wearing sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. They read from the book of the law for 6 hours, and spent time in confession and worship for 6 hours. (12. HOURS. TOTAL.) The Levites lead the congregation in a prayer for their nation. They praised the LORD and recognized all He had done for them. "You created. You gave life. You called. You found. You fulfilled. You saw. You heard. You performed. You knew. You rescued. You protected. You led. You came down. You spoke. You gave. You revealed. You provided. You directed."
Their ancestors had acted arrogantly, stubborn, and unteachable. Their ancestors forgot. Their ancestors chose slavery again and again. BUT. GOD. He is forgiving. He is gracious. He is compassionate. He is slow to anger abounding in steadfast love. (This is EXACTLY how God introduced Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7 ) The prayer finishes with more of the back and forth between the wickedness of man and the faithfulness of God. (Nehemiah 9:33)
The people swore an oath to follow the law of God and to carefully obey.
The first continental Congress met from September 5-October 26, 1774. They decided they should open with prayer, and invited Reverend Jacob Duche of Christ Church in Philadelphia to lead. According to documents and journals of those present, he opened the book of Anglican prayers and led the assembly in several prayers. Then he went off script and prayed a conversational prayer over the men who were leading the 13 colonies, a group who wouldn't declare independence from Britain for almost 2 years. John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife, Abigail, that the prayer "filled the bosom of every man present. It has had an excellent effect on every body here." They then read Psalm 35 , the selection for that day--September 7th--in the Anglican Daily Bible Reading. There were rumors weighing heavy on their hearts that there was an attack brewing in Boston, and John Adams conveyed to Abigail that this Psalm seemed divinely appointed just for them. In fact, he encouraged Abigail to read Psalm 35 herself, read it to her friends, read it to her father. It is said this prayer meeting lasted for 2 hours.
This is a portrait depicting the prayer meeting.
This is the prayer of Reverend Duche:
"O Lord our Heavenly Father, high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords, who does from thy throne behold all the dwellers on earth and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the Kingdoms, Empires, and Governments; look down in Mercy, we beseech Thee, on these our American States, who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee. To Thee have they appealed for the righteousness of their cause; to Thee do they now look up for that countenance and support, who Thou alone canst give. Take them, therefore, Heavenly Father, under Thy nurturing care; give them wisdom in Council and valor in the field; defeat the malicious designs of our cruel adversaries; convince them of the unrighteousness of their cause and if they persist in their sanguinary purposes, of own unerring justice, sounding in their hearts, constrain them to drop the weapons of war from their unnerved hands in the day of battle!
Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly; enable them to settle things on the best and surest foundation. That the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that order, harmony, and peace may be effectually restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, prevail and flourish amongst the people. Preserve the health of their bodies and vigor of their minds; shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seest expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen."
America today is much like Israel then. Divided, arrogant, disobedient, forgetful, rebellious, unteachable.
But God...His name in verse 17 is "Eloah", the singular of Elohim. One God bringing unity, harmony, peace, wisdom, justice to the many gathered in His Name. Devoted as one. United as one. For His Glory. For our good. Please Lord, let it be so.
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