Monday, November 28, 2005

National repentance, long ago

This is a prayer of the Levites, when Judah began to return to the land from Babylon.  It strikes me as uncomfortably current in its assessment of the country's spiritual condition.

… However, Thou art just in all that has come upon us; for Thou hast dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly.  For our kings, our leaders, our priests, and our fathers have not kept Thy law or paid attention to Thy commandments and Thine admonitions with which Thou hast admonished them.  But they, in their own kingdom, with Thy great goodness which thou didst give them, with the broad and rich land which Thou didst set before them, did not serve thee or turn from their evil deeds.

Behold, we are slaves today, and as to the land which Thou didst give to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty, behold, we are slaves on it.  And its abundant produce is for the kings whom Thou hast set over us because of our sins; they also rule over our bodies and over our cattle as they please, so we are in great distress. ...

Nehemiah 9:33-37 (NASB)

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