Readings for today: Nehemiah 1-4
The Bible makes it clear that sin is both individual and corporate. There are the sins I commit on a daily basis by the way I think, the way I speak, and the way I act. I am fully responsible for those sins and must confess them before a holy God so that I might receive forgiveness. But then there are the sins that I participate in - wittingly or unwittingly - that arise out of the “systems” in which I am embedded as a human being. For example, I am part of a family system. I have a spouse and children and I come from a family of origin that can often create all kinds of issues. So much of the counseling work I’ve done personally and professionally with others is focused on helping identify the generational sins that get passed down and how to break those patterns before they repeat themselves. In addition to a family system, I am part of a local social system in my community. We somewhat affectionately call it the “Parker bubble” and it impacts the way I think about life in both good and bad ways. I am also part of a political and economic system in the United States that frames my thinking both positively and negatively. And the list goes on and on. As a participant in these systems, I am at least partially responsible for propping up the system by the way I vote, spend money, participate and/or not participate in civic activities, etc. And therefore it is fully appropriate for me to confess the ways in which I contribute to a sinful, broken system and ask for forgiveness. This, by the way, is exactly what Nehemiah does in our passage for today.
“I said, “God, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: Look at me, listen to me. Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I’m praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel. And I’m including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you. We’ve treated you like dirt: We haven’t done what you told us, haven’t followed your commands, and haven’t respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant. All the same, remember the warning you posted to your servant Moses: ‘If you betray me, I’ll scatter you to the four winds, but if you come back to me and do what I tell you, I’ll gather up all these scattered peoples from wherever they ended up and put them back in the place I chose to mark with my Name.’” (Nehemiah 1:5-9 MSG)
Clearly, Nehemiah wasn’t personally responsible for the sins of his people. He wasn’t around when they rebelled against God and were exiled. He is generations removed from when the people followed Moses out of Egypt and into the wilderness. He isn’t even living in Jerusalem and participating in the current sins being committed by God’s people which we read about in Ezra. He’s in Babylon. He’s answered God’s call on his life to serve the king faithfully as cupbearer. He’s clearly got a tender heart for his people and conditions they find themselves living in. His heart is broken for the things that break God’s heart. He’s open to being used by God to change those conditions. Why then does he feel the need to confess? Why does he feel the need to confess the “sins of the People of Israel?” Nehemiah understands that sin has both an individual as well as corporate dimension. He understands he is personally responsible for his own sinful thoughts, attitudes, and actions AND he is responsible for participating in a communal system - the nation of Israel - that has collectively rebelled against God’s authority. He is not an island unto himself. In fact, Nehemiah probably didn’t think of himself as an individual first and part of a community second. Most people throughout history and even around the world today think far more communally than individualistically about life. And this is why he intercedes not just for himself but for his people.
What about us? How do you think about sin? When you spend time in confession before the Lord, do you include a confession of corporate sin? Perhaps it’s the sin of your family system going back generations that continues to have a ripple effect in your life today. Perhaps it’s the sin of your church family or your local community or our country. All of us are impacted by the sinful systems of the world around us and all of us participate and contribute to the perpetuation of those systems in some way, shape, or form. This is our confessional prayers must include both individual and corporate dimensions and thankfully God is faithful and just to forgive individuals but entire communities and people groups as well.
Readings for tomorrow: Nehemiah 5-7