our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands.

 Nehemiah 9:1-21

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. 

“Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham.

You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. You sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. 

But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.

Why?

Confessing our sins is important before serving the Lord.

From the history of Israel, they can understand what they missed and what their ancestor did wrong. Now they can confess and return to the way of the Lord.

You are the Lord our God, even if we went the wrong way, but for the mercy and love of the Lord, He always gives us chances to repent and return to Him.

How?

Always confess our sins and seek the way of the Lord, every day meditate on the words meaning of the Lord to me.