Nehemiah 9:33 Commentary and Bible Study

But immediately the petition is made, it is interrupted, lest this plea should seem to sound like a self-pitying, self-righteous plea. Lest it might possibly imply that God has been unreasonable with them, then the prayer immediately says, ‘Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly: ³⁴ Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law.’ From the Lord they have received only goodness, and in return they have lived wickedly. We never ask on the basis that we deserve anything. All requests that we make to God must be made on the basis of grace, and so we ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We must come honestly to the Lord. We do not fear that in confessing our sins we will tell him anything about ourselves that he does not already know. Neither do we fear that in telling him the worst about ourselves, he will be dissuaded him from answering us. We come confident in his grace.