Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:
The verse is a confession that God was just and right in all that was brought upon the people, while they themselves had done wickedly. The suffering and hardship they endured were the consequence and punishment of disobedience, of rejecting God's law, and of refusing to heed His warnings. Its setting in the ninth chapter recounts the Lord's works on behalf of His people and points out their sins in turning from Him despite all He had done for them.
Their sins had separated them from God, so He permitted them to be brought under the control of heathen nations. In this God showed He would not work with and through those who clung to sin, who refused to serve Him with singleness of purpose, and who corrupted their ways before Him. Instead He worked through Nehemiah as a man registered in heaven as true to principle, whom He could use to put down false principles and restore heaven-born principles.
The confession embraced both personal sins and the sins of the people, asking God for pardon as if the speakers themselves were the offenders. It was joined with an acknowledgment of the justice of God's dealings and a pledge to obey His law. The same confession applies today to Seventh-day Adventists, who though shown great favor and precious truths have often failed to value those gifts and give God the glory due His name.
The verse is a confession that God was just and right in all that was brought upon the people, while they themselves had done wickedly. The suffering and hardship they endured were the consequence and punishment of disobedience, of rejecting God's law, and of refusing to heed His warnings. Its setting in the ninth chapter recounts the Lord's works on behalf of His people and points out their sins in turning from Him despite all He had done for them.
Their sins had separated them from God, so He permitted them to be brought under the control of heathen nations. In this God showed He would not work with and through those who clung to sin, who refused to serve Him with singleness of purpose, and who corrupted their ways before Him. Instead He worked through Nehemiah as a man registered in heaven as true to principle, whom He could use to put down false principles and restore heaven-born principles.
The confession embraced both personal sins and the sins of the people, asking God for pardon as if the speakers themselves were the offenders. It was joined with an acknowledgment of the justice of God's dealings and a pledge to obey His law. The same confession applies today to Seventh-day Adventists, who though shown great favor and precious truths have often failed to value those gifts and give God the glory due His name.