The lectionary continues to move through Ezra and Nehemiah. This is the beginning of a time when the remnant — who had married local women, which was expressly against the Law — listened to the word and made public confession.

The head the law for around three hours and then confessed for about three hours. Then they were commanded to praise the LORD.

Nehemiah 9:1-5

¹Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. ²Then those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. ³They stood up in their place and read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth part of the day, and for another fourth they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God. ⁴Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God. ⁵Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”

There is a liturgical order here that reflects on the order of sacrifice. You correct and make amends then come to the celebration. This is reflected in the service of communion, which should (and indeed, in churches with liturgies, must) have a period of confession before moving to the table.

But then the remnant put this right. The divorced their foreign wives, nor did they let their sons or daughters marry foreigners. They did not play case law to justify keeping them (Ruth was a Moabitess. Moses was married to the daughter of Jethro, an Ishmaelite). They did what they thought their duty was.

This was painful for them, and painful for their wives. But the covenant of marriage resides inside a greater covenant. Moreover, the principle remains. We are commanded to be equally yoked: to marry within the faith (but we are told to not divorce our unbelieving spouses, but instead pray for them). We are told to raise our children in the faith — indeed there is a point at which we have to obey God and not our husbands or listen to God and not heed our wives.

For when we pray for revival, we are praying for repentance, radical change, and confession. Revival comes out of tears. Joy may follow, but it begins with obedience.