Nehemiah 9:32-38

(32) Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. (33) 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, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them. (35) For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works. (36) Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it: (37) And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. (38) And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.

Here is contained the great request Israel had to make to the covenant God of their fathers. They acknowledge God's justice in all that was come upon them. But they still plead for mercy on the ground of God's covenant. And the chapter closes with an account of the solemn sealing of the covenant anew by the princes, Levites, and Priests. So that here is a vast deal of gospel in this transaction. For whether the whole body of Israel were so well informed of the grand features of the covenant, as to eye the Lord Jesus as the sum and sub stance of all, is not to the purpose. It is sufficient to us in proof, that the Lord's eye was upon it to this one end. God had given his dear Son for a covenant to his people. And in the publication of this covenant to Abraham and his seed, certain it is that the charter of it ran in these words; In thy seed, which is Christ, shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Galatians 3:16, with Genesis 17:1.