“While the reading of the Law was to be accompanied by joy rather than sadness, there was a place for national mourning over sin. Such mourning, which issues forth in public confession and repentance, is an essential element of genuine reform. The people assembled ‘with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads,’ indicating an attitude of profound humility and self- accusation. The agenda of the assembly included one-fourth of the day spent in the public reading of God's Law, followed by one-fourth of the day spent in confession of sin in the context of public worship. The prayer of confession was led by the priests and Levites, who spoke for the people. The prayer recorded here can be divided into several distinct parts:

a. adoration (vss. 5- 6)
b. acknowledgement of God's covenant (vss. 7- 8)
c. confession of past sins interspersed with the recounting of God's mercies (vss. 9 – 31)
d. appeal for restoration (vs. 32)
e. justification of God's severity (vss. 33- 35)
f. acknowledgement of present distress (vss. 36- 37)
g. pledge to renew covenant with God (vs. 38)

Such corporate confession and repentance is indispensable to the work of genuine reform, since without the acknowledgement of sin there can be no hope of future perseverance in the path of obedience. The confession of particular offences against God's law, along with their acknowledgement that He is just in passing sentence upon our rebellion, is an indication of the sincerity of the heart in its desire to reform.

The Church today needs to take inventory of her history, identifying particular offenses against God -especially in regard to her approach to Him in worship- confessing her rebellion against His statutes, commandments and ordinances, and covenanting to return to the way of obedience. Nothing short of this will suffice to restore the former glory of the Body of Christ. The only standard by which such corporate sins can be identified and confessed is the revealed will of God in His written Word” (Comin, 164-165)