The Lord God had established a gracious covenant with the offspring of Abraham (Genesis 17:7). That covenant involved promises and obligations (Deuteronomy 11:26). In keeping with his promises, the Lord exiled his disobedient people from their land and his presence—as he promised to do in the event Israel reneged on their covenantal responsibilities (Leviticus 26:14–46; Deuteronomy 28:15–68). This covenantal theology plays a foundational role in Nehemiah’s thinking and so provides the structure to his prayer and indeed the grounds for his petitions. People of faith in the New Testament dispensation are grafted into the tree of Abraham (Romans 4:11; Romans 11:17–18) and so are the remnant
upon which the Lord was (and is!) pleased to show mercy. It is imperative that even today these offspring of Abraham think in terms of God’s covenant (see Acts 2:39) and so in both conduct and prayer take seriously the promises and the obligations that characterize covenant relationships.
5 et je dis:O Eternel, Dieu des cieux, Dieu grand et redoutable, toi qui gardes ton alliance et qui fais miséricorde à ceux qui t'aiment et qui observent tes commandements!