Nehemiah 10:28-39, Israel Commitment to the Lord’s House

The covenant was “written” and “sealed” (9:38), telling us how important it was to the people.  This is good.  But it is still written in the time of the Law, and the truth of Deut. 29:4: “Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.”  What I am saying is that, in this covenant, they made commitments that they broke soon afterwards in Neh. 13.  This is why Paul could say that justification is not by the works of the law but by faith alone.  The commitment to obedience is good; but Israel must learn to trust God for the Savior. 

The covenant was first made by Israel’s leadership (10:1-27).  This included Nehemiah (v1), the leading priests (v2-8), the leading Levites (v9-13) and then the civil leaders (v14-27).  Then the commitment was made by the “separated” people (v28).  By this is meant those who separated themselves FROM the foreigners, and separated TO the law of God.  Turning to God from idols (Ex. 20:1-6; 1 Th. 1:10) is always the starting point of keeping God’s law. 

The covenant was made with knowledge (v28).  In other words, it was not mere emotionalism or crowd-following (at least it should not have been).  Those who signed on should have understood the demand or cost of commitment.

The commitments included:

·       v29: A general commitment to “walk in God’s Law … given by Moses.”

·       v30: A commitment not to give their children in marriage to the children of the people of the land.  They were no longer in the situation where they were supposed to annihilate the Canaanites as in the days of the Judges.  They had to live alongside other “displaced” people.

·       v31: A commitment not to buy or sell on the Sabbath.  Again, their neighbors had no problem doing business on the Sabbath.  This could not be stopped, but the Jews could refuse to do business with them.

·       v32-33: A commitment to re-impose the temple tax to maintain temple worship (Ex. 30:11-16).  This was in addition to taxes paid to the ruling government.

·       v34: A commitment to supply wood for the daily sacrifices at the temple. 

·       v35-39: A commitment to care for the priests by bringing in the firstfruits of everything.  Likely, up to that point, worship in the 2^nd temple depended on what we might call “bi-vocational” priests.

The bottom line was: “we will not neglect the house of our God” (v39).

One thing that should encourage us is the connection between repentance and righteousness.  They confessed sin.  Then they took steps to change behavior.  We are commanded to put off the old man and put on the new Man.  In between is an important step: “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. 4:22-24).  That is the blessing of the New Covenant.