Enduring Word Bibelcomment Nehemiah Chapter 10 (2023)

A. List of Covenant Signatories.

1. (1-8) Nehemiah and the priests signed the covenant.

Now those who put themselvesThey areto lockthe document were:

Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, bilgai ,jshemaiah deuguerraor father

A.Those who put their seal on the document: At the end of Nehemiah chapter 9, the people had reached a point of decision and now the nation would collectively do something about it, making a covenant.

you Nehemiah 9:38 give the meaning of this:And for all this we make a firm pact and write it down; our leaders, our Levites and our priests seal it.

ii. In Nehemiah 9:38,Make a dealit's literally"cuta covenant." This term was used because covenants were not made in the old world, they were madecut. As part of the "signing" of the pact, an animal was almost always sacrificed. A pact always costs something, and our decision point will cost us something: our own life, comfort, rest, some of the fleeting pleasures of this world.

B.Those who put their seal on the document: It was wonderful for the nation as a whole to feel that something needed to be done about the sin problem among them. But it didn't make sense unless people came and said, "uswill do something about it. Here were the leaders (84 in all) willing to risk their names for the covenant before God.

C.not document: These people in Nehemiah's day knew about the customs of covenant making and the importance of covenants with God. They remembered that God made a covenant with Abraham, promising that a nation and the Messiah would be descended from him; God made a covenant with Moses and the nation of Israel when he gave them the law on Mount Sinai; God made a covenant with King David and promised him that the Messiah would come from his family. But the greatest covenant, the New Covenant instituted by the Messiah, was yet to come.

2. (9-13) The Levites who signed the covenant.

The Levites: Yeshua, son of Azaniah, Binui, of the sons of Henadad,jCadmiel. Seus irmãos: Shebanjah, Hodiah, Kelita, Student, Hanan, Micah, Rehob, Hasabiah, Zacur, Sherebiah, Shebanjah, Hodiah, Bani,jBenin.

3. (14-27) The citizen leaders who signed the pact.

Die Führer des Volkes: Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hiskia, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam , Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaja, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub, Hallohesh, Pilhah, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabna, Maaseiah, Ahijah, Hanan, Hanan, Malluch, Harim,jMy.

B. The terms of the agreement.

1. (28-29) Making a covenant with God.

Now the rest of the people; the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all who had strayed from the peoples of the lands to the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all who had knowledge and understanding; these joined themselves to their brethren, their nobles, and took a curse and an oath to walk in the law of God which was given by Moses, the servant of God, and to keep and keep all the commandments of the Lord, our Lord, and his ordinances . and its status:

A.Now the rest of the people: The 84 people above sealed the pact, butthe rest of the people- that is,all who had knowledge and understanding– also made a pact with God.

B.Entered into a curse and an oath to walk in the law of God: By making the covenant, they agreed to take upon themselves a curse from God if they disobeyed Hislei. They accepted the curse as a form of His correction to bring them back to obedience.

you Many of us have done something similar. We probably don't pray, "God, curse me if I don't obey you." But many of us have prayed, “Lord, whatever happens, I want to follow You. No matter what the cost, I want to be your husband/wife." That's basically the same prayer, and it's a good one.

C.Their wives, their sons and their daughters, all who had knowledge and understanding: They made this pact public; While its most significant meaning was between the individual and God, it was also important for other people to be witnesses to the covenant. A public federation meant accountability.

2. (30) Your first decision area: Will we be faithful to God in our romantic relationships.

We will not give our daughters for wives to the peoples of the earth, nor will we take their daughters for our sons;

A.We would not give our daughters to the people of the earth as wives: This promise was addressed to parents. because that dayPaisHe made the marriage decisions, not the people getting married.

you If that pact were repeated today, it would not focus on parents, but on people who wanted to marry.

B.We would not give our daughters to the people of the earth as wives: This preserved the important principle that a follower of God should only marry another equally dedicated follower of God. It is evident from experience and observation that it is important to carefully and prayerfully choose a spouse.

Many of us have remarkable stories about being with our partner - some stories are romantic and some are quite bizarre. Once a couple is united, God wants to make that marriage special before Him, drawing the couple closer as they draw closer to God, just as the sides of a triangle draw closer together as they rise.

ii. But if you're not married now, it's important that you make the same pact. If you gave your life in the service of Jesus Christ, there will be difficulties when you marry someone who gave his life for something else. If you are in this situation right now, God can do great things, but you must never consciously choose to be in this place to begin with.

iii. The whole idea of ​​marriage is closely related to the idea ofBund. Maleaquias 2:14 says,And yet she is his consort and his alliance.. Marriage is a covenant between a man and a woman, between them and the whole family and witnesses, but above all between them and God.

IV. If we understand marriage as a pact, then we have something that unites us.but strongthe expectations of this societymore constantlike romantic love, andsaferWhat happy times, we have a pact.

3. (31) Second area of ​​decision: Will we be faithful to God when it comes to doing business.

Ethe peoples of the earth brought wares or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we did not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day; and we'd drop out of seventh gradeto productand the collection of all debts.

A.When the people of the earth bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath: According to the Old Testament law, God said that no one can buy or sell anything on the Sabbath. These citizens of Jerusalem broke that law and are now making a covenant with God to obey him.

B.We wouldn't buy on Saturday.: The motive for violating this law was clear. They could make more money selling seven days a week instead of six. This was a covenant to earn money only in a way that was obedient and glorified God.

You This is a great challenge for the church today, when many are in occupations where they have the opportunity to earn money in ways that are wrong in the eyes of God. We must have the same heart they had here and make a covenant before God to just make money in a way that obeys and glorifies him.

ii. As in Nehemiah's day, many of us slip subtly into these practices. We don't get up in the morning and say we're going to cut corners, deceive others and game the system. We do it because we believe in itto needfor: bills need to be paid, kids need stuff, etc.construction. But we really don't need to; if we trust God, he will provide for us. We must never trust our smart way of doing business more than God.

4. (32-39) The third decision area: We will be faithful to God in supporting God's work.

We also decreed by ordinances that we require from us every year one third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the showbread, for the perpetual grain offering, for the perpetual holocaust of the sabbaths, the new moons and the specified parts; for the holy things, for the atonement for the sin of Israel, and for all the works of the house of our God. We cast lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, to bring the offering of wood to the house of our God, according to the houses of our fathers, every year at the appointed times, to burn it on the altar of the Lord. our god howeswritten in lawwe made regulationsto bring the firstfruits of our land and the firstfruits of every fruit of every tree to the house of the Lord year after year; bring the firstborn of our children and of our livestock, aseswho are written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and flocks, to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God; bring the firstfruits of our Mass, our offerings, the fruits of all kinds of trees,ANDnew wine and oil for the priests, for the pantries of the house of our God; and bring the tithes of our land to the Levites, for the Levites will receive tithes in all our peasant communities. And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive tithes; and the Levites shall bring the tenth of the tithe into the house of our God, into the storehouses of the storehouse. For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi will bring offerings of grain, wine and oil to the granaries where the vessels of the sanctuary are.are wherethe ministering priests and the gatekeepers and the singersSohn;and we will not neglect the house of our God.

A.Demand from us every year a third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: They instituted an annual tax to support the running of the temple. They asked people to take turns bringing wood to the temple. They swore to obey the commandment to bring the firstborn, firstfruits, and tithes (ten percent of their land income) into the house of God.

you You only did two things. First, they agreed to give as God commanded (to the firstborn, firstfruits, and tithes). Second, they agreed to donate according to special needs (the one-third shekel and timber tax).

ii. Giving firstborns and firstfruits was a risky way because your land might not produce much more and your cow or sheep might not give birth again; However, the first one still belonged to God and was given to the priests. God has promised to bless this giving of the firstfruits and the firstborn in the faith:Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thy produce; that your barns may be filled and your vessels overflowing with new wine(Proverbs 3:9-10).

B.We will not neglect the house of our God: If before they had made a commitment to earn money only in a way that glorified God, here they made a commitment to spend their money in a way that glorified God, starting with giving to the Lord.

C.We will not neglect the house of our God: Simply put, the Bible says we are to be givers. Not so much because of those we give to, but because giving lifts our hearts to material things. God himself is the greatest giver.

you If you are so attached to money that you will no longer be a giver, then you have shown where your heart is when it comes to money.

ii. The New Testament speaks very clearly about the principle of giving; that giving should be regular, planned, proportionate, and private (1 Corinthians 16:1-4); which is to be given freely, freely, and cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9).

iii. If you hesitate to be a giver as the Bible dictates, just talk to those who are. Ask them if giving as God says has been a blessing or a curse in their lives. God promises that he never owes us anything, and we can't outlast God, even when the return is often much better than dollars and cents.

© 2022 Dielasting wordDavid Guzik's Bible Commentaryewm@palabraduradera.com