Episodes
Monday Aug 07, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community, The Covenant: Nehemiah 10:1-39
Monday Aug 07, 2017
Monday Aug 07, 2017
Nehemiah: Rebuilding A Community
The Covenant
Nehemiah 10:1-39
The Sealers & Swearers (v. 1-29)
- A list of those who sealed the Covenant scrolls is given:
- Nehemiah, the governor (v. 1)
- The priests (v. 2-8)
- The Levites (v. 9-13)
- The leaders of families (v. 14-27)
- Everyone swore an oath to obey God’s commands given to Moses (v. 28-29)
- Including calling down a curse on themselves if they failed to keep the Law
- See the curses in Deut. 27:15–26; 30:19
- Following the form of a suzerain covenant between a king and his vassals
- Including calling down a curse on themselves if they failed to keep the Law
The Specifics (v. 30-39)
- Not intermarry with foreigners (v. 30)
- Not about ethnicity
- ) Rahab & Ruth
- About being pulled away to false gods (Ex. 34:11–16; Deut. 7:1–4; 20:10–18)
- Not about ethnicity
- Keep the Sabbath (v. 31)
- Weekly, by foregoing commerce on that day
- Every 7 years, by giving the land rest (Ex. 23:10–11) and forgiving debts (Ex. 21:2–6; Deut. 15:1–2)
- Taking care of the Temple (v. 32-34)
- By giving money (v. 32-33)
- 1/3 shekel = $176 today
- $45 million/year (Neh. 7:66)
- This was for regular operations
- Not including other tithes and offerings
- By providing wood for the offerings (v. 34)
- 1/3 shekel = $176 today
- Taking care of the Priests & Levites (v. 35-36)
- Firstfruits= best of everything
- Levites & priests didn’t have land
- It was the rest of Israel’s job to take care of them
- 10% of everything went to the Levites
- The priests & the Temple were taken care of by the tithe of the Levites (Num. 18:25–32)
- By giving money (v. 32-33)
The Law’s Role for Us
- As followers of Jesus, we are under a different covenant than the Israelites were (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; 2 Cor. 3:6; Heb 7:22; 8:6, 8-10, 13; 9:15; 10:16; 12:24; 13:20)
- Thus, the Law does not directly apply to us
- However, it is still God’s word for us
- Because it shows us God’s character and concerns
- Christians are called to not marry non-Christians (1 Cor. 6:14)
- So that we are not pulled away from our devotion to Christ
- Christians are called to enter into the Sabbath rest provided by Jesus (Heb. 4:9-11)
- Which, in practice, means taking time to rest from our work
- Christians are called to take care of the Temple of God
- The Church as a people (1 Co 3:16-17; 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21; 1 Pet. 2:5)
- Including those in full-time ministry (1 Cor. 9:9ff; 1 Tim. 5:17-18)
- Including giving to fund the ministries of the Church (2 Cor. 9:7)
So What?
- The people committed themselves to obey God fully
- Are we committed to do the same?
- Or do we pick and choose how we are obedient?
Meditation Verse: Nehemiah 10:29
Version: 20230822
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