Nehemiah 10:28-29 – “The rest of the people…all who have knowledge and understanding…enter into…an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes.”
Nehemiah 10 serves, essentially, as a family mission statement for the family of God in that city to live united as God’s people on God’s mission.
To summarize the united family mission statement, it basically says:
- We will obey Scripture – “…enter into…an oath to walk in God’s Law that was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord and his rules and his statutes.” (10:29)
- We will lead our families – “We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.” (10:30)
- We will worship our God – “And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day.” (10:31)
- We will only marry believers – “We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.” (10:30)
- We will conduct business ethically – “And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day.” (10:31)
- We will give generously – “We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God…We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord…” (10:32, 35)
- We will make church a priority – “…We will not neglect the house of our God.” (Nehemiah 10:39)
These people signed this covenant not because they wanted to create more laws but because they wanted to create guardrails for healthy, happy, holy relationships, just like our loving Heavenly Father does for us, as they lived, worked, and worshipped together.
Of the seven areas they pledged, which would be the most difficult for you personally? Why?