Today in God's Word—April 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
April 23, Nehemiah 10
The rest of the people... all who have knowledge and understanding, join with their brothers, their nobles, and enter into a curse and 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 10:28-29
The Declaration of Independence is he best- known, group-attested document in perhaps all of history, but certainly in United States history. I've been to the National Archives in Washington, D.C. I’ve seen the original Declaration of Independence in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom. The historic document there is not the first draft, but the engrossed copy, the piece of paper actually signed by the 56 delegates.
You've probably seen “open letters” published in newspapers on the Editorial page or maybe as a paid advertisement. A group of doctors or lawyers or religious leaders or politicians or concerned citizens sign such documents to express their endorsement, agreement, protest or support of some person or idea. If you’ve ever signed a petition, you have signed such a document.
The people who signed and sealed the covenant in Nehemiah 10 were not declaring their independence, but rather their submission to God and his Law. The names that fill the first 27 verses of the chapter are like the 56 names signed on the bottom of the page in the Declaration of Independence. They weren't the only people who agreed with the declaration, but they were the representatives of many people back home. Nehemiah had been the most prominent leader of the people for several years and his name tops the list. We don't know who most of the other people on the list really were. We do recognize Seriah as the family name of Ezra. There's Hattush, the descendant
of David we met back in Chapter 7 on the list of returned exiles.
What these people signed is more important than knowing who all these people were. This document was a pledge to walk in God's Law. They were promising under oath and curse to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord. In addition to the general blanket promise to observe and keep all the Law, they mentioned several specifics. They would not intermarry with the pagans around them. They would keep the Sabbath, and observe the Sabbath year of letting the ground rest every seventh year. They would pay the "temple tax" (originally a half-shekel, but reduced to a third of a shekel here) to support the temple. They also vowed to faithfully bring their offerings to support the priests and Levites in their ministry. And they concluded with the beautiful statement, “We will not neglect the house of our God.”
Would you sign such a statement? Would you be willing to express your solemn intention and strong commitment to faithfully obey God, put it in writing and sign it? Then, would you discipline yourself to put it into practice, and ask God to bless and enable you to keep your pledge? We have all probably signed some commitment (like a loan or a contract) that we later perhaps regretted. But in this statement of holy intent, there is no downside or negative consequence at all. God's will is the best thing for us to do. He does not withhold any good thing from us if we will walk in his ways. To make such a vow is in no way a burden. Keeping that covenant pledge will not diminish your quality of life or harm you in any way!
Our blessed Lord Jesus Christ pledged from eternity to keep the ultimate commitment to the will of God. He emptied himself to enter this world, being born of Mary. He lived a humble, impoverished life of complete obedience to his Father. When the time came, he died on the cross, not for his sins, but for ours. God raised
him from the dead, and he reigns today over his kingdom, his body, the church. He invites all who will to come to him, surrendering themselves to live for him. Our Savior who laid down his life for us deserves no less than our wholehearted commitment to him live for him.
Copyright © 2023 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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