Have you ever made an agreement with someone and then had to put it in writing? Putting it in writing takes a spoken agreement and puts it into a written form that everyone can see and ensures accountability if you back out later. It is a lot harder to deny a written commitment than a commitment only reached with unrecorded words!
In Nehemiah 10, God’s People put their renewed spiritual commitment down in writing. As was common in the Bible and in their times, they renewed the covenant treaty relationship between them and God. Based on their redemption from exile, they committed to keeping the covenant God made with them at Sinai. It was not legalism, it was a heartfelt desire to show their commitment to God, and put it in writing.
A lot has happened for God’s People in Nehemiah’s day. After years of exile, groups had returned under both Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild the Temple and city walls. Now both stood complete, and God’s People stood together as they were reminded of God’s covenant with them, and proclaimed their repentance for their past unfaithfulness.
To show that this was not fake repentance but heartfelt, God’s People renewed the covenant with God. Following in the line of others in Scripture before, such as Joshua, Hezekiah, and Josiah, they put their devotion to God and their commitment to serve him in writing.
Since everyone signing would have required a lot of paper and a long time, representatives signed on behalf of all. Nehemiah the governor, Jeshua the priest, and other nobles all signed the document (vv.1-27). They were joined by the enthusiastic support of the rest of the population (vv.28-9).
This covenant was an agreement to obey the commands of the Law, “to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord and his rules and his statutes” (v.29). Their agreement was a fresh generation of Israelites committing themselves to serve God.
There were several promises made as part of this fresh covenant approval. The first was that “we will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons” (v.30). This was not a promise based in racism, but in religion. While some foreigners (eg, Ruth) became believers and married into God’s People, most cases were not so. Intermarriage quickly threatened to introduce unbelief and false teaching into the mix (v.31).
The second promise was to keep the Sabbath and “not buy from them [foreigners] on the Sabbath or on a holy day”(v.31).
The third promise was to “forgo the crops of the seventh year” (v.31). This demonstrated faith in God to provide in the previous six.
Next, they would cease “exaction of every debt” (v.31). There were clear rules for the treatment of the poor and those who had borrowed, often only in times of great need. Rather than bankrupting these people, releasing them from their debt every seven years showed trust in God to provide and care for their fellow.
Finally, they committed to providing the needs of the Temple for its operation (vv.32-39). This included paying the tax to redeem every firstborn son, and the various offerings and other requirements that showed they were not neglecting God. These offerings also allowed the Priests and Levites to carry on their duties of leading worship and sacrifice in the Temple, rather than having to make their own living.
These promises were representative of keeping the whole of the Law given to them at Mount Sinai. The particular promises were probably specific ways in which they, as God’s People, were not obedient to the Law. But the implied promise behind this was that they would seek to obey all of God’s Law, because they desired to please him from a repentant heart.
Like them, we also find that particular sins come to our attention. We rightly repent of these sins, and commit ourselves to removing them from our lives, and instead acting in ways which please God in respect of these sinful behaviours. This is not to try and earn God’s favour, but because God has already smiled on us with his favour and we want to please him out of love and thankfulness.
As we look at this list which God’s People highlighted, we can see some similarities to our own lives today. For example, while the ethnic distinction has gone with Christ’s coming, we must still watch who we yoke ourselves with in marriage or business. Do we prioritise worshiping God on Sunday, or worldly affairs? Do we trust God to provide for our every need? Do we care for the poor, and for the provision of God’s kingdom?
Truthfully, we too need to reflect on our answers to these questions, repent of our failings, and commit ourselves to reforming our lives so that they please God.
But we must also remember that the purpose is not to earn God’s favour, but because God has already shown us his favour by saving us through trust in Christ.