Nehemiah 10:28 says. And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; Those listed here were people who served in the temple and their wives and children, and it says they separated themselves from the rest of the people. It also tells us that they had a knowledge of the Law, which was God’s Law and not just the laws of the government. We as followers of Christ must separate ourselves spiritually from the people of the world and know what God’s law says. We are not called on to separate ourselves physically though but instead ae told to go into the world and share the gospel of Christ.
Verse twenty-nine adds, They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the Lord our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes; It says that they entered into a curse and an oath to serve along with their brothers and nobles. I believe this means that they took an oath that they would be cursed if they didn’t obey God’s law. Until we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we will be accursed by God. When we do, we enter into a personal relationship and individually must take an oath to obey His word, and if we don’t obey Him, our actions will be accursed even though we are saved.
Verse thirty continues, And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, not take their daughters for our sons: The people also swore that they wouldn’t allow their daughters to marry a man who wasn’t a part of the people of Israel, nor would they allow their sons to marry women who weren’t. We cannot stop our sons and daughters from marrying whomever they want to marry, but we can teach them the importance of marrying a fellow believer.
Verse thirty-one states, And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt. The people further swore that they would not buy anything on the Sabbath day and that they would keep the Sabbath day and the Sabbath year in accordance with God’s word. I wonder what would happen if God’s people made that same promise today concerning the Lord’s Day, or Sunday or any day set aside to worship and glorify God. Of course, since I am not sure we are anywhere near a majority here in America, it might not stop business from being conducted, but it would at least keep us true to God’s law.
Verse thirty-two adds, Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God; They also made an ordinance to pay a tax I believe would be the best way to describe it yearly to support the work in the temple. We are not taxed or compelled by any law of man to support the work of the church in the world today, but as Christians, we must support God’s work willingly.
Verse thirty-three continues, For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. Then, there is a list of things this yearly charge would be used for. If we support the work of the church today, we need to know that what we give is being used to grow and sustain the church. We may not be in charge of how the things we give to God are used, but we still have a responsibility to ensure that what we give is being used properly.
No comments:
Post a Comment