In the previous article, having had the Law of Moses read to them (see Nehemiah 8:1-8, Nehemiah 9:3), the people are ready to put specific sins behind them. Hopefully, these are merely examples of how they will be following God’s commands, but there are several behaviors that are listed out, here.
“We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.
“When the neighboring peoples bring merchandise or grain to sell on the Sabbath, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on any holy day. Every seventh year we will forgo working the land and will cancel all debts.
Nehemiah 10:30-31 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/neh.10.30-31.NIV
From Ezra 9-10, we can learn that marrying into families of other nations around them was previously a problem for this nation, so it’s good that they are committing to not fall back into that same sin. As a reminder (from an earlier article), this seems to have been less about the ethnicity of their spouses, and more about the false worship of those from other nations.
Likewise, the people commit to not doing business with other nations on the Sabbath day, as well as agreeing to respect the rules of the Sabbath year.
“We assume the responsibility for carrying out the commands to give a third of a shekel each year for the service of the house of our God: for the bread set out on the table; for the regular grain offerings and burnt offerings; for the offerings on the Sabbaths, at the New Moon feasts and at the appointed festivals; for the holy offerings; for sin offerings to make atonement for Israel; and for all the duties of the house of our God.
“We—the priests, the Levites and the people—have cast lots to determine when each of our families is to bring to the house of our God at set times each year a contribution of wood to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the Law.
Nehemiah 10:32-34 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/neh.10.32-34.NIV
Do you remember how Darius, king of Persia, previously offered to provide for sacrifices at the temple of the God of the Israelites? (See Ezra 6:1-12) And, in a previous series of articles on this site, we talked about how Nehemiah had chosen to forgo taking from the people for his own food allowance?
Here, the people agree to give to God’s house, to help supply its needs so that those working at the temple could fulfill God’s commands about how worship in the temple should be done. (As a side note, a commentator [Schoville, cited below] mentioned that Jesus paid the temple tax, too, per Matthew 17:24-27 , although that time Jesus’ and Peter’s tax payment came from a fish!)
Giving money for the activities of the temple is good, but I like how bringing wood is practical. Sacrifices at the temple probably took a lot of fuel, I suppose, and so cutting wood and bringing it to the temple at a particular time of the year would be a helpful activity. This is something that pretty much any family could do, perhaps even involving multiple generations in this work.
There may be some people in this world who think that faith is personal, and doesn’t extend from one person to the next. There are other people who think that they can have their own faith, and don’t need anyone else.
However, the Bible is pretty clear that God’s people – whether the Israelites in the time of Nehemiah or the church today – are to work together for the good of God’s kingdom. This includes those committed to ministry work (whether priests and Levites in Israel, or ministers, administrators, missionaries, and others in the church today), but it also includes those who support these Christians who are in “full-time ministry”. While all Christians are called to their respective roles in the body of Christ, there is structure that allows the body to work effectively.
So, I encourage you to consider what practical steps you could take to help out the family of God today. It doesn’t have to be money. Sometimes, just hauling wood is what someone else needs.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for February 26, 2023
References:
- The Lookout, February 26, 2023, © 2022 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Ezra-Nehemiah, by Keith Schoville. © 2001 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 