God’s Guiding Word: Prayer
Introduction
Nehemiah 10:28–39: Today’s reading outlines the terms of the agreement from yesterday’s reading (9:38). The people take an oath to live according to God’s Law and promise to keep all of God’s laws and requirements. The reading concludes with the people promising not to neglect the house of their God.
Scripture Reading
28 We, the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the Temple guards, the Temple musicians, the Temple workers, and all others who in obedience to God’s Law have separated themselves from the foreigners living in our land, we, together with our wives and all our children old enough to understand, 29 do hereby join with our leaders in an oath, under penalty of a curse if we break it, that we will live according to God’s Law, which God gave through his servant Moses; that we will obey all that the Lord, our Lord, commands us; and that we will keep all his laws and requirements.
30 We will not intermarry with the foreigners living in our land.
31 If foreigners bring grain or anything else to sell to us on the Sabbath or on any other holy day, we will not buy from them.
Every seventh year we will not farm the land, and we will cancel all debts.
32 Every year we will each contribute one-eighth of an ounce of silver to help pay the expenses of the Temple.
33 We will provide for the Temple worship the following: the sacred bread, the daily grain offering, the animals to be burned each day as sacrifices, the sacred offerings for Sabbaths, New Moon Festivals, and other festivals, the other sacred offerings, the offerings to take away the sins of Israel, and anything else needed for the Temple.
34 We, the people, priests, and Levites, will draw lots each year to determine which clans are to provide wood to burn the sacrifices offered to the Lord our God, according to the requirements of the Law.
35 We will take to the Temple each year an offering of the first grain we harvest and of the first fruit that ripens on our trees.
36 The first son born to each of us we will take to the priests in the Temple and there, as required by the Law, dedicate him to God. We will also dedicate the first calf born to each of our cows, and the first lamb or kid born to each of our sheep or goats.
37 We will take to the priests in the Temple the dough made from the first grain harvested each year and our other offerings of wine, olive oil, and all kinds of fruit.
We will take to the Levites, who collect tithes in our farming villages, the tithes from the crops that grow on our land. 38 Priests who are descended from Aaron are to be with the Levites when tithes are collected, and for use in the Temple the Levites are to take to the Temple storerooms one-tenth of all the tithes they collect. 39 The people of Israel and the Levites are to take the contributions of grain, wine, and olive oil to the storerooms where the utensils for the Temple are kept and where the priests who are on duty, the Temple guards, and the members of the Temple choir have their quarters.
We will not neglect the house of our God.
Today’s Key Verse: Nehemiah 10:29b
“We will obey all that the LORD, our Lord, commands us.”
Reflect
Read through the agreement. What do the people promise to do? Are any of these stipulations relevant for your community of faith? The people are willing to receive God’s curse if they should fail to keep their promises to God (verse 29). Note the reference in verse 28 to the people agreeing to separate themselves from foreigners living in the land, since it was believed that such associations could lead to the adoption of sinful religious practices and the worship of foreign gods (see Ezra 9:1–2). What promises have you made to God? In what ways will you demonstrate living out your faith today?
Pray
Loving and merciful God, help me to keep your commandments and walk in your ways. May all I do and say this day be in accord with your will as I seek to serve you. In your holy name, I pray. Amen.
Tomorrow’s Reading
Esther 2:1–23: A Jewish woman becomes queen of Persia.