"On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah, Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these are the priests. And the Levites: Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; and their brothers, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, Hodiah, Bani, Beninu. The chiefs of the people: Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, Malluch, Harim, Baanah. "The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, 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. We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons. And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day. And we will forego the crops of the seventh year and the exaction of every debt. "We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God: for the showbread, the regular grain offering, the regular burnt offering, the Sabbaths, the new moons, the appointed feasts, the holy things, and the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God. We, the priests, the Levites, and the people, have likewise cast lots for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, according to our fathers' houses, at times appointed, year by year, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the Law. We obligate ourselves to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of every tree, year by year, to the house of the Lord ; also to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God, the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks; and to bring the first of our dough, and our contributions, the fruit of every tree, the wine and the oil, to the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and to bring to the Levites the tithes from our ground, for it is the Levites who collect the tithes in all our towns where we labor. And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites when the Levites receive the tithes. And the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the chambers of the storehouse. For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God."
- Nehemiah 10:1-39 ESV
Nehemiah is a revival of the people of Israel. A return to an understanding of the word of God. And after this encounter, there is an outpouring of confession followed by repentance and commitment to change. True repentance ends in not just emotion, but must end in devotion. True revival is more than just an emotional outpouring. A genuine work of the Spirit results in commitment and devotion.
Commitment: Total
The people of Israel admit to their failures. They are cut to the heart and they make a firm commitment in writing. The leaders of the people write an actual document and sign their names. Why the formality? The formality demonstrates their level of devotion. It is one thing to say I love you. It is another to vow before family, friends, and make legal documents to attest to love them for better and worse, till death do you part.
Not only this, but this was an oath to God. An oath before God cannot be broken without invoking a curse. They, the leaders, and all the people committed themselves to God and his commandments. Not just some, but all of them. To commit the entirety of their lives to God. That is to make God the Lord of all areas of living. God is either Lord of all or he is just a consultant. In Jesus, he is either Lord of all or not Lord at all. The church is not about being filled with people; it is about people being filled with God.
Commitment: Specific
Devotion must translate to specifics. In any area of your life, you need to commit to specifics plans and details. So areas that the people stumbled over were the ones people made specific commitments regarding. Israel named marriage to commit to God and to avoid worship of other gods in their households. They vowed to not buy on the Sabbath. These are all plans and commitments to devote themselves to God more and more.
So it is with us. We are to put aside all the idols specific to us. These commitments are specific and targeted to what we struggle in. Daily quiet time. Forgiving people who we begrudge. Reassessing our vows to our spouses. Considering how we have been raising our children in God.
The Spirit lives in the details. When the people of God are more present with one another, the presence of God is more present in our city.
Commitment: Perpetual
Jesus died for us and cover us in total. All of our sins are forgiven. Because of this, we commit ourselves and the rest of our lives to him.
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