Nehemiah 10

[1] Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,

·         The very first person to sign the document was the leader.

·         Zidkijah was likely his secretary on stage with him.

·         Of the 21 names that follow 13 are mentioned in chapter 12 as the families who came out of exile in Babylon, and in chapter 12:11-20 as heads of the priestly houses.

·         Interestingly, Ezra is not in this list.

[2] Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
[3] Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah,
[4] Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
[5] Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
[6] Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
[7] Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
[8] Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests.

·         Now the list of the Levites who signed

[9] And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;
[10] And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
[11] Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,
[12] Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
[13] Hodijah, Bani, Beninu.

·         Now for the people of the land who signed

·         There were 34 places listed last time, here there are 44, 13 of which overlap.

[14] The chief of the people; Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani,
[15] Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
[16] Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
[17] Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur,
[18] Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,
[19] Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
[20] Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
[21] Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua,
[22] Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
[23] Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub,
[24] Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek,
[25] Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
[26] And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,
[27] Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

[28] 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;

·         Remember the Nethinims are the servants of the temple, going all the way back to Joshua.

·         Also here were the ones who had already separated themselves from foreign wives, or who never had married in the first place.

·         All who were old enough to understand such things were here to make a confession and a commitment.

[29] 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;

·         Having read them they were forefront in their minds

·         They bound themselves to the curse in the law, and to do all the law, but what they were really binding themselves to was loving God. God doesn’t want burnt animals Jeremiah 7:22, He wants our devotion and love.

[30] And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:

·         This was a large part of what went wrong with them in the first place, and why they had to resist Tobiah so strenuously, because as an enemy he had already married in.

·         Balaam used the young women to seduce the men to forgo worshipping God. Forbidden sexuality is deeply connected with total immorality.

[31] 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 Sabbath was the sign of being faithful to the covenant

·         Every seven years meant that they would have to store up food and provisions from the other 6. It would act as a naturally occurring way to get them to think about the future, and their ultimate future. The command came from Exodus 23:10

·         The idea of working in the market and transacting for food was the wrong one. The manna in the desert showed that God wanted them to plan ahead for this rest

[32] 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;

·         If they were concerned about following the Lord they would have to put their money up, and take care of the Lords house.

·         The command was for half a shekel, Exodus 30:13. They were so destitute that 1/3 was all they could muster. In Christ’s day it was back to half a shekel, Matthew 17:24

[33] 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.

·         The tax was to provide for the things of God in the temple Numbers 28:3-8

·         The sacrifices Numbers 28:9-15

·         The festivals Numbers 28:16-29

·         Jesus was the true and better temple sacrifice, His offering to God to appease the wrath was once for all.

[34] And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God, after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law:

·         Normally this would fall to the temple servants, but they were too few to perform all the duties assigned, and needed help.

·         The wood was to burn continually, it does not say from where this would come Leviticus 6:12

[35] And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:

·         Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Deut 26:2 “The first of the firstfruits of the land thou shalt bring unto the house of the Lord thy God.”

·         The firstfruits is symbolic and foreshadows Christ, who was the first from the dead, the First born over all creation

[36] Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God:

·         The firstborn must be redeemed Numbers 18:16

·         The firstborn would remind them of their bondage in Egypt

·         Jesus was redeemed after Herod died, after He came out of Egypt as a baby.

[37] And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.

·         There was a disturbing lack of concern for the Levites

[38] And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.

·         The storehouses existed for this very purpose, that the Priests and Levites would have enough.

·         The priests would oversee the collection, and keep them in the temple

[39] For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers, where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister, and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.

·         In serving the things of God they are serving God Himself, for God is a spirit and does not need anything, but gives life to everyone and everything.

·         Likewise we in the church serve our brothers and sisters and thus serve God.