Nehemiah 9:38-10:1-38: A Binding Promise To God

^9:38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it.”<sup>[d]
  
Israel had such a revival of repentance and desire to obey and please God that they wanted to make a binding agreement with Him.  They had read the Word and found his decrees, they had recalled their history of turning from Him and they wanted to avoid a repeat of that at all cost. Let's take a look at the things they felt were important to promise.  Examine your heart and see what things God would have you promise and decree.  Remember knowledge of God's decrees and repentance came before they formed their promise.  


Overview of Israel's promise</sup>

• ^{Marriage:  We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the people of the surrounding people's and not to take the daughters of the surrounding people's for their sons.  They saw the importance of not allowing the influence of those who did not serve God come into their families.  They realized that this was a prime tool of the enemy to draw them away from faith in the true God.}
• Sabbath:  When the people's surrounding us try to sell things on the Sabbath we will not.  We will remember the Lord.  When people today try to get us to forsake God's house are as determined.  When we are tempted not to have a day of rest do we remember God rested as an example to us.  
• ^{Offerings, tithe, and first fruits, storehouse The people wanted to bring a prescribed offering that would sustain the temple.  They also wanted to bring the offerings that the law required.  The tithes and offerings and the first fruits of their crops.  They wanted to trust God with their finances and have a heart toward God in their giving so the ministries of the temple would go forth.  Do we have that same enthusiasm toward giving for the right reasons.  Keeping the ministry of the temple would keep the nation on track with God, it would reach out to those who would seek the living God and it would give Glory to the living God.}

<sup>The last few days we've talked about their confession of sin and repentance.  Joshua got some worship cd's for us all to worship along.  Here is a song that talks about the very same thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bytbtZ5EVpc</sup>