“Now the rest of the people, the
priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants and all
those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the law of
God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, all those who had knowledge
and understanding, are joining with their kinsmen, their nobles, and are taking
on themselves a curse and an oath to walk in God’s law.” (vv.28-29)
Here in Nehemiah 10, God’s people made an oath, vowing to follow all
the commands, laws, and regulations of the Lord. This oath was so serious that
they were willing to accept the curse of God if they failed to keep these
commands. The resolution referred to matters in which the people had already
failed— namely, of inter-marriage with the surrounding idolatrous peoples, of
neglect of the Sabbath, of Temple maintenance and arrangement, and of the
offering of first-fruits and tithes.
Just as God's people recognized the need for spiritual changes in their lives, we too should take spiritual stock of ours. As the New Year approaches, spend some time in reflection and
prayer, ask God to show you what spiritual resolutions you may need to make. While
your resolutions may not be as drastic as what we’ve been reading about here, they
are needed. Therefore, don’t just recognize the
need, act on it.
The Truth
“Again
you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely,
but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ (Matthew 5:33)
