Return from Exile: Nehemiah 10 (3)

Pray Psalm 78.8-16.
And may [we] not be like their fathers,
A stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that did not set its heart aright,
And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows,
Turned back in the day of battle.
They did not keep the covenant of God;
They refused to walk in His law,
And forgot His works
And His wonders that He had shown them.
Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers,
In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
He also brought streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

Sing Psalm 78.8-16.
(Foundation: How Firm a Foundation)
Our fathers were stubborn; they would not obey;
when faced with their foes they in fear turned away.
God’s work of redemption they wholly despised,
forgetting the pow’r He had shown to their eyes.

Read Nehemiah 10.1-31; meditate on verses 30, 31.

Preparation
1. To what did the people agree?

2. What did they swear concerning the Sabbaths?

Meditation
Now Nehemiah begins to unpack the details of this covenant into which the people have freely entered, following their leaders. Walk in God’s Law. Keep all His commandments. No pagan wives or husbands. Honor the Sabbath.

Yeah, right.

The reason all this is written down is so that it will be available to remind the people, a few chapters hence, of how shallow their commitment was. Their high-flying words and promises notwithstanding, these people are still captive to sin and self. They need more than a high-powered worship service, a handful of charismatic leaders, a cool new program to join, and hyped-up hearts to get busy serving the Lord.

Here, in the course of a few chapters, the entire history of Old Testament Israel plays out. God saves. God gives His Word and promises to bless. The people get excited and swear on a stack of Bibles to do all the Lord has spoken. Then they go right out and do just what they want.

They need more than what they have here to be the true people of God. And that more is coming.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but such as keep the law contend with them” (Prov. 28.4).

Keep God’s law and don’t do anything that is not acceptable to Him.
Omit doing things that displease Him.

As with so many things in the Christian’s life, obedience of omission works.
Just say, “No”. Don’t do or participate in anything antithetical to His law.

“Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked, and
Do not walk in the way of evil.
Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on” (Prov. 4.13-15).

Nehemiah’s people of God agreed that: If the people of the land try to sell us anything on the Sabbath or a holy day, we will not buy it from them on those days. They assumed that for others the Sabbath would not be special, and that commerce would in fact be taking place; however, their God expected them not to participate. Simple, that. Not rocket science.

We are God’s people today. And we are not left wondering what He wants from us. His law is permanent.
Jesus Christ, the perfect fulfillment of His Law “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13.8). “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2 Cor. 6.16).

“Therefore”, as Paul quoted these eternally instructive words from the Old Testament, “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty” (2 Cor. 6.17, 18; Is. 52.11; 2 Sam. 7.14; Ezek. 20.34, 41).

Be God’s person…contend with evil by keeping the Law!
Sometimes it is simply as easy as doing nothing.

For reflection
1. Christianity is not just a matter of words—saying what we believe and sticking to it. Explain.

2. How can you know when you are being tempted to do something contrary to God’s will? How should you respond?

3. Paul cites two reasons for learning and obeying the Law in Romans 7.7, 12. What are they?

But the peoples of the land seek a way to profane our sabbath by bringing in all sorts of things to sell us on the holy day because unclean spirits try hard to pollute the cleanness of our heart; and once they have received the payment of our consent, they heap on us the enticements of the vices in order to defile the day of greatest holiness… The Venerable Bede (672-735), On Ezra and Nehemiah 3.30

Pray Psalm 78.32-55.
In your own walk with the Lord, where do you need to know more of His power enabling you to seek and advance His Kingdom? Call on Him, in very specific terms, to send you that power today.

Sing Psalm 78.32-55.
(Foundation: How Firm a Foundation)
When troubled, they turned to the LORD’s loving face;
He met them and showed them His marvelous grace.
They spoke of their love for Him, yet in their heart
of His holy cov’nant they wanted no part.

Full often His anger against them arose,
as they ev’ry path of rebelliousness chose.
They tested Him, grieved Him, forgot all His deeds;
His anger engulfed them with frightening speed.

And yet like a flock He His people would tend
with care and compassion, as close as a friend.
He led them and brought them into the sweet land
where they in His grace and protection could stand.

T. M. and Susie Moore

Two books can help us understand our own captivity and lead us to seek revival and renewal in the Lord. The Church Captive asks us to consider the ways the Church today has become captive to the world. And Revived! can help us find the way to renewal. Learn more and order your free copies by clicking here and here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available free by clicking here