THE OATH
NEHEMIAH CHAPTERS 7-10
FOCAL POINT: COMMITMENT MEANS OBEDIENCE.
I. INTRODUCTION
A. NEHEMIAH HAD JUST COMPLETED THE TASK OF REBUILDING THE WALLS AROUND JERUSALEM.
B. HE ALONG WITH EZRA WAS SETTING ABOUT RESTORING THE RELIGIOUS ORDER AMONG THE JEWS. THIS WAS LARGELY LOST BECAUSE OF THEIR EXILE IN BABYLONIAN AND PERSIAN CAPTIVITY. NEHEMIAH CHAPTERS 7-10 ADDRESSES THESE ISSUES.
C. THE JEWS ENTERED A “RENEWED” OATH OR COVENANT. IT WAS VERY MUCH SIMILAR TO THE ORIGINAL MOSAIC COVENANT.
D. IN SUMMATION IT BROADLY ADRRESS THE FOLLOWING:
1. HE SOUGHT THEM OUT.
2. HE LED THEM THROUGH.
3. HE LED THEM IN.
4. HE SAVED THEM FROM THEIR ENEMIES.
II. THE CHALLENGE-THE APPLICATION
A. NEHEMIAH 10: 1-26
1. THIS WAS THE ‘RENEWED’ COVENANT THEY WERE SIGNING. THIS WAS AFTER A CONFESSION OF THEIR SINS AGAINST GOD. READ NEHEMIAH 9: 38.
B. NEHEMIAH AND EZRA WERE SERIOUS ABOUT COMMITMENT AND WANTED THE EIGHTY- FOUR MEN WHO SIGNED THE DOCUMENT TO UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY OF OBEDIENCE. THESE WERE HEADS OF HOUSEHOLDS SO THE COMMITMENT SURELY MUST HAVE APPLIED TO ALL THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS (READ NEH. 10:28-29).
C. READ NEH. 10: 30-39 THIS OATH INCLUDED MARRIAGE ISSUES, OBSERVING THE SABBATH AND SABBATICAL YEAR, SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY WITHIN THE TEMPLE WALLS.
D. IT IS ONE THING TO READ THE WORD, TO HEAR THE WORD, TO GET EXPLANATION AND TEACHING ON THE WORD, TO SING AND REJOICE, TO PRAY ALOUD, SILENTLY OR IN THE SPIRIT, TO OPERATE IN THE GIFTS, BUT THE ISSUE IS TO OBEY. EZRA AND NEHEMIAH ASKED FOR A COMMITMENT TO OBEY. BELIEVER, WHERE ARE YOU WITH THIS ISSUE? COMMITMENT MEANS OBEDIENCE!
F. QUOTE FROM VANCE HAVNER. “MOST CHURCH MEMBERS LIVE SO FAR BELOW THE STANDARD; YOU’D HAVE TO BACKSLIDE TO BE IN FELLOWSHIP. WE ARE SO ABNORMAL THAT IF WE WERE TO BECOME NORMAL, PEOPLE WOULD THINK WE WERE ABNORMAL.”
REF: EXCERPTS FROM WARREN WIERSBE’S “WITH THE WORD”.
