Nehemiah 10

October 21, 2022

SOAP

To read this text,

Nehemiah 10:28-29

28 “The rest of the people—priests, Levites, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants and all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand— 29 all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our Lord.

 What has been occurring?  Repair and rebuilding. What is happening now? Reinforcement and obligations of the covenant.

To me, this is what the covenant was all about. The people promised to obey God’s law and swore a penalty on themselves if it was broken. Once you read past the names and get the gist there were many aspects mentioned specifically that the people agreed to do. Here, the people were bluntly honest about their shortcomings. They owned it and made a pledge to change it.

Covenants always cost something, and this was no different.  Some of the costs to follow God would be personal.  They always are. 

What does a covenant or the cost mean in true discipleship?

I don’t want to be careless about this but I am. I am broken and a sinner.  Just like  the people in Nehemiah sealing this covenant with obligations.  Like them, I know my shortcomings too and that it requires me to make changes. To come humbly before God trust his will, pray, listen and obey.

God was repairing and rebuilding the broken relationship the people had with him.  This covenant was reinforcing his desire for them to be the people he intended them to be.  I am so grateful he continues to do this with us still.

The same is true with us.  God expects actions to follow our words and follow in all ways.    His grace and love is unending and there is no doubt his expectations of us to change is also present.

Let’s pray….

Heavenly father, thank you for the blessings of this day. I am so grateful we can come into your presence and ask you to let your light shine in our hearts to strengthen us in times of need and trouble. I know through all the storms and distress of the world, we come to you in repentance and find total freedom and forgiveness! It’s in Your precious name we pray AMEN