Nehemiah 10:28-39
Ne 10:28
And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the
porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves
from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and
their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding;
Then all of those in Jerusalem after seeing that the
religious and political leadership having separated themselves and signed a
covenant to that effect, the rest of the people followed their example to
completely rid themselves of the pagan ways that they had come under while in
Babylon. Now after Ezra and the
priests brought the people the word of God they were now endowed with
understanding and turned back to the law of God to keep it in obedience.
The men of Jerusalem now returned again to their families because in
pagan cultures multiple wives or temple prostitution was part of their religion
and now the men had begun to come back to monogamy under the law of God and this
included their children that they would not marry pagan wives or husbands.
Ne 10:29
They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered
into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses
the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our
Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;
Then all the people clave to their brethren and the
nobles. The word “clave” means to
“hold fast or to cling to.” They
were now adhering to the covenant of obedience that the nobles had signed.
The curse was also part of covenant making in that anyone who broke the
covenant would be subject to a curse.
But it shall come to pass, if thou
wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his
commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these
curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee: (Deuteronomy 28:15)
They had now determined to be completely obedient to the law of God.
This would be the moral, ceremonial, and the judicial aspects of the law
of God.
Ne 10:30
And that we would not give our daughters unto the people
of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:
One part of the covenant they adhered to was to not allow
marriages between the pagan men and their daughters and the pagan women and
their sons. Israel was set apart as
God’s covenant people and they were to be a race of pure people.
The pagans only polluted the people and this was one of the major reasons
that they went into captivity in Babylon so they had understanding in this
manner and refused to allow mixed marriages.
Ne 10:31
And if the people of the land bring ware or any
victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on
the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh
year, and the exaction of every debt.
Then they determined that they would be obedient to the
Sabbath law. If anyone brought any
wares which were goods or merchandise or any victuals which would have been
things like barely or corn and attempted to sell them on the Sabbath day, then
the people of Jerusalem would not buy them in obedience to the covenant of
obedience they made. This would
apply to the times of the holy days or the feasts that no business would be
transacted during those times. The
seventh year was also a time for the grounds to be given their sabbath rest.
But in the seventh year shall be a
sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow
thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. (Leviticus 25:4)
Then there were also monetary debts which were to be forgiven on the
seventh or sabbath year.
And this
is the manner of the release:
Every creditor that lendeth ought
unto his neighbour shall release it;
he shall not exact it of his
neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD'S release.
(Deuteronomy 15:2) This is why
many of the wealthy Israelites hesitated to loan money in the sixth year knowing
that in the seventh year they had to forgive the debts.
Ne 10:32
Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves
yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God;
Then they created an ordinance which was not found in the
law of God but there was precedence for it.
The rich shall not give more, and
the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when
they give an offering unto the
LORD, to make an atonement for your souls. (Exodus 30:15)
It was the same situation here that each would give a third part of
shekel as an offering for the temple service.
The rich would not give more and the poor would not give less.
This way the temple would have ongoing assets in case any repairs are
needed or any emergency arises.
Ne 10:33
For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering,
and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the
set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an
atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.
The third part of a shekel given by 50 or 60,000 people
would be enough to fund the necessities of the temple.
It would fund all the necessities of the special days such as the day of
Atonement or Sabbaths, plus it would keep the temple supplied with oil so the
lamps would burn perpetually.
The pure candlestick,
with the lamps thereof,
even with the lamps to be set
in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light, (Exodus 39:37)
This would also supply the needs of the porters, singers and the
Nethinims. The one third shekel
would cover all the necessities of the work of the house of God.
Ne 10:34
And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and
the people, for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God,
after the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon
the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law:
Normally the responsibility of gathering the wood was
given to the Nethinims. There were
also times that all classes of people would partake in that wood gathering.
There was also a “wood offering.”
And for the wood offering, at
times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
(Nehemiah 13:31) This had
eventually became a festival called “the Feast of Wood-Carrying” which was done
on a day in Ab which was August and it was the last day of the year which wood
would be cut for that purpose and all the people of the land brought wood to the
temple on that day regardless of their position in the community.
And the fire upon the altar shall
be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it
every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn
thereon the fat of the peace offerings. (Leviticus 6:12)
The burnt offerings were offered upon wood.
It was symbolic as the Lord Jesus Christ who was the final sacrifice for
the sins of the Elect and was crucified on a wooden cross.
Ne 10:35
And to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the
firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD:
They would also bring in the firstfruits of the ground
and the trees into the temple which would supply food for the priests plus it
was a command of the LORD for the purpose of giving thanks for a good harvest.
The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring
into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's
milk. (Exodus 23:19)
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them,
When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest
thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the
priest: (Leviticus 23:10)
A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees,
and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey; (Deuteronomy 8:8)
Ne 10:36
Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as
it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks,
to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of
our God:
Sanctify unto me
all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel,
both of man and of beast: it
is mine. (Exodus 13:2)
Then according to the law they were to bring in firstborn of Israel,
which was both man and beast into the house of the LORD.
There was difference in the firstborn of the cattle which could have
contained donkeys which were unclean and the firstborn of their herds and
flocks.
But the firstling of a cow, or the
firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat, thou shalt not redeem; they
are holy: thou shalt sprinkle
their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat
for an offering made by fire,
for a sweet savour unto the LORD. (Numbers 18:17)
Ne 10:37
And that we should bring the firstfruits of our
dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of
oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes
of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in
all the cities of our tillage.
Then they are to bring the dough offerings to the temple.
Ye shall offer up a cake of the
first of your dough for an
heave offering: as ye do the
heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it. (Numbers 15:20)
Then they were to bring in all manner of trees which created oil and wine
for the priests.
And when ye shall come into the land, and
shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit
thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it
shall not be eaten of. (Leviticus 19:23)
All the best of the oil, and all
the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall
offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee. (Numbers 18:12)
Then the priests in the temple would have all the tithes of the
surrounding cities of all that was tilled or grown.
And, behold, I have given the
children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service
which they serve, even the
service of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Numbers 18:21)
Ne 10:38
And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the
Levites, when the Levites take tithes: and the Levites shall bring up the tithe
of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure
house.
Then when the tithes were collected, there was always to
be a priest with the Levites to help collect them and tally them up to prevent
any temptation of pilfering. Then
they were to bring a tenth of the tithe which was to be placed into the treasure
house of the temple.
Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto
them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you
from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it
for the LORD, even a tenth
part of the tithe. (Numbers
18:26) There was a special
chamber set aside to hold the tithes.
Ne 10:39
For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall
bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers,
where are the vessels of the sanctuary, and the priests that minister,
and the porters, and the singers: and we will not forsake the house of our God.