We were having Internet issues yesterday. We apologize this is late. But here is yesterdays Devotional! Day 38 A lot had happened since Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem. Even though we’re only in chapter 10, in literary terms, time-wise all the things we’ve discussed so far took place during his first 12 years as governor of Judah. As we read history, we forget to allow for the passage of time. After all, he managed to rebuild a city wall in 52 days, shouldn’t figuring out what to promise God be just as “easy”? Actually, it is easy to find out what promises to make, if you identify what promises have been broken in the past. It really isn’t rocket science, but it’s worth serious thought. The Israelites bound 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.” Nehemiah 10:29 So, they made a binding written document, sealed it, and then put a curse and an oath with it. As for their promises: purity in marriage (not marrying outside of the Jewish faith); keeping the Sabbath Day holy (one of the big 10), not buying or selling on the Sabbath; every 7 years letting the land rest and canceling debts (Jubilee); and various other promises of specific offerings, rites, rituals, and ceremonies specific to “the house of our God.” The list of promises concludes with the oath, “We will not neglect the house of our God.” (39b) Those seem like pretty strong promises to make. Or maybe you don’t see them as difficult. It’s even fitting to say that stronger promises are easier to keep than simple ones. After all, simple things are insignificant, right? Sometimes it’s the simple that trips us up the worst. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1 Our race is marked out for us, and our promises are already written out for us, but how do we run the race and keep the promises? Tune in tomorrow for Day 39.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Oct 2013 15:18:23 +0000
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