Nehemiah 10:1: “Now those who placed their seal on the document were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,”

November 12th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

After hearing all the Law and publicly repenting as a nation, the people created a written document, a covenant, to declare that they were turning back to God and would follow His statues and commands. That they “placed their seal on the document” emphasized that they were serious about their pledge, making it publicly and in writing.

There are many instances of this sort of overt, public declaration recorded throughout the history of the United States.

The Mayflower Compact: When the pilgrims were about to land at Plymouth, they formed what they called the Mayflower Compact. They drew up “rules for living in the new land,” and they all signed it as an agreement to live by those principles and laws.

The Declaration of Independence: The most famous document in American history is the Declaration of Independence. Our forefathers signed that great statement, which set forth the reasons they felt God was leading them to establish a new nation. The closing words are profound and filled with dedication: “For the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.” A few of those who signed did end up giving their lives for our independence and most lost their fortunes.

The Emancipation Proclamation: In 1862, at the height of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln said to his cabinet:

When the rebel army was at Frederick, I determined, as soon as it should be driven out of Maryland, to issue a Proclamation of Emancipation such as I thought most likely to be useful. I said nothing to anyone; but I made the promise to myself, and (hesitating a little)—to my Maker. The rebel army is now driven out, and I am going to fulfill that promise.

Lincoln soon after signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in this nation, into law.

Making a public statement of commitment builds bridges toward what we should be doing and burns the bridges back toward the old things we ought not to be doing. Jesus said it this way: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32).

“LORD, give us the courage to publicly and openly speak of our love for You to others who need to hear a clear witness this day, we ask in Jesus’ name.”

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Nehemiah 10 KJV

¹ Now those that sealed were , Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,   ² Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, ³ Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah, ⁴ Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, ⁵ Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, ⁶ Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, ⁷Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, ⁸ Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests. ⁹And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; ¹⁰ And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, ¹¹ Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah, ¹² Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, ¹³ Hodijah, Bani, Beninu. ¹⁴ The chief of the people; Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani, ¹⁵ Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, ¹⁶ Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, ¹⁷ Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur, ¹⁸ Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, ¹⁹Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, ²⁰ Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, ²¹ Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua, ²² Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, ²³ Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub, ²⁴ Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek, ²⁵ Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, ²⁶ And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, ²⁷Malluch, Harim, Baanah. 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; 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;  ³⁰ And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons: 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 thatwe would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.  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; 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. 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: ³⁵And 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: 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: 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. 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. 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.