The Nehemiah Covenant

Monday, May 16, 2011: from Nehemiah 10:29-31

The Nehemiah covenant

1.     Observe and do all the commandments of the Lord and His ordinances and His statutes

2.     We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons

3.     Not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day

4.     Forego the seventh year’s produce and the exacting of every debt

Which, among these, were commandments, ordinances and statutes? Commandments,1a, 3; ordinances, 2; and statutes, 4. (You may disagree: choices are not absolute)

Tuesday, May 17, 2011: from Nehemiah 10:32-33

Monetary offering ordinance

5.     One-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God

a.      For the showbread,

b.      For the regular grain offering,

c.      For the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts;

d.     For the holy things,

e.      For the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and

f.       All the work of the house of our God

Do the words ‘service’ and ‘work’ have different connotations? Yes, service implies the priestly functions while work represents the other things needed by the priests to perform their duties.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011: from Nehemiah 10:35-37a

Firstborn/firstfruit offering ordinance

6.     Bring the firstfruits/firstborn

a.      Firstfruits of our ground

b.      Firstfruits of all fruit of all trees

c.      Firstborn of our sons and our cattle, herds and flocks (written in the Law)

d.     Firstfruits of our dough

What is the implication of the prefix ‘first’? God desires first place in our hearts.

Thursday, May 19, 2011: from Nehemiah 10:37b-38

Miscellaneous offering ordinance

7.     Offerings

8.     Fruit from all kinds of trees

9.     New wine and oil

10.  Tithes of our land

a.      (The Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes to the house of our God)

Are tithes different from offerings? Yes, tithes meant tenth, while offerings went beyond this value.

Friday, May 20, 2011: Galatians 5:1 – 3 (NKJV)

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.

Are we to keep the whole Law? The Law is an entanglement, a yoke of bondage. We are free of the Law in Christ. He paid all the just demands of the Law for those who believe in Him.