Jump Start # 594

Nehemiah 9:38 “Now because of all this we are making an agreement in writing; and on the sealed document are the names of our leaders, our Levites and our priests.”

This week we are going to take a look at the book of Nehemiah, particularly the end of the book, and especially at the dedication and repentance of the nation. There are great lessons about faith found there. We remember that Nehemiah is about rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem. It took 52 days and just a few chapters to accomplish that task. The rest of the book deals with rebuilding the faith of the nation. That took years to accomplish.

Nehemiah had to lead the people to return to a true worship and devotion to God. That’s hard to do. People then, and people today, tend to get stuck in routines and we tend to do what we like. We put off, if possible, anything that is unpleasant. We do that with cleaning out the garage, painting a wall, talking to a neighbor about his barking dog, going to the doctor (especially if you’re a guy) and we do that with our relationship with God. Many will say that their relationship could be better, but it’s not all that bad. It’s nothing to get worked up about. Sure, we could pray more. We probably don’t know the Bible as well as we ought to, but all in all, we’re doing better than most folks. That kind of thinking will get a person in trouble, especially with God.

God deserves the best. The reason is, He is the best. Hands down. End of discussion. Nothing beats God. No one cares as much as God cares. No one blesses as often as God does. No one forgives as often as God does. He deserves our best—in worship, in dedication, in heart and in thought.

Nehemiah understood that. He felt that way. The nation wasn’t with him. Their worship was often sloppy, indifferent and at times unbiblical. They left off sacrifices and certain days of worship. They weren’t following God as carefully nor as closely as they should have. The same might be said of us, as well. It’s easy to let other things fill our hearts and minds. God tends to get squeezed out and put up on a shelf. He doesn’t belong there. He belongs in your heart.

One of the steps of getting the nation back on the ball spiritually was to renew their commitment to God. This is where our verse comes in today.  Nehemiah had the leaders sign their names—as a commitment, as a promise, as a pledge to follow God.

Chapter 10 lists the names—there’s a bunch of them, the first was Nehemiah, himself. Then follows 80 names, if I counted correctly. These were the names of the leaders and the priests. They were making an oath to walk in God’s law (10:29). This included remaining faithful to only marry within the nation (30). This also included to pay the temple tax (32).

They signed their names to a document promising to be faithful to God. When a person signs his name on a document, it’s serious business. It often means, you just purchased a car, a home, or got married. I’ve done all of those. Signing your name is serious business. It commits you. You are supposed to stand behind your name.

I wonder how Nehemiah’s oath signing would fly today? I wonder if folks in the church were to sign a document promising to attend every service unless they were sick or out of town, if that would make a difference? I wonder how many would fuss about that? Sign my name? Are you kidding? Promise to come? Promise to give? I expect if I floated that idea, they’d sign commitment papers to send me away to the old preachers home.

There is something about commitment, accountability and dependability that Nehemiah found in having the people sign their names. I like that his name was first on the list. Talk is cheap if the leader isn’t the first to lead. By having his name first, he was saying, ‘You can count on me.’ That’s what this is all about. In getting the nation back to God, he needed to know that he could count upon them. Sure, they could have said yes. Certainly, they could have raised their hands. But when they signed their names to a document, that raised the level of the commitment.

I wonder if we have just gotten to lax with God. Nehemiah’s document was saying, you can count on us. We will put our names to it!

We may never get everyone at the church house to do this, but you can do your own.

• Husband and wife signing a document promising to be faithful to each other
• Parents signing a document for their kids, promising to never leave them
• Making your own pledge to God. Promise to pray every day to God…read His word every day…walk in His way, every day. Sign your name to that. Promise to attend church services. Promise to do the best you can. Keep that promise where you can see it and be reminded of it.

There is something about signing your name to a document. Nehemiah understood it. This could be the very thing that gets you back on board with the Lord. Your name…put it to something good, eternal and worthwhile.

Roger