10:28ff The wall was completed, and the covenant God had made with his people in the days of Moses was restored (Deuteronomy 8). This promise has principles that are important for us today. Our relationship with God must go far beyond church attendance and regular devotions. It should affect our relationships (10:30), our time (10:31), and our material resources (10:32-39). When you chose to follow God, you promised to serve him in this way. The Israelites had fallen away from their original commitment. We must keep our promise to God in times of adversity or prosperity.
10:30 If God’s chosen people were going to witness for him in a pagan world, they needed united, God-fearing families. They also needed to avoid any enticements to worship the idols of the people who lived around them. This was why God prohibited marriage between Israelites and the pagan inhabitants of the land (Deuteronomy 7:3, 4). But Israelites and pagans often intermarried anyway, and the results were disastrous for the families and for the nation. Time after time, marrying foreigners led God’s people into idolatry (1 Kings 11:1-11). Whenever the nation turned its back on God, it also lost its prosperity and influence for good.
10:31 The promise to forgo trade inside the city on the Sabbath was an application of the fourth commandment. The people recognized that the lure of money would conflict with the need for a day of rest, keeping the Sabbath holy. By deciding to honor God first, the Israelites would be refusing to make money their god. Our culture often makes us choose between convenience and profit on the one hand, and putting God first on the other. Look at your work and worship habits: Is God really first?
10:31 Canceling all debts every seventh year was a part of the law (see Exodus 23:10, 11 and Deuteronomy 15:1, 2). The people were reciting and promising to obey God’s law and keep the covenant.
10:32 The Temple had been rebuilt under Ezra’s leadership about 70 years earlier (Ezra 6:14, 15). So the Temple tax, offerings, and festivals had been restored.
10:35 This practice was instituted at the time of the Exodus from Egypt (see the note on Exodus 13:12-14). The people needed to relearn the importance of dedicating the first fruits of their yield to God. Nehemiah was simply reinstating this practice from the early days of the nation (Exodus 13:1, 2; Numbers 3:40-51). Although this principle was not carried over to New Testament times, the concept of giving God the first portion of our time, treasure, and talent still remains. Do you give God your first and best or merely what is left over?
10:37-39 According to God’s law, the people were to give a tenth of their produce to the Temple for the support of the Levites (those who cared for the Temple and the religious observances). A tenth of what the Levites received or produced went to the priests for their support. The principle at work was to ensure the support of the house of God and his workers. We must not overlook our responsibility to God’s workers today.