Nehemiah: Reconstruction & Restoration

Nehemiah – BIB 108

Omega Institute

Brian A. Schulz

Nehemiah: Reconstruction & Restoration

Lesson 11

Chapter 10 – “Restoring ______”

“Following this time of awakening and revival where the whole nation has acknowledged their sin and appealed to Yahweh for mercy and grace, a pivotal moment has come. These experiences are going to be a springboard for future piety or just a temporary “______top” emotional episode. The leaders would set the course for national success or failure. The next steps would determine their fate as a nation – a people for God’s own possession or a people who would repeat the failures of their forefathers.”

Brian Schulz

A. Basic Covenant Principles – (Sourced from Understanding Covenant

Relationships – Charles E. McCoy)

1. Covenant Formulary: The Primary Elements.

A. Covenant “______” has to do with essential elements by which any covenant can be identified and its basic nature understood. Here we are concerned with such things as identifying “who” is involved in a covenant, what ongoing duties are required of covenant members, the benefits or penalties associated with the covenant, and the means by which one enters into a covenant ______.

B. Historic ______Elements…

1. Preamble – Gives the title and name of the great king who offered the treaty.

2. Historic ______– List past benefits of the sovereign upon the vassal.

3. Stipulations and Terms – Obligations or duties required of the vassal.

4. Covenant Document Preserved and Displayed – on a durable substance such as stone, metal, or clay.

5. ______ – a documentation of those who witness the treaty.

6. Blessings / Curses – explanation of results of keeping/breaking the treaty.

7. Covenant ______ – the act of acceptance which made the agreement binding on both parties.

C. Type of Covenants…

1. Bilateral… This is a type of agreement where equal / semi- equal parties ______with one another to arrive at the terms of the covenant.

2. Unilateral… This is a type of agreement where the terms are determined and offered by a ______to an inferior. There are no negotiations. The superior party stipulates the conditions, the blessings, and the curses and the inferior party must either accept or reject the covenant entirely.

D. Primary Elements.

1. Parties… The “parties” are those who are formally involved in a covenant. As such, they are both clearly ______in the covenant document and there should be no question as to who is / is not involved in the arrangement. Business contracts demonstrate this feature by naming all the involved parties and what their relationship to the agreement is.

2. _____… Defined under the title “stipulations,” these are the ongoing duties or responsibilities of the covenant that are to be faithfully completed by the vassal or inferior party. Such “terms” are usually identified in scripture in connection with words such as “perform/do/keep/obey.”

3. Promises/Curses… These are the ______for keeping the covenant and the penalties for violating or abandoning it.

4. Oath-Swearing… No matter what the content of the arrangement, it did not become “active, binding, or in force” until both parties ______the oath. This was the “signing on the dotted line” that bound the vassal to the contract and put him in line for the blessings or curses, depending on his performance of the terms.

B. Nehemiah 10:1-27… The Covenant ______

1. Dr. James Smith summarizes this “list of names.”

“The leaders, priests, and Levites in the postexilic community agreed in writing that they would follow the law of God from that day forward. Nehemiah set the ______by placing his name at the head of the list. Then followed the name of a certain Zedekiah who probably assisted Nehemiah in civil authority. Next are list 21 priestly names, of which at least fifteen are the name of families. This may explain why Ezra’s name does not appear in the list. He was a member of the Seriah family which heads the list. 17 Levites and 44 leaders of the people were also signatories.”

C. Nehemiah 10:28-29… The Covenant ______

1. The community was united in its commitment. ______, including women and children old enough to understand, joined in the oath of allegiance. The list here (priests, Levites, gatekeepers, etc.) points to an ordered community, restored to the traditional organization established centuries earlier. Furthermore, this community was sensitive to its calling to be “separate from the people.”[1]

D. Nehemiah 10:30-39… The Covenant ______

1. They promise to follow ____ the laws written on the sacred scroll, emphasizing several.

They won’t:

·  Marry outside the ______faith

·  Do business on the Sabbath; or

·  Neglect caring for the ______

They Will:

·  Let the land ______and cancel all debts every 7th year

·  Pay the annual temple tax; and

·  Tithe a tenth of their harvest and bring it to the temple.[2]

2. In doing this, the Jews become a people of the ______– they live by the teachings of Moses. When they step out of line, leaders confront them.[3]

3. “The significance of what is being pledged here must not be missed. For years the ______kings had taken responsibility for the maintenance of the temple service. Now the Jews were assuming that responsibility. This would be a heavy burden for a relatively small and ____ community. The religious zeal triggered by revival led by Ezra and Nehemiah now was being translated into concrete deeds. A faith that costs nothing is worth ______.”[4]

1

[1] Dr. James Smith – The Books of History, page 746.

[2] Stephen M. Miller – The Complete Guide to the Bible, page 139.

[3] Ibid., 139.

[4] Dr. James Smith – The Books of History, page 747.