Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, please study this chapter and then answer all 27 questions at the end of this chapter.

Nehemiah Chapter 10

This chapter is devoted to those who made covenant with God. We will now begin this lesson in

Nehemiah 10:1 “Now those that sealed [were], Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah,”

Nehemiah was the civil leader {Tirshatha}. Zidkijah, here, was, probably, speaking of Zadok. It appears, this Zadok was Nehemiah’s secretary. “Sealed”, in this verse, means make a mark.

Nehemiah 10:2 “Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,” Nehemiah 10:3 “Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah,” Nehemiah 10:4 “Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,” Nehemiah 10:5 “Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,” Nehemiah 10:6 “Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,” Nehemiah 10:7 “Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,” Nehemiah 10:8 “Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these [were] the priests.”

These verses listed the heads of the priestly houses. It was important that they signed this covenant, because they actually were the leaders of the people in spiritual things. Seraiah was mentioned first, because he was the head of high priestly family.

Nehemiah 10:9 “And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel;” Nehemiah 10:10 “And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,” Nehemiah 10:11 “Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,” Nehemiah 10:12 “Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,” Nehemiah 10:13 “Hodijah, Bani, Beninu.”

Beginning with verse 9, we see a list of the heads of the houses of the Levites, who were not priests. All priests had to be of the Levitical tribe, and they, also, had to be descended from Aaron. The Levites, other than the priests, did things like singing and keeping the doors. They were in service to the LORD, but in a different capacity than the priests. Binnui had taken the place of Kadmiel. Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel were the three who were the chief of the families of the Levites at that time.

Nehemiah 10:14 “The chief of the people; Parosh, Pahath-moab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani,” Nehemiah 10:15 “Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,” Nehemiah 10:16 “Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,” Nehemiah 10:17 “Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur,” Nehemiah 10:18 “Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,” Nehemiah 10:19 “Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,” Nehemiah 10:20 “Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,” Nehemiah 10:21 “Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua,” Nehemiah 10:22 “Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,” Nehemiah 10:23 “Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub,” Nehemiah 10:24 “Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek,” Nehemiah 10:25 “Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,” Nehemiah 10:26 “And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,” Nehemiah 10:27 “Malluch, Harim, Baanah.”

These lists of names in the verses above were showing the chief of each family that signed the covenant. The chief of each family signed for the entire family. Just because a member of the family did not specifically sign, did not eliminate them from keeping the covenant. They, in a sense, signed when their chief signed for them.

Nehemiah 10:28 “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;”

This seems a little unusual to separate these out, but they were not really separated. The people, in verse 28 above, each had a chief, of their family who signed the covenant for them. The priests, here, are sons and grandsons of the head of each priestly family. The head of the family signed for them. This is saying, that these people, in verse 28, had all been signed for by the heads of their families which were listed individually in the verses through 27.

Nehemiah 10:29 “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;”

This is saying, they verbally agreed to live by the covenant agreement the heads of their families signed for them. They had heard the agreement read aloud, and they agreed to the conditions of the covenant. They were saying they accepted the mark their leader had made as a binding agreement on them. They were aware there would be curses, if they did not keep the commandments of the LORD. They, also, knew they would be blessed, if they kept the commandments.

Nehemiah 10:30 “And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons:”

One of the very serious promises they made was not to intermarry with the heathens around them. They were to marry only other Hebrews.

Nehemiah 10:31 “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 [that] we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt.”

This was saying, they would keep the sabbath holy. They would not buy or sell, on the sabbath, or on any holy day. It was, also, saying they would keep the sabbatical year holy. They would let the land lie in rest on the seventh year. This spoke of the jubilee at the end of the seventh seven years, as well. Every debt would be canceled at that time, as the Levitical law prescribed.

Nehemiah 10:32 “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;”

This was a special voluntary tax that all of the people imposed upon themselves to take care of the service in the temple. The 1/6 of an ounce was a very small amount, but even the poor had to pay this once a year.

Nehemiah 10:33 “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.”

The shewbread was very important. It symbolized the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. This small amount of money they would bring in would not be enough to pay for animals for the burnt offerings, but it was symbolic that all of the people should support the temple, regardless of how poor they were. This way they would feel they were a part of it. All of these offerings and feasts were to be practiced again. They were going back to the letter of the law. The shewbread was 12 small loaves each week. The continual meat offering was flour and oil mingled together. It was offered twice a day. The offering of the sabbath was two lambs with meat and drink offerings. On new moons, the offerings were two bullocks, one ram, seven lambs accompanied with the meat and drink offerings. The set feasts were Passover, Pentecost {Feast of Weeks} and Tabernacles. The sin offering was for Day of Atonement. Each of these feasts had specific offerings mentioned in the book of Numbers.

Nehemiah 10:34 “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:”

Someone had to provide the wood to burn the offerings. The families responsible for bringing in the wood at a certain time were decided by casting lots. Wood was hard to find at that time, it had to be thought of as a ministry.

Nehemiah 10:35 “And 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:”

Firstfruits offerings were required of everything that was grown. It was a very good way to be sure you would have a good crop abundantly provided by God. Even this had been dropped for years. The practice was re-instated to keep the law.

Nehemiah 10:36 “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:”

The firstborn son had to be purchased back from God with a silver shekel. He belonged to God. All of the firstborn cattle, herds, and flocks must be offered on the eighth day.

Nehemiah 10:37 “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.”

This was not limited to the fruit of the trees, but included all things that grew of nature. The first of the crop belonged to God. These offerings were for the Levites to live of. They shared with the altar. The Levites did not own land. They lived of the offerings.

Nehemiah 10:38 “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.”

All of the tithes were taken to the temple and turned over to the priests. The priests allotted the offerings out between all of the Levites.

Nehemiah 10:39 “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.”

This was a promise from these Israelites to take the responsibility of the support of the temple upon themselves. They turned their offerings of corn, wine, oil, and all of their other things they brought as a tithe to the temple. The temple treasury would be in the sanctuary. All of those called to the service of the LORD, whether they be priests, porters, singers or other workers would live of the offerings.

There is a lesson in this for the Christian. When we become Christians, we go into covenant relationship with God. We must take responsibility for our portion of the care and upkeep of our church. We must not shirk our duty of giving our portion of money to the church we attend.

Nehemiah 10: Questions