10:1 On the sealed documents were the following names: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, along with Zedekiah,
After the chapter 9 prayer was recited to the people, all of the political leaders, religious leaders, and people of Israel signed a covenant with God. Verses 1-27 listed the names of the Israelite leaders who signed this covenant.
10:2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,
10:3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,
10:4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,
10:5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,
10:6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,
10:7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,
10:8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
10:9 The Levites were as follows:
Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel.
10:10 Their colleagues were as follows:
Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,
10:11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,
10:12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,
10:13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
10:14 The leaders of the people were as follows:
Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,
10:15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,
10:16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,
10:17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,
10:18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,
10:19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,
10:20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,
10:21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,
10:22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,
10:23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,
10:24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,
10:25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,
10:26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,
10:27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
Notice that the first signature was that of Governor Nehemiah.
10:28 “Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple attendants, and all those who have separated themselves from the neighboring peoples because of the law of God, along with their wives, their sons, and their daughters, all of whom are able to understand—10:29 hereby participate with their colleagues the town leaders and enter into a curse and an oath to adhere to the law of God which was given through Moses the servant of God, and to obey carefully all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, along with his ordinances and his statutes.
These men signed the covenant, confirming that they would keep the Mosaic Law. Man really wants to keep the Mosaic Law, but his sin nature will not allow him to do so. Only Jesus could keep the Mosaic Law.
10:30 “We will not give our daughters in marriage to the neighboring peoples, and we will not take their daughters in marriage for our sons.
Intermarriage with Gentiles was the major problem of the new Israel. They had intermarried with satanists.
10:31 We will not buy on the Sabbath or on a holy day from the neighboring peoples who bring their wares and all kinds of grain to sell on the Sabbath day. We will let the fields lie fallow every seventh year, and we will cancel every loan.
Israelite shoppers could get better deals on the Sabbath by purchasing from the Gentile satanists.
Israel learned their lesson from the Babylonian Captivity. They would no longer plant any crops during the seventh year.
Israelite nobles would no longer charge interest to their own people. They would also cancel all loans made to Jews. They would also cancel all debts during the Year of Jubilee. The Year of Jubilee was established by God to stop monopolies.
There are some unbiblical political parties who promise to remove the individual debts of their voters in order to stay in power. Since the American electorate is so biblically ignorant, then they will trade in their educational debt to a political party who wants to enslave them to such unbiblical principles, such as same sex marriage, transgenderism, abortion, and socialism issues. This debt will be passed on tho those who are working and producing. The future Antichrist may take global power by offering his supporters relief from their national debt in exchange for global government.
10:32 We accept responsibility for fulfilling the commands to give one third of a shekel each year for the work of the temple of our God,
The annual one-third shekel temple was required by Mosaic Law. Notice that the shekel tax was the same for people of all incomes. There was no graduated income tax. Good businessmen were not punished for running a successful business.
It is important to note that socialism is stealing from those who produce and giving to those who do not produce. Every man is to work for his own livelihood. Socialism will eventually lead to 51% of the people living off of the labors of the other 49% of the people. This is nothing but economic slavery.
10:33 for the loaves of presentation and for the regular grain offerings and regular burnt offerings, for the Sabbaths, for the new moons, for the appointed meetings, for the holy offerings, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the temple of our God.
The shekel tax was used to provide for the various offerings of the temple. These offerings symbolized the daily atonement for the people. This was a continuous offering which covered the sins of the people of Israel each year.
When Christ offered Himself, He died “once and for all” for the sins of all people, including the elect and the non-elect. No more sacrifices were needed, because Christ was the “once and for all” final sacrifice. The offerings of the priests covered the sins of the people for one year. The one offering of Christ removed the sins of the people for eternity.
10:34 “We—the priests, the Levites, and the people—have cast lots concerning the wood offerings, to bring them to the temple of our God according to our families at the designated times year by year to burn on the altar of the LORD our God, as is written in the law.
The Levites threw lots to appoint who would provide wood for the altars.
10:35 We also accept responsibility for bringing the first fruits of our land and the first fruits of every fruit tree year by year to the temple of the LORD.
Everyone was to place God first by offering the first fruits of the crops. God would then bless those who brought the offerings with many more bountiful crops.
10:36 We also accept responsibility, as is written in the law, for bringing the firstborn of our sons and our cattle and the firstborn of our herds and of our flocks to the temple of our God, to the priests who are ministering in the temple of our God.
All of the firstborn belonged to God. An animal was offered in place of the firstborn son. All other firstborn livestock was offered to God. God deserves the best from everyone, not the seconds and thirds.
10:37 We will also bring the first of our coarse meal, of our contributions, of the fruit of every tree, of new wine, and of olive oil to the priests at the storerooms of the temple of our God, along with a tenth of the produce of our land to the Levites, for the Levites are the ones who collect the tithes in all the cities where we work.
All of the first of the meal, fruits, wine, olive oil, and one tenth of the crops belonged to the Levites. The Levites taught the Word of God and performed the sacrifices which pointed to the Messiah. The people were to provide for them so that they had time to study, teach, and make offerings. The pastor-teacher is to be supported by his congregation, so that he has time to study and teach the Word of God.
10:38 A priest of Aaron’s line will be with the Levites when the Levites collect the tithes, and the Levites will bring up a tenth of the tithes to the temple of our God, to the storerooms of the treasury.
A priest from the line of Aaron was to help collect the tithes.
10:39 The Israelites and the Levites will bring the contribution of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms where the utensils of the sanctuary are kept, and where the priests who minister stay, along with the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the temple of our God.”
The Levites were placed in charge of storing the offerings in the storerooms. These offerings were food for the Levites and their families. Many modern churches starve their pastors to death. The pastor is to receive double the salary of the average income of the congregation. The pastor is not to worry about paying bills. He is to concentrate on studying and teaching the Word of God. Time is the valuable commodity of the pastor. Freedom from debt gives the pastor more time to study and teach.