10:1-27 Listed are the names of the Nehemiah, the priests, Levites, brethren, and leaders who had sealed a new covenant with God in the previous chapter. More than a document, they signed a commitment to God and a righteous lifestyle.
10:28-31 The rest of the people accepted the specific conditions of the law and covenant Moses proffered to their ancestors:
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
10:32-34 They made ordinances to reestablish the traditions of offering and Sabbaths and feasts.
10:35-38 They made ordinances to willingly give to God the first-fruits on their ground and trees every year; to dedicate their firstborn to His cause; to donate to the teachers of God's law; and to tithe to the house of God and its storehouse.
They made commitments to design their lifestyle in such a way that it would support their faith and thus righteously maintain their kingdom and every other blessing given by God.
10:39 Their ultimate statement: We will not neglect the house of our God. Negligence in faith is the destruction of soul. The destruction of soul is the paling of character. Poor character corrupts motivations and aspirations. Poor motives and aspirations result in harm and shame. Therefore do not neglect the house of our God. Support His kingdom; claim a spot in it. Absorb the purpose He designed specifically for you and work arduously at it.
