The people of Israel made promises to God to obey his laws, separate from the surrounding pagan peoples, honor the Sabbath and holy days, and financially support the Temple. Specifically, they promised to obey God's laws as given through Moses, not intermarry with non-Israelites, refrain from commerce on the Sabbath, cancel debts every seven years, and contribute annual donations to support Temple services. In making these promises, they sought to faithfully worship and honor God with their words and actions.

1. PROMISES ARE MADE TO BE
HONORED
NEHEMIAH 10: 28-32
Bishop Genesis T. Udang

2. • Neh 9:38 "Because of all this,
we are making a binding
agreement, putting it in writing,
and our leaders, our
descendants of Levi, and our
priests hereby set their seals
upon it."

3. • Neh 10:28 The rest of the people, the
priests, the descendants of Levi, the
gatekeepers, the singers, the Temple
Servants, and everyone who had
separated themselves from the peoples
of the surrounding lands for the Law of
God—their wives, their sons, their
daughters, and all who had knowledge
and understanding—

4. • Neh 10:29 joined with their relatives
and their leaders. They entered into an
oath—enforced by a curse—to walk in
God's Law that was given through
God's servant Moses, and to be careful
to obey all of commands of the LORD,
our Lord, as well as his regulations and
statutes.

5. • Neh 10:30 We will not give our
daughters in marriage to the people of
the land, nor take their daughters for
our sons.
• Neh 10:31 As for the people of the land
who bring merchandise or grain to sell
on the Sabbath day, we will not buy
from them on the Sabbath or on any
holy day. We will forego planting crops,
and we will cancel debts during every
seventh year.

6. • Numbers 30:2: “When a man
makes a vow to the Lord or
takes an oath to obligate
himself by a pledge, he must
not break his word but must do
everything he said

7. • Ecclesiastes 5:4 says, “When
you make a vow to God, do not
delay in fulfilling it. He has no
pleasure in fools; fulfill your
vow.”

8. PROMISES MADE BY THE PEOPLE TO
THEIR GOD
• A PROMISE TO OBEY THE WORDS OF
GOD

9. A PROMISE TO OBEY THE WORDS OF
GOD
• Neh 10:29 joined with their
relatives and their leaders. They
entered into an oath—enforced by
a curse—to walk in God's Law that
was given through God's servant
Moses, and to be careful to obey
all of commands of the LORD, our
Lord, as well as his regulations
and statutes.

10. PROMISES MADE BY THE PEOPLE TO
THEIR GOD
• A PROMISE TO OBEY THE WORDS OF
GOD
• A PROMISE TO SEPARATE FROM THE
WORLD

11. A PROMISE TO SEPARATE FROM THE
WORLD
• Neh 10:30 We will not give
our daughters in marriage to
the people of the land, nor
take their daughters for our
sons.

12. • Jos 23:13 know for certain that the
LORD your God will not continue
to drive out these nations ahead of
you. Instead, they will be a snare
and a trap for you, a whip to your
backs, and thorns in your eyes,
until you perish from this good
land that the LORD your God has
given you.

13. • Nehemiah 13:26 “Was it not
because of marriages like these
that Solomon king of Israel
sinned? Among the many nations
there was no king like him. He was
loved by His God, and God made
him king over all Israel, but even
he was led into sin by foreign
women.”

14. • 2 Corinthians 6:14“Do not be
yoked together with
unbelievers. For what do
righteousness and wickedness
have in common? Or what
fellowship can light have with
darkness?”

15. PROMISES MADE BY THE PEOPLE TO
THEIR GOD
• A PROMISE TO OBEY THE WORDS OF
GOD
• A PROMISE TO SEPARATE FROM THE
WORLD
• A PROMISE TO HONOR AND WORSHIP
GOD

16. A PROMISE TO HONOR AND WORSHIP
GOD
• Nehemiah 10:31: “When the
neighboring peoples bring
merchandise or grain to sell on the
Sabbath, we will not buy from them
on the Sabbath or any holy day.
Every seventh year we will forgo
working the land and will cancel all
debts.”

17. • First of all, this day was set
aside to honor God.
• Secondly, it was a day of rest
which is a vital ingredient in
effective living
• Thirdly, the Sabbath was a day
to declare truth.

18. • Matthew 6:33: “But seek first
His kingdom and His
righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you
as well.”

19. PROMISES MADE BY THE PEOPLE TO
THEIR GOD
• A PROMISE TO OBEY THE WORDS OF
GOD
• A PROMISE TO SEPARATE FROM THE
WORLD
• A PROMISE TO HONOR AND WORSHIP
GOD
• A PROMISE TO SUPPORT THE
WORKS OF GOD.

20. A PROMISE TO SUPPORT THE WORKS
OF GOD
• Neh 10:32 We also obligated
ourselves to contribute
annually a third of a shekel
for services relating to the
Temple of our God:

21. • It was responsible giving.
• It was obedient giving.
• It was systematic giving.
• It was proportionate giving.
• It was prescribed giving.

22. • Matthew 6:21: “Where your
treasure is, there will your heart
be also.” Let’s determine to be
like the believers in Nehemiah
10:39: “We will not neglect the
house of our God.”