Bible Commentaries

CONTENTS

This chapter records the names of them that subscribed to the covenant. And here also are the outlines of the covenant itself.

(1) ¶ Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, the son of Hachaliah, and Zidkijah, (2) Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, (3) Pashur, Amariah, Malchijah, (4) Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, (5) Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, (6) Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, (7) Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, (8) Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah: these were the priests. (9) And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel; (10) And their brethren, Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, (11) Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah, (12) Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, (13) Hodijah, Bani, Beninu. (14) The chief of the people; Parosh, Pahathmoab, Elam, Zatthu, Bani, (15) Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, (16) Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, (17) Ater, Hizkijah, Azzur, (18) Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai, (19) Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, (20) Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, (21) Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua, (22) Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, (23) Hoshea, Hananiah, Hashub, (24) Hallohesh, Pileha, Shobek, (25) Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, (26) And Ahijah, Hanan, Anan, (27) Malluch, Harim, Baanah. (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, everyone having knowledge, and having understanding;

I did not think it necessary to interrupt the progress of the reading in going over the catalogue of those that signed the covenant. It was not done by all the people, but by the elders and leading men, beginning with the Tirshatha, that is the governor; then followed the priests; next to them the Levites; and then the chief of the people; making in all eighty-four persons, including Nehemiah the governor. And we are told that the rest of the people joined in the covenant, both men and their wives, their sons and their daughters; all, as many as were arrived to years of discretion and knowledge. Was not this a type of the gospel church, concerning which the Lord promised in the last days to pour out of his Spirit, that our young men should prophecy, and our old men see visions, and upon the Lord's servants and handmaidens that grace should be given? What a precious thing it is to behold and trace the uniformity between the Jewish and the gospel church; and to discover that the covenant is one and the same, being founded in the everlasting love of Jehovah, and summed up and finished in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

(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; (30) And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons: (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. (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; (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. (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: (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: (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: (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. (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. (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.

Here are some of the particulars to which the people pledged themselves by this covenant to be bound. But what I would desire the Reader to regard, as in my esteem being beautifully descriptive of the great feature of the gospel, is the redemption of the first-born of their sons, so strikingly set forth in the law: Exodus 13:11-16. And as this was expressly appointed as typical of the people's deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, nothing can be more plain than that the deliverance from the bondage of sin and death, which that event prefigured, immediately pointed to the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus we find in all ages, and in all periods of the church, God the Holy Ghost kept alive in the minds of his people the glorious redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the whole covenant from beginning to end referred to this, and in this had its completion.

REFLECTIONS

How truly beautiful is the church of God when considered in her several orders and characters. Here in this chapter we have a faint representation of it. The people of God are here set forth as renewing their covenant, signing and sealing to the testimony of God's truth, their right of covenant blessings in him; and his authority and power over them by virtue of his having taken them into covenant with him. These distinguishing relations, if I may so call them, are marked down. Each in his rank and order subscribe his hand to the blessed truth. The governor begins, the Priests and Levites follow; and the rest of the people bring up the great account. And is this not the case of God's church and people in all ages? Chosen out of the world, and distinguished and set apart from the world, God acknowledgeth himself to be, the gracious Father of his Christ; and his people in Christ as a people which he hath formed for himself, and who shall show forth his praise. Jesus is the true Tirshatha, the governor of his people; all his people are made kings and priests unto the Father by him. And as all his household, both young and old, both high and low, of both sexes, and characters, subscribe and set to their seal that God is true; so He graciously poured out of his Holy Spirit on all, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. My soul! art thou of this family? Hath the Lord this day avouched thee to be his servant? And hast thou avouched the Lord to be thy God? Yes! blessed Jesus! in thee I pray to be found. Thou art the covenant, and the whole of the covenant. Here would I subscribe my hand, and set to my seal. And oh! blessed Lord, do thou set me as a seal upon thine heart and as a seal upon thine arm. Let thy blessed Spirit seal my soul unto the day of redemption. Amen.