How good to know that God promises to keep His people, and then promises to keep His promises!
There were 84 men who ratified this covenant with the Lord when they “placed their seal on the document” (Neh 10:1). The Lord had made and reaffirmed many covenants with His people: with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3; 15:1-21), reiterated to Isaac and Jacob; with Moses and the newly formed nation of Israel (Ex 19:5-6; Deut 29:1, 12-13); and with David (2 Sam 7:12-16). Israel was also promised a New Covenant in a future day ( Jer 31:31-34; see Heb 8:6-13; 10:16). In an amazing display of grace, we find the benefits of this New Covenant have been extended to the spiritual sons of Abraham by faith, and we acknowledge this each time we take the cup of blessing at the Lord’s Supper! What’s interesting about the covenant here is that it was not initiated by God. It was the heart exercise of the people to seal themselves in a public way to their intentions to be loyal to the Lord. They were very serious, including not only a solemn oath to be obedient, but adding a curse or imprecation, calling down God’s judgment on themselves, if they did not obey (Neh 10:29). Specifically, they promised to renounce intermarriage with the Gentiles (v 30), to refrain from doing business on the Sabbath (v 31), to give annual funds to support the work of God (vv 32- 33), to make sure there was sufficient wood for the offerings (v 34), and to bring the firstfruits and firstborn to the Lord, as He rightly deserved (vv 35-39). It is with regret we anticipate their inability to keep these promises, just as we could not. The Law was perfect but provided no inner strength to do it. But it is also with relief that we find the New Covenant does provide the power to live it through the indwelling Spirit and our interceding Savior!