“Then the rest of the people—the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, Temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the Law of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old enough to understand— joined their leaders and bound themselves with an oath. They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the Law of God as issued by his servant Moses. They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the Lord our Lord:”
Nehemiah 10:28-29 NLT
The idea that a group of people would come together for a common cause and make life altering decisions to that end is novel to, say the least. To do this for the sake of passion, allegiance and love towards one’s god is unheard of. Yes, individuals commit on a regular basis, but to have an entire group of people work together toward that common goal would be intensely problematic. The modern church is so filled with politics and in fighting that it is hard enough to decide on the color of carpet, that we must imagine the intense fire and fervor these ancient Jews must have felt. This is replicated in the first century church who didn’t pull everyone in to the kingdom, but instead sent the kingdom out to everyone. The shift is one of heart. Gods way became the driving factor. Everything, including time, resources and relationships became angled toward its fulfillment. This is what God blessed and should be a model for us of what true vigilance should look like amongst God’s people.
JOSH McGARY. COM 