将属于神的归给神
尼希米记十章28至33节
28其余的民、祭司、利未人、守门的、歌唱的、尼提宁，和一切离绝邻邦居民归服神律法的，并他们的妻子、儿女，凡有知识能明白的，
29都随从他们贵胄的弟兄，发咒起誓，必遵行神藉他仆人摩西所传的律法，谨守遵行耶和华─我们主的一切诫命、典章、律例；
30并不将我们的女儿嫁给这地的居民，也不为我们的儿子娶他们的女儿。
31这地的居民若在安息日，或甚么圣日，带了货物或粮食来卖给我们，我们必不买。每逢第七年必不耕种，凡欠我们债的必不追讨。
32我们又为自己定例，每年各人捐银一舍客勒三分之一，为我们神殿的使用，
33就是为陈设饼、常献的素祭，和燔祭，安息日、月朔、节期所献的与圣物，并以色列人的赎罪祭，以及我们神殿里一切的费用。
信息分享
这段经文是接续昨天所读的祷文，这里列出了百姓与神所立的约。
总共有84人在约上签署。第一个带头签名的人是尼希米，接着是22位祭司、17位利未人，44 位贵胄，其余便是一般的百姓。立约所用的，一定是一块很大的羊皮纸了。
他们立了甚么约？第29节告诉我们，他们承诺要遵从神的律法；第30节则列明他们不会让儿女与异族宗教的人通婚。
这是一个含意深远的承诺，新约圣经也重申基督徒要持守这个准则。倘若我们教导儿女要以爱主的基督徒为择偶对象，便会省却将来可能发生的许多问题。
第31节告诉我们，他们承诺不会随从异族人的风俗行径，坚持不会在圣日作买卖。我们很容易跟风，但神却希望我们能持守正确的原则。
百姓在第32节往后的经文中，承诺神要他们奉献甚么，他们就奉献甚么。他们会克尽本分地作出奉献，借此支持神的殿。这同样是新约的命令，我们有没有遵守呢？
总而言之，他们承诺要分别为圣，要坚守神的律法和奉献支持神的殿。
我们是否愿意与神立同样的约呢？
经文反思：神说：「尊重我的，我必看重他。」(撒上二30)
GIVING GOD WHAT BELONGS TO HIM
Nehemiah 10:28-33
28 Now the rest of the people—the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, everyone who had knowledge and understanding—
29 these joined with their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and 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 ordinances and His statutes:
30 We would not give our daughters as wives to the peoples of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;
31 if the peoples of the land brought wares or any grain to sell on the Sabbath day, we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath, or on a holy day; and we would forego the seventh year’s produce and the exacting of every debt.
32 Also we made ordinances for ourselves, to exact from ourselves yearly one-third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:
33 for the showbread, for the regular grain offering, for the regular burnt offering of the Sabbaths, the New Moons, and the set feasts; for the holy things, for the sin offerings to make atonement for Israel, and all the work of the house of our God.
Message
It follows on from yesterday's reading of the tremendous prayer in chapter 9. Here is what the people promised God they would do.
There were 84 men who signed this promise. Nehemiah the leader was first to do so. He was followed by 22 priests, 17 Levites and then 44 chiefs and after them the rest of the people signed as well. What a big piece of parchment it must have been!
What did they promise? Verse 29 says they promised to obey God's laws and verse 30 tells us that this included allowing their children to only marry those who loved the same God as they did.
This is a far-reaching promise and the New Testament repeats the same standard for Christians today. If we would teach our young people that Christians should only marry Christians, it would save a great deal of heartache later.
Verse 31 says that they promised they would not follow the way of the other people in the land. They would not buy or sell on the Lord's day even though others did. It is too easy just to do things because everybody else is doing them. God wants us to be willing to stand up for what we know is right.
From verse 32 onwards the people agreed to give to God what he asked them to give. They would support God's house and do what they should in providing for it. This too is a New Testament commandment. Are we doing it?
What did they promise? That they would be separated from the world around; they would stand up for God's laws and they would support God's house.
Are you willing to sign a promise like that?
A VERSE FOR TODAY:
'Them that honour me, I will honour. '