This chapter lists all the leaders who signed the formal contract, the covenant the last chapter ended with, and what they all agreed to in it.
The rest of the people, ... all who separated themselves from the neighboring peoples for the sake of the Law of God, together with their wives and all their sons and daughters who are able to understand; all these now join their fellow Israelites the nobles, and bind themselves with a curse and an oath to follow the Law of God given through Moses the servant of God and to obey carefully all the commands, regulations, and decrees of the Lord our Lord (vs. 28-29).Then the list of everything they promised to do to follow all these laws is listed here. So they determined to:
- Not intermarry with other peoples,
- Follow all the weekly Sabbath rules to not buy or sell, and
- The seven-year rule to leave their fields fallow and forgive all debts, and
- To finance the Temple by giving the Temple Tax,
- And to furnish everything the priests and Levites needed for all the Temple services and their provisions (the tithes),
- And to present the firstborn of their sons and all their animals.
Now all the people there agreed to follow all the stipulations of all the laws and rules, so everything should run like clockwork, if they do.
Father, You have laid out how life can proceed smoothly, peacefully, and morally. These people had their consciences, and they knew right from wrong, so they should have been able to order their society for the benefit of all the participants. And You would receive the credit for their peace and well-being.
Help us, Father, to follow Your ways, as our Source and Provider of everything we need. Show us how to love You, and how to love one another as You have loved us. Lead us into doing all the wonderful things You planned ahead of time for us to do, Father. Continue to roll out all Your plans for us as we walk in Your ways to accomplish all Your purposes for which You created. Namely, Your honor and glory and majesty.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
