Page 89 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

Chapter 12: Making a Binding Agreement

Connect…

Years ago, most people were honest and could be trusted. If you bought something from them or agreed, the
only thing the two parties often did was shake hands. Each person agreed to keep his WORD. But nowadays,
most people have rejected Judeo-Christian values, and their word is worthless. So, when you purchase a large
item such as an automobile, house, or real estate, a long-term contract is created, which can hold up in court if
either party does not perform.

Contracts or covenants have been around, though, for thousands of years. God Himself made a covenant with
Abraham with a contract by walking with Abraham through a series of divided animals. In Israel, a SALT
covenant was drawn up and is binding. And, if a man of Israel wanted to divorce his wife, he had to draw up a
binding contract to present to his departing wife. These contracts were sworn oaths before God to commit to
fulfilling a promise. Today, we will see that the children of Israel desired to create a binding contract before
God as a pledge of their desire to follow Him. Let’s see what happened…

The Lesson ...

Nehemiah 9:38 – 10:39 Making a Binding Agreement

1. The importance of the covenant
Nehemiah 9:38 In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document
[containing the names of] our leaders, Levites, and priests.

Nehemiah 10:1 Those whose seals were [on the document] were: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah,
and Zedekiah…

Written agreements of this kind have figured prominently in biblical history. (See Joshua 24:25-27; 2
Chronicles29:10; 34:29-32) God made different covenants with Noah and Abraham and later initiated an
agreement with his people through Moses, committing himself to them as their unique God. They, in turn, were
to demonstrate their response to Him by obeying His law. At specific times in their history, they realized with
sorrow how serious that disloyalty had been, and leaders would frame their people's renewed commitment in
written covenants. In the New Testament, we are responsible for being ministers of a new covenant. He has
made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not the letter, but the Spirit. The letter kills, but the
Spirit produces life. 2 Corinthians 3:6 (HCSB). In Christian history, we also see the use of biblical covenants. In
recent American church history, a group called Promise Keepers tried to encourage men to become the
spiritual leaders they should be. Then, on a smaller scale, there was a movie called Courageous that attempted
to encourage men to do the same thing. There were covenants of obedience in both of these movements that
men were expected to sign. (See below the 7 promises of a promise keeper) Men were to be men, accountable
for their actions and their spiritual walk with our Lord. Without accountability, we all tend to have less zeal for
our Lord, and lukewarmness creeps into our churches. Therefore, promise keepers realize that a man who is
not accountable to another man is an accident waiting to happen!

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