Nehemiah 10:28-31 – Faithful in Marriage
When people enter into an agreement, there are always terms associated with that agreement. That is no less true when that covenant is made with God. There is no need for the responsibilities on the divine side to be stated for they have constantly been outlined in the revelation that God has given to men, and as He is the unchanging God who cannot lie, there is the absolute guarantee that He will fulfil all that He has promised.
On man’s side, however, because he is so fickle, changeable, and sinful, there is an absolute need for him to state exactly what he is promising to do in the clearest possible terms. Here the promises are spelled out very plainly. The people here in the time of Nehemiah made certain very specific promises: They promised to be faithful in terms of their romantic relationships. ‘We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us, or take their daughters for our sons’. They realised how quickly the people of God can become corrupted when God’s people marry outside the faith. There is a very important principle laid down here: A follower of God should only marry another similarly committed follower of God. It is obvious by experience and observation that it is important to carefully and prayerfully choose your spouse.
The whole idea of marriage is closely connected to the idea of covenant. Malachi 2:14 says, “Yet she is your companion, and your wife by covenant.” Marriage is a covenant, between the husband and wife, between them and all family and witnesses, but most importantly, between them and God. When we understand marriage as a covenant, we have something to bond us together that is stronger than society’s expectations, more constant than romantic love, and more certain than happy times – we have a covenant.
Questions
1.What did the people promise to do regarding marriage?
Prayer Points
- Pray for those who are married in the congregation.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.