A COVENANT RENEWAL
LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE:
NEHEMIAH 10 : 28-39
Key Verse
“For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contributions of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the chambers; the utensils of the sanctuary, the priests who are ministering, the gatekeepers, and the singers are there.
So we will not neglect the house of our God”.
Nehemiah 10:39
INTRODUCTION
All of us have to decide what we would like to do when we are faced with a decision. Some base their decision on doing what they like. Others consider what it would mean to make a particular decision for they know this will have an effect on them and on those around them. They consider what it means to be considerate of others, and what it involves to be faithful when they make a commitment to others to carry out actions based on their decision.
The people of Israel and Judah who returned from exile in Babylon had an important decision to make. They knew that their past actions had led to the destruction of their nation, the city of Jerusalem, and the beautiful Temple built by Solomon. So now they had been allowed to return to rebuild their nation, the city of Jerusalem, and the Temple of God, they determined to do things the right way.
They remembered that God had made a covenant with them and that God had always been faithful to this covenant. It was because of this Covenant that god had freed them from captivity in Babylon and allowed them to return home. The covenant was a firm agreement to save them from their enemies, protect them, give them a land of their own in which to live in peace, and make sure they were safe and prosperous. God in exchange for this goodness to them accepted their agreement to worship Him as their God and not to worship the false gods of the pagans around them and do the abominable things they did. But the nation had not been faithful. Exile from their land resulted. So now they had been allowed by God to return to their land they were determined to obey God and follow all His commandments.
They rebuilt the Temple and the walls around the city of Jerusalem. They offered sacrifices to God on the altar. They committed themselves to contribute to the upkeep of the Temple. They would donate the best of everything that they had grown and the best animals they had. They would never again neglect looking after the city of Jerusalem and the Temple of God. Better still they would not get into any close relationships with the pagans who lived nearby, worship their gods, to do the wicked things they did that displeased God. They would walk or live as God wanted them. They would be faithful to love and serve Him with all their heart.
There was a great time of renewing the covenant with God. They would make a brand new start and never again go back to their old ways. They had repented of their sins. They knew God would forgive them and continue to be faithful to them. This was a great example to us. This was model behaviour. It teaches us we should stop disobeying God and we must follow His commandments. We should renew our covenant agreement with God so that God would be on the same page with us. That way we will have God’s continued blessing. Sin, with its guilt and trouble would not damage us. No matter the difficulties we have God would always be there to take us out of whatever strange, unhappy, and destructive situations we were in. So let us do as God advises so His mercy and kindness will always be with us uninterrupted.