1. The New Resolve – Goals for Successful Living

2. What covenants do people make in our society today? Anything help you in this weeks reading of Nehemiah commentary? Nehemiah 9:38 – 10:29 – Signers of the Covenant How did Nehemiah’s people view making a covenant with God? How did they show their sincerity? Anything significant about the list?

3. Specific Commitments the Israelites made. They promised to: 1. avoid being unequally yoked 2. observe the Sabbath, and the seventh year, (the Sabbatical) 3. provide money, grain and animals for the offerings of the temple 4. bring the first fruits of their crops, their herds, their flocks, and their firstborn sons, to God 5. tithe, pay10% of all their income, their crops & wealth to the temple 6. Faithfully attend the house of God

4. Nehemiah 10:30 Unequally Yoked In what ways did the Jewish people need to separate from the people around them?  Why was this important to God? What can we learn from the following cross references:  Leviticus 20:26  Joshua 23:6-7  Judges 2:1 & 2  Ezra 9:12 What is the main principle to be learned from 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1? The Temple of the Living God 2 Cor 6:14 – 7:1 14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 7 Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body [b] and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.b

5. Nehemiah 10:31 Observe the Sabbath and the Sabbatical How did the Jewish people observe the Sabbath in Nehemiah’s Day? How can we honor God one day a week? What lesson can the Israelites and we take from the commitment not to work the land in the 7 th year? Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety. You may ask, 'What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?' I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in. (Leviticus 25:18-22 NIV)

6. Nehemiah 10:32 – 39 offerings, sacrifices, first fruits and tithes What did the Israelites agree to do and what was the significance: NehemiahOld TestamentNew Testament Vs 32 – 34Recognized the need for offerings and sacrifices We are not redeemed with corruptible things, such as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, 1 Peter 1:18-19 Vs 35Recognized the need for first of everything You are not your own; you are bought with a price, 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20a Vs 36-39aRecognized the need to tithe On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come. 1 Cor 16:2 Vs 39bRecognized the need for worship And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Heb 10:24,25

7. Bonus question: In today’s lesson, what seed did the Israelites already plant for they failure in the future? Lessons for successful living 1. Avoid being unequally yoked …. Chose wisely and avoid evil influences 2. Observe the Sabbath … rely on God’s strength rather than yours, he alone will meet your needs 3. Remember Christ sacrificed himself for us! 4. Bring on your best 5. Give with a generous, grateful heart 6. Worship with the body of believers …. Often! 7. Don’t make promises to God you cannot keep, but ask him to intervene