A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Volume 3 · Appendix · Chapter 10
Nehemiah CHAP. X.
THIS Chapter conſiſts of Two General Parts; The Firſt is the Perſons that Sealed the Covenant, (before mentioned Chap. 9.38.) from ver. 1, to 29. And Secondly, The Contents of this Covenant thus Solemnly Sealed to, from ver. 29, to the end.
Remark the Firſt, Upon the Firſt Part; Nehemiah is placed the firſt in this Sealing-Work; not out of any Ambition (ſaith Wolphius) but as he was the Chief Ruler: He was the Ring-leader to Ratifie it more firmly, and to be a Loadſtone or Star to Prieſts and People, for Magnates are Magnetes. N. B. Great Men draw many by their Example, as the Loadſtone doth Iron, and Superiors are as Looking-glaſſes for Inferiors to Dreſs themſelves by them: Regis ad Exemplum totus componitur orbis, & qualis Rex talis grex, Like Prince, like People, as it is in a Beaſt, the whole Body follows the Head. Hence it was that Nehemiah was ſo forward to Seal firſt, accounting it an Honour to be foremoſt in ſo good a Matter.
Remark the Second; The Manner of their Ʋnder-writing and Sealing this Covenant: The Heads and Chief Men, Elders, &c. did this not only for themſelves, but as Deputies and Repreſentatives of and for the People. ver. 14. This was done by Appointment to avoid that Tedious, Troubleſom, and Unneceſſary Task for every Individual Perſon of the People to have Sealed. Thoſe Princes (ſaith Vatablus) Subſcrib'd and Seal'd after the Prieſts.
Remark the Third: They that had Separated themſelves were Subſcribers and Sealers likewiſe, ver. 28. not only ſuch as had put away their ſtrange Wives, &c. but alſo ſuch as had been Pagans themſelves and were now become true Proſelytes to the Jews Religions; theſe had a Right to all God's Ordinances, Exod. 12.48. N. B. Thſe were Lawful and Holy Separatiſts in the Apoſtle's Senſe, 2 Cor. 6.17, 18. they ſaved themſelves from a ſinful Generation at God's Command, Acts 2.40. They ſhunn'd their Sins, leſt they ſhould ſhare of their Plagues, Rev. 18.4.
Remark the Fourth, Their Wives and Children (that were come to the Exerciſe of Reaſon, ſaith Grotius) were all Intereſted in this Covenant, ver. 28. this was Nehemiah's Prudence (ſaith Wolphius) that all Perſons ſhould ſign the Covenant, either by themſelves, or by their Aſſigns. N. B. Thus Children were Covenanters then, and may be ſo ſtill, as Partakers of the Benefit, 1 Tim. 6.2. and Heirs together of the Grace of Life, 1 Pet. 3.7. more eſpecially ſuch as have Knowledge, both of their own Miſery by Sin, and of that great Myſtery of their Redemption by Chriſt.
The Second Part of this Chapter, is, the Contents of this Covenant.
Remark the Firſt, The Contents in General, are comprized in ver. 29. Every one owned, what others had done in their Names, ratifying it by lifting up their Hands (the ſign of their Aſſent) entering into a Curſe, in Caſe they ſhould break their Oath, wherein they had ſworn to walk in God's Law; intimating hereby (ſaith Piſcator) that as the foederal Rite among the Jews was to cut the Calf in Twain, and ſuch as entred into Covenant, paſſed between the Parts, imprecating the ſame Diſſection to befal themſelves, if they dealt falſly in God's Covenant, Jer. 34.18. thus are they ſaid to cut a Covenant with God, 2 Chron. 15.2. the Riſe of this Rite in Convenanting came from Abraham, Gen. 15.9, 10, 17. and the Heathens uſed the ſame Ceremony.
Et Caeſâ jungebant foedera Porcâ,
Virg. Aeneid. Lib. 8.
So this People entred between the Parts into a Curſe, ſubmitting themſelves to any Violent Judgment in Caſe they brake Promiſe; and thus Chriſt threatens to Dichotomize the Evil Servant, or cut him in Twain for forgetting the Covenant of his God, Matth. 24.50, 51. and all this they did here, not only to Confirm the Covenant (call'd the Oath of God, Eccleſ. 8.2.) the more thereby, but alſo to keep their own looſe and treacherous Hearts the cloſer unto God, that they might the better cleave to him as their Life, Deut. 30.20. as they are ſaid here to cleave unto their Brethren, which Hebrew, Vatablus renders [They laid faſt hold on them] to wit, by taking hold of the Covenant, to keep the Sabbath from polluting it, and to chuſe the things that pleaſe God, Iſa. 56.4, 6. ſee Deut. 29.10, 11, 12, 21. 2 Chron. 15.12, 14. and 34, 31, 32. Iſa. 19.18. and 44.5. yet in God's Strength, Pſalm 71.16, &c. ſo far as God enables, &c. all ought to be promiſed, &c.
Remark the Second, The Contents of this Covenant in Particular, are branched into ſeven ſeveral Subjects.
Mark 1. They Covenant in the firſt Place, to avoid their Sons Marriage of Strange Wives, ver. 30. and their Daughters of Strange Husbands, wherein themſelves had lately Tranſgreſſed, or were moſt prone to trangreſs, ſaith Menochius: They having now ſworn their Obedience to God's Law in a General Promiſe (ſaith Grotius) they begin here to ſpecifie thoſe ſpecial Duties, that were moſt difficult to obſerve. The firſt Branch whereof was, that they would for the future make no mix'd Marriages with the Heathen, being ſenſible of the Snare that herein Satan had laid for their Souls, who had oft broke the Head by the Rib, as he had done Adam's by Eve, &c. and Solomon's by ſtrange Wives, 1 Kings 11.4. which God forbad, Exod. 34.16. Deut. 7.3.
Mark 2. The Second Particular Branch was the Reſtitution of the Sabbath to its Primitive Inſtitution, ver. 31. that there ſhould be no Buying or Selling of any Wares on the Sabbath Day: Indeed the People of the Land might bring Wares to Sell without the Jews leave, and did ſo, Chap 13.16. Therefore Nehemiah prudently bounds the Jews by Oath not to Buy them, becauſe (ſaith Wolphius well) if there were no Buyers, the Sellers would ſoon be weary of bringing their Wares.
Mark 3. The Third Branch of the Covenant was the Obſervation of the Sabbatical Year, ver. 31. call'd a Year of the Lord's Releaſe, Deut. 15.2. and their Land by God's Law was to lay free from Tillage every ſeverenth Years, Exod. 23.10, 11. Lev. 25.4. as in this Year they were to exact no Debts, ſo they were (ſaith Vatablus) to gather no Fruits, but leave all for the Poor. N. B. This Year prefigur'd, the Year of Grace, the Kingdom of Chriſt, who giveth his Redeemed a general Releaſe from all their Spiritual Debts, and comes not over them again with any after-reckoning, Peccata non redeunt, Sins are as perfectly remitted by him, as if never committed againſt him: He ſo blots them out as to remember them no more, Iſa. 43.25.
Mark 4. The Fourth Branch of the Covenant was the Contribution of Money for the Ʋſe of the Temple, &c. and for making an Atonement, &c. ver. 32, 33. The Worſhip of God in the Temple had formerly been upheld in its great Expences out of the Temple's-Treaſure, 1 Chron 26.20. and when that failed, out of the King's-Treaſure, 2 Chron. 31.3. but now both theſe failing, and the half-Shekel enjoined by the Law, Exod. 38.26. being not ſufficient, they in this exigency bind every Head to pay ten-Pence more toward the Charges of that Holy-Service to expiate their Sins, &c.
N. B. 1. God highly accepteth the ſmall offerings of his Poor People, when he beholds them proceeding from great Love, as Mark 12.41, 44. We ought to do what we can, when we cannot do what we ought, Mark 14.8. as God meaſures not our Work by weight, but by Will, 2 Cor. 8.12. Lev. 5.7, 11. and 14.21, 30, 31. ſo good Men do, Samuel accepted of the fourth Part of a Shekel from Saul, 1 Sam. 9.8. which was one part leſs than this Offering here.
N. B. 2. This Atonement here to be made for the Purifying of Man's Sin, and for the Pacifying of God's Wrath, was a Legal Type of Chriſt's reconciling Man to God, for he alone is our Propitiation for Sin, 1 John 2.2.
Mark 5. The Fifth Branch of the Covenant in particular, was the Wood-offering, ver. 34. which was the Conſecrated Fewel to feed the Holy Fire, and to keep it ever-burning upon God's Altar, Lev. 6.12, 13. beſides there was Fire in other Places for Pots to boil with, 1 Sam. 2.15. 2 Chron. 35.13, &c. ſo much Wood was uſed, as alſo for Burning of Sacrifices, but the common Store of the Temple now failing, they bind themſelves to provide it in their Courſes, that God's Service might by no means be neglected. N. B. As they took great Care for fuel to nouriſh God's Fire here, that it might not be put out: So no leſs ought we to do to feed our Faith, Love and Zeal, which Solomon calls the flame of God, Cant. 8.6. Waters muſt not quench it, Cant. 8.7, 10. nor muſt Aſhes cover it, 2 Tim. 1.6. we may not wi…h-draw the fewel of God's Ordinances, or pour on the puddle-water of groſs-ſins, but feed it as well as the Gentiles did the Veſtal Fire, which was never to dye out for want of freſh fuel.
Mark 6. The Sixth Particular Branch of the Covenant, was for paying their firſt Fruits, ver. 35, 36, 37. that the Prieſts rights might be firmly aſſured, and they not be defrauded of any part thereof; all the Particulars of the firſt Fruits are diſtinctly deſcribed here, that none might pretend Ignorance in withholding the Prieſts-due, which at this Time the People were prone to Practiſe, either through Poverty, or a Penurious or a Prophane Diſpoſition: But the firſt-born of their Sons, and of their Cattel, both great and ſmall, if unclean, might be redeemed, Exod. 13.2, 13. yea the first Fruits of their Dough, that the Priest might have a Cake as oft as they Baked. N. B. Thus God required the firstlings of all, to ſhew, how he highly values the kindneſs of our Youth, Jer. 2.1, 2.
Mark 7. The Seventh Branch they bound themſelves unto by this Covenant, was the Payment of Tythes, ver. 37, 38, 39. which the Law gave the Levites for their maintenance, Numb. 18.24, 28. and they paid the Tenth of their Tenths to the Prieſts, all this was done by the Inſpection of the High-Prieſt (call'd here by way of Eminency, the Son of Aaron) ſaith Grotius, and though they paid Tribute at this Time to the King of Perſia, N. B. Yet they thus ſolemnly bind themſelves by Oath, that they would not defraud the Lord of his Part, but render to Caeſar the things that are Caeſar's, and to God the things that are Gods, Matth. 22.21. and God's part was laid up in God's Houſe, which they promis'd to frequent themſelves, and to ſee that none of his Servants ſhould forſake it for want of maintenance, which yet▪ they did out of want, Chap. 13.10.