Taking Care of the House

Owning your own home is the American dream. But being a homeowner quickly becomes a nightmare if you fail to take care of the house. Instead of a blessing, it’s a burden. During their 70 years of exile in Babylon, God’s chosen people have dreamed worshiping again at the house of God in Jerusalem. The LORD has orchestrated their homecoming to the Promised Land, the rebuilding of the temple, and the reconstruction of the city walls. Their dream has come true. In Nehemiah 10:32-39, the Jewish people totally commit themselves to provide everything needed to support worship at the rebuilt temple. With God’s house ready to go, they commit to its maintenance and operation.

The Jewish people make this pledge of maintaining the house of God as part of the covenant promise just a few verses back (Neh 9:38-10:27). God’s Law has exposed and diagnosed their rebellion and disobedience (Neh 8:1-9:37). They turn to God, the only One capable of treating their disease. As they have done so many times before, God’s people repent and promise perfect obedience from this point on (Neh 10:29). They’ll stop shacking up and sleeping around with unbelievers (Neh 10:30). They’ll stop defiling the Sabbath and doing business with their pagan neighbors on Saturday (Neh 10:31). If you’re wondering how that works out, allow me to give you a sneak preview. They keep their covenant about as well as I kept every one of my New Year’s resolutions.

Just like there’s a cost in home maintenance, there’s a cost in the daily operation of God’s house. “We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third of a part of a shekel for the service of the house of God” (v32). Some smart dudes have sharpened their pencils and determined this is about ten percent the annual income of the Jewish family. This is the first time that God’s people have committed to pay what amounts to a temple tax. Back in Moses’ day, God did command His people to give a one time offering of half a shekel to cover the costs of tabernacle sacrifice (Ex 30:11-16). While Zerubbabel led the reconstruction of the temple 70 years ago in 515 BC, a huge focus of Nehemiah’s return is restoring proper worship at the rebuilt temple.Just like any new enterprise, there’s a cost to reboot of temple worship. This is a great reminder that worship costs something. No, I’m not saying that there’s a price of admission. You don’t buy a ticket. Worship involves sacrifice. Worship comes at a cost. The people pledge to pony up one third of a shekel to make that happen.

We see an itemized list of what this money will buy in verse 34. Think of it as a scriptural Excel spreadsheet. Nehemiah runs down the various various offerings and dates for regularly scheduled temple worship. God had given these specifications to Moses just after they hit the road from Egypt (Lev 24:5-9; Num 28-29). This money will provide “for all the work of the house of God” (v34). And if you’re going to make burnt offerings, you’re going to need wood. We see Isaac schlepping the wood for his own sacrifice back on Mount Moriah (Gen 22:6). They don’t have gas grills at the temple. So they hold a lottery to see who’s bringing the charcoal (v35). 

The people of God make a commitment “to bring the firstfruits” as an expression of their love for the LORD (v35). They’re bringing the first and best of every harvest to the temple (Ex 23:19; 34:26; Num 18:12-13; Dt 26:1-11). They’re bringing the first and best of their livestock as an act of worship (v36; Num 18:15-18; Dt 15:19-23). They’re bringing their first and best of their baking, their wine, and their oil (v37). They are even pledging to bring their oldest sons for service to God in His temple (v36; Ex 13:13; 34:20). First and best? Oldest sons? This sure sounds awfully familiar. I feel like I’ve heard something like this before. 

God’s people promise to bring “the tithes” to the Levites at the temple (v37). The Hebrew word here is ma’aser. It means ten percent or a payment of one tenth. This is the idea of that God owns it all but graciously allows us to keep the other 90 percent. He asks His people to return one tenth back to Him as an act of worship. In this case, we see that it’s being used to cover the operational costs of the temple. Then we see something interesting. The folks working at the temple aren’t exempt from contributing. “The Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithe” (v38). In other words, the worship team is to give ten percent of what they receive from the ten percent of what the people give to pay their salaries. Does this mean that we’re still under the idea of tithing in the New Testament? Paul writes of percentage giving in one of his letters to Corinth (2Cor 9:5-7). Does that mean 10 percent? It’s not a bad place to start. Giving back to God one tenth of what He’s given you from the very start is an expression of faith that He’ll provide everything you need.

They sum up their entire pledge to provide for the temple workers by proudly proclaiming, “For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not neglect the house of our God” (v38). I mean, who could ever disagree with this heartfelt promise? They’re totally committed to support worship at the temple and all those who serve there. There’s just one little problem. This all goes straight down the toilet just 12 years later in 434 BC (Neh 13:4-13). 

Four centuries later, God will provide absolutely EVERYTHING needed for sacrifice. Jesus came as our ultimate High Priest (Heb 4:14-16). He’s the ultimate firstborn Son (Jn 3:16; Col 1:15). He’s the ultimate sacrifice as the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29). He’s ultimate of the First and Best. He’s even the ultimate Temple (Jn 2:19). He offers such an over-the-top and amazingly perfect sacrifice on our behalf that He completely shuts down temple worship (Heb 7:27; 10:10-12). There’s no sacrifices left to make. There’s nothing left to pay. That’s why Jesus screamed for everyone to hear, “It is finished!” (Jn 19:30). Paid. In. Full. The cost of maintenance for God’s house has been covered.