38 “A priest—a descendant of Aaron—will be with the Levites as they receive these tithes. And a tenth of all that is collected as tithes will be delivered by the Levites to the Temple of our God and placed in the storerooms. 39 The people and the Levites must bring these offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms and place them in the sacred containers near the ministering priests, the gatekeepers, and the singers.
“We promise together not to neglect the Temple of our God.”
Nehemiah 10:38-39 (NLT)
Wise oversight
God ordained that the priests, who were a subset of Levi, would get a tenth of the national tithe – a tithe of the tithe – to live off of. They had no allocation of land. JFB continues, “Levites, having received a tenth of all land produce, were required to give a tenth of this to the priests. The Levites were charged with the additional obligation to carry the tithes when received, and deposit them in the temple stores, for the use of the priests.”
All these tithes were brought to the Temple. The Levites, who were in charge of the temple, received them. To ensure integrity, a priest would oversee the work. “The presence of a dignified priest would ensure the peaceful delivery of the tithes; at least his superintendence and influence would tend to prevent the commission of any wrong in the transaction…” (JFB commentary)
Never neglect
At this point in the account, the Israelite returnees have confessed their sin and committed in writing to new, proper, behavior. What was the end goal? To never neglect the temple of God, to never neglect God and their relationship with Him. Giving is a big part of that. “Simply said, the Bible says we need to be givers. Not so much for the sake of those we give to, but because giving sets our heart right about material things. God Himself is the greatest giver.” (Enduring word.com)
Of course the question comes to us – Are we committed to never neglect God and our relationship with Him? How seriously do we take our relationship with Jesus? Are we cheerful givers? Find ways to be accountable to your relationship with God. Use Bible verses. Ask others for help.
