By David Faust

Most of us sign our names every day without much thought. There are times, though, when putting your name on a document is a big deal.

When I was 24 years old, my wife and I bought our first house. The total cost of the deal wouldn’t seem like much in today’s economy, but I had never signed a contract before, nor had I ever written a check for more than a few hundred dollars. My hand stiffened when a lawyer pushed a pen across the table so I could sign the mortgage documents.

As a Christian minister I have signed a number of official papers over the years—baptism and ordination certificates, marriage licenses, congratulatory letters. During my years as a university president I had the privilege of personally signing hundreds of diplomas, knowing that graduates would frame them and hang them on their walls for years to come.

Imagine how the American patriots must have felt when they signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, mutually pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. How does an artist feel when she signs a painting that took her months to create? What goes through the mind of a judge who realizes that his signature on a legal document can set a prisoner free or condemn him to years of confinement or to death?

Will We Keep Our Covenant with God?

The book of Nehemiah describes a powerful season of spiritual renewal. Ezra the priest, Nehemiah the governor, and other leaders read aloud the long-neglected Law of Moses, “making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read” (8:8). Deeply moved by the Word of God, the people responded with tears of repentance and by joyfully celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles. Soon “the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. . . .
They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors” (9:1, 2). After a lengthy time of prayer, the Israelites decided to create “a binding agreement, putting it in writing” (v. 38) to demonstrate their commitment to God’s covenant.

Nehemiah chapter 10 lists dozens of names of the leaders who added their seals to the agreement, starting with Governor Nehemiah himself (10:1-27). In Middle-Eastern culture it was common to use seals to authenticate official documents. Each party would stamp his own personal seal on moist clay that hardened and remained attached to the document as a lasting symbol of the signer’s agreement. In effect, the Israelite leaders (about 85 in all) put their names on the dotted line to affirm their individual commitment to God.

It’s an impressive list of names. They pledged, “We will not neglect the house of our God” (10:39)—but neglect God’s house is exactly what they did! Sadly, by Nehemiah chapter 13 it becomes clear that the Israelites had quickly forgotten their promises. Eventually they broke every vow on the list. How fickle humans can be, even when our intentions are good!

The Lord’s faithfulness never fails, and he has put his own name on the dotted line. “God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’” (2 Timothy 2:19).

Let’s take our promises seriously. We can be sure God does.

David Faust serves as the Associate Minister at East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Based on International Sunday School Lesson, © 2013, by the Lesson Committee. Scripture quotations are from the New International Version ©2011, unless otherwise indicated.

As you apply today’s Scripture study to everyday life, read Engage Your Faith by David Faust and the correlating Evaluation Questions.

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