Be Accountable!
"And because of all this, we make a sure covenant
and write it; our leaders, our Levites, and our
priests seal it."
Nehemiah 9: 38
In 1776, 56 members of (American) Second Continental Congress
affixed their signatures to the Declaration of Independence. This
was no mere formality. These men chose to publicly identify them
selves, and their
families and descendants, as being in favor of
breaking away from
Great Britain and forming a new nation.
In doing so, they pledged “[their] Lives, [their] Fortunes, And
[their] Sacred Honor” and many paid a heavy price. Some lost
their lives, most lost fortunes, but none lost their sacred honor.
Signing one's name to a public document means becoming
accountable for what the document sets forth. When
leaders
and Levites of Israel signed a “sure covenant” of allegiance
to God after being restored from captivity in Babylon, they
were aligning themselves publicly with
God.
They made commitments and promises and put them
in writing; they made themselves accountable for their
actions going forward.
Putting things in writing, on paper or by verbal declaration,
is a serious act of allegiance. Every follower of Jesus, by
confessing that Jesus is Lord, invites the world to
judge
his words by his actions.
"A man has no time for which
he is not accountable to God."
Thomas Wilson
