Be It Resolved

Who has not been at a convention, conference, political forum, or even a funeral and not heard the obligatory resolutions read? They begin with a series of “Whereas” statements that provide reason and rationale for the honor to be bestowed, and end with one or more “Be it resolved” statements describing the honor or recognition. To be honest, 99% of the time, I find them long-winded, tedious, pretentious, obsequious, and pointless.

Of course, I have a “however.” As I continued my study of Nehemiah, I found what could be a resolution. Nehemiah 9 describes the jubilation of the Israelites living in Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside. The city gates and wall had been restored. The prophet Ezra had read the Book of Moses to them. The priests and Levites were teaching them God’s ways. They had begun celebrating the sacred feasts and festivals. At the height of their joy, they cried out to God a confession of their past bad behavior…behavior that eventually led to their exile in Babylon. Nehemiah 10 lists their promises to continually obey God’s Law.

When I read chapters 9 and 10, my mind immediately saw them as the two parts of a resolution: chapter 9 as the “Whereas” and chapter 10 as the “Be it resolved.” Unlike the resolutions I normally despise, what I read in Nehemiah is inspiring. It chronicles what happens when we obey God and the punishment when we do not. It is a testament to understanding the redemptive power of God.

I would like to take a point of personal privilege to translate Nehemiah chapters 9 and 10 into a resolution.

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RESOLUTION

     WHEREAS, our Lord God created the covenant with Father Abraham, gave the law to Moses, and led us through the wilderness to the Promised Land; and

     WHEREAS, because of You Lord, we conquered many enemies, captured invaluable resources, and built great cities and kingdoms; and

     WHEREAS, we continually cycled through being blessed by You and grateful for all You have done to lapsing into sinful and unlawful behavior to seeking and receiving Your redemption; and

     WHEREAS, our Lord God always loved us and sent us prophets reminding us of Your goodness and warning us of the consequences of our wickedness; and

     WHEREAS, even in this time of joy and restoration, we still bear the yoke of foreign kings and need Your intervention.

     NOW BE IT RESOLVED that we, the governor, priests, Levites, leaders, gatekeepers, musicians, temple servants, all who separate themselves from neighboring peoples, our wives and offspring, fellow Israelites, and nobles, make this solemn oath to our Lord God to follow His teachings as given to us by Moses; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we do vow to obey all the commandments, rules, and regulations of our Sovereign Lord, including, but not limited to, not intermarrying with foreigners, honoring the Sabbath, providing for the care and maintenance of Your house, offering to You our firstborn sons and livestock and first fruits; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we will break the cycle of our disobedience by continually honoring, loving, and obeying You.

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This resolution lets me see that not all resolutions are mere pomp and pomposity. A resolution to God allows me to consider what He has done for me—blessings, mercy, grace—and how I can honor Him.

Reflect: My challenge to you: what resolution can you make to God your Father, Jesus Christ your Savior, and the Holy Spirit your Comforter? How can you personalize the “Whereas” statements describing how God has blessed and redeemed you? What can you say in the “Be it resolved” statements to honor Him? Consider writing your own resolution to God and hanging it on the wall. I will do so also.