Mayor Gerardo Balmori
The Salvation Army
As we continue in our series through the Book of Nehemiah, we’ve learned that Nehemiah
confronted a different challenge in each chapter:
• In chapter one, he was faced with a personal challenge. When he heard about what was
happening in Jerusalem, he sat down and wept and then broke out into prayer.
• In chapter two, his challenge was political. When the King asked him what he needed, he
prayed a “popcorn prayer” and boldly made his requests.
• In chapter three, he confronted an administrative challenge by positioning the right
workers in the right place for the right reasons.
• In chapter four, he dealt with the challenge of discouragement. The workers were afraid
of the enemies and convinced they couldn’t work anymore. Nehemiah rallied the troops to come
together under pressure.
As we come to chapter five, this same community is starting to self-destruct because of some
festering grievances. The workers now face a new enemy who is harder to conquer than the
previous ones. The timing could not have been worse because the walls are almost done!
Nehemiah has to put down his hard hat and turn his attention from the construction of the wall to
the walls that were being put up between his workers. While their external enemies helped to rally
the people, internal conflict threatened to divide and destroy them.
Caballos y Burros Posicion de ataque
It’s much easier to conquer and subdue an enemy who attacks us than it is to forgive and restore a
friend who hurts us.
Psalm 55:12-14 puts it this way: “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were
raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion,
my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the
house of God.”
Salmos 55:12-14-12 Porque no me afrentó un enemigo, Lo cual habría soportado; Ni se alzó
contra mí el que me aborrecía, Porque me hubiera ocultado de él; 13 Sino tú, hombre, al parecer
íntimo mío, Mi guía, y mi familiar; 14 Que juntos comunicábamos dulcemente los secretos, Y
andábamos en amistad en la casa de Dios.
Complaints Nehemiah Heard (1-5)
There’s a word in verse 1 that sets the tone for chapter 5 it’s the word, “against.” Strife was
brewing, tension was mounting, and horns were locked. Let’s look at the complaints Nehemiah
heard in verses 1-5.
In the midst of a “great work” in 4:19 for a “great God” in 1:5, in 5:1 “the men and their wives
raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers.” This was not just a little disagreement or a
minor problem. They weren’t crying out against the Samaritans or the Ammonites, but against
their own people!
Do you remember when hurricane Andrew tore through southern Florida several years ago?
There were four different groups of people who were involved in the community
crisis:
People who owned no land but needed food (verse 2). The population was increasing, the families
were growing, there was a famine, and the people were hungry. They were working so hard on the
wall that they didn’t have time to plant or take care of their crops.
Landowners who had mortgaged their property in order to buy food (verse 3). Inflation was on the
rise and prices were going higher and many had their homes repossessed by the moneylenders.
Another group complained that taxes were too high (verse 4). Many people were forced to borrow
money just to pay their tax bills some of us might have to do the same thing in a couple days!
Those who were exploiting others (verse 5). The wealthy were making loans with exorbitant
interest rates and taking land and even children as collateral. Families had to choose between
starvation and servitude. When the crops failed because of the famine, the creditors took away
their property and sold their children into slavery.
Steps Nehemiah Took (6-13)
Nehemiah heard their complaints in the first five verses. Now, in verses 6-13, we see the steps that
he took to stop the strife. Notice verse 6: “When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very
angry.” This lit him up! It wasn’t just that Nehemiah had a short fuse or a bad temper. This is what
the Bible calls “righteous anger.” Moses expressed this kind of anger when he broke the stone
tablets of the Law in Exodus 32 and Jesus was filled with holy rage when he saw the Pharisee’s
hard hearts in Mark 3:5 and when he cleared out the Temple in Luke 19.
While Nehemiah was very angry, verse 7 says that he took the time to “ponder” the charges before
he accused the nobles and officials.
Proverbs 16:32 challenges us to do: “It is better to be slow-tempered than famous; it is better to
have self-control than to control an army.”
Proverbios 16:32 Mejor es el que tarda en airarse que el fuerte; Y el que se enseñorea de su
espíritu, que el que toma una ciudad.
This rebuke consisted of six different appeals:
1. He appealed to their love (v. 7). Nehemiah reminded them that they were robbing their
“own countrymen,” not the Gentiles. He uses the word, “brother” four different times in his
speech. Psalm 133:1 must have been echoing in his mind: “How good and pleasant it is when
brothers live together in unity!”
2. He reminded them of God’s redemptive purpose (v. 8).
3. His appeal was based on God’s Word (v. 9a)
4. They needed to remember their witness (v. 9b). Israel was to be a light to the nations
5. He appealed to his own actions (v. 10-11). Nehemiah lent money but he didn’t charge
interest.
6. Finally, he appealed to the judgment of God (v. 12-13). I love verse 12 because it shows
that they really wanted to do what was right and didn’t have to wait and think about it:
Then they praised the Lord in unison. What started as a great cry of outrage led to a confrontation
which led to a commitment to change and concluded with shouts of praise in a corporate worship
service.
Principles to Ponder
1. There is a direct correlation between the effectiveness of our mission and how we
treat each other. We must be the church before we can build
the church. We must care for one another before we can hope to reach this community and
county for Christ.
2. Relational problems are inevitable and we can’t ignore them. Even though it’s painful
and it may seem easier to avoid or deny relational ruptures, we must face conflict head-on. If we
don’t, we’ll pay because it will go underground, grow deep roots, and bear bitter fruits. One of my
pastor friends puts it this way: “The first price you pay is always the cheapest.” It’s painful to stop
strife but it will only get more difficult the longer you wait.
3. We must take the initiative to restore relationships whether we want to or not.
Don’t wait for the other person to come to you. You need to go to them. Be tenacious about this
one. If you’ve been hurt, go and talk it out as Jesus commanded in Matthew 18. If you’ve hurt
someone else, go and confess what you did according to what Jesus said in Matthew 5. We’re
covered either way.
4. God’s reputation is at stake when we have conflict. In John 17:23, Jesus prayed that lost
people would know God’s heart of love when brothers and sisters in Christ are brought together in
complete unity. Let’s be like Nehemiah and walk in the fear of God to not only avoid the reproach
of unbelievers but to also make God attractive to those who need Him and we can do that by living
in loving community with each other.
In an old monastery in Germany, I’m told you can see two racks of ancient deer antlers
permanently interlocked. Apparently the animals had been fighting fiercely, and their horns
became so tangled that they could not be disengaged. As a result, both of them died of hunger.
Anyone here this morning who is tangled up with someone right now? Is there strife in your life?
In your home? In your workplace? With someone in the church? Don’t let it fester any longer. I
love how the people responded to Nehemiah’s challenge in Verse 13 when it says that the “people
did as they had promised.”
What about you? Are you willing to make a promise to stop strife in your life and in our church?
