Meanwhile, behind the walls …
Nehemiah 5:1-19
Introduction
- Nehemiah is a great study of leadership, but also shows obedience to God
- Last week we saw Nehemiah establishing a watch while they worked
-- This put the people on guard to protect them from the enemy
-- But also let the enemy know they were being watched; which deflated them
- They then went back to work with the same vision: rebuild Jerusalem’s walls
-- I wondered while Mike was presenting this, how often is the reverse true?
-- EX: The enemy attacks, and rather than standing firm – we back down
-- Nehemiah trusted God to be faithful to do His part, so shouldn’t’ we?
- This morning we get a view of what’s also going on behind the scenes
-- IMP: The greatest wall will never stand if the society behind it is broken
-- It is in this fact that we see a tremendous lesson for us today
- Pray
∆ Point 1 – Nehemiah identifies the economic oppression
- Read Nehemiah 5:1-5
- What we see here is great lesson in how society’s work
-- The defensive measures might be in place, but the society is broken (v1)
-- The people saw Nehemiah perhaps as an advocate so they complained to him
- Note here that even women were joining in the complaining (this is unusual)
-- For this to happen, surely they had reached a desperate level in Jerusalem
-- But do you notice who they are complaining about?
- They are railing against their fellow Jews!
-- First, there are Jews who do not own any land of their own (v2)
-- They had to ask the government for grain so that they could even live
- The second group is the landowners (v3) but they too have problems
-- They are mortgaged to the hilt, and the crops have constantly failed
-- Their loans are too numerous, and to even survive they have to scrape by
-- RE: There is a tremendous famine in this time (v3) that’s affected all
- And the last group also consisted of landowners, but the issue is taxation
-- Because of the king’s taxes, they too are mortgaged to their eyeballs
-- They are facing imminent ruin if something does not change (v4)
- IMP: In v5 we see the root cause: They are doing this to one another!
-- We are the same flesh and blood, therefore considered brothers to one another
-- Yet, they’ve had to subject their own children to work and slavery
-- Even the daughters had been enslaved which in itself is disgraceful
- Something to note: the payment of debt through enslavement isn’t illegal
-- But the law has safeguards built in; even though it’s almost at its limit as well
-- Imagine these parents: defenseless and unable to help their own children
--- “We are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others”
- The economic oppression these people have has caused a crippling cycle
-- We must borrow to eat, but we must take out a loan to borrow
-- Then we must enslave ourselves in order to pay back the debt … but …
-- We still need to eat so we must borrow more to eat …. Rinse & repeat
Pastor’s observation:
- If there was ever a clear cut example of debt being silly, here you go
-- We get into debt, we borrow to get out of debt, & we get more into debt
-- Then we reach max capacity, panic, borrow … and the cycle never seems to end
-- If you’re in this cycle get some help, please! Having a budget works …
- Nehemiah has a society in a vicious cycle that he’s helping to rebuild
-- IMP: You cannot survive if you are pitted against one another
- TRANS: Read Nehemiah 5:6-11
∆ Point 2 – Nehemiah pronounces judgment
- After listening to their complaints, Nehemiah is very angry with them (v6)
-- The oppression of fellow Jews is shameful, esp. as they are rebuilding together
-- But, instead of showing it, he refrained from responding (v7)
- After careful thought (sometimes it’s better to be silent for a few …)
-- He rebuked those who were responsible for this ... look at his words:
-- (Pause) “You are charging your own people interest!”
-- RE: You are doing this to yourselves! It’s not even someone else’s doing!
- Nehemiah felt a huge moral outrage here; and so he must act (v7-8)
-- Nehemiah said that we’ve brought our people back from slavery …
-- But they are now selling one another to each other, to be sold back to us!
-- APP: Do you see the ridiculous cycle of nonsense? It must stop!
- What they are doing is demeaning one another (v9)
-- Nehemiah addresses their values, rather than just reminding them of the law
-- In v9, his indictment to them is critical, and our focal point (re-read)
-- APP: A correct response to God would be to put personal ambition aside
- Walking in the fear of the Lord means that we consider Him first, not us
-- Jesus taught on this as well … turn to Matthew 20:20-28
-- APP: Life is not about us – our calling is to serve one another!
- So, Nehemiah makes a pledge with the men and women in Jerusalem
- TRANS: Read Nehemiah 5:12-13
∆ Point 3 – Nehemiah’s confirms a new pledge
- Note how the creditors are now willing to forgive and relieve the debt
-- They have promised to give back what they have charged (v12)
-- But there is a severity in this pledge, and Nehemiah lays it all on the line
- This is a ceremonial action that Nehemiah performs (shaking out robe)
-- It was meant to give it more power, an exclamation point if you need one
-- Then he proclaims on them a judgment of the Lord if they fail (v13)
-- The people’s agreement is sealed with an Amen (“I agree”)
- Now, we might think all is settled … but you cannot fix something temporarily
-- If you want change to really take hold, you have to model it
- TRANS: Read Nehemiah 5:14-19
∆ Point 4 – Nehemiah leads by example
- Nehemiah then establishes his governorship over Jerusalem for 12 years (v14)
-- It’s not clear if he was appointed before he left Susa, but some may think so
-- APP: He definitely had the clout to get the wall construction working
-- But notice something that he set up in his leadership – no one took from others
- It was customary to offer food to the governor, or pay excessive taxes
-- And Nehemiah stands by his agreement made with all in v10
-- He does not take the things that are “entitled to him” because of his position
-- APP: Isn’t that incredible? Government can survive without taking all …
- Nehemiah refused to participate in a process that would cause more strain
-- It was his right to do so, but instead he choose to live with integrity
-- Those before him did the exact opposite (v15), hence the mess they were in
-- Nehemiah knows this will not work, and so he departed from the customs
-- However … do you see WHY he chooses to not act like this?
- “But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.”
-- His fear of the Lord far surpassed his desire to get all he can
-- His reverence for pleasing God is an example that we can have today
-- He exemplified the Law: love for God and love for people
- What a tremendous example we can stand on (pause) “Love God, Love People”
-- Wait! This is our saying here! It is what we rely on when reaching out!
-- Rather than devote himself to wealth, his focus is on restoring the city (v16)
- Even more: (v17) he provided for those in is service out of his pocket
-- Their mission is on the work ahead, not in promoting their own desires
-- His desire is that they would work together to restore their birthright city
-- And with that, their needs were provided for (v18) without taxation
- TRANS: But here is the question … why would Nehemiah live like this?
∆ Big Idea
- Reflecting on his years as governor, he offers a very simple prayer (v19)
-- “Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.”
-- Nehemiah simply wanted God’s approval … is that what we cry out for?
∆ -- In your life, whose applause are you seeking?
- Pray
