September 11 Daily Discovery - Read Nehemiah Chapter 5

This passage below is from the King James Version (ekjv.org).  

Remarks from the Berean Fellowship follow the passage below.

[1] And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
[2] For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.
[3] Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.
[4] There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.
[5] Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.
[6] And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.
[7] Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.
[8] And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
[9] Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
[10] I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
[11] Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.
[12] Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.
[13] Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.
[14] Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.
[15] But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.
[16] Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work.
[17] Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us.
[18] Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
[19] Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

The Root of All Evil

With wealth comes power; with more wealth comes more power and the more power you have the greater is your potential for doing good or doing evil. The wealthier people in Judah were taking advantage of the poor people during a time of great difficulties. It was a time that was particularly difficult for poorer people, which would be a time that people that would have wealth could have stepped up to help them but instead they were taking advantage of their weakness and plundering them.

Word makes it back to the good governor nehemiah, and this makes him very angry. He took immediate steps to mitigate the situation.

1 Tim. 6:6-10

[6] But godliness with contentment is great gain.
[7] For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
[8] And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
[9] But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
[10] For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

There's nothing evil about being wealthy but there's something evil about loving money. To love money is the equivalent of being covetous, which is identified three times in the new covenant as being equivalent to idolatry. People that are in love with money are never satisfied with how much they have they must always be getting more.

Consulting with Yourself

It sounds a little bit funny for Nehemiah to say I consulted with myself. However we all talk to ourselves in our minds. This is called thinking. It is a good idea often to consult with others but it is never necessary when you already know what you should be doing. You don't need to ask others about whether or not you should do something that God has commanded you to do. You need to do it!

Hearing the report of the abuse made him angry and thinking about it may have even made him more angry. It didn't take him long to make a decision about what he should do.

Judah was under the rule of the Persian king Artaxerxes and Artaxerxes had appointed Nehemiah to be their governor. He had authority.

The Demands of the Governor

Rebuke

He called a great assembly and put a spotlight on them in publicly rebuke them for the evil things that they were doing against their own brothers.

Redemption

He reminded them that he and his household had redeemed as many of the Jews that were under bondage in foreign lands as they could and chided them for putting them back into bondage once they were allowed to return to Judah.

Usury Law

Ex. 22:25

If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.

What they were doing was in direct violation of their own law given by God.

Reproach

[9] Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
[10] I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

Restoration

Give it all back!  "Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them."

Retribution

What the wealthy people were doing to the poorer people was not something that they learned from their governor he acted in the opposite way. He was not even taking the resources that would have been his by right as being governor and he was caring for a large household of people personally. He shook out his lap and told them god will shake them out if they do not do what they have been told to do!

--------------

Continue Your Search

Do you see any: Commands to Obey, Warnings to Heed, Promises to Claim, Examples to Follow, Vices to Avoid, Praises to Emulate, Prayers to Use, Principles by which to Live, Questions to Ask or Actions to Take?

See: Berean Fellowship Bible Study Method