READ: Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah is one of those books that show us the
reality of life and of sinful people interacting in the world. It reminds us
that not everything is smooth sailing for those who choose to walk in obedience
to the Lord. The reward is promised in the next life, but this life will have
trouble. Nehemiah is wholeheartedly obeying the Lord, and the people have exuberantly
joined in with the building project, but there are still some big issues in the
community. Nehemiah 5 reveals one such issue.
It seems there is a famine in the land, and some of
the people are being terribly extorted by their kinsmen. Many of the people are
struggling to make ends meet due to famine and also to the number of men
working on the walls – there is a shortage of food and people have had to
mortgage their properties and sell their children as temporary slaves while
they get back on their feet. To make matters worse, it is their own kinsmen who
are causing this ruin. Wealthier Jewish landowners are oppressing the poorer
Jews, exacting interest on those in poverty, which was forbidden in Mosaic Law
(see Dt 23:19-10). Nehemiah confronts these wealthy families, demanding them to
relent and give back what they have taken unlawfully. Verse 9 reveals the
problem behind the problem: the people lack a fear of the Lord. In their greed
and pride they have exalted themselves above God, and it is time for this to
stop.
Chapter 5 gives us more insight into what Nehemiah
was like as a leader. He was a man of diligence, generosity and righteousness. He
goes into detail about such things in verses 14-19. As governor of the land,
Nehemiah was due to receive taxes from the people for his own benefit, but he
did not enforce this. However, he still allowed many men at his table – a cost
that came at his own expense. Neither did he lord his position over others;
rather he worked hard alongside his servants. He was a man of self-sacrifice
and in verse 15 he tells the reader why: because he feared the Lord. Nehemiah
understood that, as God’s servant, he was accountable to God for all that was
entrusted to him – even the perks of his job. And again, we read a bold prayer
in the final verse: “Remember me for my
good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.” Nehemiah has no
trouble asking God for reward because He knows
God, he knows that God actually likes to reward His people for their
obedience.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1. Do you live as though all you have – all you have – belongs to the Lord? Even
your free time? Even your house? Even your income tax refund? Colossians 3:5
says, “Put to death, therefore, whatever
belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” It’s
not often that we lump greed in with those
kinds of things, and yet God does, and calls it idolatry – having other
gods before Him.
a. Ask God to point out any greed or envy that is in
your heart. Confess this as idolatry and ask Him to root it out of your heart.
b. Can you identify a category that is a weakness
for greed in your life (clothing, food, house, vehicles, tools, etc.)? Ask God
to change your heart, to take away your need for these things. Ask Him for a
strategy you can use to battle against greed in this area.
2. Nehemiah mentions the fear of the Lord twice in
this chapter. A lack of it is the reason why the nobles have succumbed to their
greed, and a presence of it is the reason why Nehemiah is so generous. We need
the fear of the Lord if we are to follow God rightly. We need to be grounded in
the truth of who God is – a God of steadfast love and mercy and of holiness and righteousness. This
understanding helps us to feel the weight of sin and recognize the need for
repentance which results in a deep love for our God who graciously forgives.
a. Where might the fear of the Lord be lacking in
your life? Ask for a greater understanding of this concept. Ask for a deeper
reverence for God and His holiness. Ask for an acute awareness of sin and love
for righteousness in your life.
b. Now also pray for increased fear of the Lord in
the Canadian church. She will not turn back to the Lord in repentance without
it. Pray that our country would recognize her need for God. Pray that the
church would rise up as the pure bride of Christ, that she would have a desire
for holiness. Ask for a revelation of God’s love and holiness to be poured out
on the church.
