Bible Study - Nehemiah (4) - Protect - Nehemiah 5:1-13 - August 12, 2018

Bible Study – Nehemiah (4) – Protect – August 12, 2018 

This is lesson four (4) in our series entitled “Nehemiah: Building a Life of Service.”

Our focus scripture is Nehemiah 5:1-13.

As Christians, we cannot separate who we are from what we are.

Once, we as Christians, see and know the truth, we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. We represent GOD to others because we know the absolute truth.

John 3:21:

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 

20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 

21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Believers Are to Support and Not Take Advantage of Others.

Let’s read Nehemiah 5:1-5:

Social Injustice

1 There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. 

There was a cry of distress from the people, especially those working to rebuild Jerusalem, which included their wives. Their cry was against those living in Jerusalem and the surrounding country. So what were the issues they were facing?

2 Some were saying, "We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live."

Those with large families meant they needed lots of grain but it also meant they also had a large labor force that could help rebuild Jerusalem. It has been estimated that six bushels of grain were required to feed the average family for a month. These were the non-land owners. They had no tangible product or land assets to barter but they did have human assets.

The first issue Nehemiah faced was a limited food supply. The non-land owners with families, particularly those with large families, were disadvantaged to barter for food. To add insult to misery there was a famine in the land. Those with food (grains/corn) where charging inflated prices for their products. This led those without means to pay to either sell things of value or mortgage their things of value. What would they use to get food? There were those with tangible assets such as fields, vineyards, homes which they could mortgage but there were others with nothing. What would those with nothing do? Let’s read on ----

3 Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine." 

To make bad matters worse, their second issue was a famine hit the area. So those who had land, saw their source of income waste away.

Was GOD trying to get them to focus on their problems? When things start to go wrong, often, we need to pause and talk with our LORD.

4 Still others were saying, "We have borrowed money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. 

Taxes had to be paid on the barren fields and vineyards. The government wants their cut even if it means taking what you have that can produce income to satisfy the government. 

5 We and our children are [just] like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others." 

Great frustration set in among the people. They were fellow countrymen with those who were taking advantage of them. Our children and their children were the same. They had dedicated themselves to rebuilding Jerusalem and possibly neglected keeping an eye on what was happening around them. Some had to sell their children into slavery to purchase grain to keep their family alive. Those in Jerusalem had gotten to the end of their capability. So what could they do?

How I Treat Others Reflects How I Honor GOD.

Let’s read Nehemiah 5:6-11:

6 I became extremely angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. 

Why did Nehemiah get “extremely angry” when he heard the distress and complaints of the people? Had Nehemiah been so focused on the rebuilding project that he failed to see what was happening around him? Was Nehemiah part of the problem? When truth is revealed it hurts. I think Nehemiah came face to face with what he had either overlooked or neglected.

7 After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, "Each of you is charging his countrymen interest." So I called a large assembly against them 

Nehemiah paused and pondered what the people were saying. The leadership and fellow Jews were charging fellow Jews interest, which was forbidden by Jewish law. Let’s read Deuteronomy 23:19-20:

19 Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. 

20 You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the LORD your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess. 

Nehemiah “called a large assembly against them.” Nehemiah had witnesses to support what he accused his fellow Jews of doing. He reviewed what they had already done for their fellow Jews who had been sold to foreigners as we read on --- 

8 and said, "We have done our best to buy back our Jewish countrymen who were sold to foreigners, but now you sell your own countrymen, and we have to buy them back." They remained silent and could not say a word. 

They had recognized their responsibility to redeem those who had been sold to foreigners (non-Jews). Now, they had to face another issue, they had allowed their fellow Jews to be sold to fellow Jews.

When truth meets the road of our lives, we often remain silent. Truth often hurts but how we, who know truth, respond is critical.

Thus, what they had allowed and been involved in themselves was NOT Right as he expressed in the next verse -----

9 Then I said, "What you are doing isn't right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God [and not invite] the reproach of our foreign enemies? 

What we do and practice speaks loudly to those who are watching what we, as Christians, practice in life’s journey.

10 Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop charging this interest. 

11 Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them." 

When we recognize a problem and especially when we are part of the problem, we must do something about it. In this case, even Nehemiah was part of the problem. Often, leadership gets caught up in greed. We have many examples in our society today.

When we come face to face with truth, what we do next reveals our relationship with GOD through faith in JESUS.

Repentance Means Turning to a Lifestyle That Fully Honors GOD.

Let’s read Nehemiah 5:12-13:

12 They responded: "We will return [these things] and require nothing more from them. We will do as you say." So I summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this. 

The leadership responded with the right answer, “We will.” We will do what? We will return [these things] e.g. money, goods, children, homes, lands, restore relationships and the list goes on. What would that do for those who were down and out? It would restore their self-esteem and fellowship. Unity with those with whom we have been estranged heals not only individually as friends and neighbors but collectively as a community, nation and world. Nehemiah heard their words of commitment but Nehemiah did not leave it there, he went a step further. He wanted those whom he had assembled to make a formal commitment to GOD and be held accountable to GOD.

“So I (Nehemiah) summoned the priests and made everyone take an oath to do this.” He wanted those he had assembled to make a formal commitment to GOD.

Sometimes when we have moved beyond the time when we make a commitment, we forget or put it off.

Nehemiah gave a visible sign of his commitment to GOD and what he was asking GOD to do to was to hold all accountable who were agreeing to the oath.

13 I also shook the folds of my robe and said, "May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn't keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing!" The whole assembly said, "Amen," and they praised the Lord. Then the people did as they had promised.

They made an oath to GOD with consequences.

The folds of robe contained pockets. The shaking of the robe symbolized the emptying of his pockets. Thus, asking GOD to empty the pockets of all who made an oath to GOD that day, if they did not keep their promise.

The response of “Amen” sealed their promise. And the “people did as they promised.”

If they failed to keep their promise to GOD, Nehemiah had asked GOD to take the wealth they had accumulated from them. They said “Amen” which means “so be it.”

This lesson focuses upon more than tangible assets. As Christians, we need to focus on the tangible as well as the intangible e.g. our relationships with others, our relationship with each other, fellow church members, others in the community, our family and the list goes on.

If you are not a Christian, now is the opportunity to become a Christian. Becoming a Christian is “CHRIST in you.” You must acknowledge that you need JESUS by asking HIM to forgive you for your sins and for HIM to come into your life. It is not joining a church or some Christian organization. JESUS gave HIS sinless life just for you to pay, in full, for all of your sins.

GOD decided how that would take place for all who place their faith in JESUS, GOD’S only SON, Who chose to come to earth in the flesh and be tempted as every human is tempted, yet without sin. Because JESUS was without sin, HIS shed blood upon the cross paid the sin debt in full. GOD confirmed this by raising JESUS from the physically dead as proof that JESUS conquered the penalty of sin, which is eternal death. When GOD resurrected JESUS, HE was resurrected to HIS Glorified body, which is like the Glorified body all born-again Christians will have at the second coming of JESUS.

How do we know that this is true? Once those who ask JESUS to forgive them for their sins and for JESUS to come into their lives, GOD gives us a guarantee in the person of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Once you ask JESUS into your heart, you become GOD’S Son or Daughter through the miracle of rebirth in your spirit. Consider what the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21:

20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 

21 God made him (JESUS) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Faith in JESUS removes our cloak of sin and GOD replaces it with JESUS’ cloak of righteousness. Now that is awesome! It is GOD’S free gift to all who place their faith in JESUS but it cost JESUS his sinless life for Christians to be clothed in HIS righteousness.

Do not delay ask JESUS into your heart now, if you haven’t already. If you have and you have not been living for HIM, then rededicate yourself to HIM and obediently serve HIM. The rewards for doing so are out of this world. Blessings!!!