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In Nehemiah 4, we looked at how the enemy engages us when we step out in faith to do the Lord’s work. Satan and the world work externally to derail our progress, however, the most severe damage always takes place from the inside out. It has been said many times that if the devil cannot destroy the church through persecution and suffering, he will simply join it. Nehemiah and his workers had withstood the attacks and persevered. Now, they would be faced with an even greater task; they were about to be sucker punched!
Because the Jews had worked so hard and focused so much of their attention on rebuilding, the daily necessities were lacking. The murmuring and complaining rose up from among their own. We see three different groups of people with three separate issues.
As you can see, there were many problems. First, there was a social class issue. The poor were being taken advantage of by their fellow Jews. They were forced to borrow money and mortgage their lands, vineyards, and houses. According to the law, it was strictly prohibited to charge a fellow Jew interest on borrowed money.
“If you lend money to My people, to the poor person among you, you must not be like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest.
Exodus 22:25 HCSB
The other issue was a lack of compassion. There was nothing wrong with a Jewish person working for a wage, but bringing additional burdens upon someone who was already struggling was not in step with the heart of God.
“If your brother becomes destitute and cannot sustain himself among you, you are to support him as a foreigner or temporary resident, so that he can continue to live among you. 36 Do not profit or take interest from him, but fear your God and let your brother live among you. 37 You are not to lend him your silver with interest or sell him your food for profit.
Leviticus 25:35-37 HCSB
So, with all that said, the blame could not be placed squarely on the building project. The people had (once again) disregarded God’s ways! Furthermore, if you remember back in Nehemiah 3, it was the nobles who refused to lift a finger when everyone else pitched in to help rebuild the walls. They are once again the source of trouble here in Nehemiah 5.
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 5:7 HCSB
Nehemiah wasn’t having it! He called a meeting and addressed the issue immediately. His righteous anger burned against the selfishness of these nobles and officials and a call to accountability was in order. Amazingly, these prestigious men accepted the correction and agreed to Nehemiah’s terms. They would give back the land, houses, and vineyards and would no longer charge interest to their fellow countrymen.
But it doesn’t end there. Nehemiah not only talked the talk, but he walked the walk.
What’s the point? Nehemiah was a man of integrity whose motives were pure. He wanted to do what was right in God’s sight. He was granted favor by God as his voice was able to correct the selfish ambition of the arrogant nobles as well as encourage and support the workers during this strenuous rebuilding project. Nehemiah is a prime example of how we should function in leadership roles. He was a shining example of both grace and truth.