Nehemiah. Pt. 5 An internal crisis comes to a head and injustice is righted.

Good morning everyone. We were blessed with another wonderful Lord's day at church. Pastor preached on Psalm 117 Sunday morning as Pastor turned our focus toward being people of thanksgiving and gratitude. 

In the afternoon service, Pastor led us through a study in the Psalms looking at places where God blesses us, we bless God or where we bless others around us. It was a good reminder that God has plainly stated what He will bless and if we live in a way that honors Him, that can be a blessing to Him. I pray that you all had a wonderful Lord's day, too. 

Nehemiah faced a severe internal crisis

Nehemiah is faced with a very serious internal problem.  This situation impacted most of the people on multiple levels.  First, there was an intense cry of anguish and distress that stemmed from an ongoing situation of injustice.  The people and their wives or the common people, workers and laborers were the ones raising this cry.

It seems that they had some large families and they had to mortgage their lands, vineyards and houses just to have money to buy food in order to live.  Some of the people had borrowed money to pay their tax bills to Artaxerxes. 

Some of the people even had to make their children  bond servants.  It was a hopeless condition because they had no ability to redeem their children from bondage.  This was the cause of their bitter grief.

A four fold problem of great injustice

A famine led to a scarcity of food which drove up prices. The people had to mortgage everything they had to buy grain. Others had to borrow money for their tax bill at high interest rates and this led to the 4th problem of selling their children into slavery to satisfy their creditors. 

Morale was very low.  They were battling physical exhaustion, a relentless enemy seeking to attack with an ambush, being away from their homes and then coping with Jews taking advantage of other Jews.  It was a very difficult problem. 

Nehemiah 5:1-5 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. 

We will see once again that God had the right man at the right place to deal with this crisis of injustice.  First, he was filled with a righteous indignation when he understood the root cause of their calamity. 

Nehemiah put his anger aside to think clearly about what to do

Though Nehemiah was very upset, he took time to think about this before he responded.  He did not explode and react in the heat of his anger.  Verse 7 says "Then I consulted with myself" which means he gave consideration to how he should respond.  There can be no doubt that he sought to understand what God had said about situations like this one.

He made one sweeping statement that indicted the rulers and nobles who were guilty of taking advantage of their brethren.  He brought a charge against the rulers and nobles for charging high interest rates against them.  Then he called a large assembly of all the people against them.  Nehemiah was not going to let the rulers and nobles get away with greed.

Nehemiah 5:6-7 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 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.


Nehemiah reminded the rulers that all the free Jews redeemed the Jews from Gentile bondage 

Nehemiah reminded the rulers and nobles that all the Jewish people redeemed all of the Jews out of slavery when they belonged to the mixed people placed in the land by the Babylonians. 

He chided them asking how they could sell their own brethren.  The Spirit of God must have been convicting some hearts about their sins because there was dead silence.  They could not make an answer to his charge. 


Nehemiah 5:8 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.

Nehemiah pointed to the law of God and showed them their wrongdoing. (See Exodus 21:2-11; Deuteronomy 15:12-18)

Nehemiah brings out God's moral law and shows them that what they were doing to their own brethren was not good.  He also reminded them that he had legal authority to make them pay money and bring grain according to all his demands and that he did not do that to them.  Nehemiah led by setting a good moral example. 

Nehemiah made his request to the rulers and nobles after stating his case.  He asked that they restore all the lands, vineyards, olive yards, houses and 100th part of the money and food that the people had given the rulers and nobles. 

Nehemiah 5:9-11 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? I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

The response of the rulers and nobles honored God 

The rulers and nobles agreed to Nehemiah's terms and restored all those things to the people.  They also said that the debt was cancelled and that they would not require any additional payments. 

Nehemiah brought in the priests to make this a legally binding condition that the priests would oversee.  It is well for us to note that Nehemiah did not ask the rulers and nobles to do anything that he had not already been doing to help the plight of the people.  He was a sterling example of a man whose steps are ordered by the Lord. 


Nehemiah 5:12 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.

Nehemiah sealed this agreement with a sign of God's judgment upon all men who failed to fulfill the specified requirements.  All the congregation said "Amen" indicating unanimous agreement with all that Nehemiah said and demanded. 

God is honored, the crisis is averted, and all things were made right

How was the crisis averted?   The people did according to this promise.  They did what they agreed to do and the common people had their lands, vineyards, olive yards, houses and children restored. 

Nehemiah 5:13 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.

Nehemiah was a Godly man and did not abuse his power

The closing text of this chapter is Nehemiah's summary of how he lived.  For 12 years he did not demand bread and wine, gold or silver.  Other governors demanded that the inhabitants of the land give them theses things but Nehemiah did not because he feared Jehovah. 

About 250 elders and rulers sat at his table and food was provided for them but Nehemiah paid for his own meals.  Why?  Because the bondage of taxation was very heavy upon the people and he refused to add to their burdens. 

Nehemiah 5:14-19 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.


Points to Ponder....

• Sometimes we will face problems in our church or family.

• We must not react with an emotional response but rather calm our thoughts and think about what God might say about the issues we are facing.

• Use the Word of God as the guide for dealing with a sin issue. 

• Speak the truth in love and wait for the Spirit of God to work in people's hearts.

• Nehemiah led by setting a powerful example of unselfishness and by demonstrating that the honor of God was the main concern that he had. 

Nehemiah is a lot like Ezra because of his zeal for Jehovah, a love for His word and a strong moral character shaped by God.  These things governed his responses in adversity.  May we all seek to learn from the Godly character displayed by Nehemiah. 

Bob