Just Living

Nehemiah 5:1 CSB

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

INTRO—

So…what are you doing??

Just living…just living life…just living justly

Micah 6.8 “Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Answering a question from my brother: “What would you say are the top five priorities of the church (Christians) according to the New Testament?”

Loving God…Loving Others [Matthew 22.36-39]…Making Disciples (Two Parts: Evangelize the Lost & Grow the Saved)…Gospel Influence (truth, righteousness, justice, mercy, faithfulness)

Good answer. You Passed!…What quiz?…for their church’s lay pastors (plurality of elders)

Undertaking a project of renewal came alongside maintaining God-honoring lives in all aspects every day.

In chapter five we read of two situations which challenged Nehemiah and God’s people to be the people the Lord had called them to be…righteous, just, faithful. (Mic 6.8)

I would readily assert that—though the context of the situation is a bit more challenging for us—the people of God cannot stop being salt and light…

(Matthew 5.13-16 ““You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”)

…even amid undertaking a renewal, refocus of ourselves.

So, what were those two challenges?

Correcting Wrongdoing (Nehemiah 5.1-13)

Nehemiah 5.1 “There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen.” [Oppression and exploitation…and unjust treatment.]

A list of grievances (5.2, 3, 4-5)

Nehemiah 5.2 “Some were saying, “We, our sons, and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live.””

“We are being prevented from getting the food we need to live.”

Nehemiah 5.3 “Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine.””

“We are forced to turn over our livelihood to try to survive.”

Nehemiah 5.4-5 “Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 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.””

“We are being treated like we were once again captives (Egypt, Exile)…this time by our fellow Jews!”

Impact of the complaints (5.6-7a)

Nehemiah 5.6 “I became extremely angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.”

Being angry with a group of people who should’ve known better…is completely LEGIT!! If sinful mistreatment of someone else who is created in the image of God (which is everyone!) does not upset us…then we are missing the heart of God in our lives.

I’m thankful that Nehemiah “took a breath” before speaking…but he didn’t not speak up and call out...

Response to the Offenders (5.7b-11)

Nehemiah 5.9-11 “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? Even I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending them money and grain. Please, let’s stop charging this interest. Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and fresh oil that you have been assessing them.””

“Gospel Influence” (like I mentioned to my brother)…must begin with internal consistency among the people of God. It’s like James Brown said of Tony Dungy in the study we are doing in our Wednesday night Adult Prayer Meeting, “living a life of Gospel proclamation and Gospel demonstration,” the demonstration adding significant weight to our proclamation when others around us see us living out our faith.

Response of the Offenders (5.12-13)

Nehemiah 5.12 “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 guilty parties responded righteously, justly…they repented. (Nehemiah 5.13b = “…Then the people did as they had promised.”)

[[THE BOTTOM LINE: Treating each other fairly, righteously, like people made in the image of God!]]

Avoiding Doing Wrong (Nehemiah 5.14-19)

Nehemiah 5.14 “Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah—from the twentieth year until his thirty-second year, twelve years—I and my associates never ate from the food allotted to the governor.”

How many years?? 12 (TWELVE!!) [Long process and exemplary consistency!]

Typical wrongdoing of Persian governors (5.15-16)

Nehemiah 5.15 “The governors who preceded me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them food and wine as well as a pound of silver. Their subordinates also oppressed the people, but because of the fear of God, I didn’t do this.”

The ‘accepted’ practice in the Persian Empire.

Just doing right in Jerusalem (5.17-18)

Nehemiah 5.18 “Each day, one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me. An abundance of all kinds of wine was provided every ten days. But I didn’t demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.”

Rather than extravagance and indifference, Nehemiah was involved in the rebuilding. He alleviated the undue burden which had come from previous regional governors.

[[THE BOTTOM LINE: Treating each other fairly, righteously, like people made in the image of God.]]

CONCL—

Gospel proclamation and Gospel demonstration… Loving God; Loving Others; Making Disciples; Gospel Influence...

Let’s live it…at home, at church, in the community…and cry out to God as Nehemiah did, asking God to remember him favorably as he did all he could to be faithful to the Lord’s call...

Nehemiah 5.19 “Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.”

Nehemiah 5:19 CSB

Remember me favorably, my God, for all that I have done for this people.