"HONORING GOD"

Nehemiah 5:1–5 “Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.””

>>>There was an outcry from the people to their fellow Jews during a famine.

*With people leaving their homes to work on the wall, they had left their normal trade jobs and farms. They could not harvest grain nor did they have money to buy it.

>>>The famine began to divide the people in various ways.

*(v.2) Large families could not get grain.

*(v.3) Mortgaged property for grain money.

*(v.4) Borrowed money to pay king’s taxes.

*(v.5) Sons/daughters had to be debt slaves (permissible under Mosaic Law w/limitations).

>>>The main problem was it was wealthier Jewish people taking advantage of poorer Jewish people! (Some charged interest fro borrowing-against Mosaic Law.)

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Nehemiah 5:6–10 “I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.”

>>>(v.6-7) Nehemiah was angry with what was happening and brought his case directly to leaders of the people, calling a great assembly.

>>>(v.8) Nehemiah said that the people essentially came back from being slaves to other nations to now being slaves of their own people.

>>>(v.9-10) Nehemiah boldly told the leader that what they were doing was “not good” and that they should fear God.

>>>He called on them to stop the interest.

FEARING GOD.

>>>These officials were taking advantage of their fellow Jews, a clear violation of God’s law

>>>We are all leaders of something to someone.

>>>We are to influence in the fear of God.

>>>Nehemiah has clearly been shown to be a leader who feared God, so much so that he confronted those who were heavily influential and leaders in their own sense.

*Part of being someone who fears God is to confront what is wrong especially with other Christians.

*Notice there was no prayer for Nehemiah to do the right thing. He naturally stood for what right.

*This does not mean we do not pray before speaking up but that we should fear God to the point we are bold enough to speak up.

*It was not about cool/popular but righteousness.

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>>>The nobles and officials responded to Nehemiah’s confrontation. They vowed to return to the people what was owed to them.

Nehemiah 5:14–16 “Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.”

>>>(v.14) Around this scenario in the story (or prior), Nehemiah was named the governor of this province.

>>>(v.14-15) As governor, neither Nehemiah nor his brothers accepted the governor’s food allowance.

*The food allowance was the large portion of food for the governor acquired through the taxes of the people.

*(v.10) He actually distributed his allowance among the people. This was out of the fear of God.

>>>(v.16) Nehemiah’s focus was not on his power but on his calling. He “persevered” (“applied himself”) to the construction of the wall, the whole reason he was in Jerusalem in the first place.

FOCUSING ON CALLING INSTEAD OF POWER.

>>>As we pursue God’s calling, He will bless us/raise us up. There may not be leadership positioning but definitely position of influence. But this is to continue in God’s call.

>>>It is easy to allow the influence we have on others to get into our heads and strive to maintain that influence.

>>>But to honor God is to not strive for our own power but to stay obedient and focused on His calling for us.

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Nehemiah 5:17 “Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.”

>>>Nehemiah allowed for all people to partake of his table, including those passing through from other nations.

>>>He gave of his own resources to show hospitality toward others. This hospitality was to all. He did not abuse his authority.

SHOWING UNBIASED HOSPITALITY.

>>>It is our natural inclination to share of ourselves only with certain people (friends/family) if we even share of ourselves at all.

>>>If our focus is honoring God and fearing Him, then are natural inclination should be to show kindness to everyone around us.

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HONORING GOD-DOING THE RIGHT THING.