Dealing with Discord - pt.1

He has the families working together, near their own homes, for ease of access and to make sure that they do a quality job in order to keep their own homes safe.

Satan, by way of outsiders, has been trying to halt this project and has even implemented several weapons or tactics to try and stop the rebuilding of the wall… such as…

Ridicule

Intimidation

and then discouragement…

Satan was so effective in the use of these weapons, that the project did stop, but only for a brief time, so that Nehemiah could get the workers to refocus and regroup.

And then we get to chapter 5, which is where we will be this morning… … and as we get into this chapter it is very obvious that Satan is still working very diligently to try and get this project stopped.

Up until this point all of the attacks, spiritual and physical, have come from the outside… Yes, there were many of the workers that were discouraged, but their discouragement was fueled by the outside ridicule and threats.

But now… as Satan realizes that his previous tactics were unsuccessful, he pulls out another weapon… If I cannot stop this from the outside, then I will have to do it from the inside…

Nehemiah 5 reveals a heartbreaking reality of the discord among God's people, that wasn't caused by foreign enemies this time, but by their own selfishness and misplaced priorities. Those who should have been unified in rebuilding the wall had instead begun exploiting each other for personal gain.

For those of you that were not here last week, I gave a message on priorities and I gave it last week because I knew it would go along with what we would be looking at in this chapter… If you missed it, I encourage you to go to our website and give it a listen.

But as we get into out passage today, it is very obvious that some of the wealthy in the community did not have the right priorities as they worked on this project… and cared more about lining their pockets over the well-being of their brothers and sisters.

And once again the work on the wall is hindered, but this time it is not because of external opposition… but because of internal division.

Lets look at our passage together as we get into…

Dealing With Discord

(Read Nehemiah 5:1-9)

Meat:

As we get into this passage today, I think it is worth stating that…

When God's people allow selfishness, greed, or personal agendas to overshadow their shared mission, the enemy doesn't need to attack from the outside—he's already winning from within.

This statement rings true in every aspect of life…

For example:

- Marriage

When one or both spouses prioritize personal desires, career ambitions, or individual preferences over mutual love, respect, and unity, discord grows. The "enemy" of selfishness can weaken the bond, leading to conflict and separation.

- Here at Church

When members focus on personal recognition, power struggles, or divisive preferences (e.g., music style, leadership decisions, the correct version of Scripture to use) rather than the church’s mission to spread the Gospel, worship God and serve others, the unity of the body is compromised and is destined to fail if not addressed.

- How about our families

When individual family members prioritize their own goals, schedules, or needs over supporting one another, the family unit becomes fractured. This can result in estrangement and a breakdown of relationships.

- Your workplace

When colleagues or leaders prioritize personal advancement, office politics, or profits at the expense of collaboration and ethical practices, it can create a toxic work environment and sabotage the organization's goals.

- and this list could go on… but the point is… When God's people allow selfishness, greed, or personal agendas to overshadow their shared mission, the enemy doesn't need to attack from the outside—he's already winning from within.

Discord is a nasty and destructive thing that needs to be dealt with promptly and firmly, and that is exactly what we are going to see Nehemiah do.

Nehemiah’s Strategy:

Nehemiah strategically dealt with the discord and it is a good model for us as godly leaders to follow…

The first part of his strategy was to…

1. Identify the Problem

How can you fix the problem if you don’t know what the problem is?…

How does Nehemiah identify the problem???… look at v.1…

Nehemiah 5:1 “And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren.”

All Nehemiah had to do was…

1.1 Listen to the People

Many leaders hesitate to listen to the people because they fear criticism, feel threatened by differing opinions, or assume they already have all the answers… However, failing to listen can cause resentment to build, problems to go unresolved, and division to take root.

Godly leaders, like Nehemiah, understand that listening to the concerns of the people is not a sign of weakness but a demonstration of humility and discernment. It creates an opportunity to address issues, restore unity, and refocus everyone on the shared mission.

So what was the outcry of the people???…

Nehemiah 5:2 “For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain, that we may eat and live.””

There were so many people that had come to work on the building project that it had created a bit of a food shortage. They have committed themselves to rebuilding the wall and are now suffering due to the lack of food and other necessities to sustain life…

Nehemiah 5:3 “There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.””

Due to the lack of food, many of the poorer farmers were having to mortgage their houses and lands in order to try and survive… … and it gets worse… … what does most everyone say are the two guarantees in life??? - Death and taxes…

Nehemiah 5:4 “There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.”

So, along with the famine in the land, which causes a very weak economy,… King Artaxerxes has implemented a hefty tax on everyone’s property.... … If you own any bit of property you can probably relate to some of these people, as the winter tax bills come due.

When you break all of this down, the problem that Nehemiah was able to identify was…

1.2 Exploitation of the Poor

The wealthier people were taking advantage of the poor…

The poorer folks were scavenging and borrowing in order to save their homes and lands and the rich were more than willing to loan them the money, but it came with a heavy interest rate.

And, as with any loan, you have to have some sort of collateral… and the only thing that these poor folks had to offer was their children.

The sad part was, they were not getting taken advantage of from some rich pagans… but from their own Jewish brothers and sisters…

Nehemiah 5:5 “Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and indeed we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards.””

The NASB words that last sentence a little differently and I believe it captures the true essence of what is being said here…

“We are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

Can you see the discord starting to set in???… … Nehemiah knew that if it wasn’t dealt with, then this project would come to a screeching halt.

So Nehemiah Identifies the problem, which leads him to…

2. Respond with Righteous Anger

Nehemiah 5:6 “And I (Nehemiah) became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.”

There are some who look at the phrase “righteous anger” and think that it must be an oxymoron because anger is always seen as sinful and destructive.

I mean “How can anger ever be considered 'righteous' when the Bible calls us to be patient, kind, and forgiving?"

Well, here is what the Apostle Paul says in…

Ephesians 4:26 (NASB95)

26 Be angry, and yet do not sin…

So there must be a way that anger can exist without leading to sin… The key is what causes the anger and how we respond to it.

Righteous anger, as seen in Scripture,… (this is very important to understand)… Righteous anger, as seen in Scripture, is a response to injustice, sin, or dishonor toward God.... It is not… selfish or rooted in pride, but instead reflects God's own character.

Anytime we are trying to figure out if something is right or wrong, our standard must always be that of Jesus Christ… and when looking at the example of when He was very angry as he cleansed the Temple (Mark 11 or John 2), we can find out several things…

He was sinless so His anger was definitely “righteous anger”

and we can learn what makes it righteous anger…

He was defending the holiness of the Temple (His Father’s House).

and He was defending the poor and oppressed who the wealthier people were taking advantage of…

Nehemiah was basically doing the same thing. He knew the standards that God had given to His people (which we will look at in just a moment) and he was defending those standards… and at the same time, through his righteous anger, Nehemiah was defending those who were poor and being oppressed by the wealthy.

In looking at the example of Christ and Nehemiah we can know that righteous anger, is anger that aligns with God’s purposes. It is anger at what angers God—sin, injustice, exploitation, or anything that opposes His holiness.

The difference between righteous anger and sinful anger lies in the motivation and expression: righteous anger seeks restoration, justice, and the glory of God, while sinful anger is often self-centered, uncontrolled, and leads to harm. (repeat)

Anger often begins with a righteous motive—responding to injustice, wrongdoing, or dishonor toward God—but it can quickly slip into sin when it becomes fueled by pride, bitterness, or a desire for personal vengeance.

What starts as a concern for what is right can turn sinful when we lose control, harbor resentment, or act in ways that harm others instead of seeking reconciliation and justice.

This is why James encourages us to “be slow to anger”.

Which I believe Nehemiah was… I believe he took some time to… Reflect before he reacted… which is the next point on your outline…

2.1 Reflection Before Reaction

Now in v.7 the NKJV says “After serious thought...” But again, I like the NAS better here as it says… “I consulted with myself...”

The Hebrew word used here indicates that he paused for an internal debate with himself as he carefully examined the situation. He intentionally brought his emotions under control and thoughtfully considered the most appropriate response.

From his response to past issues, I am certain that this time of reflection included a bit of prayer as well.

Now, as I explained the problem that Nehemiah had identified… the exploitation of the poor… I am sure that some of you may have already started thinking about how you’d respond to such a situation…

But as we look Nehemiah’s strategy of Reflection before Reaction, there is a great lesson for us to learn… .... As godly leaders we need to avoid the temptation of immediately telling people off.

Usually, as our emotions start to take over, our knee jerk reaction is to lash out, speak harshly, or make impulsive decisions that we later regret.

Instead of addressing the issue with wisdom and grace, we risk escalating the conflict and causing more harm than good. As godly leaders, we must take a step back, allow time for reflection, and seek God’s guidance so that our response is measured, constructive, and most importantly,… honors Him.

It wasn’t until after Nehemiah had this time of reflection, that he reacted…

How did he react??… by…

3. Confronting the Offenders

In Matthew 18 we find the procedure for confronting offenders, as given by Jesus Himself…

Matthew 18:15 NASB95

15 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

and if they don’t listen to your private rebuke…

Matthew 18:16 NKJV

16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’

and if they still won’t listen…

Matthew 18:17 NKJV

17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Now, Nehemiah lived close to 500 years before Jesus gave these instructions… but look at how he confronts the offenders…

3. Confronting the Offenders

still in v.7…

Nehemiah 5:7 “After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother… ”

I recently heard a phrase that I plan to use from now on… instead of using the word speculation, I am going use the phrase, “from my sanctified imagination”… and so… “from my sanctified imagination”…

I believe this initial confrontation was done privately and when the nobles and the rulers told Nehemiah to go bark up a different tree… or in today’s age, they told him to call someone who cares… he moves on to bringing it before everyone…

We see this at the end of v.7…

“...So I called a great assembly against them.”

He was following a New Testament principle and it hadn’t even been spoken yet… how could that be?… … Might I suggest that this is proof that God's truth transcends time.

The same principles of accountability, restoration, and reconciliation that Jesus taught in the New Testament were consistent with God's work in the Old Testament. Nehemiah's actions reflected the heart of God, who desires resolution, justice, and unity among His people.

As Nehemiah confronted the offenders, he begins by…

3.1 Naming the Specific Sins

V.7 says that they were “exacting usury”… They were charging a crippling amount of interest on the loans that they had given to their Jewish brothers and sisters, that it would be near impossible for them to ever recover from the debt…

But Pastor, that is just the way of life… credit card companies with their enormous interest rates, banks with theirs… … which is true…

But you have to remember that God established the nation of Israel and set it apart from any other nation in the world… and He gave very specific laws for them to follow…

Exodus 22:25 NASB95

25 “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.

and if that doesn’t go far enough… we don’t have the time to read the entire passage this morning, but write down in your notes…

Leviticus 25:35-41

This passage instructs God's people to support and help their poor brothers and sisters rather than exploit them. It prohibits charging interest on loans or profiting from their hardship… and it says that if someone becomes so destitute that they must sell themselves into servitude, they are to be treated as hired workers, not slaves, and are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, restoring their freedom, their land and their dignity.

None of this was happening… at least from the greedy, rich group… … their plan was to get extremely rich off the poor of the city, by grabbing up all of their land and then enslaving them to work it.

As Nehemiah confronted these nobles and rulers, he points out that he and his administration have stepped up to the plate and have been trying to help the ones that are enslaved as much as they can…

Nehemiah 5:8 “And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations…

They have been working diligently to get their Jewish brothers and sisters out of slavery from the surrounding pagan nations… spending their own resources…

v.8 goes on to say

“… Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?… ”

Nehemiah is laying it all out there, in front of everyone… “We have spent a great amount of our own money to rescue our brothers and sisters from the pagan nations… do we have to rescue them from you too… our own flesh and blood?!”

The end of v.8…

“...Then they were silenced and found nothing to say.”

After he confronted the nobles and officials for exploiting their fellow Israelites, their silence showed they had no justification or defense for their actions… They could not argue against it because they knew they were in the wrong.

Once they came to this realization… Nehemiah…

3.2 Encouraged Repentance

Repentance is the act of turning away from sin and turning toward God with a sincere heart. It involves a change of mind, heart, and behavior—recognizing one's wrongdoing, feeling genuine sorrow for it, confessing it, and committing to live in obedience to God.

This is exactly what Nehemiah encouraged these nobles to do…

v.9…

Nehemiah 5:9 “Then I said, “What you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?”

Nehemiah reminds them that their behavior should reflect reverence for God and obedience to His commands. Exploiting their own people shows a lack of fear (or respect) for God and His commands.

Nehemiah also points out that their actions give their enemies an opportunity to criticize and dishonor God’s people, and ultimately make a mockery of God Himself.

The same is true for us… and so we need to make sure that our actions reflect God's holiness, and not bring shame or dishonor to His name.

Closing:

We are only half way through Nehemiah’s strategy of dealing with discord. There are a few more steps to look at, and Lord willing we will do that next week.

But today I will leave you with this… As godly leaders, we are called not only to identify problems, but to respond with righteous anger when injustice and sin arise, and, like Nehemiah, we must reflect before reacting.

We must confront wrongs with humility and wisdom,… seeking reconciliation,... not vengeance… Our response should be one that restores unity, honors God, and upholds His standards.

Remember, we may be the only representation of Jesus some people ever see, so we better make sure that we are pointing others toward Him and not away.