*** nehemiah 5:1-13

Nehemiah 5:1–13 (NRSV)

1 Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish kin. 2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many; we must get grain, so that we may eat and stay alive.” 3 There were also those who said, “We are having to pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses in order to get grain during the famine.” 4 And there were those who said, “We are having to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king’s tax. 5 Now our flesh is the same as that of our kindred; our children are the same as their children; and yet we are forcing our sons and daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been ravished; we are powerless, and our fields and vineyards now belong to others.” 6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints. 7 After thinking it over, I brought charges against the nobles and the officials; I said to them, “You are all taking interest from your own people.” And I called a great assembly to deal with them, 8 and said to them, “As far as we were able, we have bought back our Jewish kindred who had been sold to other nations; but now you are selling your own kin, who must then be bought back by us!” They were silent, and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God, to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? 10 Moreover I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us stop this taking of interest. 11 Restore to them, this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the interest on money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12 Then they said, “We will restore everything and demand nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests, and made them take an oath to do as they had promised. 13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out everyone from house and from property who does not perform this promise. Thus may they be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

Without unity the work will not go on, our worship will be hindered, our prayers will be misguided, our faith will be without substance, and we will never respond to accountability. We will never learn to worship, work, and witness well for the Lord Jesus when our testimony is ruined. We cannot have a strong testimony with the world outside when there is conflict and disharmony on the inside. Are we unified as a church? Is there disharmony, selfishness, mistreatment, hard feelings, and unforgiveness in our midst?

We find ourselves at a critical juncture in the life of Baptist churches. Just as the people of God who set out to rebuild the walls faced division and disharmony, so too does the church that seeks to rebuild. God is calling for us today to rebuild the walls of unity! Psalm 133:1 states, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Unity is God’s idea and it is a byproduct of abiding in and with Jesus.

Most people misunderstand unity. We need to be challenged in our thinking about unity. As the people of God we are to be unified in purpose as well in our practice. There are vast ramifications to those within the church and those without when there’s strife within the people of God. When there is strife, disunity, and disharmony, God’s purpose for the world is thwarted, our witness and reputation is ruined, and God’s blessings on His people are foreign. Make no mistake about it-God is not pleased with disunity. We must come together, for the sake of Jesus Christ and the gospel, to accomplish the work of God on this earth. Thomas Payne once said as he addressed the first continental congress, “If we do not hang together, we will hang separately.” God’s will for us is to hang together for the cause of Christ—to pull together for the sake of our lost families, neighbors, friends, and strangers.

Unity is not a part of every congregation. Many churches are filled with cliques, divisions, and people caught in power struggles. Ill-feelings, un-forgiveness, and bitterness is prevalent. It is impossible for God to use these churches because His Spirit is quenched, His word is not respected and obeyed, and His name is being dragged through the mud.

This is a true story. In the late 1800’s, there were just two deacons in a small Baptist church in Mayfield County, Kentucky. The two deacons hated each other and always opposed one another. On a particular Sunday, one deacon put up a small wooden peg in the back wall so the pastor could hang his hat. When the other deacon discovered the peg, he was outraged that he had not been consulted. The church took sides and eventually split. The departing group formed a new church, called “The Anti-Peg Baptist Church.” That may sound silly, but the truth is churches fight over less than that.

Churches need the Spirit of God to rule and reign so that there will be unity in our worship together, unity in our witness together, and unity in our work together.

Nehemiah proclaimed the function of unity, the fight against disunity, and the formula for unity. To rebuild the walls of unity we must be aware of the problems and become active in the solution. The church needs to confess the sin of strife, selfishness, un-forgiveness, bitterness, and disharmony, and seek to make things right before God. This passage of scripture reveals some truths about disunity.

I. The cause of disunity (1–5)

Verse 1 says, “And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren.” In the midst of trying to rebuild the walls and do the work of the Lord, problems arose within. The work of rebuilding will always reveal cracks and broken places in fellowship, friendships, trust, and harmony. Nehemiah faced problems within. He didn’t sweep them under a rug, forget about them, or act like they were not there. He addressed the problems. O.S Hawkins wrote, “Conflict can tear your team apart, whether you are on the court, in the home, at the office, or in the church. Conflict can do irreparable damage.” It is the problems from within that seem to do the greater damage. It is the problems from within that are unsuspected. John G. Butler wrote, “Cruelty from within the family hurts worse than cruelty from without the family. Opposition to God’s work from within the church is bad, but not nearly as bad as opposition from within the church.” There was a great outcry by the people who were being oppressed and taken advantage of by their brethren.

A. The people were starved (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.”

The people couldn’t do the work on the wall when the walls of their lives were broken down. They were being oppressed by their wealthy brothers who were taking advantage of them. These wealthy Jews were out for themselves. By the way, whenever we are out for ourselves in the home, on the job, and especially in the church, we will always cause distance and division. There was a very good reason for the disunity among the Jewish people. They were being deprived of the necessities of life. Have you ever cried out because someone was doing you wrong? The people had a legitimate case because it had gotten so bad that the people were being starved. Not only were the people being starved, we also note,

B. Their property was being sold (3–4)

There were also some who said, “We have mortgaged our lands and vineyards and houses, that we might buy grain because of the famine.” There were also those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our lands and vineyards.”

Can you detect the reasons for the disunity? The people brought their problem to Nehemiah and explained their situation to him. Some of the people didn’t have land or food, but those who had lands had to mortgage their property to buy grain. Some people had to borrow money to pay taxes because of the great burden put upon them. The wealthy Jewish brothers were greedy and selfish and oppressive.

They sure didn’t act like brothers. With friends like them, who needed enemies? The people were mistreated, taken advantage of, and were totally spent just trying to live. It seemed like no one cared. The people were starved, their property was sold, and it gets even worse. Next we see:

C. Their posterity was slaves (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 people were in bad shape, and at this point it was hindering them from doing the work of the Lord. Disunity will always cause the work of the Lord to be put on the backburner. The people’s descendants were being oppressed and their children were being sold into slavery. They had come to the bottom of the barrel. There was nowhere else these folks could go. They had come to the end of their rope.

When the people of God act like the people of the world even families are not safe. The greedy and the selfish will do anyone in at any time to get their way. The selfishness of these wealthy Jews is obvious and evident in the oppression of their brethren. Selfishness means putting myself at the center of everything and insisting on getting what I want when I want it. It means exploiting others so I can be happy and taking advantage of them just so I can have my own way. This attitude is obvious in churches as it causes division and hurt feelings, and ultimately it quenches the Holy Spirit in His church. We need to ask ourselves if our attitudes and actions have caused division, hurt others, or distanced them from the Lord’s work. If we are not careful, we can be used by the devil to cause disruption in the church of God. Are we selfish? Do we want things our way no matter how we get it or who we hurt?

Two congregations were located only a few blocks from each other in a small community. They thought it might be better if they merged and became one united body, larger and more effective, rather than two struggling churches. Good idea … but they weren’t able to pull it off. The problem? They couldn’t agree on how they should recite the Lord’s prayer! One group wanted “forgive us our trespasses,” while the other demanded “forgive us our debts.” A newspaper reported that one church went back to its trespasses while the other returned to its debts.

In the first 5 verses we’ve seen the cause of disunity. Next, we see:

II. The confrontation of disunity (6–11)

A. His attitude was proper (6)

And I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

I want you to know that Nehemiah’s attitude in response to the truth was anger. Nehemiah became very angry about the way the wealthy were treating the poor. The lack of unity concerned Nehemiah very much and put the whole project of rebuilding in jeopardy. The work of the Lord could not be carried on while there was disharmony among God’s people. Great Truth: The work of the Lord can never be carried on while there is disharmony and disunity among God’s people. It is alright for us to get angry about wrong.

When we hear what Nehemiah heard we ought to respond as Nehemiah responded. David Hocking wrote, “I believe one of the serious problems in Christian leadership today is a lack of righteous anger. We act like we shouldn’t get mad as a Christian! We say, ‘Don’t ever get mad.’ That is false doctrine.”

Nehemiah’s attitude was proper. He should have gotten mad about the situation. For too long we have let the devil have his way in God’s church and we have not gotten angry about the wrong going on. Matthew Henry wrote, “It well becomes rulers to show themselves angry at sin, that by the anger itself they may be excited to their duty, and by the expression of it others may be deterred from evil.” How’s our attitude toward sin and oppression? How’s our attitude about those who cause disunity and disharmony? We see in this passage that there is a time to confront those who cause division. In verse 6 we’ve seen his attitude was proper. Next, we see:

B. His action was planned (7)

After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said to them, “Each of you is exacting usury from his brother.” So I called a great assembly against them.

Notice how Nehemiah handled the situation. He didn’t fly off the handle and show his backside. Nehemiah showed great wisdom in how he handled the situation. Sometimes when we get angry we do things rashly and hastily, and end up doing more harm than good. Nehemiah didn’t let his emotions get the best of him. He didn’t let his anger rule him, but he had control of himself. We can learn a lot from Nehemiah. Nehemiah didn’t do anything rash. It was after serious thought of what to do and how to do it that he acted. His action was planned out, thought out, and then carried out.

Serious thought comes from two Hebrew words. The first means “to counsel” or “to give advice.” The second means “the inner man.” This word is translated “heart” over 500 times in the Old Testament. Nehemiah was saying that he backed off and listened to his heart. He counseled with himself. Nehemiah’s action was planned out. After serious thought, Nehemiah rebuked the rulers and elders. He confronted the cause of the disunity among the people of God. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Nehemiah was not a politician who asked, ‘What is popular?’ or a diplomat who asked, ‘What is safe?’ hut a true leader who asked, ‘What is right?’ His was a holy anger against sin, and he knew he had the Law of God behind him.” We’ve noticed that in the confrontation of disunity that his attitude was proper, his action was planned, and next we see:

C. His announcement was powerful (8–11)

1. Example (8a)

And I said to them, “According to our ability we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. I also, with my brethren and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury!”

Nehemiah’s announcement was powerful. Within this announcement he gave an example to those he confronted. Nehemiah was working to redeem and provide for the poor, and the wealthy Jews were working to keep the poor oppressed. Nehemiah did not require anything less from the people than he was will to do himself. That shows great leadership. Nehemiah didn’t ask the people to treat one another in a way that he himself was not treating them.

Nehemiah was able to make a powerful announcement because He was practicing what he was preaching. O.S. Hawkins wrote, “He is leading by example. He never asks his people to do anything he does not do himself. If it is to work diligently upon the wall, he is right there with them. If it is to pray, he is the first one on his knees. If it is to work overtime, he is the last one to leave. He constantly leads by example.” Nehemiah’s powerful announcement is seen in his example. Next, we see:

2. Exhorting (8b–9)

“Now indeed, will you even sell your brethren? Or should they be sold to us?” Then they were silenced and found nothing to say. 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 called the assembly, and in front of the whole crowd, he confronted the sin. He rebuked the elders and rulers and he exhorted them to do better. Nehemiah’s words were so powerful that the people didn’t have anything to say. They were silenced. This rebuked, shamed, and silenced the people. In verse 9, Nehemiah cuts to the chase. What the people was doing was wrong. They were doing evil. Leviticus 25:35–36 says, “If one of your brethren becomes poor, and falls into poverty among you, then you shall help him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you.” Nehemiah was publicly confronting the evil and he opposed those who need to be opposed. Those who persist in causing division need to be rebuked. John G. Butler wrote, “Dealing publicly with known church sins tells the world that the church is remaining true to its stand against ungodliness. Failure to fight evil within God’s camp tells the world His people are hypocrites, and it brings shame on God and His work.”

Nehemiah exhorted the people to walk in the fear of the Lord God. Our witness and testimony is on the line and we must seek to honor Jesus in all that we do. The enemies seek to blaspheme God and the Jews were giving them reason to. If we fear the Lord we will obey Him and treat others the way He wants us to. To fear the Lord means to seek to glorify Him in all that we do. Are we seeking to glorify God? Do we walk in the fear of the Lord? In the announcement Nehemiah exhorted the people to do right. Next we see:

3. Expecting (11)

“Restore now to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, also a hundredth of the money and the grain, the new wine and the oil, that you have charged them.”

Nehemiah was expecting the people to respond in the right way. Nehemiah was expecting for them to restore what they had taken and to begin to treat the others like they wanted to be treated. The people were lending and charging interest to the people and suppressing the people and they were breaking God’s word. Nehemiah expected the people to repent and restore all that they had taken unlawfully.

Nehemiah was a lot like Jesus. Jesus expects people to repent and restore. In Luke 19, Jesus came through Jericho and there was a tax collector there by the name of Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus had a bad reputation in the town as most tax collectors did. Zacchaeus was a rich man at the expense of the people. As Jesus came through Jericho, Zacchaeus heard that He was coming. He ran ahead and climbed the sycamore tree. Jesus called him down, went to his house, shared the truth with Zacchaeus, and then saved his soul. After Zacchaeus repented and was saved, he began to restore what he had taken. Luke 19:8–10 says, “Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’.” We’ve seen the cause of disunity, the confrontation of disunity, and lastly we see:

III. The cure for disunity (12–13)

A. The people’s response (12a)

So they said, “We will restore it, and will require nothing from them; we will do as you say.”

Notice the people didn’t argue with Nehemiah or try to justify themselves before Nehemiah. We’ve already seen that they were convicted and had nothing to say. Here they respond in repentance and tell Nehemiah that they will do as he says. This is part of the cure of disunity. The people understood the extent and consequences of their actions and they repented and restored what they had taken.

The restoration to the people would bring unity to the people. It is good for us to know our purpose and seek to fulfill our purpose as a people. AW. Tozer gave this illustration in his book The Pursuit of God: “If you have one hundred concert pianos, and you tune the second piano to the first, and the third piano to the second, and the fourth piano to the third, until you have tuned all one hundred pianos accordingly, you will still have discord and disharmony. But if you tuned each piano to the same tuning fork, you would have unity and harmony. So, too, in the body of Christ when we each tune ourselves and our lives to Christ’s, we will have unity.” The people’s response, next we see:

B. The priest’s requirement (12b)

Then I called the priests, and required an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.

Nehemiah didn’t just take the people’s word for it, for he brought the men of God in to solidify the promise. Nehemiah called the priests, which signified that they were serious about this pledge and their promise was before God. The priest required an oath from the people that they would carry out their promise. An oath was like signing a contract which bound the people to their promise. The oath would strengthen their promise. If we are going to cure the problem of disunity, we must be serious about our promise. We must take action and follow through with what the Lord has called us to do. We’ve seen the people’s response, the priest’s requirement, and lastly we see:

C. The prophetic revelation (13)

Then I shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out each man from his house, and from his property, who does not perform this promise. Even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD. Then the people did according to this promise.

In a dramatic illustration Nehemiah showed the people what God would do to them if they did not follow through on their promise! God would shake them out and take away all that they held dear. They would be shaken from their homes and property. The people heard the words, saw the illustration, and understood the ramifications of their continuing in sin. All the assembly said ‘ “Amen.” They were saying “so be it.” They were in agreement with all that Nehemiah had said.

Not only did the people say amen, but they also praised the Lord. John G. Butler said, “Praise to God also comes when sin is properly dealt with and forsaken. If sin was properly dealt with in our churches, our churches would be more godly and thus give more praise to God.” The people responded, and the Bible says that they did what they said they would do. The people carried out their promise.

It cost them much to get right with their brothers. When we repent God calls for us to make sacrifices in being restored! Warren Wiersbe wrote, “God’s people need to follow Nehemiah’s example and deal with every problem in the light of the will of God as declared in the Word of God.”

We need today to rebuild the walls of unity. We need to recognize the cause of disunity. That’s the first step to making things right. Are we walking in unity and in the fear of the Lord? Are we doing the will of God from the heart?

Do you need to go across the aisle today and apologize? Do you need to restore a friendship, ask forgiveness for a bad attitude or a hateful word? Is the way you feel about someone else quenching the Spirit of God and squelching the work of God? Would you repent today and seek to be restored to others and seek to be restored to Jesus? God calls for us to be unified! Would you rebuild the walls of unity?