Nehemiah 5 Verses 1-13 Confronting Injustice August 10, 2025

Nehemiah 5 Verses 1-13 Confronting Injustice August 10, 2025 Lesson 6

The Relentless Pursuit of Obedience Class Presentation Notes AAAAA

Background Scriptures:

· Nehemiah 5:1-19

· Micah 6:8 (NASB95)

               8 He has told you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justice, to love kindness,

And to walk humbly with your God?

Main Idea:

· When Nehemiah was made aware of injustice among the people, he was furious toward the perpetrators.

Study Aim:

· To understand that leaders must not ignore injustice but should defend the victims.

Create Interest:

· During the wall-building process, Nehemiah encountered a serious problem among his fellow Jews. It came to the surface because the intense demands on the people interfered with their agrarian livelihood, and some of the more affluent had violated God’s laws by taking advantage of others materially (Ex. 22:25; Lev. 25:35–36, 39–41). Nehemiah could not and did not ignore this problem. Intensely angry, he addressed the issue. Thankfully, the people responded positively.[1]

Lesson in Historical Context:

§ Up to this point Nehemiah’s challenges as a spiritual leader focused primarily on those outside of Judah. But before the walls were finally rebuilt, he encountered the most difficult and intense kind of problem almost every spiritual leader must face sometime—problems within.

§ For Nehemiah, those problems centered not on Sanballat, Tobiah, or Geshem but on his own people, the Jews. There were four such difficulties.

o First, the people face a food shortage. They said they needed to get grain for food to keep themselves and their families alive (v. 2). The work on the wall hindered their tending their crops. And this crop failure was called a famine.

o Second, othershad grain (buying it from others), but to get it they had to mortgage their fields … vineyards, and homes (v. 3).

o Third, others, not wanting to mortgage their property, had to borrow moneyfrom their Jewish brothers to pay property taxes to King Artaxerxes (v. 4). This problem was compounded by the fact that they were charged exorbitant interest rates by their own Jewish brothers.

o Fourth problem. To repay their creditors they had to sell their children into slavery (v. 5; cf. Ex. 21:2–11; Deut. 15:12–18).

§ This of course left them in a hopeless state.

· Morale was already low (Neh. 4:10–12) because of external pressures, physical exhaustion, and fear, now took another plunge because of these internal problems.[2]

o There was unfairness in the present crisis, a lack of family spirit. Paul appealed to this motive in tackling lesser evidence of disunity in 1 Corinthians 11:17–22, 33–34.

§ In essence it corresponds to the practice of the Torah not only to prescribe legal rulings but also to counsel charity and benevolence toward the poor in the community (e.g., Exod. 23:10–11; Deut. 15:7–11; 24:19–22).

Indeed, Torah texts that deal with pledges advocate a humane approach.[3]  

Bible Study:

Nehemiah 5:5 (NASB95)

5 “Now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, 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.”

· Included in the group of people were wealthy Jews who were exploiting their own brothers and sisters by loaning them money and taking their lands and their children for collateral.  Jewish boys and girls had to choose between starvation or servitude!  Look what God had to say about that…..

o Leviticus 25:39–40 (NASB95)

39 ‘If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service.

40 ‘He shall be with you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve with you until the year of jubilee.

· It was not unlawful for Jews to loan money to one another, but they were not to act like money lenders and charge interest (Deut. 23:19–20).

o They were to treat one another with love even in the matter of taking security (Deut. 24:10–13; Ex. 22:25–27) or making a brother a servant (Lev. 25:35–46).

o Both the people and the land belonged to the Lord, and He would not have anybody using either one for personal gain.

· One reason for the “Year of Jubilee” (Lev. 25) was to balance the economic system in Israel so that the rich could not get richer as the poor became poorer. All debts had to be forgiven in the fiftieth year, all land restored to its original owners, and all servants set free.

· These wealthy businessmen were selfishly exploiting the poor in order to make themselves rich. They were using their power to rob some and to put others into bondage.

o Greed was one of the sins the prophets had denounced before the Babylonian Captivity (Isa. 56:9–12; Jer. 22:13–19; Amos 2:6–7; 5:11–12).

o God has a special concern for the poor and will not hold those guiltless who take advantage of them.[4]   

What are some lasting truths from Nehemiah 5:1–5?

· Some of the most painful attacks are those that come from the very people we expect to be kind and supportive.

· The rights and advantages we enjoy are not to be used to bring hardship to others.

· We have a responsibility to act toward our brothers and sisters in ways that build them up, not tear them down.

· Christians are to consider other people more important than personal gain.[5]

Nehemiah 5:6–8 (NASB95)

6 Then I was very angry when I had heard their outcry and these words.

7 I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, “You are exacting usury, each from his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them.

8 I said to them, “We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say.

· Vs. 6:  Nehemiah immediately realized the danger of the situation. On the one hand the economic infrastructure of the province of Judah was in danger. On the other hand, it was a shame that wealthy Jews should act with such inconsideration toward their brothers.

o It was thus the peaceful coexistence in the Jewish community which was also in danger. The thought that one Jew could act like this against another Jew enraged Nehemiah.

· Vs. 7:  When Nehemiah says in verse 7that he “took counsel with” himself, the literal idea is that his heart was ruled. It seems that after his initial outrage, he got control of himself. Then when he charges “the nobles and the officials,” he addresses them specifically for breaking the Torah of Moses by “exacting interest, each from his brother.”

o He acted speedily. Icontemplated it carefully. Nehemiah had to make a plan to reverse the fortunes of the poor Jews. He was thinking the whole situation over, because his ablest men were involved. If he should act with too little strength, the problem would remain. He decided on drastic measures.

· Vs. 8:  He confronted them with his charges against them. But it could not be brought before an ordinary court in which the important citizens and leaders were the judges. They were the accused.

o He summoned a great assembly of all the people, even those who suffered under the leaders. Before this congregation Nehemiah made his accusation against the wealthy people.[6]

· It is not clear whether “our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles” refers to the experience in Babylon and Persia or to debt slavery in the hands of neighboring peoples. The latter probably is the case. Apparently, the returned exiles had made a special effort to redeem their fellow Jews who had been in debt slavery to the surrounding people.

· Nehemiah was incensed that now the rich Jewish landowners were not only causing them to go back into debt slavery but also selling them as slaves to others (cf. Ezek 27:13; Joel 3:3–8; Amos 1:9). One’s “legal rights” can cause oppression and be morally wrong in God’s sight. Often Christians do not realize how serious and sinful “indirect” oppression can be.[7]

Nehemiah 5:9–10 (NASB95)

9 Again I said, “The thing which 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?

10 “And likewise I, my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let us leave off this usury.

· Vs. 9: ‘What you are doing is not right.’ His exposure was not merely designed to make them feel uncomfortable about their rapacious lifestyles, but to confront them with essential moral obligations in a good and just society.

· People who want to enjoy the benefits and advantages of community life cannot live selfishly and totally heedless of others.

o The Ten Commandments provided the Israelite people with a pattern of community care as well as spiritual responsibility

· Note to soak on:  Nehemiah knew that his community’s social future could only be built on the sure foundation of sound ethical standards. That involved the recognition that our fellow-humans are made in the image of God, and that we have a responsibility to determine our moral values from what we know of God’s nature and what we read in God’s Word.

o For centuries, Israel’s wise men had taught their communities that he ‘who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.’ Nobody could possibly plead ignorance of such a basic concept and covenant condition. They knew it but had neglected to do it.

· Vs. 10:  Nehemiah focused his appeal on Yahweh and His Torah. He called the transgressors to fear God, to be concerned for God’s reputation among the nations, and to bring themselves into line with the Torah by lending without interest, as it appears he was doing.

o The governor pleads with them to let the exacting of usury stop! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them (10b–11).[8]

Thoughts to Soak On:

· Do you fear God in the way you deal with your money?

· Do you deal with your money in a way that reflects your concern for God’s reputation among the nations?

· Do you regulate your finances according to God’s instructions in the Bible?

· We are not under the Mosaic covenant, and we are not Jews in covenant with our kinsmen before Yahweh. This means that we are not constrained by the ordinances in the Torah of Moses on dealing with money.

Where, then, do we turn?We can learn principles from the Old Testament, and I would suggest the following set of guidelines from the Old and New Testaments for dealing with what God has given to us.

· Hebrews 13:8 (NASB95) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. 

· 1 Peter 1:25 (NASB95) But the word of the Lord endures forever.”  And this is the word which was preached to you.

· “The Lordbrings poverty and gives wealth” (1 Sam 2:7).

o Conclusions to draw from this:

§ Some people try to make themselves rich and cannot.

§ Some people try to make themselves poor and cannot.

· “The earth and everything in it … belong to the Lord” (Ps 24:1).

o Conclusions to draw from this:

§ Everything belongs to God, and we are stewards.

§ Everything that we have has been entrusted to us by the One who will evaluate how we have stewarded it.

· “The one who oppresses the poor person insults his Maker, but one who is kind to the needy honors Him” (Prov 14:31). The rich young ruler was instructed to sell everything and give to the poor (Luke 18:18–30), but Jesus did not give that instruction to Zaccheaus (19:1–10).

o Conclusions to draw from this:

§ God is generous and instructs His people to be generous.

§ In order to be generous, you have to have means. The more money you have, the more generous you are able to be.

· “Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise.… it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest” (Prov 6:6, 8).

o Conclusions to draw from this:

§ Wise people work hard and save in times of plenty to prepare for times of want.

§ You should not feel guilty if you have learned from the ant to open a savings account.

· Paul called the Corinthians to the spiritual discipline of giving as the Lord prospers them (1 Cor 16:1), as each decides in his heart, under no compulsion, for God loves cheerful givers (2 Cor 9:7).

o Conclusions to draw from this:

§ There is no minimum or maximum percentage that should be given.

§ People should give what they have cheerfully decided in their own hearts to give.[9]

§ Remember the Holy Spirit resides within you as a Christian and you have no secrets…just unconfessed issues.   Discuss.

Nehemiah 5:11–13 (NASB95)

11     “Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves and their houses, also the hundredth partof the money and of the grain, the new wine and the oil that you are exacting from them.”

12     Then they said, “We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.” So, I called the priests and took an oath from them that they would do according to this promise.

13     I also shook out the front of my garment and said, “Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the Lord. Then the people did according to this promise.

§ Vs. 11:  He earnestly pressed them not only not to make their poor neighbors any more such hard bargains, but to restore that which they had got into their hands. See how familiarly he speaks to them: Let us leave off this usury, putting himself in, as becomes reprovers, though far from being any way guilty of the crime. See how earnestly, and yet humbly, he persuades them: I pray you leave off; and I pray you restore.

o Though he had authority to command, yet, for love’s sake, he rather beseeches. See how particularly he presses them to be kind to the poor, to give them up their mortgages, put them again in possession of their estates, remit the interest, and give them time to pay in the principal.

o He urged them them to their duty, it would be, at length, to their advantage.

§ What we charitably forgive will be remembered.

What are some lasting truths that come from Nehemiah 5:6–11?

· We ought to be angered by the injustices against the weak, innocent, and disenfranchised of our community.

· We are in the right to take intentional, direct action to correct injustice.

· We have a responsibility to use our resources to care for others rather than only amass wealth for ourselves.

· As Christians, we protect our integrity, witness, and service when we treat others, especially our spiritual brothers and sisters, with godly concern.

· Vs. 12:  He laid them under all the obligations possible to do what he pressed them to.

o He got a promise from them …We will restore them.

o He sent for the priests to give them their oath that they would perform this promise; now that their convictions were strong, and they seemed resolved, he would keep them to it.

o He bound them by a solemn curse or oath, hoping that would strike some awe upon them:

· Vs. 13: “ Thus may God shake out every man from his house and from his possessions who does not fulfill this promise; even thus may he be shaken out and emptied.”

o This was a threat that he would certainly do so, to which the people said Amen, as to those curses at Mount Ebal (Deu. 27), that their throats might be cut with their own tongues if they should falsify their engagement, and that by the dread of that they might be kept to their promise.

o With this Amen the people praised the Lord;so far were they from promising with regret that they promised with all possible expressions of joy and thankfulness.

o Note: David, when he took God’s vows upon him, sang and gave praise, Ps. 56:12.This cheerfulness in promising was well, but that which follows was better: They did according to this promise, and adhered to what they had done, not as their ancestors in a like case, who re-enslaved those whom a little before they had released, Jer. 34:10, 11.

§ Good promises are good things, but good performances are all in all.[10]   Discuss.

What are some lasting truths that come from Nehemiah 5:12–13?

· Once we are confronted with our sin, the next step is repentance.

· Our promises to God are not to be taken lightly or ignored, but are to become the desires of our hearts, shape the way we live, and bring honor to God.

· We run the risk of God’s judgment when we disobey our promises to Him.

· The restoration of a broken fellowship should lead us to worship and praise of God.

Spiritual Transformations

· We protect things that are valuable to us. Many of those things are tangible items—money, property, keepsakes, and of course, family members. As believers, we are to take action to protect some intangibles as well, such as our relationship with each other, the fellowship of the church, our reputation as a people before the community, and our witness for Christ. The effectiveness of our ministry will be influenced by our success or failure in any one of these areas. We cannot separate who we are from what we do.

· Clearing the air of internal dissension requires that leaders respond positively to grievances that threaten the work of God. This involves listening to the grievances people have, especially with one another. This leads to confronting any person or group creating the disturbances by mistreating others. Leaders need to demonstrate honesty, generosity, fairness, and compassion.[11]

· When Paul and Barnabas had returned from their mission trip into the province of Galatia, Paul heard about false teachers who were distorting the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul was very disturbed by this report, so he wrote a letter that clearly expressed his righteous anger:

o “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than what we have preached to you, a curse be on him! As we have said before, I now say again: If anyone preaches to you a gospel contrary to what you received, a curse be on him!” Gal. 1:8–9

· We see this same concern when he wrote to Titus:

o “For there are also many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from Judaism. It is necessary to silence them; they overthrow whole households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly.” (Tit 1:10–11)

Reflection and Response

As spiritual leaders, how can we express concern and even anger while still being teachable, patient, and gentle?

[1]Gene A. Getz, Life Essentials Study Bible: Biblical Principles to Live By (B&H, 2011), Ne 5:1–13.

[2]Gene A. Getz, “Nehemiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 683.

[3]Leslie C. Allen, “Nehemiah,” in Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, ed. W. Ward Gasque, Robert L. Hubbard, and Robert K. Johnston, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012), 109–110.

[4]Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Determined, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 60–61.

[5]Ronald K. Brown, Bible Studies for Life, Summer 2018, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, 2018), 112–113.

[6]F. Charles Fensham, The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1982), 193–194.

[7]Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, electronic ed., vol. 10, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993), 204.

[8]Raymond Brown, The Message of Nehemiah: God’s Servant in a Time of Change, ed. J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball, The Bible Speaks Today (England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1998), 93.

[9]James M. Hamilton Jr. et al., Exalting Jesus in Ezra-Nehemiah (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 127–128.

[10]Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 632.

[11]Robert J. Dean, Bible Studies for Life, Spring 2009, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, n.d.), 45.