Live By Example

Nehemiah 5:14–19 NIV84

14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land. 17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. 19 Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.

…by recognizing the situation of others (14)

The New King James Version Chapter 5

neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.

Notice the significance of this statement:

In the previous chapter we learned that Nehemiah was pushing out that which was unfair and unethical.

Since he was a government official, he was entitled to the governor’s provisions-which were better than what the people had!

There may be times when we are entitled to something, but don’t need to take it.

It may be defined through the means of money, or materials, or even as simple as food.

You may have a note in your Bible referencing

1 Corinthians 9:4–15 NIV84

4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? 8 Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast.

Paul reminds his readers that he has the right as someone who proclaims the Gospel to receive gain from his hearers. And not from himself, but from the Lord!

Friends, you may be in a situation where you could ask of others-or even expect them to care for you in a number of ways, but the Bible reminds us in Nehemiah that we are to recognize the situation of others as we lead by example.

…by choosing to NOT exercise his rights (15)

The New King James Version Chapter 5

But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and took from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yes, even their servants bore rule over the people, but I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

He’s reminding them what they already know. As governor, Nehemiah had a right to take his salary from them.

In this case it was his daily food (bread and wine) and forty shekels of silver -which was a nice salary!

He also reminded them in verse 16 that he didn’t speculate on land.

Nehemiah 5:16 NIV84

16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

As an official, he was in a unique situation and had an advantage over the people; therefore he would have had opportunities to buy land that they didn’t.

He chose not to do this.

Again, Nehemiah was completely within his rights to receive from the people and did not.

We need to remember that Jesus did the same for us.

Remember that Jesus is equal to the Father.

John 10:30 NIV84

30 I and the Father are one.”

And even though He is God, He willingly laid down His life for His sheep.

John 10:15 NIV84

15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Friends, our rights are not more important than our neighbor.

The Lord boiled all the commandments down into two:

Luke 10:27 NIV84

27 He answered: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Loving your neighbor sometimes means putting them above ourselves.

In order to provide for his people (17-18)

And finally Nehemiah lived by example to provide for his people.

Notice verse 18.

The New King James Version Chapter 5

Yet in spite of this I did not demand the governor’s provisions, because the bondage was heavy on this people.

Nehemiah had a right to ask this of the people.

He had authority over the people.

He was the king’s representative.

Through all of this, his focus was placed on the fact their “bondage was heavy.”

Think about this today:

Do we place a burden on those who need to come to Christ that shouldn’t be there?

We say: “They need to be in church!”

The Bible says that the church is the people of God in Christ. Many who stay home aren’t born again, and therefore aren’t God’s children.

Instead of “they need to be in church,” let’s share the Good News with them and allow that to change their lives instead of our condemning words.

We say: “They need to be leading and helping!”

The Bible says the reason those in church aren’t leading and helping is that they haven’t been discipled properly.

2 Timothy 2:2 NIV84

2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

Before we complain about the current or next generation not leading, ask yourself “am I a 2:2:2 Christian?”

Listen to these strong words from Jesus to those who have this attitude:

Matthew 23:1–36 NIV84

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’ 8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. 13 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. 23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. 25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. 29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! 33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.

Christian, are you living by example?

If say “people need to be saved,” are you sharing your faith?

Non-Christian friend:

Have you repented and put your faith and trust in Christ?

Being a Christian is more than showing up at church once a week.

It is repenting of your sin, and placing your faith and trust in the savior to forgive you and help you walk as a disciple of His.