Sermon Tone Analysis

In Chapter 5 of Nehemiah we see something uncovered, Not only was the walls of the city destroyed but the economic system was destroyed.

In Chapter 5 we see 4 different groups of people that are effected by the economic condition Four different groups of people were involved in this crisis

The First Group was…

(Large Families with No Food)

First, there were the people who owned no land but who needed food (v.

2).

The population was increasing; there was a famine (v.

3); and the people were hungry.

These people could not help themselves so they cried out to Nehemiah for help.

The Second Group was…

(Large Mortgages (High Debt) who couldn’t buy Food)

The second group was composed of landowners who had mortgaged their property in order to buy food (v.

3).

Apparently inflation was on the rise, and prices were going higher.

The combination of debt and inflation is enough to wipe out a person’s equity very quickly.

The Third Group was…

(Large taxes forced to mortgage their land and in some cases sell their own children into slavery)

The third group complained because the taxes were too high, and they were forced to borrow money to pay them (v.

4).

In order to borrow the money, they had to give security; and this meant eventually losing their property.

The Persian king received a fortune in annual tribute, very little of which ever benefited the local provinces.

Unlike our situation today, the taxes did not support local services; they only supported the king.

The fourth group was…

(The ones behind it all)

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The fourth group was made up of 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!

It was not unlawful for Jews to loan money to one another, but they were not to act like money lenders and charge interest ().

They were to treat one another with love even in the matter of taking security (24:10–13; ) or making a brother a servant ().

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

The Building of the wall didn’t create these problems but simply revealed them.

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.

It is not only wanting my own way but expecting everybody else to want my way too.

Why are selfish people so miserable?

I think Thomas Merton said it best: “To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the doorstep of hell.”

Neh

I am not coming down because ...

I Have Been Commissioned

I am not coming down because

I have a Compelling Purpose

What are you Doing ?

When are You Doing it ?

Why Are You Doing it ?

How Are You doing it ?

I Have A Clear Perspective

Sanballat sent His servant= See people

Open Letter

I Don’t Have to Correct Rumors

A piece of false, slanderous and/or mean-spirited story that somebody tells about someone else.

These stories are usually told because the victim of the rumor is smarter, more popular, wealthier, more successful, harder working, or nicer than the person who is spreading the rumor.Said rumor spreader often spreads remors becuase he has become jealous and wants to hurt the person who he is spreading a rumor about.

I Don’t Have to Chase Lies