Sermon Tone Analysis

Background

In chs. 4 and 6, Nehemiah deals with external threats to the community in Jerusalem.

Here, he is faced with an internal crisis: economic inequality.

Two factors are explicitly blamed for economic hardships in Judah: famine (v. 3) and heavy taxation (v.

4).

With a famine happening, demand for food undoubtedly would have inflated prices.

The work of rebuilding the wall may also have contributed since people would have had less time for agriculture.

There are three groups negatively affected by these hardships:

those who apparently owned no land (v.

2);

those who owned some land but were being forced to mortgage it (v.

3);

and those who did not have the means to pay taxes (v.

4).

All three groups were forced to go into debt to survive, thus putting their future in jeopardy.

As governor, Nehemiah needed to strengthen the community of returned Jewish exiles by acting on behalf of the impoverished among them.

The wealthier members of the community were taking advantage of the situation to enrich themselves (vv.

7–8).

Nehemiah orders them to stop their unfair lending practices and restore the property they acquired unethically (vv.

9–13).

According to the existing text, the primary causes of the general poverty were three:—1.

Over-population (ver.

2); 2. A recent famine (ver.

3); and, 3. The weight of taxation, arising from the large amount annually demanded from the province by the Persians in the way of tribute (ver.

4).

As there is no reason to suppose that the tribute had been augmented recently, this cause must be viewed as constant.

Some (of each class probably) had already been compelled to obtain supplies by selling sons, and even daughters, as servants, and saw no resource but to sell others of their children.

Moreover, contrary to the Mosaic law, heavy interest was being charged for the loans.

The rich were taking advantage of the necessities of their poorer brethren to enrich themselves yet more, regardless of the suffering and humiliation they were inflicting.

The sufferers felt and said that they were of the same flesh and blood as their rich oppressors, and their children as dear to them.

Can we separate who we are from what we do?

Keep this thought as we go thru this study.

Internal difficulties, and Nehemiah’s mode of meeting them (ch.

5:1–13).

While the building of the wall was in progress, but not, so far as it is stated, in direct connection with the employment of the mass of the people in unremunerative labour, internal evils showed themselves which demanded prompt attention and remedy.

Complaints were made to Nehemiah by large numbers of the lower orders, both men and women—the shrill voices of the latter rising to the intensity of a “great cry” (ver.

1)—to the effect that the oppression of the rich and great, combined with some other permanent or temporary causes, was depriving them of their houses and plots of land, and forcing them to sell their sons and their daughters into slavery (vers.

2–5).

According to the existing text, the primary causes of the general poverty were three:—1.

Over-population (ver.

2); 2. A recent famine (ver.

3); and, 3. The weight of taxation, arising from the large amount annually demanded from the province by the Persians in the way of tribute (ver.

4).

As there is no reason to suppose that the tribute had been augmented recently, this cause must be viewed as constant.

The over-population may have arisen, in part, from the influx of immigrants, in part from the narrow extent of the territory which the returned tribes had been allowed to occupy (Ewald, ‘History of Israel,’ vol.

v. pp.

80, 115, &c.).

The famine, which has been attributed to the calling off of the people from their ordinary employments (ibid.

p. 152), can scarcely have had this as its main origin if the whole work was begun and ended, as Nehemiah tells us it was (ch.

6:15), in less than two months; but supposing that already there was a scarcity produced by bad harvests, as in Haggai’s time (Haggai 1:9–11), it may have been aggravated by this circumstance.

The entire result was that the poorer classes were compelled, first of all, to mortgage their houses and such lands as they possessed (ver.

3), and secondly to pledge the persons of their sons and daughters (ver.

5), in order to raise money, with the near prospect of having to allow them to become slaves if they were unable to repay their creditor at the time appointed.

Under these circumstances they appealed to the new governor, probably not long after his arrival, for relief.

The appeal placed him in a position of great difficulty.

He was not rich enough to take upon himself the whole burthen; and though he himself, and also his brothers and personal attendants, did lend freely, out of their private store, money and grain (ver.

10, with comment), yet this was far from being enough—it did not go to the root of the evil.

Had he stopped at this point and done no more, the distress would have continued, and with it the discontent—the mass of the population would have held aloof from him in sullen anger, and his whole undertaking might have been frustrated.

On the other hand, it was impossible for him, under the Persian system of government, to carry matters with a high hand, as a Grecian lawgiver might have done, and order a general cancelling of debts.

He could only have recourse to persuasion, argument, and personal influence.

He therefore, first of all, spoke to the “nobles,” who were the money-lenders, rebuked them, and endeavoured to induce them to desist from their malpractices (ver.

7); but failing to produce in this way any considerable effect, he brought the matter before an assembly of the people (ibid.).

There, he first shamed the nobles by alleging his own contrary example, and then called on them, “for the fear of God and because of the reproach of the heathen,” to restore the forfeited lands and houses to their former owners, repay all that they had received in the way of interest on the money lent, and give up the entire practice of lending money upon pledge or mortgage (vers.

7–11).

Moved by this public appeal, the nobles intimated their consent, whereupon he made them clench their promise by an oath (ver.

12), adding on his own part a malediction if the oath were not observed, which was hailed with acclaim by the people.

Thus the whole matter was brought to a happy conclusion—the promise made was kept—“the people,” i. e. the whole nation, nobles included, “did according to this word” (ver.

13).

Let’s go to

So what’s going on here?

Take a look at

I. The loud complaint made (vers.

1–5).

A large number of the people “and of their wives” came to Nehemiah and complained bitterly of their condition, and of the extortion to which they were subjected by their rich and noble brethren.

The complainers were of three classes.

Some who were originally poor found themselves, with large families, unable to obtain food for them on account of the pressure of the times.

They desired that corn might be distributed among them.

Others had borrowed money to obtain food, and given up their lands and houses in pledge.

A third class had taken a like course to enable them to pay the taxes of the Persian monarch.

dt

What does the term “righteous anger” mean to you?

Verses

5:1 Nehemiah’s story of the restoration is not triumphalistic, for it tells of serious shortcomings in the community.

great outcry.

This is typical language of protest under oppression (see Ex. 2:23).

The people are the rank and file of the Jews.

And of their wives adds to the picture of families made desperate by hunger.

Jewish brothers shows the strong bond among all Israelites, such that, by Mosaic law, none should permanently enslave or exploit another (see Deut. 15:1–18).

5:1 A cry of distress.

The people again fear for their lives (v.

2; compare Exod 3:9).

We can know for sure that our anger or indignation is righteous when it is directed toward what angers God Himself.

Jesus expressed righteous anger over the sins of the people (; ; ).

But His anger was directed at sinful behaviors and unmistakable injustice.

However, we are also taught to be careful in our anger, that we do not sin.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” ().

We should check our attitude as well as our motive before becoming angry with others.

Jesus expressed righteous anger over the sins of the people (; ; ).

But His anger was directed at sinful behaviors and unmistakable injustice.

However, we are also taught to be careful in our anger, that we do not sin.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” ().

We should check our attitude as well as our motive before becoming angry with others.

However, we are also taught to be careful in our anger, that we do not sin.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” ().

We should check our attitude as well as our motive before becoming angry with others.

However, we are also taught to be careful in our anger, that we do not sin.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” ().

We should check our attitude as well as our motive before becoming angry with others.

Persians used revenue from taxation to build their empire.

5:2 The people in this group seem to have no means of obtaining grain—perhaps because they are not land holders and thus have no way of growing food on their own.

Ver.

2.—There were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many.

Those who had large families were foremost in making complaint.