Nehemiah 5: God's Mercy, Justice, and Your Money
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Our Great God is building a kingdom of grace, called us to be part of it. Nehemiah leading in this - but finds outward opposition, able to overcome it. But now something worse than outward opposition.
Our Great God is building a kingdom of grace, called us to be part of it. Nehemiah leading in this - but finds outward opposition, able to overcome it. But now something worse than outward opposition.
Kind of like when conflict comes from within a family, close friend.
“The worst threats the church has ever encountered have come more from within than without. External pressures are like water on a grease fire– causing the church to intensify and spread. Internal strife and bickering are like AIDS– sapping the strength and vitality from the Body.” Russell Brownworth.
And the source of the inward opposition this time arises from people’s attitude and use of money!
HP: Internal strife and personal distress is healed when you use your money with the mercy, justice, and love of Christ!
A. Feel the outcry of those facing distress because of money!
In London coldest night of the year - feel what it’s like live on the street - Some say lazy, but others you know mental illness, abuse, addictions - debilitated; But have you heard the outcry 5M refugees - some famine conditions, others wrong colour of skins, wrong political or religious - lost everything! Closer to home - know a family member, a bro/sister here who has lost a job, bankrupt business - fallen on hard times?
Jesus Christ says can’t plug our ears, get desensitized, walk around to other side of street! Saw the crowds and had compassion on them - miracle of feeding physical bread!
So it was in the days of Nehemiah - workers throw their shoulder behind work - to rebuild wall of Jerusalem - May - gave up day job - soon protecting during night - united - but now August/Sept - overcome the devil external opposition - but now because of money - new internal problem - no food, - wives from outlying areas,
To make matters worse Persia like the Balyonians though tolerant with relgion, in taxation. ,
There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”
There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.
And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.
mortagaging our fields, vineyards, and our homes! Susa …
Long term finaincial prolbems like the US facing, if friend losing his business, home! What would we do here? Possible Canada put on the edge of the fiscal cliff!
Not the product of anyone sin within circle - brokenness in this world - God looked with compassion delivered!
But hard circumstances, famine, are not the only reason for the outcry! When Satan can’t stop a people from without - sow seeds of strife within!
What is the second source causing strife and distress among God’s people - threatening to knock people off of the project of re-building GOd’s Kingdom?
B. Feel the injustice caused when you idolize money!
Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”
To understand this must realize no middle class like today. 98% living with bare necessities day to day - hand to mouth; 2% nobles and officials ; And of that 2% not all but some cared more about getting more and more rich, than about the well being of those brothers and sisters of theirs in distress!
Picture it a rotten economic time and these vultures aren’t bring a pot of soup over, they’re not sitting down and figuring out a workable financial plan, - like vultures sitting and laughing together - look at the prices go up - look how desperate they are - look instead of the 20% interest Persians would charge, in these time so desperate 40% Make as much as I can now!
Here is the sin, here is the way that money became an idol. For all of us, wealthiest business owner to the lowest labourer - money is a necessity - nothing wrong with money - in fact as much as worship here important - what you do with Monday to Saturday shows everyday worship of God. No it is the love of money that is the root of all evil! When we shift from money being a necessity to it becoming one of life’s greatest priorities!
Your wealth has become an idol, when you are not content in the Lord and living a godly life, but can only find contentment in stuff and money! Such a fine line isn’t it between having what we need, and falling over board into bottomless pit of wanting more and more! Ruthless pursuit of more! Your not using your money, it’s using and wasting you!
Need to realize two things: Money cannot satisfy, and it will not last!
Great British actor and movie star: Wilfrid Hyde White died a the age of 87; printed this obituary in the newspapers: “I’ve owned 12 horses, seven Rolls Royce’s, and I’ve had mistresses in Paris, London, and New York. And it never made me happy.”
We are that 2% in this world, and we can’t fall into the same trap as the nobles in Nehemiah’s day. They sought their wealth, in a way that they were violated God’s will for the 98%. Not just charging the 40% interest, but taking their only means of paying back the money; taking basic necessities, get this even like was common in those days, v.8 breaking up families forcing daughters into slavery - sons next.
The bottom line is love of money led them to deny basic welfare God expected Israelites to maintian. And this was the hardest thing for them to swallow - these wre those saved out of pure mercy by same living God, brothers and sisters of the covenant.
Satan loves to split families, he loves to stir strife in a community, divide people from great task of building the kingdom of God on earth! One of the ways to do that si with our money practises, our buying habits, our thirst for luxury!
Where people live in society without generosity - there Satan is rubbing his hands!
Before say well, not that extreme today. Let me remind you Precious - Trikosi - still sold into slavery, live in world sex trade, children sweatshops… Some of them are
We think of slavery like 200 years ago, but modern forms International Labour Organization report more than 12 million enslaved around the world, (hidden 20M) - mostly women and children - 1.2 in sex trade; child soldiers, - domestic servants…
Christians - your bothers and sisters, all of them are human being made in the image of God Almighty! Let me remind you that every Year the Third World has to repay the West 3x more in debt payments than it receives in humanitarian aid!
But at this point what do we normally do - donor fatigue done my share, turn the channel don’t want to think to hard about this depressing! But look what Nehemiah does when he hears this outcry!
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.
I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them
C. Ponder the underlying problem of breaking community and dishonouring God.
I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them
Nehemiah
C. Ponder the underlying problem of breaking community and dishonouring God.
3. Ponder the underlying problem of breaking community and dishonouring God.
Thankful for the CRC’s World Renew - Compassion Canada, Tear Foundation - move from just the emotion; to really think about the causes of poverty and how as Christian’s we ought to address them. The famine, the taxes, even the greed of the wealthy - really only symptoms- Nehemiah as he ponders the situation - uncovers the real problem and points to the real solution! Our deacons reading WHEN HELPING HURTS - local, internationally not always well directed fund!
Not just privately little rebuke, think about this and on your way! But he calls a public meetings: wealthy nobles see first hand - restorative circle - tell them your side of the story - let them hear your hurt! Let’s publicly own this problem and together find a solution! Like Mike and Emmy going to DR see poverty first hand!
Then Nehemiah with great courage accuses them:
I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them
V.9
So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?
V.9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God. Gentiles who haven’t experienced my grace, kinder than you nobles!
Gentiles who haven’t experienced my grace, kinder than you nobles!
Nehemiah - uncovers the Law of God; bankruptcy laws for justice to be done, and dignity of one in hard times to be preserved; whole system of lending money - not allowed within community to take for collateral stuff they needed; 7 years any slave set free; any debt remitted! Jubilee Laws of justice - Nehemiah says the big deal is RESPECT! ,
“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you.
“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.
“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.
You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.
If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you. You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt
Don’t miss the point here: Disrespecting God - you were slaves, I set you free. God has a plan for those in debt, slvaery!
Don’t miss the point here: Disrespecting God - you were slaves, I set you free. God has a plan for those in debt, slvaery!
You don’t respect the dignity of the poor people, your greed is actively and passively hurting!
Guilty as charged - kept quiet nothing to say - by our greed we’ve oppressed them!
and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.
But then comes the big surprise in v.10
But then comes the big surprise in v.10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. Nehemiah includes himself in those who inadvertently had hurt the needy - asked for collateral - not realizing jeopardy, all who took the loans would b e in! Now he feels the problem and ponders the underlying cause, he can move to a Godly Solution! And shouldn’t we long for this solution too?
Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.
I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. Nehemiah includes himself in those who inadvertently had hurt the needy - asked for collateral - not realizing jeopardy, all who took the loans would b e in! Now he feels the problem and ponders the underlying cause, he can move to a Godly Solution! And shouldn’t we long for this solution too?
And this is where we move from not only feeling the problem, thinking about it, but acting! This must become the Idle No More movement of the Christian Church!
D. Commit to revering God by acting with justice & mercy with money.
But let the exacting of usury stop! Lend to people - do that here - do it out there - but not to profit from it - do you do that? Think of when Zacheus came to know the forgiveness and love of God - those he cheated, took advantage of 4x amount back!
Others have become Christians, go around and make ammends - testimony. Got some in the bank could make an honest profit - ever think of Interest Free Loan to a brother or sister in need. Someone starting out in business - trying to give an education - see a burden and say - lift it with you in the name of Christ and not for my profit! Both justice and mercy! Take an oath - publically promise to live like this - challenge to tell someone not to boast - but to keep accountable to course action going down!
But then comes the most radical Christian lesson of our text:
E. Beyond mercy & justice, use your money with the love of Christ.
This is what brings Nehemiah’s example out of the OT pushes us to see Christ in His service. Vv.14-19 He says, Look I was the Governor - and this crisis that we got out of by looking to God’s law and by galvanizing on serving each other - it affected me so much that as was appointed Governor for at least the next 12 years. Look I could have exacted 40 shekels of silver on each for my allowance, I could have lorded it over the poeple, I could have taken lands entitled to me - but I didn’t - I had what I needed and I and the staff, my officials - we knew the tax burden on the people already - so you see him for twelve years generously serving and giving to the people! Last snap shot is of his dining room table
with his officials, 150 Jews, and those who came from surrounding nations!
What a picture of this table - people around the world - one family of God - Christ gave his life, gave himself for the life of the world - why early church offering for the poor gathered at this table. Why early church left no doubt about their responsibility to the poor - Paul in top 2% - serving literally go without food -But because Christ alive in us, because enables us to work - to give - thankful response - to live like Nehemiah! Not a boast but statement of thankfulness - remember me with favour, O my God, for all I have done for these people! Like NT APostles Paul, forgoes his rights to riches, doesn’t just give his own, but like Nehmeiah, invites all Christians to great big offering for the impoverished bro/sisters in a starving land!
Demonstrate love for God and the people he created and loved so much sent His Son for them!
I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.
Consider as you leave this table part of God’s rebuilding
- who could you seat at your table? Whom could you help in need?
Wesley’s 3 rules on managing money: Make all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can!
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Not how much or how little but whether giving it all to the Lord to use it in the love of Christ!
When we’re are yielded like that free to give ourselves together to the work of Jesus in this world!
As God gives you the ability to make money, he’ll give you opporntuty to let it overflow to those in need!
CONCLUSION:
Max Lucado spoke and he shared two statements that a friend challenged him with. Max asked the man- “What is the greatest lesson God has taught you this past year?” and the man replied, “God has shown me that IT’S NOT ABOUT ME, and IT’S NOT ABOUT NOW.”
Pick a problem in ANY church and I guarantee you that there is an element of “It’s about ME”...and “It must happen NOW!” behind it. Isn’t that why the project of re-building kingdom of God on earth - almost ground to a halt - what about tin our lives today?
Pay close attention to Nehemiah here: It’s not about HIM...he’s taking up the cause of someone in need around him, and the injustices of those who aren’t reverencing God!
AND it’s not about now...he is sacrificing for his people knowing ,
that God’s approval and God’s reward in the future are what really matter.
Today we have the same opportunity - live for Christ as he gave Himself for us, and to follow His command to care in His name for brothers and sisters in need - as we do that
- see a re-building of God’s kingdom around us too - shoulder to shoulder with servants of the Lord.