The Opposition From Within (Nehemiah 5)

Intro: Last week we learned from Nehemiah 4 and the opposition coming from outsiders, people who were not part of the community of the people of God or people who were not part of rebuilding the wall.

God uses opposition to build our faith, character and our resolve, so do not be discouraged because greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.

But what if the opposition comes from the inside?

When we read the Old Testament during the era of the kings 1 Samuel - 2 Chronicles, when the nation of Israel would stray from the Lord. The Lord would raise up prophets with a message, repent - turn away from your sin and come back to the Lord. Many of those prophets were persecuted, some killed, by who?

It wasn’t by the enemies of the nation of Israel, it was by the nation of Israel themselves. Sometimes the greatest and toughest opposition to the plans of God, are the people from with in. This is what we will discover in Nehemiah 5.

Nehemiah 5:1–5 ESV

Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 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. 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.”

I. Taking Advantage of the Situation.

The situation we read about in Nehemiah 5 is a classic example of the gap between the rich and the poor and how the rich at times are able to control things. What we discover is the wealthier Jewish brothers were taking advantage of those who were poor instead of helping them.

To understand what is happening, we need to understand some background information. Remember before Nehemiah, we had two waves of Jewish people returning from exile back to Jerusalem with the blessing of Persia. The first wave of people who returned, returned with many worldly goods in Ezra 1:11 we see an inventory.

In addition King Cyrus, king of Persia opened up his treasury and returned the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord that the king of Babylon took (Ezra 1:7). Once in Jerusalem, many of the Jews prospered and built very nice home (Hag 1:4), we also see when the Temple was built these same Jewish people living in Jerusalem gave generously.

The second wave of people also returned with additional silver and gold (Ezra 7:16)

So what happened? Why are some poor when we get to Nehemiah 5?

There was a famine and the people of Israel were farmers, so a lack of rain means a lack of crops.

The Kings Taxation added to the situation, although many believe the tax wasn’t burdensome. But when you do not have any income the smallest tax, bill, emergency is burdensome.

The problem: The nobles and those who had money were taking advantage of the situation. The real issue was the wealthier Jews were taking advantage of those who were less well off, to the point of making some slaves. What we see in Nehemiah is a sequence of events

Nehemiah: An Expositional Commentary Exploiting the Poor

The sequence would be: (1) a lack of adequate food, or hunger, (2) the mortgaging of the fields for short-term cash to buy grain and pay taxes, (3) loss of the fields because of an inability to repay what was borrowed, and (4) the selling of sons and daughters either into indentured service or outright slavery for the sake of survival.

So what does Nehemiah do when he finds out what is going on? He gets angry at the injustice, but his anger doesn’t lead to sin, but it leads to action.

II. Be Angry But Do Not Sin.

Nehemiah 5:6–8 ESV

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 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.

When Nehemiah heard the news he was angry. What did he do?

Did he jump on FB and gossip, “look at him taking advantage of his own people?”

Did he go and cuss him out?

Did he go and pick a fight with them?

What did Nehemiah do?

People think anger is all bad, but there is such a thing as righteous anger. Here we have a perfect example of righteous anger. Nehemiah learned of the injustice going on in the community and he was angry. But his anger didn’t lead him to sin it led him to action.

What did Nehemiah do?

A. He took counsel within himself, he didn’t lash out in anger, but took a minute to see how he should handle this situation.

B. Then he met with the nobles and brought charges against them, explaining to them that they were taking advantage of their brothers. Anger led Nehemiah to action.

Nehemiah went to his brothers privately before he went public, he was trying to resolve the situation privately. Jesus talks about this in Matthew 18:15-16

Matthew 18:15–16 ESV

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.

C. Nehemiah then went public with the news, he recognized this could disrupt the purpose of rebuilding the wall.

D. Anger led Nehemiah to a discipleship moment, a teaching moment, to teach the people what it means to walk in the fear of the Lord.

When Nehemiah appeals to his countrymen, he does so by asking them a question, “ought you not walk in the fear of the Lord?” Nehemiah uses this moment to point them back to the fear of the Lord. Why?

III. Living in the Fear of God Will Radically Change How We Live our Lives

Nehemiah 5:9–13 ESV

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? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

A. Living in the fear of God leads us to obey God’s Word.

The Old Testament, the Law, which is what governed God’s people speaks to this very issue. Exo 22:25

Exodus 22:25 ESV

“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.

Deuteronomy 23:19 ESV

“You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest.

The law speaks to the nation of Israel taking advantage of their country men in any way. We also learn that if a Jew fell into slavery, free Jews were to do everything possible to redeem him and have him set free.

When Nehemiah asks them ought you not walk in the fear of God? He was doing so because walking in the fear of God leads to obeying God’s word which they were not doing.

B. Living in the Fear of God Will Also Lead Us to Trust that the Lord Will Provide

The people may have been taking advantage of their brothers in fear that they would lose what they have and become poor. But when we live in the fear of the Lord, we trust in him to provide for our needs. The people had no reason to doubt God, God was moving in the heart of the king of Persia to let the return home and he was also blessing them as the left.

Sometimes when it looks like we are not going to make it, when there is more month than money, we take things in our own hands and take advantage of others or put ourselves in situations where we cannot get out of. Trust in the Lord and bring the need before your brothers and sisters to see what we asa community can do to help each other out.

C. Ultimately, Living in the Fear of God Leads to Living for His Glory

“Ought you not walk in the fear of God to prevent the taunt of the nations?”

The world around them was taunting them, look at these people, they are weak, they wont be able to finish the wall, their own people are taking advantage of each other. What is so special and different about Israel and their God?

Nehemiah tells them to walk in the fear of God and by doing so you will prevent the taunt of the nations. The reason he is saying this is because the reason Israel is in the state it is in is because their ancestors did not live in the fear of God and God brought judgement on them and the nations are taunting them.

Now God has brought them back to Jerusalem and they are falling back into their same sins, Nehemiah says Live in the fear of God, so he will be glorified in us.

Are there areas where you know what the Bible says but you ignore?

Or maybe you do not trust the Lord to provide for you and take matters in your own hands and end up in a worse situation?

Is your life glorying to God or is it leading people to taunt you and the God that you serve?

Let Fellowship Espanol be a people who live in the fear of God.

IV. Living A Lifestyle of Generosity

Nehemiah 5:14–19 ESV

Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

Nehemiah displays for the people what it means to live in the fear of God.

He also displays for us what it means to live a lifestyle of generosity. When he could have taken from the people he didn’t, yet he gave.

Giving is an important part of the Christian Life, because everything we own is God’s, so when we give we are giving back what belongs to him. We learn to trust God when we give, we bless others when we give. The Gospel is spread across Arkansas and the world when we give.

Today we have an awesome opportunity to bless many families in the state of Arkansas. Medical debt can cripple families, especially low income families, I know Nomi and I have experienced medical debt early on in our lives, having 3 children with special needs and requiring many surgeries

Fellowship in partnership with RIP Medical Debt, an organization that helps consolidate and pay off medical debt through charitable gifts.

As a church we have committed to give $100,000 which through RIP Medical Debt will payoff $15.6 million in the entire state of Arkansas and this gift will impact over 10,000 families in our state. This will pay off their debt and remove it from their credit report. Every person will receive a letter from RIP Medical letting them know their debt has been paid by FBC

Here is how you can be a part, we are collecting a special offering that will go towards RIP Medical Debt on top of the $100,000 we are giving. You can give by texting the number on the screen “Debt 25” will give $25. You can give online and mark Debt in the area to mark your gift for this purpose, or we have special offering boxes in the back this week and next where you can give.

If you need help with medical debt, please send and email to our care team or to RIP Medical Debt.

Living generous can impact the lives of many people across the state of Arkansas. What a great picture of the Gospel, someone else paying your debt, so you can be free.

2 Corinthians 8:9 ESV

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.