The Enemy Within

We have been studying the schemes of the devil so that as the church we might know how best to “be alert and resist him.” The past two Sundays, we look at Nehemiah 4 and 6 to see ways that Satan attacks with his enemy forces against the community of God’s people. He fires flaming arrows of deception, distrust, hate and violence towards the walls of the church and God’s people must be ready to defend such an attack.

But this is not the only strategy in war, to attack from outside. Like the legend of the Greeks who were angered at the love interest of one Princess of Troy and a son of Greece, so they laid seige to Troy. But after unsuccessful military attacks from outside, they constructed the famous Trojan horse, pretended to sail away with their armies, while secretly hiding a band of soldiers within the colossal statue. The Trojans, thinking the war was over and the crafted figure was a peace offering, let their guard down to the enemy hiding within. Troy was sacked because of this hidden, deceptive scheme of attack from within the walls of the city.

This tactic would go on to be used through the ages like at teh Battle of Endor when Han, Luke and Leia disguised themselves using an Imperial ship from the empire to deceptively fly onto the planet to gain access to the Shield Generator on Endor.

There is some truth in these stories of legend and fiction that an effective attack is one from within. This is where the enemy lays traps for God’s people so that they might fall into sin while seeking to fulfill the work of God.

Ephesians 6:11 (ESV)

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Satan cannot cause us to sin but he lays the necessary traps and snares before us so that we by our own sinful nature may walk into them willingly or mistakenly. Paul tells Timothy about the condition of lost people who need salvation and escape....

2 tim 2:24-26 “24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.”

This passage therefore sets up our study of Nehemiah for while the people survived the attack from outside the walls by the enemies of God’s work, they fell into the snares of the enemies which should be a loud cry of warning for us in the church today to be mindful of our personal walk with Christ so that we might faithfully serve Christ without being hindered by besetting sin that distracts our service and dishonors the Lord.

A DIRE SITUATION PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIN 1-4

Neh 5:1-4 “1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. 2 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.” 3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.”

The environment to fall into sin often comes with a dire situation. We have seen this too often in our own lives and the lives of others. A sickness, a death in the family, a financially unstable home all leads to myriads of opportunity for sinful acts and habits to develop. This is where God’s people must be the most alert for Satan will use instability and uncertainty to lead us into a snare of sin.

For Nehemiah, this is exactly what happened. Wartime and rebuilding was a hard time for the Jews. Emotions were high from attacks from the enemy. The people had fallen into discouragement and despair but Nehemiah continued to point them back to the power of God.

Neh 4:14 “14“Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.””

Neh 4:20 “20 In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.””

But while the war outside was won, the war inside began. A dire situation in Jerusalem became the blank canvas for a new war to begin: A war against sin!

There were 3 factors that can be observed in v 1-3

3 factors:

_Starvation_

_Taxation_

_Exploitation_

Starvation

Nehemiah paints the economical landscape with identifying the famine in the land.

Same word used with Joseph and Elijah

Both examples God uses those natural situations to show his power to people

Famine is a way we can see the curse of sin affecting the earth. Food supplies are limited due to the climate anomalies and variation.

Some speculate the famine in Nehemiah’s day was due to the lack of agricultural work because of the wall construction. Others merely attribute it to natural influences.

The outcry from the people was great as many suffered. Vs 2-3 reveal that great lengths were taken by some to avoid starvation like the mortgaging of their own lands in order to purchased food supplies in order to live.

Taxation (Persia)

These were not free lands, but they still belonged to Persia. Persia still required annual taxation of its provinces and in difficult economic times, the taxation from foreign rulers was overwhelming. History shows that the treasuries of Persia would melt down tribute coins in into gold and silver bullion. Edward Yamuchi reports that during the defeat of Persian, Alexander the Great discovered 270 tons of gold bullion and 1,200 tons of silver bullion stored in the treasuries of Susa, the capital of Persia. For perspective, in todays prices for precious metals, that 14 billion in gold and 816 million in silver. Persia was a rich nation and some of that money came from the meager pockets of the Jews in Jerusalem.

God has ordained the establishment of governments who act as agents of His purposes and taxation is one form in which those agencies are funded. We could all discuss the amount of taxation and the corruption that surrounds those collected funds, but the point is that taxation in an economically challenging moment in Jersualem was a burden for the people.

Up to this point, we interpret these situations for the people of God as something out of their control. They cannot help a famine has caused economic hardship. They cannot do anything about the taxation required under the rule of Persia. They can control how they respond to dire situations as the people of God. Every circumstance in this life, good or bad is an opportunity to give God glory as His people. The Jews were to reflect the character of God in their own lives as they lived among the nations. The church, who is redeemed by Christ, is to do much the same in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Consider the situations that have arisen this past week or past month in your life. Now is the time that you have a chance to reflect the character of God that is manifest within you or you reflect the worldly ideals of this present darkness. 1 Cor 10:31 “31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Think about Peter, in the garden of Gethsemane, in the midst of a dire situation. The night had been long and wearisome. He was exhausted and the looming message from Jesus about his arrest, death and resurrection was still a confusing thought to him. Suddenly, an arresting party arrives to take His Lord away. Would he trust in God’s power in these moments or take the matter in his own hands. He chose the later and severed the ear of a temple servant. Jesus corrects and comforts Peter’s spontaneity as he reminds him to trust in the sovereign plan of God.

Unfortunately, the Jews do not reflect that trust in God and instead, fall into greed and exploitation of their fellow brothers.

Exploitation (greed not compassion)

The most emphatic aspect of this situation in Nehemiah’s day is the way in which sin reigns in the midst of a great project for the Lord. We could say that while Satan attacks God’s people from outside, sin covertly attacks from within.

Nehemiah 5:6-11

6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 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 8 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. 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? 10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11 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.”

There is a progression of sorts in this sin. The poor have no grain to eat because of the famine. Those with land mortgage that land to get food but the local Jewish lenders were clearly exploiting the needs of others by charging unbearable interest to their fellow Jews. With high taxes and exhausting debt, the Jews went so far as turning their children over to be hired hands in order to work off the debt.

Nehemiah exposes the sin of greed of the Jewish leadership against their people. We once again see the term “outcry” in verse 6 as Nehemiah responds in disgust. As a man of God, he knows what Exodus and Leviticus taught regarding lending to fellow Jews.

Lev 25:35-37 “35 “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. 36 Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you. 37 You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit.”

Lev 25:39-41 “39 “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave: 40 he shall be with you as a hired worker and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee. 41 Then he shall go out from you, he and his children with him, and go back to his own clan and return to the possession of his fathers.”

These verses speak of a compassion for the fellow brother or sister in their time of need. The call of God for the people of God is to pursue compassion for those in need, not exploitation and greed. When we fall into greed, we are consumed with the worship of ourselves. Greed leads to practices of hoarding money instead of freely giving it to those who need it more than you and I do.

1 Timothy 6:9 ESV

9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.

Proverbs 28:20 ESV

20 A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

Instead of the Jewish leaders trusting God during difficult political and natural hardships by showing compassion to the people, they saw these dire situations as a way to get rich and in doing so brought great dishonor to God and greater hardship on the people. It go so out of hand that literally the people were turning their children over to be servants in order to work off the debt that was owed.

A DIRE SITUATION PROVIDES A PLACE FOR RECONCILIATION 7-13

Once again, God does a great work through the leaders that He has appointed over the people. Nehemiah does not allow such sin to exist among the people but instead he sees the threat of it and he confronts sin.

Neh 5:7 “7 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.”

Note that the sin is not based on Nehemiah’s opinions about lending practices. The standards were set in God’s holy word and therefore Nehemiah is holding the people accountable to what the Word of God stated. He goes to them privately, just as Matthew 18 instructs believers in the church today, and he confronts the sin. With not a noted response, Nehemiah then holds a great assembly on these judicial matters involving the community. Even though Nehemiah is not a victim himself, he speaks for the oppressed people under his leadership.

Their response:

Neh 5:8 “...They were silent and could not find a word to say.”

Nehemiah 5:9 (ESV)

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?

Nehemiah appeals to their relationship with God in v 9 as He calls them to act in such a way that shows that they fear God and they want his glory to be declared among the nations. This isn’t mainly about the welfare of the people. Yes, the issue is about human survival in that moment, but the bigger picture is the honor of God as his covenant people and the glory of God manifested among the nations. How might the nations interpret the greed of God’s people?

Jesus teaches the same message in for the church in Matthew 18 so that sin would not reign in the midst of the people and that sin resulting in conflict. Instead he charges his followers to confront sin among one another. He says,

Matthew 18:15 “15 “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.”

Jesus calls his followers to seek out reconciliation by addressing the sin of others that have been committed against them. Reconciliation begins with sin is exposed. This is what Jesus is calling those offended by the sin of others to do…expose it. That exposing of sin is an act of love and should be done with gentleness. To ignore such sin is actually to withhold love from an individual because it is through that confrontation that God works on the hearts of others by His word.

Nehemiah do so be declaring that they must “abandon the exacting of interest” and “cease the enslaving of the Jews for work.” This disobedience against the commands of Scripture requires repentance which is a turning from such unholy acts that they had committed to by the covenant with God.

Confront Sin with Help

Matthew 18:16“16 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.

Notice, that Jesus instructs that confrontation go a step further if the people do not repent. In verse 16 of Matthew, Jesus instructs his followers to take with him two or three others who might give stronger testimony to the sin that was committed. This was a principle for accurate charges against a person would not lead to corruption or false accusation.

This step is not taken by Nehemiah specifically but nonetheless this step in reconciliation is a valuable one. It forces those guilty of the committed sin to now consider not one person’s accusation. This becomes an accusation from many and must be considered with great weight.

Notice that as a part of the reconciliation process, Nehemiah calls the people to return those things which were taken from them.

Neh 5:11 “11 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.””

Those who steal from others do not fully reconcile if they acknowledge the wrong but continue to enjoy the spoils of their theft. Instead, a truly repentant heart is one who is sorry for the sin committed against God, and one who, if possible, is willing to return that which was taken.

Notice how finally Nehemiah calls in the religious leaders to hold these people accountable to their commitment to restoration.

Neh 5:12-13 “12 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.

This goes back to the process of Jesus to tell the offense to the church. The church is the community of believers and the community must acknowledge when sin exists in her midst. Paul tells the Corinthians to separate from those who continue to persist in sin. Jesus states that those who fail to repent should be considered as a Gentile or tax collector, which means label them as an unbeliever who cannot remain as a part of the community of followers of Jesus.

For Nehemiah, the result was a positive one for the nobles and leaders committed to reconciliation and restoration of that which was taken. The priests would serve as officials making sure that their words led to action.

Nehemiah closes with a warning that if they failed to act towards reconciliation, God would judge them.

13 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.”

This favorable response of the people means that they got the message, fell under conviction and were faithful to their commitment to reconciliation. This is a work of the Spirit of God on their hearts and should be considered a supernatural act of God.

God desires that reconciliation exist between all men but only through the power of Christ does reconciliation occur. Jesus defeats sin and Satan when he dies upon the cross and rises from the dead. His work of redemption is the way in which true reconciliation can occur from human to human because He made it possible for reconciliation between God and man. Threfore those truly transformed by God’s grace, will turn from sin, reconcile with one another and therefore defeat the enemy’s attack from within God’s people.