Nehemiah 5 & 6

 

Chapter 5

Taxation that leads to credit debt

1 Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. 2 For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let’s get grain so that we may eat and live.” 3 And there were others who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses so that we might get grain because of the famine.” 4 There also were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 And now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”

6 Then I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. 7 So I thought it over and contended with the nobles and the leading people, and said to them, “You are lending at interest, each to his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them. 8 And I said to them, “We, according to our ability, have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations; now would you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us?” Then they were silent and could not find a word to say. 9 So I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the taunting of the nations, our enemies? 10 And likewise I, my brothers, and my servants are lending them money and grain. Please, let’s do without this interest. 11 Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, as well as the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are charging as interest from them.” 12 Then they said, “We will give it back and will require nothing from them; we will do exactly as you say.” So I called the priests and made them take an oath to act in accordance with this promise. 13 I also shook out the front of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every person from his house and from his possessions who does not keep this promise; just so may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said, “Amen!” And they praised the Lord. Then the people acted in accordance with this promise.

Have you ever met someone who was a force of nature.   My mom used to call people like that “movers and shakers”.   I doubt, someone who is a force of nature would say that of themself, and neither would Nehemiah, but he was kind of a force of nature.   He even talks about people who don’t live up to their promises will be “shaken out and emptied”.   What we have here though is a political situation.  It’s both internal and external to the nation of Israel.   To whom, or what king did the people owe taxes for their land?   Right; king Artexerxes of Persia.   So taxation-wise, the people fell behind and were oppressed.  You want to really hurt someone, hit ‘em in the pocketbook.   And then because of that oppression, they were taken advantage of by their own people in terms of credit.   The people started using pay-day-loans to pay the taxes.   You could kinda-sorta justify the people paying their taxes with credit, because the taxes were against real-property (vineyards, and houses).   This is a big predicament.   The people are between a rock and a hard place  financially, which sets the stage for someone to perpetrate (What I’m going to call) fraud.   Generally, financial advisors (at least Christian ones) will say its okay to use credit for your home purchase, (not too many people can buy their house on cash) or it may be okay to purchase other items on credit, when the item you’re buying can be used as collateral if you were to default on the loan.   Credit, in general, is dangerous. Shakespear said, "Neither A Borrower Nor A Lender Be", and Proverbs 22:7 says, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is a servant to the lender.   The King James word for Loaning money at an exorbitant fee or interest is ‘usury’.   This was strictly forbidden in the Torah.

Exodus 22:25 and Deuteronomy 23:19 If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge him interest.

The root cause boils down to greed.    But if you peel the onion even further, it’s a lack of faith.    The commandment in   Exodus 20:17  “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male slave, or his female slave, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”.   You cannot think of the Ten Commandments as a bunch of external rules.   This is a heart issue from the get go.   So here are some principles we ought to seriously pray the Lord would reveal and bring to fruition in our lives:

Matthew 6:21, 24 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.   24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Luke 3:14 ...Do not extort money from anyone, nor harass anyone, and be content with your wages.

Romans 13:8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for the one who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law.

I want to tell a little story from my own marriage about using credit, that illustrates the corrosiveness of debt.

Lastly, on the subject of fraud, I want to do a little comparison and contrast with how God looks upon fraud.   Mark 10:17-27 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?” 18 But Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But he was deeply dismayed by these words, and he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

23 And Jesus, looking around, *said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus responded again and *said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were even more astonished, and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” 27 Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.”

Back to Nehemiah 5

14 Furthermore, since the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance. 15 But the previous governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people. But I did not do so because of my fear of God. 16 I also applied myself to the work on this wall; we did not buy any land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, there were at my table 150 Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep; also birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all sorts of wine were provided in abundance. Yet for all this I did not request the governor’s food allowance, because the forced labor was heavy on this people. 19 Remember me, my God, for good, in return for all that I have done for this people.

So in this section, Nehemiah shows the people righteous financial relationships by example.   Nehemiah has these daily love feasts.    This looks alot like a picture of how the church ought to operate.   Acts 2:46    Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

Chapter 6 

Another plot of the enemies

Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach was left in it, although at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates, 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, “Come, let’s meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they were plotting to harm me. 3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and am unable to come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 Then they sent messages to me four times worded in this way, and I answered them with the same wording. 5 Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same way a fifth time with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written: “It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; for that reason you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. 7 You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let’s consult together.” 8 Then I sent a message to him saying, “Nothing like these things that you are saying has been done, but you are inventing them in your own mind.” 9 For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, God, strengthen my hands.

These bad guys don’t give up, do they?   Nehemiah is on to them though.   How do you think he knew they wanted to harm him?   Either he just understood their strategies, or more likely, God tipped him off.   Then, the enemies dream up this fake news that Nehemiah was going to assume a throne as king over Judah.   That would’ve gotten Artexerxes attention.   But Nehemiah is on the ball, and he follows it up with a letter responding to the false claims against him.   God has not only Nehemiah’s back but the whole nation of Israel and is thwarting these plots at every turn.   Can you think of times when God has come through for you in the face of opposition?

10 When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, “Let’s meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let’s close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.” 11 But I said, “Should a man like me flee? And who is there like me who would go into the temple to save his own life? I will not go in.” 12 Then I realized that God certainly had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He was hired for this reason, that I would become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could taunt me. 14 Remember, my God, Tobiah and Sanballat in accordance with these works of theirs, and also Noadiah the prophetess and the rest of the prophets, who were trying to frighten me.

Who do you listen to?   As I think about it, I can’t count the number of dumb things I did because I listened to the wrong voice.   Let’s be careful who we listen to.   We need to listen to godly voices.

They Finished the Wall by putting their faith in action

15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard about it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they realized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 17 Also in those days many letters went from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. 18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. 19 Moreover, they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence, and were reporting my words to him. Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.

Even when you think the battle should be over, it’s not over. Nehemiah stands his ground.   He doesn’t run and hide.   Here’s a promise I want you to repeat to yourself, over and over again.   This is one I want you to encourage yourself with, because it’s true.     Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, But the righteous are bold as a lion.”   There are any number of examples of people who stood their ground in the power and strength of the Lord; Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Elijah, and on and on.   And it was always an act of faith.   Look at the “hall-of-faith” in Hebrews 11.