5 Minutes on Faith: The Nehemiah Connection Part 5 #103

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Beware of Public Words and Private Actions!

Nehemiah 5: despite the great victory in Chapter 4 where the people are building the wall, with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other, in Chapter 5 the people are in strife due to finances, because they are greatly oppressed by their fellow Jews with heavy taxation on their properties, famine and great inflation. Sound familiar?

Nehemiah is angry with the usury (excessive interest that was basically enslaving fellow Jews) and the lack of unity of the people.

As a great leader Nehemiah confronted the nobles and rulers directly, reminding them it was wrong to have Jews sold into slavery because they could not pay off high interest loans for basic life necessities.

Nehemiah 5:9 “AGAIN I SAID, “THE THING WHICH YOU ARE DOING IS NOT GOOD; SHOULD YOU NOT WALK IN THE FEAR OF OUR GOD BECAUSE OF THE REPROACH OF THE NATIONS, OUR ENEMIES?”

Nehemiah did not tax the people.

Nehemiah was generous: feeding 150 Jews and rulers at his table every day.

Nehemiah did not take more of the government provisions and sell them to the Jews for profit.

Nehemiah’s public words reflected the truth of his private actions.

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