Nehemiah 5
by Pastor Mark Hudson
Nehemiah 5 is easily divided into two major sections: 1-13; 14-18, with a summary statement in v. 19. We will focus only on the first section. Nehemiah is presented with a scandalous problem. It seems that the wealthier Jews were taking advantage of their less fortunate brethren. This had reached a crisis point where the wives complain about their financial predicament to Nehemiah. There are a variety of problems. In verse 2, they complain about the complications of having a large family in these times. They were not getting enough food to eat. That is a serious issue. They were not asking for air conditioning, a pension, or a new car. They just wanted to stay “alive.”
The next group in v. 3, are owners of “fields, . . . vineyards, and . . . houses” so they are financially more secure than the first group, but this is putting them in a serious bind. It will cost them to “buy back” their property after mortgaging them. And the terms were probably not favorable to this second group. But they had to do this “to get grain because of the famine.” In other words, they are just trying to stay alive.
The last group in v. 4 are complaining of taxes on their fields and vineyards. Borrowing money to pay taxes is a losing proposition. One might borrow to invest in a business which will bring in more income. But borrowing to pay taxes is a short-term solution with long term negative consequences. This is done when one has exhausted all other options.
It appears v. 5 is what all the groups are saying. We are Jews also. Our kids look like your kids. They go to the same school and play together. Yet you are forcing us to sell our children to you. And we know what you are doing to our daughters (the same verb with sexual overtones in Esther 7:8 is used)!” These people feel so helpless against the 1% as we might say. They were powerless, hungry, and with no hope. It was a powder keg ready to explode.
So, Nehemiah explodes – well, not exactly. But he gets angry. Some of you think all anger is sinful. If your children were starving or you felt as an adult there was no hope, you would be relieved someone was angry. Nehemiah’s anger was not fruitless. His anger was productive. And why shouldn’t he be angry? This was just cause. He did not lose control, feel sorrow afterwards, or say reckless, hurtful words. But he had an emotional reaction to the pain and suffering of poor people. These poor people were part of his family.
He is direct and speaks directly to them about the problem. That is good leadership in a time of tension, hurt, and sinful behavior. Leviticus 25:35ff is good background for Nehemiah’s complaint. The refrain of your brother in Leviticus is key. “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself 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, not give him your food for profit” Lev 25:35-37. In fact, we see wealthy Nehemiah follows through in obedience to the Leviticus passage in Nehemiah 5:14-19.
Nehemiah does not merely listen to those in acute pain, he jumps to action to resolve the problem. He is direct: we have brought back our brothers, but you make a profit selling your brothers (he keeps repeating this phrasea; your brothers) to the Gentiles and then buying them back. In fact, Nehemiah says that while you are making a profit off the bondage of “your brothers” Some of us are lending them money and food to stay alive. Right now, return all their fields, vineyards, and foods (he leaves out the children). Surprisingly they respond, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.
Nehemiah doesn’t waste a minute. He calls the priests and makes them swear an oath. Then he promises them that God will do him direct harm who reneges on their promise. It was not unlawful to receive interest on loans, but the Old Testament law had concern that provided practical help for the poor. It is a serious sin against God to misuse the poor. Here are a few verses to reflect upon:
Ex. 22:25 “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.
Ex. 23:3 nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.
Ex. 23:6 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit.
Deut. 24:12 And if he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in his pledge.
Deut. 24:14 “You shall not oppress a hired worker who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns. 15 You shall give him his wages on the same day, before the sun sets (for he is poor and counts on it), lest he cry against you to the LORD, and you be guilty of sin.
God implies, in Deut 24:15, that you do not want the poor to complain to God about you because He listens to the poor. While I would not want to codify that in stone, we cannot ignore this verse.
Dear heavenly Father, we thank You for this chapter in Your Word. We humble ourselves before You as we pray to You. You always treat us better than we deserve. Help us to treat those who serve us in stores, restaurants, at work, etc with respect. May we be fair all our financial dealing. Help us to understand Your concern for the poor and also to be grateful for the ability to make, save, and invest what money we have. Give us wisdom and discernment when it comes to money. May Your Spirit prompt us when or if money becomes our idol. In Name of the One who was poor while He was on earth. Amen.