Matthew 26:11 ( ESV )
James 2:14-17 ( ESV )
14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?
16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good£ is that?
I know, I know, we are looking at Nehemiah 5 today. While I was having my devotions on that passage though, I could not shake the above verses out of my head as well. They seem to haunt me at times. These passages also challenge my thinking.
Like many of you I am offended by those who preach a social gospel. They see the physical needs of the world and believe that this is the most important thing that they can do. When we only look to provide for the physical means of people, we drain the cross of its power in people’s minds. The spiritual need of the individual often becomes the lesser cause. Without sharing the Gospel we sometimes make people two fold the child of Hell.
Many will quote the first part of Matthew 26:11 and treat it as though Jesus does not want us to get involved. We will see a brother in need and make excuses for why we cannot help. We even become calloused towards the commercials that have starving children looking for food. The sad part for some is that they will comfort their hearts by repeating Matthew 26:11 like a mantra.
Matthew 26:11 does teach us that we will always have the poor. Yet, nowhere in scripture does it tell us that we are not to help them out. Look at the O.T. as proof of this matter. God wanted his people to help those in physical need. He even asked his people to leave gleanings from their fields to help out their fellow brothers who were hungry.
I bring up the James passage because James wants us to understand that faith without works is dead. What example does James uses for his readers? How can we look at poorly clothed brother or sister who lacks food and simply ignore them? In James thinking, we cannot do such a deed. This type of person has a faith that is DEAD.
So far Nehemiah has been faced with outward turmoil from his enemies. Now he will be faced with inward problems from his own people. The problem deals with the physical needs of the people. Nehemiah will become angry over what is happening. Nehemiah’s anger will also cause a change among his people for the good.
Nehemiah 5:1-5 ( ESV )
2For 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.”
3There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”
4And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.
5Now 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.”
THE PROBLEM
Inward conflict was now taking place in the land of Israel. They had faced their enemies and God had delivered them. This is just like life for so many of us. A time of peace seems to take place and then turmoil erupts even from our own. Here are just a few of the things are now brought to Nehemiah’s attention.
· Many who had families now needed food.
· People were now forced to mortgage their homes and lands to eat.
· Money was borrowed to pay taxes to their king.
· Many of their children were now made into slaves to serve their fellow Israelites.
I can just see some of us now say, “Well, we can’t help them. This is just the way it is.” This was not how Nehemiah would see it. Note how he reacts and how he takes action about the situation.
Nehemiah 5:6-13 ( ESV )
7I 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
8and 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.
9So 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?
10Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.
11Return 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.”
12Then 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.
13I 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.
There are times brothers and sisters where being angry is the right emotion. I want to be careful how I say this but not all anger is an evil emotion. Jesus is our example in this area. He became angry when men tried to make the house of prayer into a den of thieves. (Jn. 2) We can become angry when people tear down the name of God. We can and should become angry at how others are treated. Who will cry out for them? Who will defend them in their hour of need?
NEHEMIAH’S SOLUTION
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Brought the nobles before them all. (They shamed the people with slavery, Nehemiah would shame them. Public sin, Public shame.)
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He tells them how they had not feared God. (They knew that they had disobeyed him by doing what they had done according to OT law. This is the reason why they were silent and had nothing to say.)
· They were to charge no interest when they loaned out money. (OT. Law)
· They were to return lands that had been taken from their brothers.
· They were to return their interest money.
Nehemiah made them promise to do all of the above. Here is where it gets tougher at that moment Nehemiah made their social mistreatments of their brothers a spiritual matter. Look at who he now brings into the matter to make sure that they would keep their word. The priest of the land were now a part of the process of healing.
Nehemiah also shook the fold of his garment and basically said that God would shake them in judgment if they did not keep their word. Once confronted with their sin the people kept their promise to God in this area.
Nehemiah 5:14-19 ( ESV )
14Moreover, 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.
15The 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.
16I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.
17Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.
18Now 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.
What I love the most about Nehemiah is how not only did he expect the people to do right. Nehemiah lived what he preached. We as leaders should do no less. What we share, teach or preach should be lived out in our lives. Please look at how Nehemiah lived out a generous heart to others in verses 14-19.
NEHEMIAH’S LIFE LESSON
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He did not partake of what he could have from taxing the people. Previous governors had done so. They had charged up to a pound of silver. Nehemiah would not disobey His God for the world’s change.
· Nehemiah could have bought up land like others had done from their brothers but he did not.
· From his own expense he fed at least 150 people at his table. Why? He refused to burden his people.
This is the example of a man who lived generously before others. What he had he shared. Nehemiah cared for those who were in need. He looked out for the down and outers. He screamed out when people were mistreated. He could lay his head down at night and say, “Lord, Remember me and the good that I have done.” Now here is the real issue: Can I ask the Lord to Remember me when it comes to how I have treated my fellow brothers?
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