Skip to content Faith in Action: Nehemiah's Stand Against Injustice - Chapters 5-6 Jul 1 · 16 min ...more
Faith in Action: Nehemiah's Stand Against Injustice - Chapters 5-6
July 1, 2025 · 16 min
Exploring Nehemiah's response to adversity and economic inequality while rebuilding Jerusalem's walls.
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Nehemiah's Leadership and Overcoming Economic Challenges 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Alright. 2 great chapters this morning as we continue our journey through the book of Nehemiah. We're looking at chapters 5 and 6. Verse 16 of chapter 6, and0:21 it happened when all our enemies heard of it and all the nations around us saw these things that they were very disheartened in their own eyes, for they had perceived that this work was done by our God. Now in0:33 these 2 chapters, we see the realities of what Nehemiah was confronted with in his mission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. First, there were economic issues that were impacting the people.0:46 Then over in chapter 6, there was an enticement to him, for him to compromise. And when that didn't work, it was a public campaign of slander0:57 followed by an effort to assassinate him. But guess what? The work was completed in an amazing 52 days. So how did he do it? How did he overcome all these obstacles1:10 and succeed? That's what we're gonna look at this morning. Back in 19 92, some of you will remember this, the presidential campaign, James Carville, who was an adviser to Bill Clinton who went on to win that election.1:22 Carville coined the term it's the economy stupid. Now he had that message posted above the door at the campaign headquarters to keep the campaign focused on the economy, something that the1:33 people cared about back in 19 92. Of course, they care about it today, but it was an issue. It was the driving issue. Now I don't agree with the underlying premise that the economy is the most important1:45 thing, but it was a smart political move, and it led to their political success. And the reason that it succeeded is because it's 1 of those rubber meets the road issues. Right?1:57 The economy matters. Now people are impacted by the economy, but we need to step back and ask the question, what impacts the economy? It is the moral underpinning2:10 that that that often that that that moral underpinning that's often neglected or in this case, as we're gonna read in chapter 5, violated. Now the people in Nehemiah's day were reeling from a bad2:22 economy. So bad, they were having to sell their property and even sell their children into slavery just to pay their taxes. Talk about high taxes. Nehemiah, what does he do? He doesn't2:34 create a government program to alleviate the suffering, which was real, very real. He went to the heart of the matter, and that was a violation of God's instruction.2:46 Let's look at 1 verse 1 of chapter 5. And there was a great outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brethren. Now there was a rift between the people over the growing economic divide. The rich got2:57 richer, and the poor were getting poor. Verse 2. For there were those who said, we, our sons, and our daughters are many. Therefore, let us get grain that we may eat and live. I mean, they were3:09 about to starve. There were also some who said we have mortgaged our lands and our vineyards and houses that we might buy grain because of the famine. There were also3:21 those who said we have borrowed money for the king's tax on our land and vineyards. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brother and our children as their children, and indeed we are forcing our sons and our3:32 daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have been brought into slavery. It is not in our power to redeem them for other men have our lands and our vineyards. And3:44 here's Nehemiah in verse 6, and I became very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. Now the rift caused by the bad economy threatened to derail the entire restoration project.3:56 What Sanballat and Tobiah were unable to do in stopping the building of the wall, the disunity the economy had created threatened to do so. So look at verse 7.4:08 After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and the rulers and said to them, each of you is exacting usury from your his brother. So I called a great assembly against them, and I said to them, according4:20 to our ability, we have redeemed our Jewish brethren who were sold to the nations. Now indeed will you even sell your brethren, or should they be sold to us? Then they were4:31 silenced and found nothing to say. Then I said, what you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our4:43 enemies? I also, with my brother and my servants, am lending them money and grain. Please let us stop this usury. This is what happens when economic gain becomes the sole driver. Economic4:55 gain becomes the sole driver. Nehemiah said, we've been redeemed from the bondage of a foreign nation. Now through greed, we're putting our own people back into bondage to ourselves.5:06 The reason is because they were not following the clear instructions of God. The moral foundation of their economy had been lost. Charging interest to their fellow citizens was prohibited.5:18 Go back to Leviticus chapter 25. And they were not to be enslaving their own people. That was contrary to God's instructions. You see, it's like like I said, capitalism works.5:30 I'm all for capitalism. I think it's the best system out there. It's an economic system fueled by desire for gain. But if that desire for gain is kept5:42 in check by objective morality. Capitalism only works if it's tethered to morality and truth. Alright? Because it it cares for its neighbor, love of5:54 neighbor. If we lose that moral foundation, that underpinning, guess what? It doesn't work as we've seen repeatedly from time to time. So let's look at the response. Verse 11,6:07 restore now to them even this day their lands, their vineyards, their olive groves, their houses, also a hundredth of the money, and the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you have charged them. And and6:19 and in verse go on to verse 14. We see the resolve here, verse 14. Moreover, from that time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the 30 second year of king6:30 Artaxerxes, 12 years neither I nor my brethren ate the governor's provisions. But the former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides 40 shekels of6:42 silver. Yes. Even their servants bore rule over the people. But listen to this. Listen to this. But I did not do so. Why? Because of the fear of God.6:54 I mean, don't miss that. Because of the fear of God. A reverence. It's a reverence for God. They didn't lord over the people. They served them. They didn't take advantage of the economic7:06 opportunities they had at the expense of the hurting people. Nehemiah and his team had an eternal perspective. This is why we need leaders. We need to support7:18 and elect leaders who fear God and not man. Alright. We move on to chapter 6 where Sanballat and Tobiah continue their harassment operation of Nehemiah to distract, discourage,Resisting Distractions and Realizing God's Vision 7:30 and discredit him and keep him from completing the mission that God had given him. Nehemiah is, I'm just gonna tell you, 1 of the most practical books in the Bible7:42 for Christians. James is is another 1, but Nehemiah in the Old Testament is is just excellent, especially when we consider how to lead our families, our churches, and our businesses, and7:54 even our country in the face of opposition. Right. Number 1, let's look at this verse 2 of chapter 6. Sanballat and Geshem sent to me8:05 saying, come, let us meet together in the plain of Ono, but they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers messengers to them saying, I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the8:17 work stop while I leave it and come down to you? And they sent to me 4 times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. Resist distractions. Nehemiah had great8:29 discernment here. Okay? As human beings, we wanna fit in. We don't like to be the odd 1 out or the top target of ridicule and rejection. And so Sanballat, I think, was enticing. He couldn't he8:40 couldn't beat him. Things were progressing along. So, come come join us. Let's sit down and have a cup of tea. Sanballat was enticing Nehemiah to become 1 of the gang, but it was for the purpose of harming Nehemiah8:52 either physically or reputationally. I don't know. But it was to get him to compromise and back away. It had worked before as we saw a hundred years previously when they were rebuilding the9:04 temple, but Nehemiah refused to be distracted. Verse 5. In the same way, Sanballat, for the fifth time, enough already, sent his servant to9:16 me with an open letter in hand. Okay. So it didn't the other approach didn't work. So he sends an open letter. In it was written. Alright? And so he reads this. It was it is9:28 reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel. That is why you are building the wall, and according to these reports, you wish to become their king.9:40 Now they're going after his reputation. And as we have already seen, Nehemiah, I think it was a humble man, a man who feared God.9:52 I mean, we go back to verse 15 of chapter 5 where he didn't he didn't do anything that would have taken advantage of the situation even though people before him had. Why? Because of the10:04 fear of God. And so what are they doing here? They're they're attacking the very core of his identity and his reputation. And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem. I10:16 mean, this is so far from reality. There is a king in Judah, and now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together. He10:28 said, we know what you're doing, so let's let's talk about this. Then I sent to them saying, no such things as you say have been done for you are inventing them out of your own mind.10:40 Fake news. Look. Public lies need to be publicly refuted, and that is what Nehemiah did. And that was for the benefit of others. He he he10:52 addressed it, said you're lying. It's not true. Because those around who heard this open letter needed to hear that from the lips of Nehemiah. Alright. Let's move on. We see11:04 something else here in Nehemiah that leads to his success. He refuses to be discouraged. That's a tough 1. Verse 9. For11:16 they all wanted to frighten us, thinking their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done. But now, oh god, strengthen my hands. What a prayer. This11:28 can be a hard 1. If you are serving the lord, there will be times that you'll have to battle fatigue. You'll have battle fatigue, and you'll have to battle it. You you'll you'll be tired, and you'll be11:40 discouraged, and you won't see progress. And as we saw over the weekend as we were reading where the rubble was there and they were halfway. And when you're halfway, that's sometimes the places you can be11:52 most discouraged. Now there are 2 components needed to succeed that we see here. 1 is12:05 strength? It's by prayer. Nehemiah does a lot of praying. And then we have to reject moral compromise. Look at verse 10. Now when I went into the house of12:17 Shemaiah, the son of Deliah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, let us meet together in the house of God within the temple. Let us close12:29 the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night. But I said, should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the12:41 temple and live? I will not go in. And I understand and I understood and saw that god had not sent him, but he had pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and12:53 Sanballat had hired him. For this purpose, he was hired that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.13:05 So how did he get this understanding? Well, I believe it's in in large part because prayer. The Lord revealed this to him. He had discernment. You see, going into the holy place,13:17 which he was invited to come in to hide, was a place that only the priest could go. If he had behaved or believed this false report and behaved in13:29 this way and compromised truth, he would have discredited himself. And then finally, in order to succeed as we see here with Nehemiah is that you have to realize13:41 realize the vision. Alright? Verse 15. So the wall was finished on the 20 fifth day of the month of Elul in the 52 in 52 days. And when13:53 our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help14:05 of our God. The harassment continued, but the mission was accomplished. And look at the outcome. Look at the outcome. God was exalted. The world saw that this remarkable feat had been14:17 accomplished with God's help, and it struck fear in the hearts of their enemies. Father, we thank you for your word once again, and what an amazing account of14:29 what you used your servant, Nehemiah, to do, what he faced. And and, you know, we read it. We don't necessarily feel it and sense it as intense as14:41 it was, but we gather, lord, the obstacles and the the, I I just had to to thank, lord, the the the the stress, the strain, even the agony that he had to14:52 face in each of these obstacles and challenges. But, father, you were faithful, and he stayed focused on the mission. And, lord, you prospered him in an15:04 amazing way, and the people were the beneficiaries. Lord, may we be like Nehemiah. May we be focused on the mission that you've given us. May we refuse to be discouraged. And, lord, may you give15:16 us the faith to realize the vision that you've given us. For we pray and ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning. And15:28 until next time, keep standing on the word.15:33 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you15:45 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Nehemiah's Leadership and Overcoming Economic Challenges7:23 Resisting Distractions and Realizing God's Vision
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