Read Nehemiah 5
Nehemiah Helps the Poor
Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”
3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”
6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”
12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”
At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
19 Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.
Go Deeper
In chapter 5, we find Nehemiah focused on the goal of rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. But why was this so important in the first place? The wall placed a boundary around Jerusalem. It protected it and kept it safe. With God’s help, Nehemiah has convinced Jewish officials and city residents to rebuild together. While engrossed in the project, some of his fellow Jews claimed to be mistreated. Nehemiah certainly could have told them he was extremely busy and to come back once the wall was finished. He didn’t. Nehemiah did not hesitate. He stopped working to listen. Nehemiah put others’ interests above his own and paused his work on the wall.
Nehemiah learned Jews were being taken advantage of by outsiders and other Jews. Poor Jewish families were being forced to borrow money to buy food during the famine and pay the king’s taxes. Jewish lenders, often nobles and officials, were taking advantage of them by charging high interest rates and demanding property in exchange for debt owed. Jews were even enslaving the children of parents who could not pay back debts.
With the wall project still waiting, Nehemiah called a meeting to address the issues among the Jews. Nehemiah confronted and then encouraged the Jewish people to walk in fear of the Lord and do what was right. Confiscated fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses exchanged for debt should be returned. God stirred their hearts. All agreed to return what belonged to their neighbors and end the exorbitant interest rates and demands.
What lessons can we learn? Some lessons are simple. Love our neighbors as ourselves (see also Mark 12:31; Gal 5:14). Take care of the poor (see also Prov 19:17). The main lesson is more complex. Through Nehemiah’s story, God illustrates how we should be concerned about the project and the people. The project may be good. Nehemiah’s project was good and worthwhile. But good projects can (and sometimes should) be paused to help people. He calls us to be aware of and not ignore those around us, bearing the burden of others (Gal 6:2).
Nehemiah helped with the issues and concerns of the poor and then returned to the wall to devote himself to completing the repairs. Nehemiah prioritized God’s work and was very generous to God’s people over the years that followed. He continued to look out for the needs of his people, outwardly focused and God-honoring.
Questions
- What project are you focused on at the expense of people?
- What action(s) can you take today to ensure that you do not solely focus on your own interests but also the interests of others (Phil 2:4)?
- Who can you lovingly encourage to help others?
A Quote
“Nehemiah was not a politician who asked, ‘What is popular?’ or a diplomat who asked, ‘What is safe?’ but a true leader who asked, ‘What is right?'”–Warren Wiersbe
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9 responses to “Nehemiah 5”
Chapter 4 is about how opposition came from within Nehemiah’s world. Chapter 5 is the opposition within his world, God’s people. When the enemy attacks on the outside and gets no where, he is going to attack again from a different angle, from the inside.
Nehemiah is a man of integrity. He didnt tell the people that came to him with a problem to wait. He went right into the situation, looking for a fix for the problem. Drought, taxes, and high interest rates were all contributing factors. Nehemiah got angry, but did not just go off. He had (what I need) self control. He stopped and looked at the problem, discussed it with folks and THEN figured out a solution.
Selfishness
What it all boils down to is selfishness. This world, at this point and time is so utterly selfish!! Covid made that happen to the ultimate max. How to get out of this hamster wheel? Good leadership, that leads with grace and truth. Preaching, teaching of God’s word that points us Christ followers to do the right things, and make the right choices. Then it is up to us to, as in verse 13 to shake out our garment and be emptied out, by doing good and right, loving our neighbors as ourselves.
13 I 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.
God thank You for me, my walk, my self control, my selfishness to be gone. God help me see Your people, through Your love goggles, and to see their need and tend to it. God my battle belongs to You. Thank You for my armor in place, that I am ready for the spiritual warfare that is firing at me, today and everyday. Thank You God for Your light so shining through me. Thank You for my heart, soul, mind and strength being built up on You and Your word. Thank You for my internal conflict, temptations, and confusion. God I believe that You have the solution for all of these. God I pray for strength, thank You for eyes to perceive what is happening. Thank You a plan that is in accordance to Your word. “The greatest commandment, love God with all you are and then love your neighbor as yourself.” Look out for your neighbor as yourself. Serve your neighbor as yourself. So I pray today, God, deliver me from self interest, from pride, from always looking out for myself. Help me to look out for others, help me to serve others, and help me to care for the people around me. God forgive me and keep me, from this tendency, God I give You the minutes of this day. God thank You for helping me to glorify and edify You in all I say and do in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nehemiah provides a sterling example of what it looks like to genuinely care for others. He heard the outcry of fellow Jews and sprang into action by confronting the oppressors. Take note it wasn’t from Gentiles but from within their own people that the injustice came. *Christ takes special notice of the least, lowly and marginalized, and as his followers so should we. Matthew 25:40 reminds us,”Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me.”
Yes.
Amen! The ones that aren’t necessarily in our circles are the ones we need to be including in and serving. The lost, broken ones are where Jesus could be found.
As a story about “speaking up,” this chapter speaks to me deeply. Here we see Nehemiah pause in the work to “speak up” for the oppressed. Different biblical translations title this chapter “Abolishing Usury” or “Helping the Poor,” but my favorite comes from The Message:
“The Great Protest.”
Protest = “speaking up loud enough to be heard.” And speaking up for others gives us “Nehemiah the Advocate.”
One definition of advocate is a person “who pleads on another’s behalf.” The biblical word comes from the Greek parakletos, meaning “one who pleads another’s cause, who helps another by defending or comforting him.”
For me, it means “representing those who go unseen and speaking up for those who don’t get heard.”
And sincere, kingdom-impacting advocacy goes far beyond showing up — it means standing FIRM. Resisting the unjust treatment of those least able to speak up or fight back. Stepping in between evil and those most vulnerable to harm from it.
Which is exactly what’s going on here.
People are being taken advantage of in their need and poverty to the point of enslavement — that then extends to their own children. Generations entangled in a system designed to keep them trapped — because there is profit in doing so.
What’s going on is both unjust — and outrageous. And Nehemiah responds as a true advocate:
He pauses. He points it out. He protests. He calls for purposeful restoration.
Nehemiah refuses to let the wall rise — while justice collapses inside it.
If only such atrocities were confined within the chapters of biblical history….
“Inside our own walls” are countless marginalized people, unseen, unheard, taken advantage of, in positions of need and weakness, trapped in systems that keep them there because there is great profit in doing so.
Which means advocacy is just as critical today. Even if it must be carried on before the same doubts expressed in the last chapter:
“The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.” (Nehemiah 4:10 NLT)
A verse that echoes my own advocate doubts:
“How can one person, with one voice, in one place in history, make any difference at all?
For starters, we can take heart from Nehemiah’s example — and help build walls that defend human dignity.
We can respond to the trumpet calls with courage and compassion. We don’t have to shout — just stand firm.
And keep speaking truth until everyone is heard.
As one who literally serves behind the walls in prison every week I related to your comments. People are unseen, unheard, trapped behind those walls as your comment said, for decades with no voice. The work is hard, but it is worth it, one and voice can make a difference- and I’m thankful to know each and everyone of them. A life line from the outside gives them hope and encouragement.
19 “Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.“
Reassuring to see that even amazing, selfless leaders like Nehemiah can petition God for their own behalf on occasions!
Nehemiah’s actions were motivated by his reverence for God. He consistently acted out of a desire to honor God, saying, “Should you not walk in the fear of our God?” (Nehemiah 5:9).
This teaches us that a healthy fear of God should guide our decisions and actions, keeping us aligned with His will.
Yes!