By Kenneth B.E. Roxburgh, Ph.D.
Chair and Armstrong Professor of Religion, Samford University
Protect
Nehemiah 5:1–13
The work of God can be sidetracked in many ways, but in this chapter a serious socioeconomic crisis impinges on the work of God in Jerusalem. Nehemiah has the wisdom to address it and bring closure. The resourcefulness of his leadership is remarkable. He deals with the crisis firmly, speedily and with a heart of compassion for lives that have been affected.
The service of God calls for encouragement. (1–5)
The main work of building the walls was nearing completion. It had involved God’s people in arduous activity. Many of the workers were physically, emotionally and financially exhausted. They couldn’t keep going. They began to express their frustration to Nehemiah. We read that both men and women raised a great outcry.
As the work progressed, people left their homes and fields to rebuild the city walls. They had left their normal activities for two months and the sacrifice was cutting deep into their finances. Furthermore, the region had experienced famine, and food had become scarce and expensive to buy. Greedy merchants were inflating their prices and some people had mortgaged their fields, vineyards and homes to raise money to survive. God’s law was being broken and it was their fellow citizens who were breaking it.
Pledges made against loans were being called in and people were having to sell their own children to cover their debts and maintain the essentials of life. Women were foremost among those affected.
The community of faith reflects honor for God. (6–11)
For Nehemiah such inhumane conduct called for immediate action. He recognized the work of God cannot condone social injustice. He expresses his anger in verse 6 but realizes that anger alone is not sufficient. Action must be taken. The action is to call the people together, those who have been affected and those who are responsible. He listens to the cries of the oppressed and challenges those responsible with failing to act justly and with dishonoring God. A community of faith ought to love and not rob their fellow members. The effect is immediate; those who acted unjustly are silenced.
Into the silence, Nehemiah calls the people to walk in the fear of God. The God of covenant love also was an awesome God, not to be trifled with, not to be taken for granted, but revered for His holiness. Those who fear the Lord are those who reflect His love, pursue His will and obey His commands. So in line with the Hebrew prophets such as Micah and Amos, Nehemiah tells them to stop the money-lending and give the money back, including the exorbitant interest that they had been charging.
In a remarkable and totally honest way, Nehemiah tells the people that he has been engaging in the lending of money, though not at terrible rates of interest, but even he will return anything that he has made at the expense of his sisters and brothers within the community. He indicates that this was not a time for tentative suggestions but for decisive action, and he takes the lead.
Repentance leads to renewal of discipleship. (12–13)
True repentance will always demonstrate itself in living a renewed lifestyle of love towards God and in right relationships with our fellow human beings, especially those of the community of faith. Yet if we are honest, there is no place where Christianity collides as dramatically with the reality of the human condition as when we start talking about love, the greatest of all the commandments.
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