| Introduction Humanity is capable of doing horrible things to itself. We all can come up with examples of that. From the Nazis' attempt to destroy all Jews to Japanese POW camps in the pacific or internment camps here, human viciousness is on display. We see that in the colonial slave trade and in the current human trafficking for the sex trade. History could be told by the recounting of human wickedness. Some people look at all the evil that goes on and see in it proof that God doesn't exist. A better way to interpret all of this evil is to acknowledge what God says concerning humanity: "… every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). Even more grievous than the wicked acts of humanity against itself are the wicked acts perpetrated in the name of God or by those who are part of God's visible people. This chapter gives us a glimpse into the wickedness of man's heart. It also demonstrates the power of God's grace overruling man's wickedness. I. The Wickedness of Man's Heart, 1-5. A. The problem: rich Jews were treating poor Jews as non-human commodities. 1. In an effort to restore the Judean province to a healthy population, Nehemiah instituted a program to redeem Jews who were, for whatever reason, enslaved by Gentiles, 8a. 2. Wealthy Jews, instead of helping redeem fellow Jews, were actually promoting Jewish slavery, 8b. 3. The wealthy Jews were condemning the poor Jews to slavery by doing three things. a. Withholding grain from the general population, particularly those who didn't own land, 2. 1) The impression we get is that grain was available but was being kept from the general populace. 2) Remember that chapter 4 ended with all the construction workers living on site for the duration of the project. a) That put great strain on their families. b) The land still needed to be cultivated, bills needed to be paid, etc. b. Those who owned land had to mortgage their properties in order to feed themselves because the harvest had failed, 3. 1) Notice that they mortgaged everything: lands, vineyards, own houses. 2) Because of Nehemiah's charge that the wealthy Jews were practicing usury, we can conclude that these mortgages included exorbitant and unfair interest rates. 3) This also implies that in a time of great famine, the ones who had means chose to exploit those who were going hungry – if it is in your power to right a wrong or correct an injustice and you don't do it, you are sinning. c. Those who had what to eat had to mortgage their property in order to pay the Persian taxes, 4. d. These three factors (needing food, having to borrow money to survive till next harvest and pay their taxes) caused the poor Jews to become slaves to the wealthy ones, 5. 1) Some of these wealthy "brothers" had already taken their daughters as slaves. 2) Scholars agree that there is a sexual connotation here – Jews were taken other Jews as sex slaves. B. The action: outcry particularly on the part of the wives and mothers, 1. 1. The pressure of building the wall added considerably to the stress of life in a society where the slightest mishap could be devastating. "The conditions under which they toil are difficult. Extra guard shifts and laborious work have rendered some of them tired and brittle. When the men do have a moment to go home, they are faced with hungry children and angry spouses at their wits' end. Like lightning strike, families are now at each other's throats…." Derek Thomas 2. There are very few things worse or more frustrating than working hard and long and not having enough to feed your family – though I have never personally experienced, I have seen it first hand in Brazil. 3. The people couldn't contain themselves anymore, so they came to the only person who they trusted to do something for them – Nehemiah. 4. They cried out to their savior: deliver us! a. In this sense, Nehemiah points us to Christ. b. In the midst of the wickedness of this world, we turn to Christ and cry out, "Deliver us!" Gal. 1:3-5 – Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. C. How often love for money or what to do with money is at the core of wicked acts. 1 Tim. 6:10 – For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 1. Not only love for money that we have, but also for money we don't have. 2. Not only love for our money, but for other people's money – the conservative idea that a good government is a government that doesn't help anyone. II. God's Grace Overruling Man's Wickedness through Repentance, 6-13. A. We see the grace of God in Nehemiah's indignation, 6-7a. 1. Nehemiah became very angry when he heard the injustice that was being done to the brethren, 6. a. This is something we can learn from Nehemiah – to care for the Word of God, the glory of God, and the people of God so much that we get very angry when any of them is dishonored. b. Nehemiah's anger motivated him to do what was right. 2. Though his anger motivated him to act, Nehemiah knew that acting while very angry was a bad idea, 7. a. So, he took time to calm down and think about what he should do – this is a trait of a godly leader. b. We also notice that his anger was directed at the nobles and rulers because they were the ones dishonoring God, his Word, and his people. 3. God's grace in relating to his people turns even an emotion like anger that can so easily create havoc into the motivation for action that will eventually deliver his people from bondage. B. We see the grace of God in the confrontation of sin and call to repentance, 7b-11. 1. The exact sin that Nehemiah charged the nobles and rulers was usury, 7b. a. Usury is the practice of lending money at unreasonable high rates of interest. b. Usury includes the idea that the lender knows that it is very unlikely that the person to whom he is lending money won't be able to pay it back. c. A Jew was not allowed to charge interest on a loan to another Jew, let alone unreasonable high rates! Dt. 23:19-20 – You shall not charge interest to your brother—interest on money or food or anything that is lent out at interest. To a foreigner you may charge interest, but to your brother you shall not charge interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all to which you set your hand in the land which you are entering to possess. 2. It seems like after he confronted the nobles and rulers in private, he gathered all the people and continued to confront them in front of the people who had brought the accusation against them, 7c-10. a. Nehemiah says, "We have been working so hard to get out of slavery/captivity to foreign nations and now we are enslaving ourselves?", 8. b. Notice that even though the nobles and rulers seemed convicted by what he was saying, he continued confronting them because there were more things that they needed to know and repent of, 9. 1) Notice that Nehemiah is not afraid of saying that something is not good – another trait of a godly leader. Is. 5:20 – Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 2) Dishonoring God's people dishonors God – not walking in fear of God. a) Do you see how the fear of God, which is faith in and reverence for him, is closely related to how we conduct ourselves toward God's people? b) People, especially God's people, is the medium in which we live out the fear of the Lord. 3) When the people of God do not walk in the fear of the Lord they become the reproach of the nations – two ways. a) They will be condemned by the nations. b) They become the condemnation of the nations since the nations won't have anyone to show them the fear of the Lord. c) It is a sad thing to see Christians who are not walking in the fear of the Lord, because they have ceased to be of any use. Mt. 5:13-16 – You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. c. Nehemiah acknowledges that he too is part of the problem, 10a. 1) He has been lending the poor money. 2) Even though he doesn't explicitly say that he is charging interest, his call to repentance includes him in the charge of usury. 3) This is another trait of a godly leader – he admits when he is wrong. d. Nehemiah issues a specific call to repentance, 10b-11 – a godly leader is clear in his words. 1) Notice that he does not have a "holier than thou" approach – "Please let us…", 10b 2) He wants their repentance to be demonstrated by restitution, 11. a) In essence, he wants the rulers and nobles to declare a year of jubilee in which all debts are forgiven, and all real property is restored to tribal owners. b) This is consistent with apostolic teaching. Jn. 8:10-11 – When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." Lk. 3:7-8 – Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Lk. 19:8-10 – Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." c) "A hundredth of the money" in v. 11 likely means a percentage of the money, which means that they would have to return the unlawful interest they had made (but not the principal). 3) What we see here is that restitution and changed behavior go hand in hand with repentance C. We see the grace of God in repentant hearts, 12-13. 1. It is a great mercy from be Lord to be granted repentance, 12a. a. When a sinner is shown his sin and by God's grace he sees his sin and turns to the Lord for the forgiveness purchased by the Lord Jesus, he receives the immeasurably gracious pardon of his sins. b. God who was rightly offended says the glorious words – I FORGIVE YOU. c. Let us pray that the Lord would convict us of our sins so that we might turn to him in repentance and experience his forgiveness. 1 Jn. 1:7-9 – But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 2. Nehemiah doesn't want the nobles' and rulers' commitment to be soon forgotten, so he has them take an oath, 12b-13. a. He is not having only the nobles and the rulers take the oath, he is taking it himself as well. b. Remember that he had already included himself in the guilty group. c. This is another demonstration of their true repentance.
So, we see in this passage the wickedness of man's heart. We are capable of doing the most wicked things imaginable to each other. We also see the grace of God overruling man's wickedness and bringing repentance and forgiveness. Don't be satisfied with your wickedness. Let the grace of God invade your heart and experience God's overruling your sin and forgiving you.
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-overruling-grace-of-god-nehemiah-51.html
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