So far we've seen this small community serving God with vigour in the face of great opposition, which hasn't gone away. But this chapter brings before us another difficulty that impacts on faithful and fruitful service for the Lord and that is the life that the Lord's people live together.
You might think that facing a common enemy would be all the cement their relationships needed and it is a fact that during times of national crisis, people pull together. But though there is much to be admired at such times, people are still people, fallen and sinful. And the same pressures that bring people together can also cause them to act unhelpfully. That is just what we see in this chapter.
Not only is this a common factor in all of human life, it can also sadly be so in church life. Whilst the oppression and threats of ch.4 could harm the people and halt the work, the threat in this chapter is even greater: it could split the community apart completely, such that they were no longer recognisably living as the family of God.
1. Exploiting Their Brothers (vv.1-5)
The problem in Jerusalem at this time was the exploitation of the weak and vulnerable by those who were more financially secure. Poor people couldn't work to get grain (v.2); others were having to mortgage their fields to get grain (v.3); others were having to borrow money and sell their children into slavery to finance their debts (vv.4,5).
But the great shame about this exploitation is that it was being done by those who were "of the same flesh and blood" (v.5). Right at the heart of what was supposed to be a united people there was a great rupture and a great outcry is raised against it (v.1).
The way this chapter reads, these problems may have existed for some time but the special circumstances of rebuilding the wall have brought them to the fore. The situation now is much more urgent and the people's needs desperate.
The situation that Nehemiah faced in ch.4 was explosive and called for great wisdom and tenacity. This problem will need no less wisdom and resolve. How does he tackle it?
2. Call to Repent and Relieve (vv.6-13)
His response is recorded for us in v.6ff. He was "very angry". There is such a thing as righteous anger and Nehemiah shows it. Here is something that, because it strikes at the heart of their community life, strikes at the glory of God that is to be manifest among his people. They had pulled together and bought back their brothers (v.8) only to enslave them!
We need to be careful when we're angry, that we don't sin (cf. Ps 4:4) but there is something wrong if we're not stirred up when God's name is slighted by the actions of his people.
In his anger, Nehemiah determines to face the nobles and officials with their sin. Here is something that cannot go unchecked or the whole enterprise, rebuilding for God's glory, will come crashing down.
His focus, as he faces them with it, is again upon how they should walk before the Lord and in his presence. They should "walk in the fear of...God" and so avoid the reproach of their enemies. They had been treating the Lord and his ways with a casual disregard. That must stop. He is the Lord; he is to be revered and honoured.
We all do well to examine our lives by this word. Are we walking in the fear of God, wanting to honour him and careful not to bring dishonour to his name?
Nehemiah faces them with their sin and demands that they act to restore what they have taken from their brothers. They are not only to feel bad about their sin, they're to do something about it too.
Having been stunned into silence at first (v.8), that's just what they decide to do (v.12). His words have wounded them in order to bring healing to the community. Their repentance would be the occasion of renewal for their life together.
And this wasn't an empty promise designed to get Nehemiah off their backs. They say 'Amen' to his warning of judgement should they fail to restore what they had taken and then get on with it straightaway (v.13).
Here is genuine repentance in action! If something is wrong in our relationships, it needs to be put right and it needs to be done now. It isn't incidental; it really matters to the progress of the gospel. A lack of love and unity amongst us as the Lord's people is a denial of the truth that God is one and God is love.
Whether we're prepared to act on this is the true measure of how much we fear the Lord and want to see him honoured. Our actions must speak as loud as our words.
3. Nehemiah: An example to follow (vv.14-19)
You may have noticed that Nehemiah was also one who had loaned money to his brothers (v.10) but it seems clear that he and his men were not taking advantage of their brothers in doing so. And the final section of this chapter shows us that Nehemiah led the community by example.
Here is a passage that is especially full of relevance to church leaders but it relates to all of us too. Examples are given in order that they might be followed!
i) In vv.14-18 we see that Nehemiah, although entitled as the Governor to receive a certain level of support, refused to take it from the people. He was conscious that those before him had placed a heavy burden on the people and their assistants had lorded it over them (v.15).
In the NT we see the Apostle Paul doing just this too. In 1 Cor 9:7-12a he affirms the right of the worker to receive his wages; as an apostle he could expect to be supported by the churches. Yet he goes on to say that "we did not use this right". He and his friends refused support in order not to be a burden to them.
And he says that this is his reward in preaching the gospel and they couldn't take it from him! As with Nehemiah, it was the responsibility of the people to provide for his needs and his privilege to forego it.
ii) As well as refusing what was due to him, we also see that he lived in a very generous way. Many ate at his table (vv.17,18) yet, in spite of this, he never took his allowance. As the Lord's people, we are to be generous and eager to give and to serve. In his second letter to the church at Corinth, Paul encourages their giving by mentioning the churches of Macedonia who had given "beyond their ability".
Why did Nehemiah act like this? Out of reverence for God and out of concern for his people who had to carry heavy burdens. Here is a man who loves God and loves his neighbour and so his life has the quality it does. (His prayer in v.19 is not for a reward to match his own giving but is a way of claiming that he has acted rightly and from right motives.)
His example points us to the greatest example of all, our lord Jesus. He held nothing back for our sakes; will we do likewise for him and his glory?
