HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 801
NEHEM IAH 5
page 431
21 We worked early and late, from sunrise to
sunset. And half the men were always on guard.
22 I also told everyone living outside the walls to
stay in Jerusalem. That way they and their servants could help with guard duty at night and
work during the day. 23 During this time, none of
us—not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor
the guards who were with me—ever took off our
clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all
times, even when we went for water.*
— promises —
from God
“Our God will fight for us!”
N E H E M I A H 4:2 0
Nehemiah Defends the Oppressed
About this time some of the men and their
wives raised a cry of protest against their
fellow Jews. 2 They were saying, “We have such
large families. We need more food to survive.”
3 Others said, “We have mortgaged our fields,
vineyards, and homes to get food during the
famine.”
4 And others said, “We have had to borrow
money on our fields and vineyards to pay our
taxes. 5 We belong to the same family as those
who are wealthy, and our children are just like
theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live. We have
already sold some of our daughters, and we
are helpless to do anything about it, for our
fields and vineyards are already mortgaged
to others.”
6 When I heard their complaints, I was
very angry. 7 After thinking it over, I spoke
out against these nobles and officials. I told
them, “You are hurting your own relatives by
charging interest when they borrow money!”
Then I called a public meeting to deal with the
problem.
8 At the meeting I said to them, “We are doing
all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who
have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery
again. How often must we redeem them?” And
they had nothing to say in their defense.
9 Then I pressed further, “What you are doing
is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of
our God in order to avoid being mocked by
enemy nations? 10 I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the
people money and grain, but now let us stop
this business of charging interest. 11 You must
5
4:23 Or Each carried his weapon in his right hand. Hebrew
reads Each his weapon the water. The meaning of the Hebrew
is uncertain. 5:14 That is, 445–433 b.c. 5:15 Hebrew
40 shekels [1 pound or 456 grams].
restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and
homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money,
grain, new wine, and olive oil.”
12 They replied, “We will give back everything
and demand nothing more from the people. We
will do as you say.” Then I called the priests and
made the nobles and officials swear to do what
they had promised.
13 I shook out the folds of my robe and said,
“If you fail to keep your promise, may God
shake you like this from your homes and from
your property!”
The whole assembly responded, “Amen,”
and they praised the Lord. And the people did
as they had promised.
14 For the entire twelve years that I was governor of Judah—from the twentieth year to the
thirty-second year of the reign of King Artaxerxes*—neither I nor my officials drew on our official food allowance. 15 The former governors,
in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the
people, demanding a daily ration of food and
wine, besides forty pieces* of silver. Even their
assistants took advantage of the people. But
because I feared God, I did not act that way.
16 I also devoted myself to working on the
wall and refused to acquire any land. And I
required all my servants to spend time working on the wall. 17 I asked for nothing, even
though I regularly fed 150 Jewish officials at
my table, besides all the visitors from other
lands! 18 The provisions I paid for each day
• Commitment
N E HE M I A H 5:16
The remarkable story of Nehemiah is a
portrait of commitment. He began with
a passionate vision (1:3-4; 2:5) to restore
the destroyed walls of Jerusalem. But
rebuilding the rubble of the city walls
was a monumental, tedious, and
dangerous task. Nehemiah’s heartfelt
longing wasn’t enough! The job required
careful planning, physical endurance,
and courageous sacrifice. Many wonderful ideas are fired by emotion, but
without a “brick-by-brick” commitment,
such visions never go beyond the
inspiration stage. Have you considered
what great work God might want to
accomplish through your commitment?
Start with a brick—just one act—that
begins work on the idea God has given
you. Then see how this commitment may
blossom into a great accomplishment
for him.