Nehemiah Episode 7
In my experience the hardest things in leadership are dealing with opposition and managing internal frustration and disappointment. In both cases the strength of emotion that accompanies the narrative makes it hard to chart a steady course.
Chapter 4 Nehemiah dealt with verbal and physical opposition and the exhaustion that increased during that season of rebuilding. We saw his response involved resisting opposition, strengthening faith and adapting strategy to reality.
But now in Chapter 5 a whole new challenge emerges.
Verses 1-5 describe a great outcry.
“Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. 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.” (Nehemiah 5:1-5)
The key issue is that they are concerned for the welfare of their families. They are hungry and they need grain.
> Another group has got grain but has had to mortgage their fields, vineyards and homes to pay for it
> Others borrow money to pay taxes on fields and vineyards
> For some their Sons and daughters are in slavery and they are powerless to redeem them.
The people are in need, insecure and in debt. They are in despair and impotent.
They have lost agency through a spiral of desperation, which has seen them lose their families and their lands to stay alive.
The villains here are not the Arabs or the Ammonites or the people of Ashdod. The people who are capitalising on the suffering of the Jews are fellow Jews. This threat is from within.
The division is a diversion from the work of God and a distraction from the real enemy. No building work is mentioned in this chapter, the focus on the work has been lost.
The root issue is money. There is an inequality in allocation of resources and exploitation of the situation for personal gain.
Nehemiah’s response is that he is very angry. We started with the “outcry” of the people. Here in verse 6 Nehemiah has heard this outcry and also specific charges have been brought.
[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.
Nehemiah measures his response, he does not just fly off the handle, he ponders what he has heard. He goes through it in his head and forms a strategy. He gives serious thought to his response. Emotion is an entirely valid first response, but it does not tend to produce wise solutions.
I can think of a few instances where red mist has descended, and I have acted in ways which I do not look back on with pride. The primal reaction that triggers the fight or flight response tends to escalate a situation in the short term and usually leads to depression and fear.
When we get mad or threatened a desire for control and retribution rises within us. We want to put people in their place but that is not the same thing as God putting people in His place. Just to be clear what I said there was not God putting people in their place it was God putting people in his place. It is the fundamental difference between revenge or retaliation and reconciliation and repentance.
After Nehemiah has pondered, he acts and addresses the leaders. Just as he had earlier. The last time he had spoken to the nobles and officials the headline encouragement was pull together and trust God.
Nehemiah 4:19-20 NIV
[19] Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. [20] Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” …
Here he accuses them of working against each other and putting trust in their own plans and abilities. So he lays out the charge “you are charging your own people interest” and calls a large meeting to deal with them.
This is against the word of God and the law of God
Exodus 22:25 NIV
[25] “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.
Leviticus 25:35-37 NIV
[35] “ 'If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger, so they can continue to live among you. [36] Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God, so that they may continue to live among you. [37] You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food at a profit.
Deuteronomy 23:19-20 NIV
[19] Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest, whether on money or food or anything else that may earn interest. [20] You may charge a foreigner interest, but not a fellow Israelite, so that the Lord your God may bless you in everything you put your hand to in the land you are entering to possess.
The way of the world says that those who lend money are entitled to interest. Human wisdom allows profit and validates business deals. God instructs that his people are to treat each other in a different way altogether.
Nehemiah reminds them that they have redeemed slaves who were a byproduct of earlier invasions and they have been buying their freedom and some unscrupulous individuals are exploiting a loop hole in the system. The practice of buying back slaves does not validate a slave trade.
[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.”
There is silence because everyone knows that it is true.
What they are doing is not right. Not the conclusion that is not best practice or not ideal – it is wrong
They should be motivated by the Fear of the Lord and the reputation of God’s people not their own gain.
Aberdeen University is the 3rd oldest in Scotland and the 5th oldest in the UK. The motto of the university is “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”
The fear of the Lord will lead to economic change. Right relationship with the Lord will lead to right relationships between people.
The people of God live under a different set of obligations. We are to show proper respect for everyone but to love the fellowship of believers. The early church believers had an ideology which meant sharing what they had and caring for those in need.
The Restorative justice Nehemiah proposes involves an immediate reversal and restoration. The hundredth part referred to in v11 is understood to have been monthly – so is effectively 12% a year. Which is probably around where mortgage rates are heading in the Western world right now.
[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.
The perpetrators respond with a promise. Things will be different.
They will give back and they will not demand more
This is costly and reminds me of that other great example of restorative justice in the gospels.
After Zacchaeus has encountered Jesus he undergoes a change of heart which leads to restitution as well as repentance. “half my money I am giving away to the poor and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back ten times more”
Nehemiah concludes with a summary of his own example
How we handle privilege and plenty often says more about our leadership than how we handle poverty and need.
1. 12 years he did not eat the food allocated to the governor
2. He did not tax the people like his predecessors had
3. He had a different culture of leadership
Nehemiah took a different course out of reverence for God
This giving up of rights and the taking on of responsibilities is at the heart of the radically different culture of Jesus leadership to that common at the time.
Luke 22:25-27 NIV [25] Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. [26] But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. [27] For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
There is no place for entitlement in the alternative, radically different call to servant leadership. Servant leadership is not self serving, it does not help itself but puts others first.
We follow the example of Jesus
Nehemiah’s example is not just in what he didn’t do but what he did
He devoted himself to the work on the wall. He did not acquire any land and he generously shared what he had. 150 Jews and officials as well as international guests ate at his table.
Nehemiah shares what he has. He recognises the blessing of God but he does not attempt to turn his position to profit. He is sympathetic to the demands on the people. He asks that God will remember him. People will forget but God sees and remembers.
Nehemiah is Godly, Generous and Gracious I wish I could be more of those things more often.
His integrity enables him to be able to call out the bad behaviour of others. If had been swept along with the general pattern of doing things, no one would have noticed but his edge would have been blunted. He acted for God and for people
One of my favourite benedictions is
“Go to Love the Lord and to serve the people, to love the people and to serve the Lord”
This is true of Nehemiah and even more true of Jesus. May it be true of leaders in our time. May it be true of you and of me.