5:1 Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
Whenever the devil cannot win by persecution, then he joins the synagogue or church assembly and attempts to destroy them internally.
5:2 There were those who said, “With our sons and daughters, we are many. We must obtain grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
Famine was beginning to discourage the citizens of Jerusalem.
5:3 There were others who said, “We are putting up our fields, our vineyards, and our houses as collateral in order to obtain grain during the famine.”
The citizens of Jerusalem were having to take loans in order to feed their families.
5:4 Then there were those who said, “We have borrowed money to pay our taxes to the king on our fields and our vineyards.
Others had to mortgage their farms to pay the taxes. Human nature never changes. Human nature is full of men who are totally depraved and evil. Even though modern society thinks that he has evolved into a higher moral level during the technology age, man is no better off morally than those who lived before him. The morality of man is actually worse. Man is walking into liberalism. Liberalism is walking into the Laodicean church.
5:5 And now, though we share the same flesh and blood as our fellow countrymen, and our children are just like their children, still we have found it necessary to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have been subjected to slavery, while we are powerless to help, since our fields and vineyards now belong to other people.”
It was against the Mosaic Law for Jews to lend money to other Jews at an interest rate. There were Jews during these times of war and famine who were breaking this Mosaic Law. They were using these interest rates to bankrupt their fellow Jews and bring their children into slavery. Sometimes these interest rates were set as much as 50%. Hungry people will borrow at these rates when they are desperate.
5:6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these complaints.
Nehemiah was very angry about this situation. Is anger a sin? It depends upon the reason. If one becomes angry for their own personal welfare, then this anger is a sin. If one becomes angry because God’s program, glory, or name is being hurt, then this is a righteous anger. Nehemiah had the right to be angry at these Jewish nobles.
5:7 I considered these things carefully and then registered a complaint with the wealthy and the officials. I said to them, “Each one of you is seizing the collateral from your own countrymen!” Because of them I called for a great public assembly.
Nehemiah called an assembly to deal with these immoral nobles.
5:8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.
Nehemiah openly exposed and rebuked the nobles for their actions. Whenever evil is done inside of the church, it is to be exposed in the same way.
5:9 Then I said,“The thing that you are doing is wrong! Should you not conduct yourselves in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?
Israel was called to become priests to all of the nations. Their sin within their own nation was destroying their witness and making God look bad. The Gentiles were wondering why God chose such evil people.
The modern church experiences this same problem today. There are many in the world who want to know the truth about God, but they do not trust the church to give it to them. The church is more interested in fleecing its flock rather than feeding its flock. Most pastors entertain their flock, rather than feed their flock. Entertainment fills the pews and the coffer box. Strong Bible doctrine scares away the congregation, but strengthens the ones who remain. A few men with strong bible doctrine can accomplish a lot more for God than a church full of entertainment, skits, plays, and music concerts.
5:10 Even I and my relatives and my associates are lending them money and grain. But let us abandon this practice of seizing collateral!
Nehemiah could have charged interest and made a lot of money. Instead, he lent to fellow Jews in need without charging interest. He commanded that these Jewish nobles quit charging interest on their loans to other Jews.
5:11 This very day return to them their fields, their vineyards, their olive trees, and their houses, along with the interest that you are exacting from them on the money, the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil.”
Nehemiah ordered these nobles to return the property, the merchandise, and the children back to the debtors.
5:12 They replied, “We will return these things, and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials swear to do what had been promised.
Nehemiah did not believe their verbal promises. He made them swear to keep their promises by making an oath to God before the Levitical priests.
One of the biggest mistakes to make in ministry is to believe other Christians. Many Christian businessmen prefer to do business with the world rather than with other Christians, because the Christians will not keep their word.
5:13 I also shook out my garment, and I said, “In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every person who does not carry out this matter. In this way may he be shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.
Nehemiah was not a seeker-friendly pastor. He called for God to curse these wealthy Jews if they refused to keep their word.
5:14 From the day that I was appointed governor in the land of Judah, that is, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes—twelve years in all—neither I nor my relatives ate the food allotted to the governor.
Nehemiah ruled Jerusalem as governor for twelve years. He had a right to draw a salary, but he did not.
5:15 But the former governors who preceded me had burdened the people and had taken food and wine from them, in addition to forty shekels of silver. Their associates were also domineering over the people. But I did not behave in this way, due to my fear of God.
The former governors before Nehemiah demanded a salary, but Nehemiah did not.
5:16 I gave myself to the work on this wall, without even purchasing a field. All my associates were gathered there for the work.
Nehemiah did not go into the real estate business. His business was to rebuild the wall.
5:17 There were 150 Jews and officials who dined with me routinely, in addition to those who came to us from the nations all around us.
Nehemiah supported 150 Jews and officials per day at this own expense. All of this income came from the wealth he earned as a cupbearer for the King of Persia.
5:18 Every day one ox, six select sheep, and some birds were prepared for me, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Despite all this I did not require the food allotted to the governor, for the work was demanding on this people.
Nehemiah did not accept the governor’s food allowance.
5:19 Please remember me for good, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
Instead of accepting a salary, Nehemiah asked God to bless him for taking care of the people.
It is important to note that the best pastor-teachers today are those who teach the entire counsel of the Word of God from the original languages at small churches with small salaries. Their church is small and their salaries are meager, because carnal Christians prefer to attend a larger church where their ears are tickled by music concerts, skits, plays, and other forms of entertainment. Satan wants Christians to attend large churches which entertain the masses, because large churches are more willing to compromise the gospel. Most believers in large churches think that their in the right church, but they really do not have enough bible doctrine to know where they are and where they should be.