Believers ought to be very careful about taking advantage of others, especially other Christians, and getting rich at their expense. 1 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. And the opposition was fierce. Nehemiah also tells that he was careful not to personally profit off the people while governor. Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. Nehemiah became great by being a servant to all. In this case it was a clash between the workers and the officials, the laborers and the overseers who were working on this project. Nehemiah, the good, rose up from his weeping to do something about a vision God had laid on his heart. “LORD, put us in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude of heart to be used by You this day.”, Nehemiah 5:14: “Moreover, from the time that I [Nehemiah] was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.”. The walls of the city were still lying in ruin. God gave Nehemiah a desire to see Jerusalem’s wall rebuilt, but Nehemiah did not complete the task on his own. 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.". They were all ready to attack the poor weak Jews. Today we are reading Nehemiah 5, Jeremiah 7, and Malachi 3. 18 Now that which was prepared for each day was one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance. Nehemiah has successfully handled the threatened attack from without, but now he runs into a problem from within his own ranks. Help us to be men and women who visibly live according to what we profess. Return to the Main Player. He was insisting on restitution as well. 798 B.C. You remember all the enemies – Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and really all the nations surrounding Jerusalem. Nehemiah gathered a team to make a difference with him, and he never gave up despite challenges and opposition.The book of Nehemiah gives us a blueprint of what making a difference can look like. As we read Nehemiah 5, we find that this whole “people messing stuff up” thing has been going on for quite a while. Old Testament Characters and Their Strengths: Nehemiah. He had fame and great influence, all the potential trappings of power, but his ambition was to serve his brother and to be great in the eyes of his Lord. Are we able to honestly, even bluntly, confront those we are in relationship with to help them? Nehemiah 5:1-13. Nehemiah Helps the Poor 5 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. And here’s what they agree to. We need help. ", 4 Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. 9 So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. We were not designed to bear burdens alone. Usury is charging interest for money that has been loaned--a common practice in our day. In those days, a city’s walls offered protection and security. If Jerusalem was going to flourish, it needed strong walls. Register! They must give back their unjust gains. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. In chapter 5, the Unseen Enemy tries yet another approach. That principle extended to the other workers with a portion of them at the work of refurbishing Jerusalem and the other portion of the Jews with shields and spears to protect the … When we see the brokenness in the world, the solutions seem overwhelming. Devotional: Nehemiah 5 . We notice that Jesus didn’t say there was anything wrong with the disciples’ desire to be great in His kingdom, but merely that the true method of acquiring that greatness was the exact opposite of the world’s way and the way they had been arguing and thinking about it. Where I read three chapters of the Holy Bible in the King James Version each day with my family as a part of our family devotions, to encourage you to read the Holy Bible in a year’s time. 19 Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people. Jerusalem … So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: "As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. He shows that it is simple greed that is the problem. 117 Views . Nehemiah Denies His Allotment. At this the whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. Consider his resume: Nehemiah led a major structural renovation that surrounded an entire city, completing it under budget and in 52 days. Daily Devotion © 2006 by Ray Stedman Ministries. Father, strengthen us to act like Nehemiah of old and be willing to confront the greed in our own lives. About 70 years after the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem was rebuilt, Nehemiah, cupbearer to the king of Persia, heard reports of trouble and disgrace there. They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. Grace Community Church. He had just returned from the battle-fields of World War II, where he had seen many of his friends killed. Study Guides are the First 5 app companion to take your daily bible study a little deeper. And that brings us into chapter 10. Image: Ministry 127. He confronts the overseers with it, rebuking them and showing them it is wrong. But let the exacting of usury stop! This was more than a demand to end the practice of usury. First 5 Study guides . Verse 29 – they would keep the Law of Moses. 5 About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. Nehemiah Stops Oppression of the Poor. Posts about Nehemiah 7:5-65 written by rwtillman. For permission to use this content, please review RayStedman.org/permissions. Related Videos. Nehemiah 9:5. Under divine providence, he was soon transported from Shushan to his beloved city, Jerusalem, armed with authority and equipped with materials to rebuild the ruined city… 6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. ); Death of Joash (796 B.C.) Subject to permission policy, all rights reserved. Devotional- Nehemiah 5- The power of Faithful People. Based out of Washington, D.C., Anthony Parrott is a proven innovator in missional discipleship. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!" It works everywhere you sign in, even with the mobile app! This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International with the Whyte House Daily Devotional Bible Reading Episode #357. 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. 12 "We will give it back," they said. You may experience that too in your struggle to recover some area of your life. This Daily Devotion was Inspired by one of Ray's Messages. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” 3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. He has called us to give of ourselves as a test of our obedience and to prove that we value Him more than silver or gold. 13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. Instead of just mourning and praying about it, Nehemiah decided to do something about it. Greedy people were really mucking up a good thing. "And we will not demand anything more from them. 15 But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. We should aspire to greatness, but not the kind of greatness the world promotes. You may run into family problems, pressures, and problems with those who work with you, perhaps even from other brothers and sisters … He related it with deadly anger. You can be tightening those abs, burning those calories, and shaping those arms in no time at all! In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. When I was a high school student in Canada, I heard a story told by our history teacher. It is the age-old gap between the rich and the poor. The builders of the wall sought to finish the wall, but other people in the city were causing this task to become difficult. Today, we will discuss 4 of those prayer pointers. You may run into family problems, pressures, and problems with those who work with you, perhaps even from other brothers and sisters in the Lord. This chapter consists entirely of the Jews’ promise to God in light of their disturbing cycle of disobedience. This book is also the story of restoring a people from ruin and despair to a new walk with God. With this chapter we are face to face with an internal enemy which is potentially more dangerous than the others because it threatens their unity. Instead of the rich Jewish leaders in Jerusalem helping their Jewish brothers, they were exploring the poor. They were stricken by conscience because they knew from the Scriptures that what they were doing was wrong. Nehemiah 5:14: “Moreover, from the time that I [Nehemiah] was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.” They include daily questions for each passage of Scripture, including reflection that applies to your life. Let Nehemiah’s faith, … Destruction and despair marks the opening verses in Nehemiah 5:1-5. November 30. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. The Jews were allowed to do this with other races, but Moses said that when Jews lent money to other Jews, they were not to charge any interest. And at this point the wall is still not fully re-built. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?” – Nehemiah 5:9 . Devotional: Solving Problems Then and Now – Nehemiah Gets It Done. He serves as the Lead Pastor of The Table Church. Then the Levites, Jeshua, &c., said, Stand up, and bless the Lord for ever and ever — Praise him and give him thanks, as long as you have any being; and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise — The super-excellent perfections of which, the noblest creatures cannot worthily magnify. Nehemiah 5 Summary – Enemy Opposition. I trust it will help you in your own prayer walk as you face the challenges and the insecurities that life has thrown at us. While most blindly complied, some refused to do so, and one student even went to … During the Battle of Pea Ridge in Arkansas, on March 7, 1862, Carr led the 4th Division of the Army of the Southwest in the fighting around Elkhorn Tavern. Website © 2020 by Ray Stedman Ministries. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. So these enemies are still threatening to enter the city. I told them, "You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!" God does not need our money and time to advance His kingdom, but He has chosen these means to help support the kingdom’s extension to the ends of the earth. A chronological journey through the Bible with devotional comments by Dr. Rix W. Tillman. Sign In. In March 2013, a professor at Florida Atlantic University asked students to write the name 'Jesus' on a piece of paper, place the paper on the floor, and then stomp on it. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. Nehemiah is encouraged by their promise that they will not do this. Nehemiah 4 Nehemiah 5 Nehemiah 6. Nehemiah is upset by this usury and demands that they stop. Nehemiah 5 New Living Translation (NLT) Nehemiah Defends the Oppressed. The greed of the nobles was causing overwhelming poverty among the faithful builders. Furloughed home because of a war wound, he was riding a bus in a major Canadian city. 1 comment. Are we honestly confronting greed in all areas of our lives? He was cup-bearer to Artaxerxes, the Persian king, and his prayer to the Lord was answered, when the king heard his lament and authorised the … As we read through the book of Nehemiah, we discover a man with a passion for his God, a concern for God's people and a zeal for the house of the Lord. August 19, 2011 Linda Bailey R.E.A.P. Scripture condemns this practice as uncaring and heedless of the poor testimony it presents to others. 5:25. Let’s see their next attempt to attack the Jews. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Verses 1 through 27 give the names of each leader who was signing his name to this resolution. Home; About; Trip 536: Justification for Israel’s Destruction ; Trip 556: Apostasy of Joash; War with Syria (Approx. Nehemiah Nehemiah 10 KJV, Sermon, Devotional, Explained. Don't have an account? We will do as you say." 5-Minute Workout. To a great degree these were justified complaints. But Nehemiah did more than rebuild a wall. Prophetic Prospective Daily Devotional Jimmy DeYoung's Daily Devotionals Search. He could not change the conditions, but he reveals the real problem--usury. This Devotional (in 3 parts) will focus on some of the prayer strategies adopted by Nehemiah. A God-sized vision is simply too big for any one of us. Nehemiah was the man who grieved and mourned over the holy city of Jerusalem, which lay in ruins, with its city gate burned and charred. Do you have 15 minutes instead of 5 minutes for your quiet time? 17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. Yet for all this I did not demand the governor’s food allowance, because the servitude was heavy on this people. That is what Nehemiah does. Favoriting is a great way to keep a list of sermons, programs, and ministry resources in your account. All rights reserved. He has first uncovered the real cause. And the people did as they had promised. If you’re running a building project, you want Nehemiah as your general contractor. Their reaction was surprising. It only took 3 months for him to complete the rebuilding of the wall, but he stayed 12 more years to make sure that the spiritual rebuilding of the people was going on as well. Nehemiah 5 - And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land. Nehemiah is the historic account of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, which took place in the fifth century before Christ. 1:02:39. 2 Some were saying, "We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. 2 They were saying, “We have such large families. We need to look to someone like Nehemiah as our example. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? Nehemiah was governor of Jerusalem for 12 years before he returned to his post as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes in Persia. Labels Archives 2020 (329) ... Nehemiah's helpers would work with one hand and hold their weapon with the other as they worked. In chapter 5, the Unseen Enemy tries yet another approach. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!" He didn’t even collect the governor’s allowance for food, as the governors before him had, because he knew it would be too much of a burden on the people. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.". Nehemiah deals with them earnestly and forthrightly. Nehemiah 5: 2014-01-18 THE GIFT OF TENSION: Nehemiah 4: 2014-01-17 SERVING TOGETHER: Nehemiah 3: 2014-01-16 LET'S REBUILD: Nehemiah 2: 2014-01-15 A PRAYER FOR RENEWAL: Nehemiah 1: 2013-05-12 WALLS: Nehemiah 1 Nehemiah never heard Jesus’ words in his lifetime, but he certainly practiced them: “And [Jesus] sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all’” (Mark 9:35). “So I continued, "What you are doing is not right. You may experience that too in your struggle to recover some area of your life. Jerusalem is not only an historic city that for centuries has been the center of the life of the nation of Israel (and, in fact, the center of the biblical record), it is also a symbolic city. Forgot Password × Verse of the Day Today’s; Book; Topic; Random; Devotions Today’s; Book The enemies – Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem, and getting rich at expense... 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