Year 2, Week 27, Day 5 Bible Reading Observations

Year 2, Week 27, Day 5

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Nehemiah 5-6.

Today’s reading continues the Book of Nehemiah. While we moved on from the Book of Ezra, we have not moved on from Ezra. Ezra will emerge again in Nehemiah 8, for there is a close connection between the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The opening scene of Nehemiah takes place in Susa and occurs in around 445 BC, or about fifteen years after the closing scene of the Book of Ezra. Nehemiah is burdened over the lack of a wall around Jerusalem and so he is a part of a third group of returnees who will seek to rebuild the wall. Nehemiah 5 records internal conflict during the process of repairing the wall: “Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers” (Nehemiah 5:1). While the focus up to this point has been on the internal unity to rebuild the wall in the face of external opposition, today’s reading points out that there were internal challenges as well. The basic challenge around which the internal conflicts were occurring pertained to money and food—coming up with the money to buy food, as well as coming up with the money to pay back loans, all while they were in Jerusalem preparing the wall. Nehemiah 6 records how, in spite of continued external opposition, the wall was finished: “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God” (Nehemiah 6:15-16). The enablement of the LORD resulted in the people completing the repairs in just fifty-two days. This feat sent a clear message through the area that the LORD was present with His people.

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was the character traits that Nehemiah displayed throughout the repair process: “Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people” (Nehemiah 5:19). There are numerous qualities that Nehemiah possessed that have been seen already in the previous days’ readings—qualities such as alertness to prayer, skillfulness in coordinating workers, and strength in the face of danger. But just in today’s reading alone Nehemiah displays great compassion in paying attention to the cries of the distressed, strong courage in calling those guilty of unjust practices to repent, and credibility from foregoing personal privilege for the sake of completing the wall. All of Nehemiah’s qualities reflect much wisdom from the LORD.

Nehemiah heard the cries of distress: “I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words” (Nehemiah 5:6). The LORD hears the cries of His people: “Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings” (Exodus 3:7); and so should those leading God’s people. Those working to repair the walls found themselves in dire economic circumstances: “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards” (Nehemiah 5:2b-5). These circumstances were not their own doing, for they made great personal sacrifices to respond to the call to rebuild the wall.

Nehemiah confronted those whose actions were unfair: “I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say. So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God” (Nehemiah 5:7b-9). Some were using the occasion for repairing the wall to personally profit from the influx of people in Jerusalem. Nehemiah boldly reprimanded those who were doing wrong and called upon the to repent: “Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them” (Nehemiah 5:11).

Nehemiah possessed the integrity to confront the injustices, for he did not take advantage of a personal benefit: “Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor” (Nehemiah 5:14). Nehemiah did not use his positions of authority to benefit himself—even though, in the examples stated, it would have been proper to do so. Nehemiah, out of a proper fear of God, served for the benefit of others: "Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work” (Nehemiah 5:16). Nehemiah called upon the people to fear the LORD; but he did this as one who genuinely feared the LORD. Nehemiah told the call upon him to rebuild the wall seriously, and his love for the LORD was displayed through a life of works.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe