Monday, February 08, 2010

Pray
Gracious God, my Father, I praise You for Your loving and powerful care for all of Your creation.

Read
Nehemiah 5:1-19

[1] Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. [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." [4] Still others were saying, "We have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards. [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. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others." [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. I told them, "You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!" 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. Now you are selling your brothers, 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 the exacting of usury stop! [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." [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 his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!" At this the whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. [14] Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year-twelve years-neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. [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. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. [16] Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land. [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. [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. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. [19] Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.

NIV

Reflect
What good example did Nehemiah set here?

In the midst of dealing with opposition, another issue arises. How often do we find that we don’t just face difficulties from one side but from several? This problem is internal—and it involves challenging those in power. Although God’s people are called to live differently, they so easily fall into the trap of behaving in just the same way as the nations around them. The people whose forebears were rescued from slavery in Egypt and who have returned from humiliating exile in Babylon end up being enslaved by their own officials!

Again notice that Nehemiah thinks before acting, but when he does act it is decisive and direct. He challenges those who are acting unjustly and he speaks directly to them about the action they need to take. In order to do this effectively, he must already be living a personal life beyond reproach.

God calls us to live lives of integrity so that we can challenge the injustice that we see and demand that others do the same. How does your life match up?

Apply
Take time to explore the injustice in your own country and ask God what you can do to make a difference.

Pray
Lord, give me Your heart for justice, especially for the poor, and help me to live each day accordingly.

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^{Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.}