Nehemiah: Rise and Build
Sunday, March 3, 2024

Nehemiah 5
Introduction

Godly Leaders Lead in All Aspects of Life

“In the history of the church we have seen that when the devil could not destroy
the church by persecution, the next thing he did was to join it!” J. Vernon McGee
I. Jerusalem’s Dilemma (v.1-5)
v.1 – “Now there arose a great outcry of the people and their wives against their
Jewish brothers.”
We see three different groups of people with three separate issues.
 The first group of people had families who were not being fed. They simply
didn’t have enough food to eat.
 The second group of people had huge mortgages and could not afford to
buy food.
 The third group of people had massive tax payments and were forced to
mortgage their land which, in turn, forced their children into slavery.
The building of the wall did not create these problems, but it revealed these
problems.

II. Nehemiah’s Response (v.6-13)
v.6 – “I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.”
Nehemiah’s response was one of anger, but not a sinful anger. This was an
anger that was righteous because of the injustice that was being done.
“Be angry and do not sin…” Ephesians 4:26
“I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and
officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I
held a great assembly against them.” Nehemiah 5:7
Nehemiah appeals to their conscience, to their love for their brothers and to
God’s Word. Those that were doing this were not following God’s Word.
“If you lend money to My people, to the poor person among you, you must not be
like a moneylender to him; you must not charge him interest.” Exodus 22:25

“If your brother becomes destitute and cannot sustain himself among you, you
are to support him as a foreigner or temporary resident, so that he can continue
to live among you. Do not profit or take interest from him but fear your God and
let your brother live among you. You are not to lend him your silver with interest
or sell him your food for profit. Leviticus 25:35-37

III. Nehemiah’s Godly Example (14-19)
First, it is his love for God
v.15 - “I did not do so, because of the fear of God.”
Second, it is his love for others
v.17-18 – “Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials,
besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. Now what
was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and
birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not
demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy
on this people.”
During his 12-year administration, Nehemiah did not tax the people like
others in the past even though it was legally permitted.
The world needs godly leaders.
No matter where we lead, we bring glory to God in all aspects of life. Jesus was
the leader extraordinaire and our example. He led through sacrificing his own life
so we could be reconciled to God.
IV. Conclusion