Daily Thought

Having survived with God’s help the difficulties presented by external adversaries, and taken realistic precautions to safeguard the continuance of the work of re-building Jerusalem’s wall, Nehemiah may well have anticipated some respite and release from stress. However it was not to be granted him, for yet another problem arose, unanticipated, for it came from an unexpected quarter.

That some should exploit the current situation to the extent that their fellow workers in this great enterprise were being placed heavily in their debt through usurial practices was despicable, and likely to spoil the whole venture.

This became the latest problem to dominate Nehemiah’s thinking, and one that he must deal with expeditiously. We read that he was ‘very angry’, v. 6, when he listened to the complaints of the victims, and we may judge it was what lay behind this example of human avarice that so affected him. Those taking advantage of their fellow Jews in this manner were motivated by greed and selfishness, and the manifestation of these unpleasant, unholy vices gave a clear indication of the true moral condition of the people. They might have been God’s people, doing God’s work, but their selfish actions at this time represented a dangerous threat to the whole operation. This was an enemy within the ranks of God’s people - but how must it be dealt with?

First, Nehemiah administers a justifiable rebuke to the of fenders, reminding them of their oneness with their brethren, and the necessity of their safeguarding rather than eroding their brethren’s possessions. Those censured accept his suggestions, making promises to do what he requires of them.

Second, because Nehemiah realised that more was required of him than just words, he sacrificed his own privileges in order to demonstrate before them all an example of unselfishness. In this he shows true signs of leadership - leadership by example!

All that he had done to divert a crisis was not easy, and left him still with the kind of misgivings that all spiritual leaders must feel from time-to-time when dealing with the failings of their brethren. So he prays his prayer, ‘Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people’, v. 19.