People necessarily live in contact with other people, and with this contact comes responsibility for other people.

History arises through the perception of responsibility for other People - or for whole communities and groups of communities. Individuals act not only for themselves, but they also unite in themselves the selves of many people, possibly even a great number of people …

~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

What does this mean for each of us?

DIG

Think back to the life Nehemiah lived when he served as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. Access to power. The trust of the most powerful leader on earth. A cosmopolitan life in a sophisticated, bustling city. A wealthy, comfortable existence.

And when he heard of his brethern’s plight in a defeated, demoralized Jerusalem, he was moved to leave it all behind to go and make a difference. To take responsibility for other people.

As chapter five opens Nehemiah addresses a situation that makes a mockery of everything he had done: his own people were taking advantage of each other. In the same way that powerful nations had used their power to keep the Jews physically and economically subservient, the wealthy Jews were now preying on their poorer brethren …despite the counsel of God’s law:

• Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. (Ps. 119:36)
• They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough … they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain. (Isa. 56:11)
• From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit.
  (Jer. 6: 13)
• You take usury and excessive interest and make unjust gain from your neighbors by extortion …I will surely strike my hands together at the unjust gain you have made and at the blood you have shed in your midst. (Ezek. 22:12-13)

As the haves were exploiting the plight of the have-nots, Nehemiah’s demand was strong and clear: Let the exacting of usury stop! (Neh. 5:10).

In time of economic distress the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. As Nehemiah surveys the situation he sees some troubling things:

• Inflation was driving prices up, making it much more difficult for people to feed their families.
• Even those with considerable property were having to mortgage their land to afford grain to eat.
• Others were going into debt by borrowing money to pay taxes to the Persian king.
• Some were so desperate that they were selling their children into slavery to survive the famine.
• Fields, vineyards, olive groves, houses and people were being scooped up by those with money to charge exorbitant interest, who would then foreclose and add to their holdings.

“Let it not be permitted to lend upon usury to any Hebrew either meat or drink; for it is not just to draw a revenue from the misfortunes of a fellow countryman. Rather, in consoling him in his distress, you should reckon as gain the gratitude of such persons and the recompense that God had in store for an act of generosity.” ? Josephus, Antiquities

A few questions are worth considering …

1) Why is it wrong to take advantage of people in such ways? What scriptural principles does such behavior violate?

2) What message does such conduct by Christians send to unbelievers?

3) Can you think of some contemporary examples of economic exploitation in our society?

4) How is Nehemiah’s personal conduct here an example for those who follow the Lord today? (Neh. 5: 14-19)

From this discussion, what are those things you feel compelled to pray about?

Pray about these matters one by one and bring them before your Heavenly Father