Money not well spent...

Nehemiah 5 deals with a pretty uncomfortable topic for most people… Money…

The passage starts out proclaiming that there was “a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen.” The following verses explain what taking place – what it boiled down to was those who had the money had the power and they took every advantage they could get away with over their countrymen…

In 5:6-13 Nehemiah’s response ensues, his righteous indignation which was on display in chapter 4 is back in full force, and after serious consideration and investigation he levels accusations against those in power, the nobles and officials calling them to repentance which amazingly we see in 5:12 that they responded favorably and agreed that they were wrong and needed to make restitution.

Nehemiah’s response continues in 5:14-19 and we again see his character on full display as he refused to be a burden on the people as his predecessors had been.  In fact we see that neither he nor his associates, more than 150 Jews, officials, and guests from surrounding nations who sat at his table ate from the allotted food for the governors.

Why? What was Nehemiah’s reasoning behind living on less than what all the other governors had lived off of? It’s all in where his focus was… The previous leaders, the nobles, and officials were all focused on caring for themselves (we see this theme return in Chapter 13). Nehemiah’s focus was on the wall – 5:16 says that he was devoted to the construction of the wall…

Nehemiah’s eyes were focused where they were needed… on God. Hebrews 12:1-2 gives us good instruction as to the importance of this…

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.

What are you doing to keep the name of the Lord from falling to shame?