From Broken to Restored: The Book of NehemiahSample

Read: Nehemiah 5:1–5; Deuteronomy 23:19–20; Proverbs 3:27; 19:17

SOAP: Proverbs 19:17

The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the Lᴏʀᴅ, and the Lᴏʀᴅ will repay him for his good deeds.

Into the Text

In today’s reading, we are alerted to the fact that some of the Jews were not treating other Jews the way God intended. God set the Israelites apart as His chosen people, and they were meant to live and act differently than other nations. This meant living by a different set of moral standards, including the way they interacted with one another.

One of the instructions God had given His people was that they were not to charge interest to one another. If someone was in need, the Jews were to help fellow Jews, not expect interest upon repayment, and to be gracious to the one who owed the debt. The Jews were permitted to charge interest to foreigners, but their behavior toward one another was meant to be a picture of the grace of God and the way He had set His people apart from other nations.

However, at the time the wall was being rebuilt, the wealthier Jews were not treating their fellow Jews the way God intended. Many of the people who were working on the wall had left their fields and families to complete the work. This meant they were not able to grow food or make money to buy food. The wealthier Jews loaned them money but were charging interest and holding their children as slaves until the debts were repaid. The wealthy Jews were more concerned with making money than advancing the work of God or caring for their brothers and sisters.

As God’s people, we are to live differently than the world. We are to give generously to those in need, especially those within the family of God. Rather than expecting something in return or holding a debt over someone’s head, God wants us to be generous and gracious with what He has given us. We are to be more concerned with the advancement of the gospel and the well-being of God’s people than our comfort or security. When we are, we can be confident that He will continue to bless us and provide everything we need.