Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“Moreover, from the appointed day I was made their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes—twelve years. My brothers and I did not eat the food allowance of the governor. The former governors who were before me laid burdens on the people, and they took food and wine from them, besides forty shekels. Also, their servants controlled the people, but I did not do so because of the fear of God. I also devoted myself to the work of this wall, and we did not buy land. All of my servants were gathered for the work. One hundred and fifty men, prefects and Jews, and those who came to us from the nations around us, were at my table.” (Nehemiah 5:14-17)

Chapter five shows the Israelites experiencing a drought – not a judgment of God because they had His favour on returning. There was a shortage of food and people were spending everything they had for it, having already borrowed money to pay tribute to the king AND to upkeep their lands and vineyards. Things were a struggle. Some of them had even sold their children into indentured service to make ends meet or sold their lands/fields for lack of money to eat. Nehemiah was angry at the merchants, nobles, and rulers that had taken advantage of the people and he chastised them severely. He demanded the immediate return of property and land as well as the return of the one percent interest they were charging for loans (Deuteronomy 23:19). For the last twelve years, Nehemiah had been appointed governor of Judah. He hadn’t used the position for personal gain. In fact, he had used personal money to buy people food. He led by example. Those he chastised agreed and did what he said. Nehemiah called the priests and everyone took an oath before God to do right by the people.

Chapter six shows the enemies of Nehemiah trying to get him to come to a private meeting so that they can assassinate him. They were claiming that people would report to the king that the Jews were planning to rebel. It was nonsense and Nehemiah told them it was nonsense. He refused the meeting. Next, Sanballat used Shemaiah to try and convince Nehemiah that people were coming to kill him and that Nehemiah should lock himself up in the Temple for protection. This was also nonsense AND paint Nehemiah as a coward. He refused to listen or do it. He refused to take his trust off of God. It also shows that some of the nobles of Judah were against Nehemiah and allied with his enemies. They had ties to these enemies through marriages (the thing that Ezra was so against because God was so against it). Nehemiah’s enemies tried to stir him up in fear, but he refused to stop trusting God.

By chapter seven the work is complete. Nehemiah appointed godly men over Jerusalem and instituted security in the times and ways that the gates would be opened and kept shut. There were to be guards on the gates, on peoples homes, and they would all keep watch. The gates of the city would not be opened until well after the sun rose. The walls were done, but there weren’t a lot of people living in the city and the completed homes in the city were few. Nehemiah took a register of who was in Judah – led by the Lord to take a record. This list is very similar to the one we find in Ezra 2.

Summary

Key Players: God, Nehemiah, the Jewish nobles and merchants, Sanballat, Shemaiah.

Key Verse(s): Nehemiah 5:6-12; 6:1-4; 7:1-5