From Babylon to Jerusalem - (Nehemiah) ch.5 & 6 — Zac Poonen

From Babylon to Jerusalem: Building the Walls in Wholehearted Devotion

Let's turn to Nehemiah chapter 5. In our last study, we finished at chapter 4 and we saw how Nehemiah and his co-workers were both soldiers and servants in building the wall. There was the spirit of a soldier and the spirit of a servant.

And they were wholehearted, so wholehearted in building the wall that it says in verse 23, none of us even removed our clothes. They weren't occupied with earthly comforts and conveniences while doing the work of God.

And we have seen that there are examples here for us to follow in these days as we seek to build the walls of Jerusalem, bringing separation from Babylon and security for the church. Now we come to chapter 5.

The Enemy's Attack Through Internal Conflict

In chapter 4, we were considering how the enemy sought to attack. First of all by reproach, then by persecution, and then by seeking to discourage them, bringing fear into their hearts. And now we see another way by which the devil seeks to work, to hinder the work of God.

Chapter 5. And that is by working in the midst of the Jews who lived in Jerusalem. And that's something we discovered as we do the work of the Lord. We can build the walls of Jerusalem and seek to keep out the spirit of Babylon, but it's a continuous battle because difficulties can come between the brothers and sisters inside the walls, and that is more serious.

That's what we read of in Nehemiah chapter 5. There was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. These were brothers having a difficulty among themselves. This is not Sanballat and Tobiah and all the enemies out there coming and attacking God's people.

These were problems coming between the believers, between the saints. And it's very interesting to see the type of problem that came here. There were those who said, we are sons and our daughters are many, therefore let us get grain that we may eat and live.

You see, this is a problem that was there then, and it is a problem that is there now. That in Jerusalem, in those days, there were some brothers who were very wealthy, and there were some brothers who were very poor.

And it's exactly the same today. There are those who are very well off financially, and there are those who are very poor financially. And it's a wonderful thing when in a church, the rich and the poor, and those in the middle, can learn to get along with each other, love one another, respect one another as brothers, and build the body of Christ together.

But here is where the problems can come. The rich can be selfish and hold on to what they have, and the poor can be jealous and always have a receiving attitude, wanting to receive. And both ways, God's work is hindered.

And the others said, we are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses, that we might get grain because of the famine. And also there were those who said, we have borrowed money for the king's tax on our fields and on our vineyards, and now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children, yet, behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already.

We are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others. What was happening was, these Jews who came back from Babylon, they were not well off, they had given up everything, and they had come here, and after some time their money ran out, it wasn't easy to find employment and to earn an income.

There were others there who had been there for a longer time perhaps, who had become rich, and when the poor Jews were in difficulty, they would go to these rich Jews and borrow money. And they would borrow money by mortgaging some of their houses or their lands, and finally they had lost all their lands and houses and vineyards in mortgage, and finally it had come to the place where they were selling their sons and their daughters.

It says, some of their daughters, verse 5, had already been sold as slaves in order to meet their financial needs. You can imagine the sad condition of those who were inside the wall where the walls were being built.

And this was a result of the hard-heartedness on the part of certain believers who were there within the walls, who did not have compassion on the need of others. You can be a Pharisee, even though you say you have left the Babylonian system, a Pharisee with a hard heart, when you see another brother in need.

James says, when you see a brother in need, and you close up your heart towards him, saying, Praise the Lord, brother, God bless you, may He provide your need, and you have it within your means to help him, and you don't help him, he says, your faith is just dead.

It's a lot of rubbish, what you call faith. It's not faith at all. So the same situation over here, and then it produced strife between the two. We read in Galatians 5, verse 15, the devil's aim in producing strife between believers is here.

Galatians 5, verse 15, it says, if you bite and devour one another, take heed, take care, lest you be consumed by one another. The devil's aim to get believers to fight is that gradually they will destroy one another spiritually.

This is what happens to a husband and wife when they fight with each other. They both destroy each other spiritually. I mean, the devil can do some other work. He doesn't have to worry about these two, because they're fighting with each other so much that they're doing his work for him, by fighting with each other and destroying each other spiritually.

If you bite and devour each other, just be careful that one day you are just consumed, there'll be nothing left of you spiritually. That wisdom is to recognize that, and to see that the devil will seek to come in that way, and therefore to be alert.

When Jesus said, watch and pray, that means be alert to the ways in which the enemy is seeking to come. And here we see that Nehemiah was alert, and we'll come to that in a moment. I want to say a word here about the Old Testament law concerning lending.

It says here that they had to borrow money from their rich believers. And there was a law in the Old Testament that taught that when you lend to your fellow Jews, you must not take any interest from them.

It said you can take interest from the Gentiles, but you must not take any interest from your fellow brethren, the Jews. That was a law that God gave through Moses. Of course, these people are violating even that law.

Later on we see that they were not only lending money, but they were lending it at interest. Violating that law. Now, how is the New Covenant superior to the Old Covenant? Are we permitted to lend money to our fellow believers in need today?

That is, if God leads us to do so. We have to be careful that we do not lend just because we have a human compassion. But if God leads us to do so, is it right to lend? We read in Luke 6 .35, it is right to lend.

But the question here is, how shall we lend? This is where I want you to notice a difference between money lending in the Old Covenant and money lending in the New Covenant. In the Old Covenant, it was like this.

Lend money to your brother when he is in need, but do not take interest from him. And if at the end of seven years, once in seven years, the sabbatical year would come and he is not able to repay it, and he has got nothing with which to repay it, release him.

But here, in the New Covenant, everything in the New Covenant is higher. Here we read in Luke 6 .35, in the middle of that verse, Lend expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great. You know what the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant is?

In the Old Covenant, you give and do not receive. Do not expect any interest, do not receive any interest. In the New Covenant, it says, lend and do not even expect the capital back. Leave alone the interest.

Forget about the interest altogether. But not even the capital. And when a brother does not obey Luke 6 .35, he lends and he expects it back, because the other brother said he would return it. Now, after some years ago, I've come across cases like this.

He doesn't get it back, he gets into unrest. And if he would only judge himself, he could see that the fault is maybe with the other brother, but it's also with him that he did not obey Luke 6 .35. He lent expecting something in return.

We are told to lend expecting nothing in return. If that is difficult for us, then it's better not to lend. And so many relationships are spoiled because people don't obey the Scriptures. They don't obey what Jesus said.

Now, that's just by the way. But I want to point you back here to Nehemiah 5 verses 1 to 5. We see here that those who were rich and those who had means were taking advantage of the poor believers. And that can happen even today.

It may not be in terms of buying their daughters as slaves. We are not so crude as that because even the law of the land will catch us for that. But the question is, it may not be riches and money. There may be some way in which another person may be dependent on me for something.

And that is the time when my Christianity is tested. And it is so easy to take advantage of another person. A godly person will never take advantage of another brother. Particularly when that brother is dependent on him for some help.

That's the lesson we learn in the first five verses of Nehemiah 5. These rich people did not have light on that. You are taking advantage of your weaker brother there. And there we can profitably examine ourselves to see whether we take advantage.

For example, we can be older in age and take advantage of a brother merely because he is younger to us. And virtually treat him like a servant and not like a brother. Because he is indebted to me in some way.

And there I take advantage. I don't realize that what have I got that I did not receive. And if I have helped him in some way, it is what God has given me. He is not indebted to me, he is indebted to God.

That's all. And there we have to be very careful brothers and sisters. That we never, never take advantage of anyone. Listen to the Apostle Paul's testimony in 2 Corinthians 7 verse 2. He says, Make room for us in your hearts.

We wronged no one, we corrupted no one, and we took advantage of no one. Wonderful if we can have that testimony. We wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. We kept ourselves as servants, not seeking that other people might serve us.

Not making other people dependent on us as though we were great benefactors towards them. Not taking advantage of a brother or a sister in any way. And there are many places in which we need to hear the voice of the Spirit and judge ourselves in this matter.

Righteous Anger and Wise Correction

And then, I want you to see here further, in verse 6 of Nehemiah chapter 5. Then Nehemiah says, I was very angry. Be angry and do not sin. Here's an example of that. Jesus was angry, we read in Mark 3 verse 5.

You know why he was angry? Because the Pharisees did not want him to deliver a man who was paralyzed. He was angry with those Pharisees who took advantage of that poor man who was paralyzed. And if we have the Spirit of Christ, we will be angry with a lot of religious leaders today who are keeping poor paralyzed believers in bondage and won't allow them to listen to the truth.

Sure, if we are not angry against such religious leaders, I say we don't have the Spirit of Christ. Jesus was angry. And Nehemiah was angry. He wasn't angry because they robbed him, he didn't have any problem.

He was alright financially. It was when he saw how one brother took advantage of another, he was very angry. And we must be angry too when that happens in the house of God. And when I heard their outcry in these words, he was grieved in his heart that a brother could take advantage of a brother like this.

And here we are building the walls of Jerusalem. Here's a brother taking advantage of a brother like this. It can be a husband taking advantage of his wife. Because his wife is weak. And husband is strong.

Just keeps on taking advantage of her. If a true man of God hears that, he should be angry against such a husband who behaves like that. Sure, that's the Spirit of Christ. Anger against one who takes advantage of someone who is weaker.

There's a lot of it, I'll tell you, among believers. A lot of it among believers. Taking advantage of the weaker person. And that should stir the anger in our hearts. When we see that happening or hear about it happening.

And but, here is a very good example for us to follow. He didn't just rush. You see a man who is hasty in his matters. Proverbs 29 tells us he's the worst fool in the whole world. There are many fools mentioned in the book of Proverbs.

The worst of the lot, the top of the list, the biggest fool in the world is the man who acts hastily in anything. Nehemiah didn't. You know what he did? I was angry and when you're angry, here's the thing that you should do.

Verse 7. I consulted with myself. That means I meditated a little bit. He didn't rush into action. His anger was right. But he was thinking now, how shall I take action here? How shall I proceed here?

And he sought for wisdom. From God, no doubt. And then, he took action. Like we were saying the other day, we have to rebuke somebody or correct someone in a particular situation and we have to say to ourselves, I have a flesh in which there dwells nothing good.

I have to take this action. I have to rebuke. I have to correct. But let me remember that I have a flesh in which there dwells nothing good. And let me now proceed to do righteousness. And he consulted with himself.

And then he rebuked these rich people. That's the mark of a man of God. That he doesn't care for the rich people. He doesn't care whether they are nobles and rulers. He doesn't want their money. He doesn't want their influence.

He doesn't want any certificates from them. For a job for him or for his sons or any recommendation letters or anything. Nehemiah was free. And anyone who wants to serve God must be free. Particularly free of the rich people.

Because it is the rich who seek to bring God's servants into bondage. And over 90 of so-called full-time workers in this country are slaves to the rich people. And to the big people. All over this country in all denominations.

Whichever denomination you go to. Nehemiah was not like that. And there was no apostle or prophet in the word of God like that. Jesus was not like that. Nehemiah rebuked them. Think of a man of God who rebukes the rich people.

Who rebukes the influential people. Yes, he was free. Nehemiah. And he said to them, you are exacting usury from his brother. He was not a diplomat putting it all with sugar coating and all. He told them straight the truth.

He says, you fellows are disobeying the word of God. I am sure he said a lot of other things there. You are disobeying what God has said through Moses. That you must not take interest from your brother.

And there you are doing it. And then he called an assembly against them. Think of that. He didn't just leave it there. Privately rebuked them. He called all the people and exposed them publicly. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 5.

Those who sin, rebuke publicly. So that others also may fear. That's Christ likeness. If you are filled with the spirit. You will do it. Those who sin, rebuke publicly. So that others also may fear. That's exactly what Nehemiah did.

He called them out in public. And then he rebuked them again. Verse 8. I said to them. We according to our ability have redeemed our Jewish brothers who were sold to the nations. And now you are going to sell your brothers that they may be sold to us.

And he spoke very straight. He says, we have given. Nehemiah sacrificed so much. In order to help these Jews. And he says, you fellows are sitting here. Trying to take advantage and thinking of your own profit and your own gain.

He says, you can't have that spirit in Jerusalem. Nehemiah was a strict man. He was strict with the enemies outside the gate. And he was strict with these carnal people. Who were sitting inside the church.

We need to do that. If we want to build the body of Christ. Just building the walls alone is not enough. If we don't have discipline inside the church. A lot of passages like that in the New Testament.

Discipline and the Fear of God Within the Church

Discipline inside the church. You remember in Acts chapter 6. How the murmuring came. About the widows not receiving enough. That's how the devil tried to infiltrate. In the Acts of the Apostles. Here was a powerful movement of revival that you read in Acts 5.

People were afraid. They were seeing the power of God in the church. And the devil got in the midst of the church. And began to create murmuring. The Greeks versus the Jews. This community versus that community.

This is not a 20th century thing. It started in Acts chapter 6. This community versus that community. Which God was trying to destroy. Through the cross. There the apostles had wisdom. And they sorted it out.

That problem before it became too serious. And we have to always be on the alert. That such things never crop up. And they can crop up inside the walls. Because the flesh is still there. And that's why we see that.

God had to use Nehemiah like this. With great strictness. Otherwise corruption would have got inside Jerusalem. And then after he had silenced them. We read in verse 9. Then again I said. The thing which you are doing is not good.

Shouldn't you walk in the fear of God. Because of the reproach of the nations. Our enemies. He challenged them. Can you say that you are walking in the fear of God. When you disobey what God has told you to do.

No you are not. You are not living in the fear of God. That's the thing that he challenged them to. Do you fear God? Nehemiah feared God. And he challenged the other people to live and walk. In the fear of God.

And that is the challenge that must come to us. Inside the walls of Jerusalem. All the time. All the time. When you take advantage of your wife brother. Are you walking in the fear of God? When you take advantage of a weaker brother.

Are you walking in the fear of God? No you are not. There you disregard the fear of God altogether. When you take advantage of someone who is working under you. Are you walking in the fear of God? No.

Then it's no use talking about the walls of Jerusalem. The judgment has to begin. In the house of God first. And Nehemiah was ready to do that. And he says. Likewise I my brothers verse 10 and my servants.

Are lending them money and grain. Now he says. Leave off this usury. Verse 11. Please give them back. This very day. Don't wait till tomorrow. Their fields. Their vineyards. Their olive groves. Their houses.

And also the interest. The hundredth part of the money means the 1 per month. That you were collecting. And the grain. And the new wine. And the oil. That you were exacting from them. Exacting has got the meaning of sort of squeezing it out of them.

You jolly well have to pay that. And. When they saw this man of God. Standing there. With the Holy Spirit supporting him. They really got scared. Verse 12. They said. We'll give it back. I'll require nothing from them.

We'll do exactly as you say. They didn't return it like Zacchaeus. Joyfully. They returned it out of fear. And I called the priests. And took an oath from them. That they would do according to this promise.

I also shook out the front of my garment. That was a symbolic way. By which he was invoking a curse upon them. If they didn't keep that word. And said thus may God shake out. Every man from his house.

And from his possessions. Who does not fulfill this promise. You see. Nehemiah knew. It's alright. Here this great assembly is gathered. These rich people have been put on the spot. And now they have to say.

Yes. Yes. We will return it. But you know. They go home. And their wives will tell them something. And say. No. No. No. That's not a good thing. You sit there publicly. And make them change their mind.

You know how it is. When the men go home. The women come up to them. And say. Why did you go and make that promise to that person. And all that. And Nehemiah knew all that. So he said. Now I'm going to make you fellows.

Swear an oath here. So that nobody is going to make you change your mind. He said. And may God throw you fellows out of your homes. If you don't keep your promise. He really put the fear of God into them.

Wonderful man of God. He was. And he says. Thus may he be shaken out and emptied. And the whole assembly said. Amen. And they praised the Lord. Yes. Because. There one God fearing man. Put a fear into all these rich people.

Brothers and sisters. It is impossible to build the church of Jesus Christ. Unless you have men like Nehemiah. It is impossible. The rich people will come and corrupt the whole thing. The strong soulish people will come and corrupt the house of God.

Unless we preserve the purity of the church. By teaching people to live in the fear of God. Walking in humility. And not with this selfish grabbing. Seeking my own spirit. That's got to be driven out of the church.

This grabbing calculating attitude towards our brothers and sisters. There is one percent more that he owes me. That's what he says there. One hundredth part of the money. One percent more. This calculating attitude towards one another.

God wants to free us from that. Otherwise the walls of Jerusalem are no use. We got to judge ourselves in the church inside. And to say amen to that. And to praise the Lord for that. That's a good thing.

Then the people did according to this promise. Praise God. That they were willing to obey. And so we see. That the severity of God. God is severe. And he is kind. And I see that beautifully pictured in Ezra and Nehemiah together.

Nehemiah manifesting God's severity. And Ezra manifesting God's kindness. And together they could work. And show God to the people. And now. Verses 14 to 19. Nehemiah gives us. A little description of the example of his own life.

Nehemiah's Financial Integrity and Sacrificial Leadership

In this financial area. You see that. It was because his own life was like this. Described in verse 14 to 19. That he had such authority. When he stood up. To rebuke all these people. Notice how Nehemiah lived.

Moreover from the day that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah. That was the king had appointed him. From the 20th year to the 32nd year. I told you he left. The king's service for 12 years.

He lost all the opportunity for increment and promotion and everything else. Over there because he wanted to do God's work. Think of that. Forgetting about increment, promotion and all your seniority for 12 years.

Because you want to be wholehearted for God. I tell you it's rare to find such people now. People who weep over they didn't get an increment one year. They didn't get their promotion in time. They are a million miles away from Nehemiah.

Here was a man who was willing to go 12 years. Away from his secular job. In order to do the work of God. He says neither I nor my relatives. Have eaten the governor's food allowance. You see the governor's food allowance was something like the full-time worker's food allowance.

You know from the people have to give their tithes. The people are to pay their taxes. And support the full-time worker or the governor. And he says in verse 15. The former governors who were before me.

They did that. They laid burdens on the people. Maybe they got up and preached. On tithing and how it's important to support those who are ruling over you. And all that. And took from them bread and wine.

No wonder these rich people flourished. Because the governors visited their homes. And collected money from them. And they wanted it says 40 shekels of silver. The living bible says 100 dollars a day.

1000 rupees a day. You can imagine how much that was worth those days. And even their servants domineered the people. Imagine that. You get a full-time worker who dominates the people. And you'll find his wife is also a boss.

I've seen that. Full-time worker is a boss. You've got to be scared of the wife too. And the wife will chase around all the little fellows in the assembly. To go to the market and get this and go this and that.

And the servants also. Amazing. How all these things are being repeated in Christendom today. And Nehemiah said. This is what the former governors did. They took advantage. Their servants also domineered the people.

But I did not do so. Why? Because I feared God. That's all. No other explanation. I feared God. That's why he could challenge these other people. In verse 9 he says. Are you fellows walking in the fear of God or not?

We can't challenge another person. If we are not walking in that same fear of God ourselves. And also he says verse 16. I also applied myself to the work on this wall. It wasn't just lazily sitting like the other governors.

Enjoying themselves. He worked on the wall himself. And he did not speculate in any land. You know what that means? Nehemiah could have thought. Ah, this is a good time to buy land in Jerusalem. Because prices are going to appreciate.

And once this city is going to be built. It's going to be really something for me. He says he didn't do it. This speculation. In lands. And in shares. Speculation. Things will go up. Get some profits.

His mind would have been on that then. He says he didn't do it. He steered clearly. And all my servants were gathered there for the work. Because the servants are like how the other servants were.

In verse 15. Because the governors were domineering.

The servants were domineering. Verse 16. Because Nehemiah himself worked on the wall. His servants also worked on the wall. He was not domineering. They were not domineering. And that's always the way.

That the people become like the leaders. And that is why it's very important that there be examples in the church. Who can say follow me. As I follow Christ. And Nehemiah was one like that. Just like the Apostle Paul could tell the elders in Ephesus.

In Acts chapter 20. In Acts chapter 20. Before he left Ephesus he told them. He said I've been with you for three years. Acts chapter 20. Verse 31. He says there that I've been with you for a period of three years.

And during these three years. Verse 33. He said I coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. You know what that means? Paul was a full time worker. He says I didn't sit there. Wishing oh I wish perhaps that rich brother may come and give me a shirt.

For my birthday. That is coveting. He may give me a pants material or something. Or maybe if I visit his house he may give me an envelope with some money in it. That is coveting. It is not asking. That is much worse.

That is begging. This is just sitting in the home and thinking. Ah who shall I visit today. That is where the covetousness begins. And to sit there and think who will come with some gift to one's house.

Paul says I was not like that for three years. I had no interest in all that. You know that these hands ministered to my own needs. Verse 34. And to the men who were with me. And I taught you by the example of my life.

The reality of the words of Jesus. That it is more blessed to give than to receive. That is why Paul had authority. That is why Nehemiah had authority. That is not a question of sitting there and receiving and receiving and receiving.

But what about a full time worker? Has he got to give? Sure. Jesus gave. Paul gave. Which full time worker are we following? The only one who kept receiving was Judas Iscariot. We got a choice. We can either follow Jesus and Paul or Judas Iscariot.

Nehemiah had that spirit of Paul. Now let's turn back to Nehemiah chapter 6. Chapter 5. He didn't take the allowance which was entitled to him. He didn't take advantage of the people. And it says he worked on the wall.

He did not speculate in land. Wonderful examples for us to follow. And now verse 17 and 19. See his hospitality. 17 and 18. He says at my table, just like we read in Acts 20, these hands ministered to my necessities and the necessities of those who were with me.

He says at my table, 150 Jews and officials came for their meals every day. Well, God had blessed him with wealth, no doubt. Otherwise he couldn't have fed 150 people in those hard times. But he was a man who knew how to use his wealth, not just for himself.

That is the thing. And there are very few people like that, who know how to use the wealth God gives them for the glory of God, for the good of his people, for the building of the church. And look at his hospitality.

And there were these 150 Jews who came to us from the nations that were around us. People were coming there for meals. And his hospitality was not a stingy thing. Just give some rice and dal today. No.

It was, verse 18, one ox per day. Think of that. I don't know how much an ox weighs, but that's plenty for 150 people, I'll tell you that. One solid ox and six choice sheep and many chicken and all sorts of wine in abundance.

Think of that. I just want you to see his generosity. The Bible says in 1 Peter chapter 4, a word about hospitality. He says, be hospitable to one another without grudging it. Why does it say without grudging?

Because it's possible to be hospitable and then to grudge, and then to be stingy in our hospitality. Nehemiah wasn't like that. There are qualifications of a servant of God here in Nehemiah chapter 5.

Wonderful example. And yet for all this, feeding all these 150 people, I did not demand the governor's food because the servitude was heavy on this people. And what is his prayer at the end of all this?

He says, O God, just remember me according to all that I've done. Just like that thief on the cross. Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. He doesn't ask for any great reward or any such thing.

He says, Lord, just think of me and have mercy upon me in the day of judgment because I have been merciful to the people whom you called me to serve. And mercy will triumph over judgment in that day for those who have shown mercy to other people like Nehemiah and who have sought to deny themselves, not seek their own, and seek the good of others.

Completing God's Work Without Compromise

Now we come to chapter 6. And we read here, It came about when it was reported to Sanbalat Tobiah and to the rest of the enemies that I had rebuilt the wall. We don't read much of these enemies in chapter 5.

And perhaps you know why. Because they were just sitting back and enjoying the fighting going on in the midst of the believers, you see. And they didn't need to do anything. When the believers were fighting among themselves, they could just sit back and enjoy it.

But now, that problem had got sort of sorted out. And so the enemies got active again. Sanbalat Tobiah and Gishan, to the rest of our enemies, they heard that the wall was rebuilt and that no breach remained in it.

And that's a wonderful verse. That means it was a finished job. Nehemiah was not like one of these Tirupati Babas who shave half the head and keep the velvet waiting there. No. Because none of these half-finished jobs that he went about doing.

He does a complete job. And it's very few people today who are interested in doing a complete job. And Jesus said, go and make disciples. People make converts, shave off their heads and keep them there.

Who's going to make them into disciples? Nehemiah did a complete job. God gave him one job. Go and make the wall. And here's the testimony. No breach remained in it. It is finished. That spirit of Jesus Christ, the spirit of the finished work.