Nehemiah 5

OUTLINE:
I. \\#1:1-7:13\\ Restoring the Wall
    A. \\#1:1-2:20\\ Catching A Burden
        1. \\#1:1-4\\ Hearing the News
        2. \\#1:5-11\\ Nehemiah’s Prayer
        3. \\#2:1-8\\ Nehemiah’s Opportunity
        4. \\#2:9-20\\ Nehemiah’s Mission Begun
    B. \\#3:1-7:7\\ Building the Wall
        1. \\#3:1-32\\ Record of the Builders
        2. \\#4:1-6:14\\ Opposition to the Construction
            a. \\#4:1-6\\ The First Attempt - Mockery
            b. \\#4:7-23\\ The Second Attempt - War
            c. \\#5:1-19\\ The Third Attempt - From within
        3. \\#6:15-19\\ Completion of the Construction
        4. \\#7:1-4\\ Organization of Jerusalem
        5. \\#7:5-73\\ Registration of Jerusalem

\\#5:1-19\\ The Third Attempt - From within (The greatest arena of
attack)

I. \\#5:1-13\\ Charging Interest and Enslaving The Brethren
    A. It was not the lending of money nor even the interest being
        charged, although the Old Testament strictly forbade this.

Ex 22:25  If thou lend money to any of my people
that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him
as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him
usury.

Le 25:36  Take thou no usury of him, or increase:
but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with
thee.
37  Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury,
nor lend him thy victuals for increase.

De 23:19  Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy
brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury
of any thing that is lent upon usury:
De 23:20  Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon
usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend
upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee
in all that thou settest thine hand to in the
land whither thou goest to possess it.

    B. The biggest sin was that Jews were collecting their debt by
        claiming the debtors as payment.

Neh 5:5  Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of
our brethren….

    C. \\#11\\ Nehemiah challenged the lenders to release the
        people, to forgive the debt, and to give 1/100 more of the
        debt to the people to help them get started again.
    D. \\#13\\ Nehemiah’s shaking out his lap was symbolic of what
        God would do to these men if they did not keep their word!

II. \\#5:14-19\\ Nehemiah’s Responsibility
    A. \\#14\\ Nehemiah was their leader for twelve years.
    B. \\#15\\ During that time, he did not take payment for his
        services from the people.
    C. \\#16\\ In addition, Nehemiah and his servants worked on the
        wall.  They did not exempt themselves.
    D. \\#17\\ In addition, Nehemiah feed 150 daily plus any who
        came from the people at meal time.
        1. Perhaps Nehemiah had gained wealth during his time of
            being a captive or perhaps the king provided for him.
        2. Perhaps it was a little of both.
    E. \\#18\\ Yet for all of this, Nehemiah took nothing from the
        people.
    F. \\#19\\ Rather, he trusted the Lord to provide.

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