We were noticing last week the sad conduct of some of the remnant that had returned from Babylon. We read that “there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.” “The people and their wives” were evidently the poor, while “their brethren the Jews” were the rich. Forgetting that they were all on the same ground before God as descendants of Abraham, and neglecting their responsibility toward each other, the rich had taken advantage of their poorer brethren in order to enrich themselves the more. The prophet Malachi had to rebuke them a few years later for this same evil, saying, “Have we not all one Father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers,” Mal. 2:1010Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? (Malachi 2:10). This same evil was prevalent in the days when our Lord was on earth, and James condemns it in his epistle, chapter 1:9, 10; also chapters 2 and 5. The Spirit of God would ever seek to keep us from slipping into the ways of men and of this world, and remind us that, rich and poor, we are all on the same ground of redemption before Him, and as members of the body of Christ we should have the same care one for another (1 Cor. 12:2525That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. (1 Corinthians 12:25)). “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” 2 Cor. 8:99For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9).
When Nehemiah heard of what was going on, he was very angry and rebuked the nobles and the rulers for exacting usury of their brethren. It was righteous indignation. He called together a great assembly of the people, where these things were told before all. He convicted the nobles and rulers of their sin, telling them how that some, at great cost to themselves, had redeemed some of their brethren from the heathen; “and will ye,” he asked, “even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us?” Unable to find an answer to justify what had been going on, they held their peace.
Then Nehemiah told them that they should have walked in the fear of their God, because of the reproach of the heathen, their enemies. And this reminds us that whenever one who knows the Lord stoops to the practices of the world, it brings reproach upon His name and His truth. It causes the way of the Lord to be evil spoken of.
Nehemiah commanded the offenders to restore to their brethren their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, their houses and the produce of their lands also. They promised to restore all. Then Nehemiah called the priests and made them promise by an oath that they would do as they had promised. After this he shook out his lap, saying, “So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labor, that peormeth not this promise.” And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord.
It is instructive for us to see how the faithful heart of Nehemiah entered into the sorrows of his poor brethren. And this same spirit worked in the heart of the faithful apostle in a later day. He could say, “Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?” 2 Cor. 11:2929Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? (2 Corinthians 11:29). It was the Spirit of Christ; and how lovely it is to see reflected in His own, even now, something of the heart of God Himself!
ML 08/09/1959