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Nehemiah 5
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. This chapter could be a commentary on America today – at least to verse 12. There is much taking but not much giving! Faith is physical evidence that God is working in your life (Heb. 11:1, 6). It is also true that faith will keep you out of the wrong kind of debt, and in the right kind of debt!
- DEBT CAUSES RESENTMENT (V. 1-5) Notice it wasn’t the Babylonians oppressing the Jews, it was other Jews. The big picture here is that God was allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem to rebuild it after 70 years of captivity. The point is that they are no sooner back in Jerusalem than they are demonstrating they haven’t learned anything! Even in all those years of captivity, many didn’t deal with the real cause of the problem which was their sinful hearts. They were still greedy. The essence of the matter here is that debt and greed are physical evidence of a life that is DISsatisfied with what God has provided. Satan caused Adam and Eve to focus on what God had withheld causing them to lose sight of all God had given. Greed causes us to think God is holding out on us, and that we should have all of what everyone else has! We then begin to look for ways to get what we think we ought to have. The most common way is to seal it. We steal reputations through gossip and slander; we steal ministry through opposition and criticism; growth through condemnation and ridicule; and so on. The further we go, the greater our resentment. It is good to remember that sin always ends in destruction.
- DEBT CAUSES RAGE (V. 6-8). Nehemiah wasn’t just angry, he was enraged! Rage means “provoked to much anger.” Why was he angry? He saw God’s people enslaving God’s people. Remember, Go had freed His people from captivity to sanctify them again! Nehemiah’s anger was kindled because he saw the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Sound familiar? These verses sound like today’s headlines don’t they? The question is are we as Christians angry, “enraged” enough over all this to actually do something about it, rather than just be content with “that’s the way it is, and it’s out of my hands.” Why would we do that?
- DEBT CAUSES RESTITUTION! (V. 19-23) There is a universal truth that says, “all debt must be repaid in full, unless the creditor forgives the unpaid balance.” When debt is unpaid the balance continues to grow because of interest. If the debt is ignored long enough, it will eventually cause one to lose all they have! The motivating factor that set the restitution into motion was “the fear of God! (v. 9). When a person loses the fear of God, they begin to accumulate debt they can’t repay because of the sin involved in ignoring Him. That is exactly what is happening in America today. We are selling ourselves and our children into spiritual debt that will cost them everything unless we repent. Finally,
- DEBT CAUSES RESTRAINT (10, 14-18). Until we learn that we can’t live on what we don’t have and stop borrowing, we are doomed! The question is are you as a Christian willing to STOP living without restraint and seek the Kingdom of God first letting Him provide all you could ever desire?
If we can help you with this or any other spiritual matter call us at (574) 643-9419.
