Further Thought: Ellen G. White, “A Rebuke Against Extortion”, pages 646–652, in Prophets and Kings.

“As Nehemiah heard of this cruel oppression, his soul was filled with indignation. ‘I was very angry’, he says, ‘when I heard their cry and these words’. He saw that if he succeeded in breaking up the oppressive custom of exaction he must take a decided stand for justice. With characteristic energy and determination he went to work to bring relief to his brethren” – Ellen G. White, Prophets and Kings, p. 648.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

“Jesus proceeded to lay down a principle that would make oath taking needless. He teaches that the exact truth should be the law of speech. ‘Let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one’. R.V” – Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 67.

“These words condemn all those meaningless phrases and expletives that border on profanity. They condemn the deceptive compliments, the evasion of truth, the flattering phrases, the exaggerations, the misrepresentations in trade, that are current in society and in the business world. They teach that no one who tries to appear what he is not, or whose words do not convey the real sentiment of his heart, can be called truthful” – Page 68.

Discussion Questions:

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Read Nehemiah 5:14-19. What reasons does Nehemiah give for not demanding “the governor’s provisions [fees]” (Neh. 5:18, NKJV) from the people?

Nehemiah most likely wrote the account in these verses after his return to the court of King Artaxerxes, after his 12 years of governorship in Judah. Although governors were entitled to receive revenue from their subjects,

Nehemiah’s Example

Nehemiah never claimed this right, but rather financed his own living. Not only did he pay for his own expenses, but he also provided for his family as well as the whole court. Zerubbabel, the first governor, is the only other governor whose name we know. When Nehemiah says “the former governors”, he is most likely referring to the governors in between Zerubbabel and himself. As a result, by the time he was done with his term in office, he very likely lost money. Rather than acquiring riches, as one would expect from a prestigious position, he probably forfeited wealth and possessions. Nehemiah was wealthy, which is why he could provide the daily food for many people, and he was generous in supplying plenty to others (Neh. 5:17-18).

Though it was not the same thing as what Abraham did after the rescue of those taken captive by some of the surrounding nations (see Genesis 14), what Nehemiah does here nevertheless reveals the same crucial principle.

Read Nehemiah 5:19. What is he saying there, and how do we understand this in terms of the gospel?

What we see with Nehemiah is an example of someone who put the Lord and the Lord’s work before his own personal gain and advantage. It’s a good lesson for us all, regardless of our particular situation. It’s easy to work for the Lord when it doesn’t cost us much.

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Read Nehemiah 5:12-13. Why does Nehemiah pronounce a curse against those who do not uphold their part of the agreement?

Even though the leaders agree to restore and give back what they have confiscated, Nehemiah is not satisfied with mere words. He needs solid proof; therefore, he makes them swear an oath before the priests. This action also gave the proceedings legal validity in case he had to reference the agreement later.

Curse

But why does he pronounce a curse? Nehemiah performs a symbolic act of gathering up his garments as if to hold something in them and then shaking them out as a sign of losing it. Thus, those who would go against this oath would lose everything. It was customary to utter curses in order to impress upon others the significance of a certain law or rule. The people were also less likely to go against the law when a curse was associated with the breaking of it. Nehemiah apparently felt that this was such an important issue that he needed to do something drastic in order to enhance the probability of its success.

What do the following texts in the Old Testament teach us about the sanctity of oaths for these people? (Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21-23; Eccl. 5:4-5; Lev. 19:12; Gen. 26:31).

In the end, speech is a powerful gift that God has given to humans; it exists as something radically different from what animals have. And there is power in our words, the power even of life and death. Hence we need to be very careful in what we say, in what we promise to do, and in what verbal commitments we make. It’s also important that our deeds match our words. How many people have been turned off to Christianity by those whose words sound Christian but whose actions are anything but?

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You can view an in-depth discussion of “Violating the Spirit of the Law” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. Click on the image to view:

You may download an MP4 video file, and audio file or a PDF lesson outline from the HopeSS site.

With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.

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Hymn 533, “O for a Faith” relates to the Sabbath afternoon introduction of the poverty and the woes of the people of Israel, requesting a strong faith. This theme continues into Sunday where debt is now the main culprit. We, today, are so thankful that
“At the Cross”, Hymn 163 all our sin-debt is rolled away. This is also stated in
Hymn 334, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”.

 On Monday, we learn that ‘God is all about giving/gaining freedom’:
Hymn 292, “Jesus, I Come” and Hymn 345, “Christ Is the World’s True Light”.

Nehemiah’s people look very much like in
Hymn 441, “I Saw One Weary, Sad and Torn”, all looking for deliverance.

On Thursday, Nehemiah supplies plenty to the people who need it most:
Hymn 104, “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need”.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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