This week the Bible Study covered Nehemiah 5. Outside opposition to the work of God that causes it to falter is one thing. Sin and strife inside the camp are quite another. Some of the nobles and rulers in Judea were using lingering famine to take advantage of their fellow Jews. When food became scarce, people needed loans. The wealthy among them made opportunistic loans and, when the lenders weren’t paid back immediately, began seizing people’s fields, vineyards, and homes and even taking their sons and daughters in payment and selling them into slavery!

Nehemiah was understandably furious as this was an egregious violation of the very heart of the Torah. (See Exodus 22:21-25.) Confronting the rulers/nobles with their sin, he extracted from them a confession and an oath to make immediate restoration of all things. Many lessons from this chapter: courageous and principled leadership the grace that leads to repentance and restoration, and the high calling of Messiah’s people to be open-handed and generous to the poor among us.