Nehemiah 5:14: “Moreover, from the time that I [Nehemiah] was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.”
November 7th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotionalNehemiah was governor of Jerusalem for 12 years before he returned to his post as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes in Persia. It only took 3 months for him to complete the rebuilding of the wall, but he stayed 12 more years to make sure that the spiritual rebuilding of the people was going on as well.
Nehemiah was a man of character, who understood clearly the principles of God’s kingdom. Chapter 5 tells how Nehemiah stopped the people from collecting interest from their fellow Israelites who were struggling to survive, a practice forbidden in Deuteronomy 23:19–20. Nehemiah also tells that he was careful not to personally profit off the people while governor. He didn’t even collect the governor’s allowance for food, as the governors before him had, because he knew it would be too much of a burden on the people.
Nehemiah never heard Jesus’ words in his lifetime, but he certainly practiced them: “And [Jesus] sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all’” (Mark 9:35). We notice that Jesus didn’t say there was anything wrong with the disciples’ desire to be great in His kingdom, but merely that the true method of acquiring that greatness was the exact opposite of the world’s way and the way they had been arguing and thinking about it. Nehemiah became great by being a servant to all. We should aspire to greatness, but not the kind of greatness the world promotes. We need to look to someone like Nehemiah as our example. He had fame and great influence, all the potential trappings of power, but his ambition was to serve his brother and to be great in the eyes of his Lord.
“LORD, put us in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude of heart to be used by You this day.”
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Nehemiah 5 KJV
1 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. 2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them , that we may eat, and live. 3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. 4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. 5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. 6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. 7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. 8And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer . 9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? 10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. 11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. 12 Then said they, We will restore them , and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. 13Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise. 14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is , twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. 15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God. 16 Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work. 17 Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us. 18 Now that which was prepared for medaily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people. 19 Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.
