Nehemiah 5:1-19

The enemy of the work of God is a relentless foe who attacks first from one angle and then another, always seeking to bring the work of God into defeat.

This evening, we find Nehemiah facing another type of problem and perhaps one of the most difficult to deal with. It was internal dissension among his people; this had nothing to do with the enemy that had been so perplexing.

There was a food shortage in Jerusalem caused by the large influx of people into the area. The land had not been cultivated for a long period of time while the Jews were away. Now they were unable to provide all that was needed.

Unfortunately, as always, some people were ready to take advantage of the situation. The rich loaned money to the poor at outrageous rates of interest. This made a very unhealthy situation, which led to misunderstanding, friction, doubt, and suspicion. These people who had been so united in effort were now becoming divided against each other, with the result being that the whole project of building was in danger.

One of the things that does the most harm to God’s work is dissension. Discouragement, misunderstanding, and mistrust can cause the work to fail almost instantly.

We want this evening hour to discover how Nehemiah dealt with the situation, that we may have an example to follow in the same circumstances.

In Nehemiah 5:15, you will find these words, which are key to Nehemiah’s dealings: “But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.” Nehemiah did not fall into the snare of doing as his fellow man had done. As the Governor of the province, he could have demanded great sums of money from the other people. Other governors had, but he lived a life of example before his people.

The church often faces a greater attack from internal forces than from external foes. Often, this trouble comes from a general acceptance of a wrong standard of life.

Let me try to show you what I mean. In this statement of Nehemiah, “But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.” There are three principles that if the church follows, the church will make its life and service victorious.

1. An attitude to maintain

Nehemiah said, “So did not I.” Unless we can say this frequently to the vain practices of our day, our testimony will be a failure. This refusal to comply with the wishes of the crowd and lower our standards is the foundation of Christian integrity. It is easy to do as other people do, or to do as they want us to do. It is easy to think that because thousands of people are doing a given thing, it is alright. We often fear being negative or contrary to what is popular.

This fact can be applied to the great truths of the Bible. Today, many people are being talked out of believing the Bible to be the authoritative Word of God. How? By listening to other people. Some people will try to talk you into thinking that it is old-fashioned and that you cannot be considered intelligent if you believe in the verbal inspiration of the Word of God. What the majority says at a given time is often wrong. Remember, the crowds cried “Crucify Him!” to the Savior, but they were wrong.

In these days, the church of Jesus Christ needs to stand firm in its attitude of complete allegiance to Jesus Christ, regardless of what others say.

2. Motive to inspire

At a time when the people were filled with mistrust and misunderstanding, Nehemiah stood before his people with a life that was above reproach. How did he do this? He had a motive to inspire Him to this type of living. He said, “But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.”

I would take the words of Nehemiah out of the Old Testament setting and place them in a New Testament setting. As the only basis for Holiness in life and victory in service, the Christian has to say, “So did not I because of love of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The fact that Jesus should be the sacrifice for my sin that I might not be separated from that which would lead me to destruction, that He took me into His heart – that is the only motive that can make a man pure and holy. Only this great love of Jesus Christ can cause a man to say, “No” to the things of the world. I will not do this because of what it cost my Savior to free me from that sin.

Nehemiah, a man who had experienced God’s love within his own heart, was a man who had this kind of a motive to inspire his people to steer clear of the trouble that could consume them.

3. Power to overcome

Where do we find the power to overcome? In the same place that we find the motive, at the cross of Jesus Christ.

The secret to victory is found not only in saying “no” to sin, but also in saying “yes” to God’s will and purpose.

Christian living is not just the withdrawal from wrongdoing. It is also the doing of what is right. When we start living positively, by doing the right thing, we command respect and can take our place in Christian service. It is from that stand that God can make us a mighty weapon in His hand for blessing others.