1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.”

3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.”

4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards.

5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them

8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.

9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?

10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest.

11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.”

12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.

13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor.

15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

17 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us.

18 Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.

19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

Today, I want to talk to you about a vital part of God's work of renewal in our lives—his confrontation and discipline. Without the correcting work of our loving Father, we would surely get off track, so it his love and kindness to redirect us when we need it. His confrontation is an extension of his love. As Hebrews says:

Hebrews 12:5–6 (NIV) — 5 "...Do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

In Nehemiah 4, outside opposition hindered God's work. People from "out there" almost stopped the restoration of the wall and gates. But in Nehemiah 5, people on the inside endangered the entire project. Their sin paused the effort. And if they didn't respond well when Nehemiah confronted them, the undertaking would end for good.

Everything was in jeopardy because God was only interested in renewing Jerusalem so he could renew his people. He was not interested in sturdy walls and mended gates without a rebuilt people. What good was a wall around a city if it was filled with terrible people? So when the greed of some rippled through the congregation, God sent his man Nehemiah to confront them.

I am amazed at the way God disciplines. He is a good Father who knows what I need. And as much as I have endured resistance from those "out there," I have endured more resistance from the "in here" of my own heart. And as much as I've watched outside opposition hinder God's kingdom, I know it is often inside opposition that truly slows God's church. And for all this inner imperfection, I am glad for God's disciplinary hand.

My prayer is that I would receive, you would receive, and we would receive God's confrontation and discipline the way Nehemiah's generation did. I hope to show you that this corrective work should not be dreaded but cherished. To help accomplish this, we will think about (1) the way God confronted them, (2) how they responded to God's confrontation, and (3) the environment God's confrontation should produce.

The Issues

To begin, we should consider the problems of Nehemiah's day. There were four main issues:

First, there was a food (grain) shortage caused by a local famine (2-3). Without the advancements of modern times, they were at the weather's mercy. No rain, no food, and it had not rained for some time.
Second, many of them had mortgaged all they owned—fields, vineyards, and houses—so they could purchase the food that did exist (3).
Third, many of them had also borrowed money to pay the king's tax on their fields and vineyards (4).
And fourth, some resorted to enslaving their own children as indentured servants to make ends meet (5). Their kids were their final resource, and they planned ways for their children to work off their debt before securing their freedom.

This was all catastrophic—but the worst part is that other Israelites were taking advantage of the situation. The poor got poorer while the rich—in Israel!—got richer. With their wealth, they rode out the famine. With their wealth, they gobbled up property. With their wealth, they lent money at high interest. And with their wealth, they even took on Israelite children as servants!

God was not angered by their wealth but by the way they obtained it, along with their unwillingness to help others in the congregation.

1. The Way God Confronted Them

This would all end well, so let's first consider the way God confronted them—it was through Nehemiah, and Nehemiah was very angry when he heard the people's complaints and situation (6).

Nehemiah then took counsel with himself before he brought charges against the elite who had sinned against their brothers (7). After calling a great assembly and explaining the situation, Nehemiah told them, "The thing that you are doing is not good (9). He then showed them was it looked like to walk in the fear of the Lord—stop taking advantage of people and instead be generous to them!

This rebuilding effort was—after all—a state of emergency. It was not time to Duck McScrooge it—backstroking in their vaults of gold coins—but a time to think of others.

So what can we learn of how God confronts us from the way he confronted them?

From Loving Anger

God confronts us from a state of loving anger. Let me explain.

It is hard for us to imagine God's anger, but his love demands it. Ephesians 4:26 (and Psalms 37:8) tell us to be angry without sin, and God is the best model of sin-free anger. When he sees someone hurt another, he is angry because he loves those being hurt (and the one doing the hurting).

When God revealed himself to Moses, he said he was "slow to anger" (Exodus 34:6). This means God does not lash out. He is longsuffering. Any anger he has is a slow and steady position acquired over time.

Nehemiah, as God's representative, modeled that slow anger well. He was very angry, but he paused for a moment to talk to himself. When he says that he took counsel with himself, it means he was gaining his composure, regaining reign over his inner man. You know you've been there.

God always reigns over his insides. He is never out of control. He is never reactionary. And it is from this position of pure, righteous, love-fueled anger that God confronted them, just as it is God's way of confronting us.

God loves us. And since he knows sin damages our church community and us, he is faithful to—from his slow and settled position of anger—confront us.

When Jesus walked the earth, he twice cleared the temple precincts of the market they had set up to take advantage of people who'd traveled many miles to worship there (Mark 11:15-19). He overturned tables (Mark 11:15). He even made a whip of chords to aid him (John 2:15). And he said: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of robbers" (Mark 11:17).

It was loving anger. Jesus hated what they were doing to the temple because of what it was doing to the nations. No one would come to know God if God's people behaved that way, so Jesus confronted them.

A Relationship

If it is uncomfortable for you to think of God as willing to confront us, consider how that discomfort might be good. Those who have a god who never offends them, never demands anything of them, or never challenges them, have a fictitious god, one they've made up to suit their purposes.

Christians often say, "it is not a religion, but a relationship." What they mean is that the cross of Christ clears out the obstacle of our sin so that we can have a relationship with God. And the obstacle went two ways.

Our sin was an obstacle for God because, in his holiness, he cannot have a relationship with anything unholy. And our sin was an obstacle for us because it kept us bound and unable to pursue God. So when Jesus died for us on the cross, the great exchange of our sin for his righteousness occurred. Now we can have a relationship with God—not dead religion.

And what kind of relationship would it be if God was never allowed to confront us? The answer is that it would be no relationship at all. So when you experience God's correction—during a sermon, while Bible-reading, in your conscience, our when confronted with someone else's righteous life—don't resist and excuse it as shaming or legalism. It might be your Father's love.

2. How They Responded To God's Confrontation

But the second thing I want to consider today is how they responded to God's confrontation. Our response is of vital importance. The people's response to God's correction was beautiful. They did not try to excuse themselves but instead received God's rebuke, turned from their greed, adopted a policy of generosity, praised God, and did as they had promised (13). Then—by God's amazing grace—the work continued! Back on track, they returned to the project.

So how did the people respond to Nehemiah?

Realize You Are Part Of A Community

First, they responded by realizing they were part of a community. They did not argue with Nehemiah. He called a big assembly and rebuked them—they were silent and could not find a word to say (8).

I think Nehemiah's tactic of gathering all the people together helped convey his message. Their sin was hurting the congregation. Their greed made the work on the wall impossible for many others. Without food or money, with broken and stressed families, many Israelites couldn't dream of getting on the wall to rebuild. God's work of renewal would have to wait—they had to concentrate on finding their next meal!

And with the congregation gathered like that, the nobles and officials realized how their greed impacted everyone else. All through the passage, Nehemiah pointed out how they were doing these things to their brothers! This was a family affair, and their crimes had hurt the family.

To realize our lives impact everyone else is a significant part of receiving God's correction. As much as Christianity is not a religion but a relationship, it is not only a personal relationship with God. Our faith is communal in nature—my life affects you, and yours affects mine.

In the New Testament, we are told, multiple times, to love one another. And we do this in a variety of ways.

We are part of a community, and how we live impacts everyone else.

Return To The Fear Of God

Second, they responded by returning to the fear of God. Nehemiah said, "The thing you are doing is not good. Ought you not walk in the fear of God? (9).

The fear of God is hard to understand because of the way we use the word fear. We think of fear as paranoia or apprehension. So when we think about what it looks like to fear God, we might imagine an abused person who fears their tormentor. With nervous apprehension, they try to escape each day and situation unscathed.

Because of this, we often speak of the fear of God as something like reverence, awe, or respect. All these words are much closer to the biblical definition of the fear of God—it isn't paranoia or apprehension—but it is a stronger version of awe and respect than we've given to any earthly figure.

The Bible says:

Psalm 111:10 (ESV) — 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom...

What this means is that building your life off reverence, awe, and respect for God will lead to wise results. And a careless disregard of God will submerge you into folly.

But why did they need to return to the fear of the Lord? Well, without it, what would stop those in power from continuing their abuses? Who would stop them? Why do anything else?

If we were honest, if survival of the fittest is the way, then it would make sense to abuse and fight your way to safety and security. It would make sense to get yours to the detriment of others.

But with the fear of the Lord, believers realize they are living under God's watchful eye. They want to please him in all things.

Represent God Well

And third, they responded by wanting to wanting to represent God well. This was Nehemiah's whole goal—he said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought not you walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations of our enemies? (9).

He knew their mistreatment of the congregation would bring the ridicule of the nations. Why would the nations come to worship God if God's people treated each other this way? And how would God's reputation escape undamaged if his people lived this way?

Christian believers are not accepted by God because of their moral performance. He embraces us because of the blood of his Son. Faith in Christ means the Father accepts you. But though we do not live a certain way to get his love, once we get his love we should want to live a certain way. And Jesus indicated that that way was—at least in part—as the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13, 14). Living this way (or not) has less to do with obtaining God's love and more to do with spreading his reputation to the world. To be salt and light means we are conscious of how our lives impact our testimony.

So the people realized they were part of a community, returned to the fear of the Lord, and began to represent God well to the nations. They had looked in, around, and up and realized they needed to change their ways.

God Provides A Path!

And Nehemiah provided them with a path to take. Rather than decimate them, Nehemiah told them to embrace a life of generosity—today! (11-12). They wanted to go for it, so Nehemiah called the priests so they could help the people make vows to God (12). Then he shook out the fold in his robe as a demonstration of what would happen to anyone that didn't keep their promise—they would be shaken out and emptied from the community (13). They all signed on the dotted line. They said "Amen" while they praised the Lord (13). They were happy to have been confronted and—now—changed.

This is God's way—he provides a path to renewal. He does more than point out wrongdoing. He shows us the way back into obedience and blessing—and lets us take that way! This is his grace.

3. The Environment God Envisions

So far, we have thought about the way God confronted his people, but also how they responded to God's confrontation. But let's ask one final question: what was the environment or culture God envisioned?

It would have been better if this episode had never happened. God wanted something different and better for his people. But what was it?

In the closing paragraph, Nehemiah recounted a twelve-year period that he served as governor in the land of Judah (14). Though it is hinted at in previous episodes, this is the first time he is expressly known as governor. King Artaxerxes must have eventually given Nehemiah permission to leave his post in Persia so he could lead Jerusalem for this season. And—because it fit so well with this episode—Nehemiah chose this moment to give a brief recap of the way he led during those twelve years. In short, he had hoped they would be sacrificial and generous. For twelve years, that's how Nehemiah led.

Nehemiah was a servant-leader. He would not lay heavy burdens on the people or act as a lord over them (15).
Nehemiah was a focused leader. He said he persevered in the work on this wall (16). Even after the initial rebuild, Nehemiah kept hammering away at fortifications and improvements. He knew why he was there, and he stayed focused on the task.
Nehemiah was a considerate leader. Out of his own pocket, he fed 150 people—some from the area along with officials from outside their area (17). And—in one of the biggest miracles of the Bible—this politician did not take the taxes due him but let the people keep his food allowance (18).
And Nehemiah was a God-oriented leader. He closed this section with a beautiful prayer: "Remember me for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people" (19). Privately, before God, Nehemiah confessed that he could get by without man's praise, but he craved God's approval of his life and leadership.

In all this, Nehemiah was a foretaste of Christ. When Jesus came, he led as a servant, he focused himself on the cross, he considered his people, and committed himself into the hands of the Father.

And this Christ-like way is the environment God envisions for us. We should increasingly serve one another, stay focused on the gospel, consider one another's weaknesses, and live for the Father's pleasure.

The Call Of Romans

In Romans 14-15, Paul described three ways of being a Christian community. The first way was filled with quarrels over opinions. Some in their day thought they could eat anything, while others thought they must only eat vegetables (Romans 14:1-2). Others argued that worship had to be reserved for a specific day, while others thought they could worship any day they liked (Romans 14:5-6). These arguments led to a judgmental spirit led some to despise others (3). This is the first—and most carnal and natural—way.

The second way was one Paul suggested. In this way, in areas the Bible is silent about, believers should refuse to pass judgment on others while living as if they will personally give account to God (4, 12). In this way, everyone determines not to stumble or hinder their brother in Christ—meaning they won't force others to partake of their freedoms or convictions (13).

Then Paul suggested another, higher way—the way of Christ. He wrote:

Romans 15:1–3 (ESV) — 1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

This third way, the path of Christ, is the one Nehemiah modeled for the people. Jesus took the blame and guilt that he did not deserve so he could give life to us. He served (and serves) us. He keeps us centered on the gospel. He laid down his life and rights to take up our burden. So we should take on the burdens of others and lay down our rights just as Christ did for us.