THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS: FROM ACRIMONY TO AGREEMENT (NEHEMIAH 5)
The worst cold war I have ever witnessed was between two pastors I knew. One was the senior pastor and the other was the Mandarin pastor of the same church. Some deacons in the church board wanted to force the old senior pastor in his early 60s into early retirement and install the talented and dynamic younger pastor in his 30s to take the senior’s place.
The senior pastor was no cream puff, and he reacted the only way he knew from years of supervising employees before entering the ministry: fighting them tooth and nail, including the Mandarin pastor, who had no ambition to replace or succeed him, but was too inexperienced and too powerless to say no to these powerful church leaders.
When the two complained to me about each other, I arranged a meeting for the two to iron out their problems and not let the situation worsen or let the enemies divide them or the church. The most unbelievable thing happened when they met each other even though they agreed to meet. In my presence they denied they had a problem with each other, that there was a problem in the church and they had anything to say to each other.
Eventually, the board members left when they were unable to unseat the senior pastor and started their own church, with the hope of luring and recruiting the Mandarin pastor to join them. The young pastor did not join them; neither did he stay with the church. A year later, the senior pastor retired, knowing he had no equal or opposition, but the damage was already done.
Christians need to be a community that stand by one another, to bear one another’s burden, to lend a helping hand, especially when others need our assistance. That’s the sign of a healthy church, a spiritual community, a forgiving fellowship.
In chapter four Nehemiah faced pressure from outsiders, but now a more subtle danger awaited him. Exploitation, resentment and quarrels were rampant within. The phrase “great outcry” (v 1) is not used lightly. The other two occasions this phrase was used in the Bible were when Esau cried for the loss of his birthright (Gen 27:34) and the Egyptians for the death of their firstborn (Ex 12:30).
What was Nehemiah to do? Speak up and alienate people? Say nothing and let the situation worsen? Say little and do nothing? How should a believing community address problems within? How do we resolve internal problems? What is the outcome of a strong but sensitive approach to solving problems?
Avail a Safe Place for Confiding in One Another
5:1 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” 3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” 4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.” 6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. (Neh 5:1-6)
This study may not be unique to America, but a survey of 1,467 Americans reveal a third fewer have close friends and confidants than just two decades ago, a sign that people may be living lonelier, more isolated lives than in the past.
In 1985, the average American had three people in whom to confide matters that were important to them, says a study in American Sociological Review. In 2004, that number dropped to two, and one in four had no close confidants at all. The study finds fewer contacts are from clubs and neighbors; people are relying more on family, a phenomenon documented in the 2000 book Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam, a Harvard public policy professor. The percentage of people who confide only in family increased from 57% to 80%, and the number who depend totally on a spouse is up from 5% to 9%, the study found. The study is based on surveys of 1,531 people in 1985 and 1,467 in 2004, part of the General Social Survey by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. The chief suspects: More people live in the suburbs and spend more time at work, Putnam says, leaving less time to socialize or join groups. (“Study: 25% of Americans Have No One to Confide In,” USA Today 6/23/06)
The Jews were in a crisis but they were able to confide in Nehemiah about the serious problem they were facing when hunger struck. Basic necessities such as food and shelter were in jeopardy (v 3). Further, their fields, family and freedom (5:5) were threatened. The future was bleak, the mood was somber and the diagnosis was unflattering. The latest slave-owners, moguls and opportunists were not Gentiles but fellow Jews, people of the same flesh and blood. They were probably loan sharks who offered to help their famine-stricken countrymen to pay off the king’s tax on the condition if they were willing to sign over their children as collateral in the event of lapsed payments. The sons and daughters of the have-nots in the society were in danger of being bought, sold and moved like cattle by the haves.
Nehemiah was infuriated, incensed and irate. The two Hebrew words “very” and “angry” (v 6) were the same words that described the feelings of Cain when his offering was rejected (Gen 4:5), Jacob’s sons when they discovered their sister was violated (Gen 34:7), Moses when he was accused of leading Israel to their death in the wilderness (Num 16:15), Saul when he heard women praising David (1 Sam 18:8), Abner when he was rebuked by Ish-bosheth (2 Sam 3:8), the Gentiles when they heard of the walls being rebuilt (Neh 4:7) and Jonah when Nineveh was spared (Jonah 4:1).
Aristotle said: “A man who is angry on the right grounds, against the right persons, in the right manners, at the right moment, and for the right length of time deserves great praise.”
This kind of outright coercion and forced bondage were unheard of and had no place in the community. Nehemiah’s indignation was the catalyst that ended this kind of enslavement. The word for “slavery” (v 5) was not used again after this incident.
The church should be a safe place for people to confide in one another - to have confidence that one will act in a right, responsible and rational way. The Christian community should be a place where people can share their joy and sadness, their ups and downs, the pleasant and unpleasant with one another.
It’s been said, “Everybody needs somebody.” In the church family, the community of believers, brothers and sister in Christ, we have a safety net – shoulders to lean on, ears to listen to and people to run to. A safe place is a place where you can tell your story, your life, your dreams, no matter if those dreams were complete success, have been shattered, or currently in suspension.
Apply a Sensible Perspective When Confronting One Another
7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say. 9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them-the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.” 12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!” At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised. (Neh 5: 7-13)
Confronting is a thankless task. As pastor, I had my fair share of confronting difficult people. Once, I had to confront a skirt-chasing 50-year-old American church hopper. At first, those who knew him turned him down flat or kept a distance. He insisted he meant no harm; all the girls had to do was say “no” and he would leave them alone. I told him people didn’t appreciate being placed in a position to have to say “no” to him. He gave me his word he would not bother church girls again.
A few months later he asked a visitor – a college girl who came with her mother - for her phone number before one of the board member’s bulging eyes. The church authorized me to confront him about bothering visitors and guests. The following Sunday, before I had the chance to talk to him, he approached another woman at the church – a mother whose husband and two young kids were in another area of the church. This monster on the loose was as blind as a bat. He didn’t even know who was single and who was married.
I was so incensed and disgusted that I pulled him aside to caution him about his conduct, but he was fiercer than me. He snapped: “No one can stop me from marrying someone from a different race! I know why you are doing this to me. It’s because of the American surveillance plane that landed on China’s Hainan Island, and I worked for the government.” Then he stormed to the parking lot, backed out his truck and roared furiously away, leaving a trail of dust. I said he won’t return again but my wife said he would. He returned, not a model citizen, but nevertheless not a skirt-chaser till he left us for good
Someone said: “Confrontation is caring enough about another person to get the conflict on the table and talk about it” (quoted by James C. Hefley on Conners). Nehemiah was displeased that things had deteriorated to such a new low, right under his nose, without earlier intervention. However, confrontation has its dangers. Confrontation gone wrong can be very painful. Do you know the chance of getting hurt by guns from a stranger compared to a friend? A friend’s chance of harming you is 46%, while a stranger’s is 29%.
Nehemiah accused the nobles and officials with the facts (5:7), pointing out he himself had loaned money and grain, but without interest (5:10), convincing them with talk of the obligation of brotherhood (5:8), the fear of God (5:9a) and the scorn of their enemies (5:99b).
Before Nehemiah confronted his countrymen, he thought long and hard, weighed the pros and the cons, and tossed and turned. Verse 7 says “I pondered them in my mind.” The Hebrew word for “ponder” means “reigned” or “ruled” or “governed” himself. He did not let things get out of control, allow his heart to rule his head and let his emotions get the better of him.
Next, he confronted or “accused” (v 7) the nobles and officials. The Hebrew word “accused” is sterner; it means rebuke, chide, strive or contend. He heard the news, gathered the facts and presented the evidence in a town meeting. However, even though he was right, Nehemiah’s words were not designed to hurt but to heal, not to antagonize but to reconcile, not to worsen but to better the situation. Yes, he hammered at them, but he did not break with them. True, he pinned them to the wall, but he did not whack them on the head. He backed them into a corner, but he did not push them out the door. He made them feel bad by contrasting his buy-back record with their sell-out reputation (v 8), but he did not make them feel worthless or disgraceful.
What was the ultimate purpose of Nehemiah in confronting the nobles and officials (5:12)? Not to shame or pressure them, but to persuade and win them. Nehemiah uses the Hebrew plea “please” twice (5:10-11) before he closed his argument – after the last verb in verse 10 (stop, please) and after the first verb of verse 11 (give back, please). The nobles and officials were quiet and speechless initially (v 8) but Nehemiah did not want them to stay that way. He knew the nobles and officials had the final say. They had to say yes; Nehemiah’s words cannot overturn things. After all, they were the ones who were in the position to absorb the loss, cancel the debt and make things work. Nehemiah’s method of confrontation worked. The outcome of proper confrontation was personal change (5:12a), commitment before God (5:12b) and calm in the community (5:13).
Adopt the Sacrificial Practice of Contributing to One Another
14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year-twelve years-neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 But the earlier governors-those preceding me-placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. 19 Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people. (Neh 5:14-19)
The MVP of the NBA is not Shaquille O’ Neal or Tim Duncan; it is none other than San Antonio’s David Robinson, who is a devout Christian. A few years ago, when his team was playing in downtown, he was troubled by the sight and the plight of the buildings and neighborhood.
Andre Aggassi’s $2 million donation to start a school in Las Vegas was often in the news but little mention was made of Robinson’s $5 million gift to start a small private faith-based school that would primarily serve the low-income African-American and Hispanic families in San Antonio. The family would later give another $4 million.
The school opened on September 17, 2001 with 60 pre-kindergarten through second grade children. A third grade class was added in 2002. Once fully operational, the school will accommodate up to 290 students through eighth grade. Almost all the students are receiving part or full scholarships, though the goal is to have 40 percent of the students pay the full tuition, $8,500.
The Professional Basketball Writers Association also presented him with the 2003 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship award presented annually for citizenship and community service. Robinson’s act was so selfless that Commissioner David Stern was moved to announce that from now on, the league’s community-service award would be named after Robinson.
David Robinson said, “Life is not all about making as much money as you can and being as famous as you can; it’s about service.” (“Robinson Builds Legacy for All San Antonio” New York Times May 7, 2003)
Robinson also said, “Jesus Christ, as my exemplar, reached out to people in His community who had need. I want to show my love of God.” http://www.philanthropyintexas.com/03MarchApril/davidrobinson.htm
Nehemiah was a generous and sacrificial man. For twelve years (v 14) he did not live in style, pocket any money or take his share. Instead, he gave out of his pocket, put food on the table and lived like one of them. He was more than a governor to them: he was a friend, brother and mentor. The previous governors and their assistants lived in luxury, cooked the books and pushed people around, but Nehemiah would have none of that. On top of feeding 150 Jews and officials, he also entertained visitors from surrounding nations (v 17) – all from his hard-earned savings, penny-pinching ways and fast-dwindling nest egg.
Nehemiah contributed an ox, six sheep, and some chickens each day (v 18). An average cow on the internet sells for $2,000, and a sheep of about 150-200 lbs at $2 a lb is $300-400 each. Chickens do not weigh or cost much. The hefty bill is about $4,000 a day. Talk about costing an arm and a leg, burning a hole in the pocket and eating your way out of a fortune.
Why would someone spend a bank on others (5:15, 19)? Out of reverence for God and helping the needy. Not because he was a man of ambition or a man of means, but because he was a man of God. He saw the heavy debt people were carrying, the strong arm of their rulers and the vicious cycle that was unbroken (v 15). The word “heavy” occurs twice in the book – all in this passage (vv 15, 18). The burden they bore was heavier than the work of lifting, hammering and repairing at the wall.
Note that Nehemiah did not ask God for compensation (v 19), and neither was his request a condition for service. His attitude was “I do not require, request, or regret it.” He didn’t ask for riches but that God will remember him with favor, or better, “for good.” Not that it was excessive to ask God for more considering what Nehemiah had done for the people after more than a decade of sacrifice, or 12 years multiply by 365 days a year times and by the minimal of three thousand dollars a day. That’s over $13 million!
As an underpaid beloved nurse explains to a curious doctor why she has stayed for 20 years in a small village hospital and has not demanded a raise or moved for better pay: “If God knows I’m worth it, that’s all that matters.”
Conclusion: Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools (Ashton Applewhite, And I Quote 85). Are you the wind beneath others’ wings to enable them to soar, stretch and succeed. Are you part of the problem or part of the solution? Does your charity begin at home? Do you freely give what you have freely received? Do you lean on God, love one another and live in harmony?
Victor Yap
Other sermons in the series and other sermon series:
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