WHEN GREED IS THE CREED – NEHEMIAH 5:1-13
Because we live in a temporary world we face a challenge every day about the priorities of life. Will we live for the temporary world or will we live for that which is eternal. If we are not careful and don’t keep our eyes on Jesus and His kingdom, we will let eternity fade in our daily lives. There is a story about a wealthy businessman that grew up in a poor Christian home. The family rarely saw any money, and one day when he was a teenager he needed to go somewhere, so he made an agreement with his younger for her to take his place in watching the herd, and in exchange he would let her hold 2 pennies, but she had to return them at the end of the day. She agreed and she returned the pennies. She thought it was a treat. As the man got older and wealthier he shared that story with a laugh. The persons he told the story to replied by saying: “ That is all you get: you only hold on to wealth ‘til the end the day of your life; then you must give it up and have as little as before and the whole of your life is gone.”
Nehemiah was facing a people who had put the temporal above the eternal, and was missing the purpose and plan of God. He had overcome mockery, discouragement, and even war, BUT GREED would now stop the work. No mention of work is recorded in these 13 verses.
I. THE CRY OF THE POOR THAT GREED CAUSED
A. The People The Cry Was Against – Their Brethren! – (1)
Ex. 22:25 – Gal. 6
B. The Problem The Cry Reveals (2-5)
1. Shortage of food – effected the well being of their persons
2. Mortgage of land – the effect of their property
3. Bondage of children – effected their future and their family
(BEWARE OF DEBT EITHER VOLUNTEER DEBT OR INVOLUNTEERY DEBT.)
II. THE CONFRONTATION OF THE LEADER CONCERING GREED.
A. Nehemiah’s Righteous Anger– (Sin should make us ANGERY) ( 6)
B. Nehemiah’s Personal Assessment – (7) He consulted with himself – deliberated about his course of actions)
C. Nehemiah’s Actions
1. The public rebuke – (7-8) ( It exposed the sin and encouraged the workers)
2. The problem’s root – no fear of God – Eccl. 12:13
3. The people’s requirement – (10-11)
III. The Covenant To Restore That Which Was Taken Because of Greed. (12-13)
A. The repentance that laid the ground work – (Zacheus)
B. The Regulations of the covenant – (HONOR THE VOW OR RECEIVE A CURSE)
C. The Result of the covenant – See Ps. 133
There is a painting of a gold coin rolling down a street and a huge crowd is running after it. Then you see a man on a horse coming up behind the crowd going full speed. His family is trying to hang on, then you notice he is pushing his wife away to lessen his lode so he can get more speed and get the coin. I wonder today are you living for the temporary or the eternal.
(SEE KNIGHTS BOOK OF ILL. - "COVETOUSNESS"
