The Right Time To Do Right Series

As we continue with the Nehemiah journal, we find this kingdom builder dealt with external pressures (chapters 4 & 6); He also dealt with the internal strife in our text this morning.

One writer described the problem this way: ¡§The object of hostility was the rich people who had not acted like brothers to the poor, but had instead seen them as a means to get rich. They had lent the money at exorbitant rates; they had confiscated the lands; they had cheerfully accepted girls from poor families as slaves and were now ready to take the boys as well.

The root cause of this problem was selfishness; of course, the root cause of internal conflict and discord is always selfishness! We can disagree; in fact, if there are two people who always see eye-to-eye on everything, one of those people is useless! At a time when the people should have been rallying as teammates, they were acting as enemies. Nehemiah faced a crisis once he became aware of the problem. (3)

This becomes the first helping point for us when it comes to doing the right thing at the right time for our brothers in the Lord ¡V problems that are swept under the rug grow into major problems. A leader like Nehemiah, your Sunday School teacher, a deacon, Congressman, etc, cannot help with a problem about which he knows nothing.

Perhaps as a leader Nehemiah was a little too focused on the walls to see the people, but it is like that when you¡¦ve got a major responsibility. Most pastors I know attempt to do some visiting at least a couple of times a week. It helps to know what¡¦s going on in the lives of folks. However, when a problem arises, it is a good thing for the sheep to let the shepherd know.

In our text the people finally let Nehemiah know of their problems. Here¡¦s what he did:

HE TRIED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM

Nehemiah got very angry over his richer brothers taking advantage of the poor. This was very serious; slavery, debtor prison, and the very stability of their society were at stake. It was forbidden in Deuteronomy to treat your brothers like this.

At this point in the story it is harvest time. Nehemiah had encouraged the people to work hard on the wall. Many of the poor needed to work in the harvest for their living. They had given their working time to the Lord¡¦s work, borrowing on their lands just to provide food and pay their taxes. Now rich Jew was charging poor Jew, even taking young children as debt-slaves, selling them to other lands.

Yes, Nehemiah was angry. There is a time to get angry. It is time to get angry when children are abused, and families are forced to live on the street while we do nothing. It is time to get angry when those who have much oppress those who have little or nothing. Nehemiah got angry because there was good cause ¡V something over which he should be angry.

HE DEALT WITH THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

Nehemiah read his rich brothers the riot act in plain language. He called a public meeting; no sweeping it under the carpet! Wrongdoing that affects many people ought to be brought into the open. In our day we are seeing the CEO¡¦s and Financial Officers of major corporations in the headlines for insider trading that has robbed the pensions and jobs of many working people. In many cases this is the life savings for a near-retiring couple.