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The Book of Nehemiah As You_ve Never Seen Before(M4A_128K) · truthunedited

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Speaker 1: Imagine walking through ancient ruins at midnight alone, planning the impossible.
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The walls of your homeland lie shattered, Your people live
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in shame, and enemies surround you on every side. But
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you have a secret weapon they don't know about, direct
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access to the most powerful throne room on earth. This
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is where Nehemiah's story begins, and it's nothing like what
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you've heard before. In the next few minutes, you'll discover
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how one broken hearted man triggered a chain of events
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that changed history forever. You'll witness midnight espionage, political master strokes,
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and the kind of leadership that turns ordinary people into legends.
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Forget everything you think you know about this ancient story,
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because what really happened will leave you speechless. In the
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grand Palace of Sousa, where marble columns reached toward the
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sky and gold decorated every surface, a Jewish man named
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Nehemiah held one of the most dangerous jobs in the
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person Empire. Every single day, he walked into the throne
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room of the most powerful ruler on earth and performed
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a ritual that could cost him his life. As chapter one,
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Verse one tells, us Ni'emiyah was the cup bearer to
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King Artaxerxes during the twentieth year of his reign. But
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this wasn't just about serving drinks. Ni'emiyah was the king's
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official food taster, the human shield between the emperor and
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any assassin who might try to poison the royal wine.
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One wrong's sip could mean death, but even more terrifying,
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one wrong expression on his face could end his life instantly.
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Persian kings were legendary for their mood swings and their
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hatred of anything that might bring bad luck or negative
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energy into their presence. A sad face, a worried look,
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even a moment of distraction could be seen as disrespect,
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punishable by execution. Every morning, N'emiyah woke up in the
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luxury of the Persian court, rounded by servants, fine clothes,
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and the best food in the empire. He lived in
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a world where most people could only dream of such
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wealth and power. The palace itself was a wonder of
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the ancient world, with gardens that stretched for miles, fountains
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that sparkled with precious stones, and rooms filled with treasures
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from every corner of the known world. Nea Maiah walked
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on floors made of the finest marble, ate from golden plates,
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and wore clothes made from the softest silk. He had
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access to the royal library, the best teachers, and conversations
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with the most intelligent minds of his time. Yet despite
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all this magnificence, his heart carried a secret that burned
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inside him like a hidden flame. He longed for a
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place he had never seen, a city that lived only
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in the stories his parents had told him. Jerusalem, the
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city of his fathers, the place where God had chosen
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to put his name forever. This wasn't just homesickness. This
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was a deep spiritual connection to a heritage that distance
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and time couldn't break. Every night, as he lay in
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his comfortable bed in the palace, he would think about
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the temple that Solomon had built, the walls that King
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David had planned, and the promises that God had made
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to his people. He carried within him the hopes and
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dreams of generations of Jews who had been scattered across
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the empire but never forgot where they truly belonged. One
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ordinary day in the palace routine everything changed forever. Nehemiah's
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brother Hanani arrived at Susa with some men who had
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traveled from the distant province of Judah. You can imagine
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Nehemiah's excitement finally news from the homeland. These weren't just
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casual visitors. They had made the dangerous journey of over
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eight hundred miles from Jerusalem to bring news to their
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family member, who held such an important position in the
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Persian government. He did what anyone would do when meeting
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people from home. He asked about the city he loved
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and the Jewish people who lived there. His heart was
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probably racing with anticipation. Maybe they would tell him about
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progress being made, about the temple being expanded, about the
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community growing stronger. But as chapter one, verse three records,
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the news that came back hit him like a physical blow.
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Those who survived the exile and are back in the
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province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of
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Jerusalem is broken down and its gates have been burned
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with fire. Try to picture what this meant. In ancient times,
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in a city without walls was like a house without doors,
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completely defenseless against any enemy who wanted to attack. The
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walls weren't just broken in a few places, they were
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so completely destroyed that Jerusalem looked like a bombed out ruin.
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The gates that could have protected the entrance to the
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city where nothing but piles of charred wood and ash
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burned to the ground and never rebuilt. These weren't recent
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damages either. This destruction had been sitting there for decades,
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a constant reminder of defeat and humiliation. The Jewish people
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who had returned from exile with such hope and determination
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were now living in constant fear and shame. Their enemies
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could walk right into the city any time they wanted,
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steal whatever they pleased, and hurt whoever they chose. There
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was no protection, no dignity, no safety. Bandits could raid
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their homes, neighboring nations could mock their helplessness, and wild
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animals could wander through what should have been secure streets.
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The people Nehemiah loved were living like refugees in their
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own hometown, and the city that should have been a
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symbol of God's faithfulness and power looked like a monument
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to defeat and abandonment. Imagine hearing that your family was
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living in a house with no roof, no locks on
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the doors, and holes in every wall. That's what this
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news meant to Neemiah. When Niemiah heard this devastating report,
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something incredible happened that shows us the depth of his
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character and his love for his people. He didn't immediately
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spring into action or start making plans. Instead, as chapter one,
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verse four describes, his reaction was profound and personal. When
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I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For
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some days. I mourned and fasted and prayed before the
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God of heaven. But here's what makes this even more amazing.
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This wasn't just a few days of being upset. When
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you look at the time line in the book, Nahemiah
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received this terrible news in the month of Kislev, but
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he didn't act until the month of Nissan. That means
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he spent four entire months in a state of grief
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and spiritual preparation. Picture this successful man dressed every day
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in the finest clothes money could buy, eating meals prepared
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by the best chefs in the empire, surrounded by luxury
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and comfort, Yet he chose to put on rough sackcloth
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that scratched his skin, to cover himself with ashes as
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a sign of mourning, and to fast regularly, giving up
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the very food he was supposed to taste for the king.
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Night after night he wept for people he had never met,
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in a city he had never seen. Their shame became
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his shame, Their pain became his pain, their hopelessness became
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his burden. This wasn't just sympathy or even compassion. This
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was the kind of love that identifies so completely with
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others that their suffering becomes your own. Naemiah's heart was
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so connected to Jerusalem and his people that he couldn't
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enjoy his own comfort while they lived in disgrace. During
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those long, long months of mourning and fasting, Neamiyah did
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something that would literally change the course of history. He prayed.
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But this wasn't just any prayer. This was a masterpiece
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of communication with God that we can read in Chapter one,
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verses five through eleven. He began by acknowledging who God
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really is, Lord, the God of Heaven, the great and
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awesome God who keeps his covenant of love with those
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who love him and keep his commandments. Notice how he
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started not with his own needs or problems, but with
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worship and recognition of God's character and faithfulness. This wasn't
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flattery or manipulation. This was genuine awe and respect for
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the creator of the universe. Then Neamiah did something that
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shows incredible wisdom and maturity. Instead of blaming others or
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making excuses, he took full responsibility, not just for his
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own sins, but for the sins of his entire nation.
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In verse six, he said, I confess the sins we Israelites,
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including myself and my father's family, have committed against you.
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We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not
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obeyed the command's decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
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This wasn't just a general confession. Nehemiah was saying that
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he and his people deserved everything that had happened to them.
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He understood that the broken walls and burned gates weren't
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just the result of military defeat. They were the consequences
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of spiritual failure. He didn't try to minimize their guilt
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or blame their circumstances on bad luck or unfair treatment.
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He owned it completely. But then he did something brilliant.
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He reminded God of the promises he had made through Moses,
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specifically the promise recorded in verse nine. But if you
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returned to me and obey my commands. Then, even if
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your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will
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gather them from there and bring them to the place
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I have chosen as a dwelling for my name. Nihemiah
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was essentially saying, God, we blew it, we admit it,
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we deserve punishment, but you also promised that if we
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turned back to you, you would restore us. He was
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holding God to his own word, not in a demanding way,
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but in faith and hope. Finally, after this foundation of worship,
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confession and covenant reminder, he made his bold request in
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verse eleven, give your servants success to day by granting
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him favor in the presence of this man. The man
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he was referring to was King Artaxerxes, and Niemiah was
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about to ask him for something that seemed absolutely impossible.
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This prayer shows us that Nehemiah understood something profound. Real
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change starts with God, not with human plans or political connections.
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Four months after hearing the terrible news from Jerusalem, Ni'emiah
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was performing his daily duties as cupbearer, but this time
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something was different. Despite all his efforts to control his emotions,
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his grief was showing on his face, and in the
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Persian court, this could be a death sentence. Persian kings
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believed that sad or worried faces brought bad luck and
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were a sign of disrespect to the royal presence. They
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lived in a bubble of enforced happiness, where any negative
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emotion was seen as a personal attack on their divine authority.
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Servants who showed negative emotions in front of the king
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could be executed on the spot, no questions asked, no
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second chances given. The Persian court was notorious for its
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unpredictable violence and sudden executions. But as Chapter two, verse
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two tells us, when King art Exerxes noticed nehe Mayah's expression,
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something miraculous happened. Instead of flying into a rage or
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calling for guards, the king asked, with what seemed like
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genuine concern, why does your face look so sa when
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you are not ill? This can only be sadness of heart.
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Think about how shocking this was. The most powerful man
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in the world, who could end a life with a
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single word, was actually showing interest in his servant's emotional state.
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Near Mayah's immediate reaction, recorded in the same verse, was
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pure terror. I was very much afraid. In that split second,
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his mind probably raced through all the possible consequences. His
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secret was exposed, His life was hanging by a thread,
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and everything depended on the king's next words. Any wrong
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response could mean immediate execution. But instead of panicking or
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making excuses, near Mayah recognized this as the direct answer
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to four months of desperate prayer. God had done something
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that only Heaven could accomplish. He had softened the heart
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of the most powerful and unpredictable ruler in the world.
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The man who could order the excution of thousands with
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a single word was actually showing concern for his servant's
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emotional state. This wasn't just good luck or perfect timing.
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This was divine intervention, opening a door that no human
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strategy could have opened. In verse four we see that
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even in this terrifying moment, Nehemiah's first instinct was to pray. Then,
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I prayed to the God of Heaven. Even with the
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king waiting for an answer, even with his life on
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the line, Nahemiah took a moment to connect with God
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before speaking. What happened next was so bold and outrageous
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that it almost defies belief. When the king asked what
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Naemiah wanted. He didn't ask for a small favor or
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a minor adjustment to his duties. As we read in
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chapter two, verses five through eight, N'emiah made a request
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that should have gotten him thrown into prison or executed
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for treason. He said, if it pleases the king, and
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if your servant has found favor in his sight, let
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him send me to the city in Judah where my
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ancestors are buried, so that I can rebuild it. But
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he didn't stop there. That was just the beginning of
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what might be the most audacious request in political history.
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He also asked for official letters of safe passage through
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all the territories he would need to cross, which meant
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asking the king to command other rulers and governors to
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let him pass safely through their lands. This was essentially
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asking for diplomatic immunity and royal protection for his entire journey.
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Then came the most incredible part of his request. He
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asked for timber from the king's own personal forest to
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rebuild the gates of the citadel, by the temple, the
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city wall, and the residence where he would live. Think
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about what he was really asking for. Here he wanted
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the Persian Empire to fund the rebuilding of a fortified
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city that could potentially be used as a military base
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against them in the future. He was asking his boss
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to pay for strengthening a strategic location that every military
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adviser would have warned against. He was essentially requesting that
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the Empire provide the materials and support to rebuild what
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could become a threat to Persian control in the region.
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Jerusalem was a key city on the trade routes, and
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a fortified Jerusalem could control access to Egypt and other
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important territories. Any reasonable king should have seen this as
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either complete insanity or outright treason. His military advisers would
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have told him that helping to rebuild Jerusalem's defenses was
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like giving weapons to a potential enemy. But Chapter two,
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verse eight records something that still amazes readers today. And
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because the gracious hand of my God was on me,
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the king granted my requests. Not only did King Artaxerxes
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say yes to everything, but he also went beyond what
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Ne'emiah asked for and provided him with army officers and
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cavalry to escort him safely to Jerusalem. The king even
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gave him official letters that would command every governor and
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official along the way to provide whatever assistance Neemiah needed.
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This was unprecedented favor that could only be explained by
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divine intervention. When Nehemiah finally arrived in Jerusalem after his
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long and dangerous journey, he didn't immediately announce his royal
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commission or call a big public meeting to share the
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exciting news. Instead, he did something that reveals the wisdom
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and strategic thinking that made him such an effective leader.
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Chapter two, verse eleven tells us that he stayed in
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the city for three days without revealing his plans to anyone,
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and then verse twelve describes what happened next. I set
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out during the night with a few others. I had
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not told anyone what my God had put in my
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heart to do for Jerusalem. Only I had a mount
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with me. Picture this dramatic scene. In the middle of
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the night, when the city was asleep and the streets
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were empty and dark, Nehemiah quietly gathered a small group
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of trusted men and set out on horseback to conduct
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a secret survey of the damage. This wasn't a casual
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evening ride. This was a careful, methodical inspection of a
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military situation. He wanted to see the situation with his
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own eyes before making any public announcements or promises that
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he might not be able to keep. This wasn't just curiosity,
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This was careful preparation and strategic planning. He knew that
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once he revealed his mission and his royal authority, word
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would spread quickly to both supporters and enemies throughout the region,
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so he needed to have all the facts first. Knowledge
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was power, and he needed to understand exactly what he
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was dealing with before committing to anything. As they rose
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through the darkness, examining the broken walls and burned gates,
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Nehemiah was making mental notes of everything that needed to
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be repaired, alculating the scope of the work, estimating the
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materials that would be needed, and developing a realistic plan
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for the massive undertaking ahead. Verse thirteen describes their route
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in detail. By night, I went out through the Valley
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Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining
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the walls of Jerusalem which had been broken down and
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its gates which had been destroyed by fire. The damage
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was even worse than he had imagined. These weren't just
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holes in the wall that could be patched up quickly.
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These were complete sections that had been demolished and left
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in ruins for decades. In some places, Verse fourteen tells
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us the rubble was so thick and the destruction so complete,
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that there wasn't even room for his horse to pass through.
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Stones that weighed hundreds of pounds were scattered everywhere. Wooden
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beams were rotted and burned, and years of neglect had
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allowed weeds and debris to pile up in what should
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have been clear pathways. This midnight reconnaissance mission gave him
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the crucial information he needed to move forward with confidence
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and credibility when he finally revealed his purpose to the people.
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After completing his secret survey and fully understanding the magnitude
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of the challenge, Nehemiah knew that he couldn't accomplish this
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massive rebuilding project alone. So he called together all the
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key leaders, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the
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people who would be doing the actual work for a
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meeting that would change the destiny of Jerusalem forever. Chapter two,
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verse seventeen records the straightforward challenge he gave them. You
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see the trouble. We are in Jerusalem lies in ruins,
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and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let
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us rebuild the Wall of Jerusalem, and we will no
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longer be in disgrace. But Nehemiah didn't just give them
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an inspiring speech and hope for the best. He told
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them the whole amazing story of how God had answered
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his prayers, how the king had granted his impossible requests,
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and how divine favor had made this opportunity possible. Verse
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eighteen records their immediate and unanimous response, let us start rebuilding,
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and then something beautiful happened that shows us how God
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can unite people around a common purpose. Chapter three gives
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us the detailed record of the incredible organization that followed.
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The high priest Eliashib and his fellow priests built the
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sheep Gate and consecrated it, setting up its doors, bolts,
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and bars. Next to them, the men of Jericho built
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their section, and next to them Zacchur, son of Imri,
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built his portion. Priests worked alongside goldsmith's, women labored next
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to men, and families took personal responsibility for the sections
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of wall closest to their own home. People came from
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distant towns like Tacoa and Gibeon to help with the work.
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Merchants rebuilt the area near their shops, and government officials
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worked on sections near their residences. This wasn't just a
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construction project. This was an entire community coming together with
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unified purpose, shared sacrifice, and common determination to restore their
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cities dignity and security. The moment words spread that Jerusalem's
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walls were actually being rebuilt, enemies who had enjoyed the
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city's weakness for decades suddenly felt threatened. As Chapter four,
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verse one tells us, when san Balat heard that the
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Jews were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was
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greatly incensed, and he ridiculed the Jews. Sambala wasn't just
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some random trouble maker. He was the governor of Samaria,
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a powerful political leader who had grown comfortable with Jerusalem's
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helpless state. For years. He'd been able to control and
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intimidate the Jewish settlers because they had no defenses. Now
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suddenly they were building walls that could change everything. But
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sane Balat wasn't working alone. He had a partner in
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mockery named Tobaia, the Ammonite, who was standing right beside
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him as they launched their psychological attack. Together, they started
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a campaign designed to destroy the Jewish people's confidence before
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the work could go too far. Chapter four, verse two
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records Sane Balat's sarcastic questions as he spoke in front
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of his associates and the army of Samaria. What are
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these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will
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they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can
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they bring the stones back to life from those heaps
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of rubble? Burned as they are? Every question was designed
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to make the project sound impossible and ridiculous. He was
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basically saying, look at these pathetic people trying to rebuild
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with burned stones and amateur workers. Tobayer jumped in with
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his own insult, recorded in verse three, what they are building?
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Even a fox climbing up on it would break down
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their wall of stones. This wasn't just casual teasing. This
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was psychological warfare designed to stop the project before it
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gained momentum. They were trying to convince everyone, including the
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Jews themselves, that the whole idea was foolish and doomed
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to fail. They wanted to plant seeds of doubt and
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discouragement that would grow into complete abandonment of the work.
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At first, it might have seemed like harmless mockery, but
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as the walls grew higher and stronger day by day,
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the tone changed completely. What started as jokes and insults
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began to evolve into something much more dangerous and threatening.
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The enemies realized that their words weren't having the effect
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they hoped for, and the Jewish people were actually making
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real progress despite all the negative comments and discouragement. The
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mockery campaign was failing, and san Balat and Tobaia knew
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they would have to try something more serious if they
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wanted to stop this project from succeeding. As the wall
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continued to grow despite the mockery, san Balat and Tobia
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realized that their words weren't stopping the progress the Jewish
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people were actually succeeding, and that success threatened everything these
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enemies had built their power on, So they decided to
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move from verbal attacks to physical action. Chapter four, verse
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seven describes how their opposition escalated. But when san Balat, Tobaia,
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the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashtod heard
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that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and
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that the gaps were being closed. They were very angry.
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Notice how the opposition was no longer just two men
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with bad attitudes. This had become an international alliance of
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enemies surrounding Jerusalem on every side. And Bailat controlled the north,
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to Baya controlled the east, the Arabs controlled the south,
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and Eshtud controlled the west. They had Jerusalem completely surrounded
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by hostile forces who all had one thing in common.
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They didn't want to see Jerusalem become strong again. These
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weren't just random individuals making threats. These were organized governments
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with armies and resources at their disposal. Verse eight tells
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us their plan. They all plotted together to come and
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fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against hither. This
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was no longer about stopping construction through discouragement. This was
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about destroying the city and the people rebuilding it. They
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were planning a coordinated military attack designed to kill the
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workers and destroy the partially built wall before it could
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be completed. The word plotted shows us that this wasn't
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a spontaneous decision made in acting. This was a carefully
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planned conspiracy involving multiple nations working together with the common goal,
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they had moved from making fun of the Jewish people
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to planning their destruction. The situation had become life threatening,
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and every person working on the wall now faced the
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possibility of dying for their efforts. The construction project that
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had started with such hope and unity was now taking
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place under the shadow of war. Workers had to decide
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whether building the wall was worth risking their lives, and
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their families had to wonder if their loved ones would
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come home alive each day. What had begun as a
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community rebuilding project had suddenly become a matter of survival.
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With enemies on all sides planning to attack at any moment.
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The stakes couldn't have been higher, and everyone knew that
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the next phase of this project would require much more
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than construction tools and building materials. Just when things seemed
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like they couldn't get more dangerous, they reached a critical
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point that almost broke everyone's spirit. The wall had grown
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to half its planned height, which meant they had made
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incredible progress, but it also meant they were at the
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most vulnerable stage of the entire project. Chapter four, verse
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six tells us, so we rebuilt the wall till all
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of it reached half its height. For the people worked
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with all their heart. This should have been a moment
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of celebration they were half way done, but instead it
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became a moment of maximum danger and fear. A half
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built wall was actually worse than no wall at all
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in some ways, because enemies could see exactly how strong
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it was going to be and knew this was their
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last chance to stop it. The Jewish people were caught
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in a terrible situation. They had come too far to quit,
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but they weren't strong enough yet to defend themselves properly.
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Chapter four, verse ten captures the mood perfectly. Meanwhile, the
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people in Judah said, the strength of the laborers is
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giving out, and there is so much rubble that we
28:04
cannot rebuild the wall. The workers were exhausted from months
28:08
of hard labor. The task seemed overwhelming when they looked
28:12
at how much work was still left to do, and
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the threats were getting more serious every day. But it
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gets worse. Verse eleven tells us what their enemies were
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saying before they know it or see us. We will
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be right there among them and will kill them and
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put an end to the work. The enemy plan was
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to launch a surprise attack while the workers were busy
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and defenseless, catching them completely off guard. But then verse
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twelve shows us just how scared the Jewish people had become.
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Then the Jews who lived near them came and told
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us ten times over wherever you turn, they will attack us.
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Imagine hearing this same terrifying warning ten times in one
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day from different people who lived in the surrounding areas.
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The fear was spreading like wild fire through the community.
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People were starting to panic, and some were probably thinking
29:05
about giving up and running away. That's when Nihemiah made
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a decision that would change everything. As Verse thirteen records, Therefore,
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I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points
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of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by
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families with their swords, spears, and bows. He turned his
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construction workers into soldiers, organizing them by families so they
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would fight even harder to protect each other. This wasn't
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just about adding security. This was about transforming the entire
29:36
nature of the project from peaceful construction to armed defense.
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What happened next created one of the most famous images
29:45
in all of Biblical history, the picture of builders working
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with tools in one hand and weapons in the other.
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Niemiah didn't just add a few guards to the construction site.
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He completely reorganized the entire operation to function as both
30:00
a building project and a military defense at the same time.
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Chapter four, verse seventeen gives us the incredible details from
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that day on. Half of my men did the work,
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while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows,
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and armor. The officers posted themselves behind. All the people
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of Judah. Think about what this means. Every single day,
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half the work force stopped building and started standing guard instead.
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This cut their construction speed in half, but it was
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the only way to stay alive and keep the project going.
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The workers who were standing guard weren't just holding weapons
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and looking around casually. They were fully equipped like professional soldiers,
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with complete sets of armor and multiple types of weapons
30:49
for different kinds of fighting. But even that wasn't enough
30:52
security for Nehemiah. Verse eighteen tells us and each of
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the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.
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Picked to this amazing scene stone masons laying blocks with
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hammers in their hands and swords on their belts, carpenters
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installing gates with saws in their hands and spears leaning
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against the wall beside them. These weren't professional soldiers. These
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were every day people who had been forced to become
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warriors just to survive. The work had become incredibly difficult
31:23
and dangerous, but they kept going because they knew stopping
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meant losing everything they had already built. Every single person
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had to learn how to fight while continuing to do
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their regular job. Neihemiah even set up a communication system
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for emergencies. Verse eighteen continues, and the one who sounded
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the trumpet stayed with me. If enemies attacked any section
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of the wall, the trumpet would blast a warning and
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everyone would run to that spot to fight together. This
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wasn't just a simple horn blast. This was a sophisticated
31:57
military communication system that were tell everyone exactly where the
32:01
danger was and what they needed to do about it.
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Verse twenty explains the battle plan. Wherever you hear the
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sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will
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fight for us. This wasn't just about human effort and weapons.
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They were trusting that God would help them defend what
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they were building for him. Every day became a test
32:22
of courage, with workers never knowing if they would face
32:26
an attack. Before sunset, families worked side by side, protecting
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each other and encouraging each other to keep going, even
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when exhaustion and fear made them want to quit. The
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image of people building with one hand and fighting with
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the other became a symbol of determination and faith that
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has inspired people for thousands of years. They refused to
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let fear stop them from completing what God had called
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them to do. Chapter four, Verse twenty one gives us
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more details about their incredible work schedule. So we continued
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the work with half the men holding spears from the
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first light of dawn till the stars came out. They
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were working from sunrise to sunset, and even in the
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dark hours, they maintained their security. Verse twenty two tells
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us that Nehemiah even required people to stay in Jerusalem
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over night. At that time, I also said to the people,
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have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night,
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so they can serve us as guards by night and
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as workers by day. This meant that families had to
33:31
give up the comfort of sleeping in their own homes
33:34
in the surrounding areas and instead sleep in the city
33:37
where they could respond quickly to any emergency. Just when
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it seemed like external enemies were the biggest problem, Nehemiah
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discovered something that was even more devastating. The Jewish people
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were destroying each other from the inside. Chapter five, Verse
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one introduces us to a crisis that was tearing apart
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the very community that was supposed to be united in rebuilding. Now,
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the men and their wives raised a great outcry against
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their fellow Jews. This wasn't about the enemies outside the
34:10
walls anymore. This was about betrayal and exploitation happening within
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their own families and community. The poor Jewish people came
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to Nehemiah with complaints that revealed just how desperate their
34:23
situation had become. While everyone was focused on building the wall.
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Verse two records the first group's problem. Some were saying,
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we and our sons and daughters are numerous. In order
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for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.
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These families had so many children that they couldn't grow
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enough food to feed everyone, especially while the men were
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spending their time building walls instead of farming their fields.
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But their situation was even worse than just being hungry.
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Verse three tells us about the second group, others were saying,
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we are mortgaging our fields, a vineyards and our homes
35:02
to get grained. During the famine, these families had been
35:06
forced to use their land and houses as collateral just
35:09
to buy food to survive. They were one step away
35:13
from losing everything they owned and becoming homeless. But the
35:17
third group's story was the most heart breaking of all.
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Verse four records their complaint. Still others were saying, we
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have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax
35:27
on our fields and vineyards. Not only were they struggling
35:30
to eat and losing their property, but they still had
35:34
to pay taxes to the Persian government on land they
35:37
could barely afford to keep. And then comes the part
35:40
that made Nehemiah absolutely furious. Verse five reveals the true
35:45
horror of what was happening. Although we are of the
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same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews, and though
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our children are as good as theirs, yet we have
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to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of
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our daughters have already been in slaw. But we are
36:01
powerless because our fields and our vineyards belonged to others.
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Jewish parents were being forced to sell their own children
36:09
as slaves just to survive, and the people buying these
36:13
children as slaves were their own neighbors and relatives who
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were supposed to be working together to rebuild their city.
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While everyone was united in building the wall, the rich
36:24
were getting richer by exploiting the poor, and the poor
36:27
were becoming so desperate that they had to choose between
36:31
feeding their families and keeping them together. When Nehemiah heard
36:37
these reports about what the wealthy Jews were doing to
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their own people, his reaction was immediate and intense. Chapter five,
36:44
verse six tells us when I heard their outcry and
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these charges, I was very angry. This wasn't just mild
36:51
disappointment or concern. This was righteous fury at injustice happening
36:56
right under his nose. Here he was working day and
36:59
night to protect the city from outside enemies, while inside
37:03
the city the rich were treating the poor worse than
37:06
the enemies would have treated them. But Nemiah didn't just
37:09
get angry and stay angry. He took action to fix
37:13
the problem. Verse seven describes his process. I pondered them
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in my mind, and then accused the nobles and officials.
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He didn't react in the heat of emotion. He thought
37:24
through the situation carefully and then confronted the people responsible
37:29
for this exploitation. His accusation was direct and devastating. You
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are charging your own people interest. This was a violation
37:37
of God's law, which specifically forbade Jews from charging interest
37:43
when lending money to their fellow Jews who were in need.
37:46
These wealthy leaders were getting rich by exploiting their neighbour's
37:50
desperation during a time when everyone was supposed to be
37:54
working together. Niemiyah didn't handle this privately or quietly behind
37:59
closed doors. Verse seven continues, so I called together a
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large meeting to deal with them. He made this a
38:05
public issue, because the sin was public and the solution
38:09
needed to be public too. At this meeting, Niemiah didn't
38:14
hold back or try to be diplomatic. Verse eight records
38:17
his powerful challenge, as far as possible, we have bought
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back our fellow Jews who were sold to the gentiles.
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Now you are selling your own people, only for them
38:27
to be sold back to us. He was pointing out
38:30
the incredible irony they were working to rescue Jews from
38:35
foreign slavery while creating Jewish slavery right at home. His
38:40
words hit their target perfectly. Verse eight ends with they
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kept quiet because they could find nothing to say. They
38:47
knew he was absolutely right, and they had no defense
38:50
for their actions. Then Ni'hemiah made his demand crystal clear
38:55
in verse eleven. Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards,
39:00
olive groves, and houses, and also the interest you are
39:03
charging them one percent of the money, grain, new wine,
39:07
and olive oil. This wasn't a request or a suggestion.
39:11
This was a command for immediate and complete restitution. Amazingly,
39:16
Verse twelve tells us, we will give it back, they said,
39:19
and we will not demand anything more from them. We
39:22
will do as you say. The wealthy leaders agreed on
39:25
the spot to return everything and cancel all the debts.
39:30
But Nehemiah wasn't satisfied with just verbal promises. He wanted
39:34
to make sure this agreement would stick and that people
39:37
would remember their commitment. Verse twelve continues, Then I summoned
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the priests and made the nobles and officials take an
39:45
oath to do what they had promised. He brought in
39:48
the religious leaders to witness the oath and make it
39:51
official before God. And then he did something that made
39:55
sure everyone would remember this moment forever. Verse thirteen tells
39:59
us I also shook out the folds of my robe
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and said, in this way, may God shake out of
40:04
their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise,
40:08
So may such a person be shaken out and emptied.
40:11
At this the whole assembly said amen and praised the Lord,
40:15
and the people did as they had promised. This dramatic
40:19
gesture showed everyone that breaking this promise would bring God's judgment,
40:24
and the people took it very seriously. While Naemiah was
40:27
dealing with economic problems inside the city, he discovered something
40:32
even more dangerous. One of his main enemies had been
40:36
secretly building a network of allies within Jerusalem's leadership. To Buya,
40:41
the Ammonite who had been mocking the wall construction from
40:44
the beginning, wasn't just an outside enemy throwing insults from
40:48
a distance. He had family connections and political relationships that
40:53
gave him access to inside information about everything Neemiah was doing.
40:59
Six Verse seventeen reveals the shocking truth. Also in those days,
41:05
the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah,
41:08
and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. While Nahemiah
41:12
was trying to build and defend the city, some of
41:15
the most important Jewish leaders were secretly communicating with one
41:19
of his biggest enemies. This wasn't just casual correspondence between
41:24
old friends. This was ongoing, regular communication that was undermining
41:29
everything Nehemiah was trying to accomplish. But the betrayal went
41:34
even deeper than secret letters being passed back and forth.
41:37
Verse eighteen explains why these Jewish nobles felt loyal to Tobia,
41:42
for many in Judah were under oath to him since
41:45
he was son in law to Shaikhani, a son of Arrah,
41:48
and his son Jehohannan had married the daughter of Meshulam,
41:52
son of Berechiah. Tobiah had married into prominent Jewish families,
41:56
creating a complicated web of relationships that made some Jews
42:01
feel more loyal to him than to their own communities
42:04
rebuilding effort. These weren't random people with no influence. Muschullam
42:09
was actually mentioned in chapter three as one of the
42:12
people who had worked on rebuilding the wall, so even
42:15
some of the people who were helping with construction had
42:18
family members who were connected to the enemy through marriage.
42:22
Chapter six, Verse nineteen shows us exactly how this network
42:27
was being used against Nehemiah. Moreover, they kept reporting to
42:32
me his good deeds and then telling him what I said.
42:35
These Jewish nobles were acting as double agents, telling Nehemiah
42:40
that Tobiah was