In the fifth chapter of Nehemiah, there was an uprising by the Jews to Nehemiah about the hardships they were having to endure, specifically, that they were having to mortgage their land and sell children into slavery just to be able to afford to buy food and pay taxes. Can you imagine that? Having to sell a kid? As an attorney, I work with a lot of people who have tax issues and are having to go through some hard times to deal with the IRS – but they have never worried about having to sell a child into slavery to pay a debt. Nehemiah takes the concerns of the people to their “brothers” who are holding the Jews up for the money and interest.
What I noticed about Nehemiah during this challenge was that he recognized a problem going on right there in Jerusalem. He was already being threatened from the outside by Sanballat and the other neighboring rulers, but he recognized that he and his people were being attacked from within as well. Completing the wall wouldn’t do the Jews any good if they were perishing at the hands of other Jews because they couldn’t afford to pay their debts.
Another interesting leadership point from this chapter is that Nehemiah, out of fear of the Lord, did not take what he was entitled to from the king as governor of Jerusalem. Rather than getting the forty shekels of silver (a tax from the people) to pay for food, he took the burden off of the people and he provided for the people out of the food that was prepared for him each day. Nehemiah remained focused and passionate on completing the wall, the task that God gave him.