Bookmark Daily Bible Reading Calendar By: Ehimwenma E. Aimiuwu – Please LIKE us on Facebook
Nehemiah 5:
Nehemiah got complains that the rich among the Jews were enslaving the poor. They were charging them interests they knew that they could not pay back (strategic impoverishment). Many of the poor sold their land, enslaved their children in God’s land, and even borrowed to pay their taxes. This made him angry and he challenged the elders and the nobles of Judah. The elders admitted that they did wrong and promised to give back to the poor what they taxed in interest from them. So God is against capitalism. Capitalism is actually the worship of money and excess of it against the interest of human and societal benefit. Capitalism is the idolatry of money as a god against human benefit. For instance, in an attempt to maximize profits, companies have moved to China and India because of cheaper labor and in the process leave their citizens unemployed, impoverished, and are led to the justice system as criminals and prostitutes in an attempt to make a living. Nehemiah was my kind of man. Despite the fact that he became the governor of Judah for 12 years, he never demanded his salary from the people because it will be too burdensome on them. He worked with the people and his assistants did the same, unlike the governors who came before him.
Nehemiah 6:
The surrounding governors of the area including an Arab demanded to see Nehemiah five times in regard to the walls of Jerusalem, but Nehemiah answered them each time that he could not leave God’s work to come meet them. At this time, the walls were completed, except the gates. They now sent a letter to him saying that they have received reports that Judah is planning to make him king, he had appointed prophet to prophesize about his kingship, and that the real purpose of the wall was to rebel against the Persian king. Nehemiah then told them that it was all a fragment of their imagination and nothing like that existed. Shemaiah then told Nehemiah that they were coming to kill him at night and that it was best to hide in God’s temple. It was then obvious to Nehemiah that he was hired to make him afraid and hide, so that his credibility as a leader will be questioned. When you are succeeding, it is usually your family or relatives that lead to your downfall. For a penny, they are always willing to give you a brotherly advice to the benefit of the enemy or keep valuable information from you so that your strategies may be inadequate. You need God most when you are doing well. Soon, the wall was completed.
Nehemiah 7:
The wall and gates were completed. Nehemiah appoint the guards and gatekeepers. They also take a census based on the genealogy of the returnees from Babylonia exile. Judah finally settles into their towns. Keep in mind that this is just Judah (tribes of Judah and Benjamin). God is not really connected with Israel at this time (the other 10 tribes).
