“[At the public assembly] I told them, ‘We did everything we could to buy back our Jewish brothers who had to sell themselves as slaves to foreigners. And now you’re selling these same brothers back into debt slavery! Does that mean that we have to buy them back again?’
They said nothing. What could they say?”
Nehemiah 5:8 (MSG)
Last time we watched Nehemiah react, then respond to the news of Jews enslaving fellow Jews. He ended with calling a public assembly against those not living in line with God’s just laws. Today’s verse tells us what he said in the assembly.
“We anachnu (we ourselves) have done everything we could (day – ability, sufficiency, overflows, what’s needed) to buy back our brothers (ach) who were sold (makar) to the nations (goy – Gentiles). Now you will even (gam) sell these same brothers back into debt slavery?”
Why do you think it mattered so much to Nehemiah that the Jews were practicing the law this way? Hadn’t the rich helped those with less when taxes were due? Didn’t they buy the land from those who had to sell so they might eat? And yet, when Nehemiah leveled these statements at them, this group was silent (charash – altogether, cease, hold tongue) and found (matsa) no (lo) answer (dabar – assertion, proposal).
Even savvy businessmen, wealthy landowners, had no proposal to offer Nehemiah when faced with these accusations. In light of all they exiles had been through, and the miraculous way Yahweh brought them back to Temple and their home, none of their logical arguments added up. No matter what rights they felt they had, or how scrupulous they’d been in their business dealings, they quieted right down.
Has this ever been you? Full of all kinds of interior defenses about the whys and wherefores of your behavior…only to finally stand before someone affected by it and lose all righteousness? I have. And, friends, how much more when we stand before our Creator God? The only One with overflowing sufficiency, Who has gone to every length possible to buy us back?
So in the strength and love of this Redeemer may we live in line with His justice toward fellow image bearers. Where we need to lay down our rights, let us do so in light of all He’s laid down for us. Where we are perhaps scrupulously following the letter of the law, may we instead turn to love and scandalously go the second mile. Where we need to care for those outside our tribe, may we ask for His heart to beat in us. And where we’re desperate for help or answers, may we find those named after the Highest Name to be among the most thoroughly and graciously giving.
Because freely we have received.