Hello, I'm Andrew Russell,
Welcome to Let God Speak.
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Nehemiah traveled from
Babylon to Jerusalem, and became
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governor there. When he arrived
in Jerusalem he was confronted
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by some serious issues. The rich
were oppressing the poor and it
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had reached crisis proportions.
The book of Nehemiah records
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what happened.
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¤ ¤
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Well on our panel today we have
Colin Hone and Steven Groom.
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It's great to be with you again
gentlemen. Why don't we begin
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now with a word of prayer. Let's
pray. Loving Father, we want to
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thank you Lord for this
opportunity to sit at your feet
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Lord, to hear the words of life.
Lord we know that your word
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speaks to us and helps us to
apply those things in our life,
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Lord that would see us blessed
as a people. And so we just
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thank you Father as we learn
from you. In Jesus' name, amen.
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Well, when Nehemiah arrived in
Jerusalem, the first thing that
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he did was he led the people to
build a protective wall around
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the city of Jerusalem so that
they could defend themselves.
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But all was no well in the
Jewish community and so I want
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us to begin today just by
reading from Nehemiah chapter
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five verses 1-4. It says:
And there was a great cry of the
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people and of their wives
against their brothers the Jews
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for there were those that said
we, our sons and our daughters
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are many. Therefore we take
up corn for them that we may eat
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and live. Let's read verse three
now. It says: Some also were
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there that said, we have
mortgaged our lands, vineyards
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and houses that we might buy
corn because of the dearth. The
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dearth is a scarcity, a famine,
or a shortage. There were also
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those that said we have borrowed
money for the king's tribute and
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that upon our lands, vineyards
Collin, maybe you can start us
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off. What's happening here?
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Well a story like this one
in Nehemiah really says it all.
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There's an outcry of the people
against their own people, the
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poor against the rich,
it's the poor against the rich.
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Interesting, yes.
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It's always the poor against the
rich and what was happening they
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were having to sell their houses
or take mortgages out on their
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homes, on their vineyards just
to pay the taxes, to pay for
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grain to get food. So that
was one of their main problems.
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Okay. What do you think
the basis of this problem was?
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Well, tax and the famine. They
had a famine and also they had
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to pay tax to the Persians as
well. So this made the problem
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worse. And what was happening
they started borrowing money
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from the rich Jews
and that was sending them
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spiraling down to poverty.
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That's right. So here's the
situation now and it's a time in
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the life of Israel where you
know the city was destroyed by
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Babylonian invasion. Now
the Persians have come; they've
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taken over from the Babylonians
and Nehemiah has access, or has
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a right now to go and rebuild.
Isn't that right? But he gets
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there and these existing
problems within the Jewish
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community. So thank you for
sharing. Now was that the only
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problem? Anything else there?
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Well if we look at verse three
it says that they mortgaged
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their land and vineyards and has
the main problem as mentioned
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in the second half of that list
is the famine. So there was a
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severe famine which put a
burden on the people and this
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is because of the tax. The
Persians had a 350 talents of
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silver annual tax of the people
and they didn't consider the
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famine in that. They still
required it even though they
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were going through hard times.
And so because of that they had
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to mortgage their fields,
vineyards and homes in order to
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get the grain for food,
seeds, and to pay the tax.
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Mortgaging your home is not
something you'd usually want
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to do is it? I mean, we can
still do that in this day and
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age but you know to take a loan
out against your home, you'd
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usually want to make sure that's
a small loan that can be easily
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repaid or if you're going to
do it you got to make sure that
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you're able to pay the
loan or you'd lose your home.
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And that's a problem. So once
they paid their debt, because of
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the famine they weren't able to
bring in income to pay off the
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loan so the next year came and
that annual tax was still there
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and they then had to give their
children to their creditors to
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work off the debt. So they're
caught in a spiral of deepening
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poverty. Slavery was a culture
norm. For the Jews, they would
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get their children back, or
their servants back after seven
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years. But this is what
the Persians were doing.
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Very confronting the
situation. We see that in verse
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five don't we. Yet now our flesh
is as the flesh of our brethren,
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our children as their children
and lo we bring into bondage
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it says our sons and our
daughters to be servants and
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some of our daughters are
brought unto bondage already.
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Neither is it in our power to
redeem them, or to get them back
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okay for other men have
our lands and vineyards. So...
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In Australia we might say that
we're of the same nationality or
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the same people. I think
that's what's it's saying
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in the beginning of verse five.
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And this is what Nehemiah walks
into. This is what he walks into
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So Colin what's his attitude
toward all this when he sees
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all this.
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He was, it says that he became
not just angry, but very angry.
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He was really upset. And he'd
gone there to build the city and
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the walls to secure it and all
of a sudden he's dealing with
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problems of slavery and debt
against their own people. So he
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was really angry the way that
the people were being treated,
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the poor people were treated.
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As you would be when he
was coming to do something. I'm
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thinking of the situation as it
reflects in the life of Israel
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as God's purpose seems to play
out. And I'm thinking of a verse
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in the book of Leviticus. Let's
go to Leviticus chapter 25, go
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with me there. Open your Bibles
to Leviticus chapter 25 and
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let's read verses 35 to
37. Notice here this is the
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instruction that God had given
the children of Israel as a
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nation early on. It says: And if
your brother is poor and falls
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in decay with you shall relieve
him. It says, yes, even though
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he be a stranger or a sojourner
that he may live with you. Take
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no usury off him or increase but
fear your God that your brother
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may live with you. You shall
not give him your money upon
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usury nor lending your
victuals for increase. So here's
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something that God had already
instructed. You know when you
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see someone poor amongst
you and even if he's a stranger,
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you're not to give him a loan
with interest which is going to
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make it even harder for him to
repay seeing that he's already
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poor. And Nehemiah, he walks
into this situation where this
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is actually what's taking
place amongst God's own people.
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Can we talk a little bit
more about what upsets Nehemiah
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here, Steven.
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Now clearly they were breaking
this law here weren't they.
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They were taking advantage
of the situation and the poor
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people because of the
famine couldn't pay it back.
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Yeah, yeah. So God had put in
laws to protect poverty, against
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poverty. He had many
different ways of protecting it.
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For example the poor could go
and glean off the fields so they
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could eat. He had a system where
they could be redeemed from
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their own land. They weren't to
charge interest when they took
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loans and even if they had
to sell themselves into slavery
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they still had an opportunity
to be redeemed _ or on
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the jubilee they'd be released.
So God put in this practice. And
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yet this Jews of this
day, in Nehemiah's day, weren't
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practicing that. They were
charging interest, taking slaves
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and there was no redemption. So
Nehemiah was reminding them of
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God's way of dealing with this.
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What does that say about God?
Doesn't that tell us that He's
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compassionate?
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He's for the poor and the
Lord said Blessed are the poor.
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He's compassionate. So could we
say that actually Nehemiah now
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is reflecting that compassion as
well. Yes. Yes. There's clearly
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injustice taking place here but
Nehemiah is reflecting now God's
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compassion.
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It's common with the Old
Testament prophets isn't it?
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They're champions for the poor
and needy and the marginalized.
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They're speaking out
against that injustice.
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As Jesus was.
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Do you notice in verse 38
God also reminds them, Leviticus
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chapter that we were just
reading, 25:38. He reminds them
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that I brought you out of
slavery and you did nothing to
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come out. I redeemed you,
reminding them that you were
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slaves yourself and I brought
you out of slavery and gave you
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everything and now you're
treating people different than
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the way that I treated you.
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Should you not have compassion
on others as I had compassion
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on you. Exactly, yeah.
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So is there an ideal here
that God wants us to alter.
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Yes love. Nehemiah 5:9, let's
have a look at that, verse 9.
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Then they were silenced and
found nothing to say. Then I
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said, What you are doing is not
good. Should ye not walk in the
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fear of God because of the
reproach of the nations of our
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enemies. He wanted
them to be an example.
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Say how could we do that?
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The challenge is to be
Christian during difficult times
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I mean, it's all right to be
Christians and have love during
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fair times, but in this
time of famine when people are
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struggling for existence, that's
a challenge and they obviously
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weren't living up to
their God, God's standards.
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Absolutely. There's a wonderful
text in Micah 6:8. Why don't we
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go there. Let's read Micah 6:8.
Maybe you can read that for us
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Steven. Yes this
is the standard that
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God would have us meet and His
people in the Old Testament as
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well. He said: He has shown
you O man, what is good and what
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does the Lord require of
you but to do justly; that's the
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same as righteousness, to be
righteous, to love mercy; to be
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merciful to the poor and
the marginalized and to walk
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humbly with your God. They're
obviously breaking these rules
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Nehemiah saw the problem
and he confronted them on this
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issue. And how did
Nehemiah then handle
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this problem, Colin?
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What he does is he calls a
great assembly, he calls a great
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assembly together because
he wants to deal with this
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publicly in front of all
the people. So he calls great
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assembly and this is how he
decides to do it. You can read
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that in Nehemiah 5:8. He then
tells it exactly. And I said to
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them according to ability
we have redeemed our Jewish
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brethren who were sold to the
nations. So they had redeemed
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according to our ability.
Now then will you even sell your
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brethren? He's like he's
condemning them or should they
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be sold to us. Then they were
silenced and found nothing to
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say. He's called them out on it.
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How could you do this? How could
you do this? It's amazing how
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when you lose sight of God,
you can really lose sight of His
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character and to really decide
how that applies with my own
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life, isn't that right?
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They lose sight of God
and they start looking at the
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environmental things
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and struggle to just
try and survive without God.
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That's right. I've been asked
the question, you know. Is it
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okay for a poor person to
steal. I don't know if you've
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ever come across that. Yeah.
As people contemplate some of
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these themes, is it okay for
a poor person to steal? And we
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find in the government God had
principles that God desires to
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uphold and we ought to trust him
no matter what that He will make
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a way, He will provide. How did
they respond to Nehemiah in this
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Steven. How did the people
respond to Nehemiah saying how
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could you do this?
00:13:01.04\00:13:02.78
Let's continue in verse 9 says
What you are doing is not good.
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Should you not walk in the
fear of our God because of the
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reproach of the
nations, our enemies?
00:13:07.62\00:13:09.28
And in the end I think
stating they did, they said I_
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didn't they? They said
we're going to do what you say.
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We're actually going to do
what you say, which is amazing.
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They'd been convicted by his
words, so much they said we'll
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do what you say.
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They were silent at first,
weren't they? They didn't know
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what to say first.
00:13:28.74\00:13:30.07
In verse eight at the end they
said nothing. How could they say
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anything. They knew they
were guilty. That's right
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So it ends with their silence.
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And in verse nine to 11
meanwhile this is what they
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should do. So they're silent and
he convicts them and says this
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is what you should do. You
shouldn't lend money and take
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interest from people. Restore
what you've taken from people
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to this day.
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Their vineyards, their olive
groves, their houses, also a
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hundredth of the money and the
grain, the new wine and the oil
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that you have charged them,
00:13:59.97\00:14:02.20
Okay, so all this stuff that
you've taken, restore to them.
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he says restore it now. So it's
one thing to say it but actions
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speak louder than words.
00:14:10.21\00:14:11.55
But you notice something restore
all not just a part. It had to
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be fully restored,
back to the original. Yeah.
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So did they do it?
00:14:18.99\00:14:20.82
Well, they did. They said, read
verse 12. So they said, We will
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restore it and we will require
nothing from them; we will do
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as you say. Exactly as you say.
And so they did it. Amazingly
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they actually did it.
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Ah, praise God, praise God. I
think of the story of Zacchaeus
00:14:35.37\00:14:40.18
in the New Testament who when
also brought to the knowledge of
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what he did wrong, he went back
and he restored to the people
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that he defrauded what
was rightfully theirs again.
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He said four times, four times.
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Isn't that wonderful that
God brings to you where you're
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going wrong so He gives you an
opportunity. The Jews were doing
00:14:58.83\00:15:01.36
wrong here requiring this
usury and tax and all these
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things. God gives them a chance
through the prophet Nehemiah
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and they have an opportunity and
they repent so they're restored
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their relationship with
God. I think that's wonderful.
00:15:15.41\00:15:16.75
Imagine the joy in that day when
all the debts were restored.
00:15:16.78\00:15:19.58
Imagine today if they came
back and said all your debts are
00:15:19.61\00:15:21.68
finished. Imagine the joy
there would be in the people...
00:15:21.72\00:15:25.82
Isn't that true with us. When
we're close to people, I mean,
00:15:25.85\00:15:29.36
I don't lend my money
with interest to my family.
00:15:29.39\00:15:32.89
It's really coming back
to God's ideal isn't it.
00:15:32.93\00:15:35.16
to the compassion
that God has for people.
00:15:35.20\00:15:38.63
It's love. If you love your
neighbor as yourself why would
00:15:38.67\00:15:41.20
would you try and take
advantage of their bad situation
00:15:41.24\00:15:45.67
Their poverty. That's right.
00:15:45.71\00:15:48.58
When Nehemiah in verse 12
went on to do something more
00:15:48.61\00:15:51.18
than this. What
did he do, Colin?
00:15:51.21\00:15:53.62
Well, he got all the praise from
the latest, the very ones that
00:15:53.65\00:15:56.89
you read in verse one of chapter
five, because it says against
00:15:56.92\00:16:01.26
their Jewish brethren, the rich,
which probably would have been
00:16:01.29\00:16:03.59
the leaders and the priests.
And so he got them to publicly
00:16:03.63\00:16:07.23
declare that they were going
to do what they said they were
00:16:07.26\00:16:09.86
going to do. Make a formal oath
in front of all the people. That
00:16:09.90\00:16:13.44
was a very wise thing to
do. Not just so they had a board
00:16:13.47\00:16:18.01
meeting. I want you to publicly
tell the whole people this is
00:16:18.04\00:16:21.61
what you're going to
do. So it's on record.
00:16:21.64\00:16:24.21
Um, good to put it out there
isn't it. It's good that they
00:16:24.25\00:16:29.35
say today. It's good to put
it out there. Steven, did he go
00:16:30.49\00:16:31.82
further beyond that?
00:16:31.85\00:16:33.19
Yes he adjures the living
God. He does further than just
00:16:33.22\00:16:36.49
asking for a
promise. He promises through
00:16:36.52\00:16:39.83
adjuring God. I'd like to read
from Nehemiah 5:13. It says:
00:16:39.86\00:16:47.24
Chapter 5 verse 13. Then I shook
out the fold of my garment and
00:16:47.27\00:16:55.74
said, So may God shake out each
man from his house and from his
00:16:55.78\00:16:59.85
property who does not perform
this promise. Even thus may he
00:16:59.88\00:17:04.65
be shaken out and emptied. So
this is a very serious issue and
00:17:04.69\00:17:10.46
he's asking God to... It's like
a parable as he shakes out the
00:17:10.49\00:17:15.23
fold of his garment it is so
those people who don't do this
00:17:15.26\00:17:18.87
be shaken out from the people.
00:17:18.90\00:17:21.27
How binding is an
oath in the life of Israel?
00:17:21.30\00:17:24.97
The people were familiar
with it. It is calling God as a
00:17:25.01\00:17:30.38
witness to act upon those
who don't follow it. We get the
00:17:30.41\00:17:34.32
example from Deuteronomy
chapter 23 and verses 21 to 24.
00:17:34.35\00:17:58.11
Twenty one. When you make a vow
to the Lord your God you shall
00:17:58.14\00:18:00.78
not delay to pay it, for
the Lord your God will surely
00:18:00.81\00:18:04.61
require it of you and it
would be sin to you. But if you
00:18:04.65\00:18:08.95
abstain from vowing it, it shall
be a sin to you, that which has
00:18:08.98\00:18:13.22
gone before your lips you shall
keep and perform for you have
00:18:13.25\00:18:17.99
voluntarily vowed to the Lord
your God what have promised with
00:18:18.03\00:18:22.20
your mouth. So notice it
says you have voluntarily vowed.
00:18:22.23\00:18:26.60
They didn't have to do it
but it's a way of showing the
00:18:26.63\00:18:30.17
seriousness about this issue and
they promised and they said God
00:18:30.21\00:18:33.81
we will act, if not we allow
you to punish those who do not
00:18:33.84\00:18:39.38
perform this.
00:18:39.41\00:18:40.75
You know the consequence was
pretty serious. You made an oath
00:18:40.78\00:18:44.62
you had to keep it. God was like
witnessing that oath so you had
00:18:44.65\00:18:48.36
to be very careful
of what oath you made.
00:18:48.39\00:18:50.29
Also Numbers 30:2 makes it clear
If a man makes a vow to the Lord
00:18:50.33\00:18:55.50
of swears an oath to
bind himself by some agreement
00:18:55.53\00:18:58.63
he shall not break his word. He
shall do all that proceeds out
00:18:58.67\00:19:02.84
of his mouth. So
he's basically promising.
00:19:02.87\00:19:05.14
As Deuteronomy says, you make an
oath and you don't keep it, it
00:19:05.17\00:19:09.44
calls it a sin. It you
don't make the oath, it's okay.
00:19:09.48\00:19:13.85
Why did then Jesus say not to
make an oath, Colin, could you
00:19:13.88\00:19:18.02
read the words of Christ.
00:19:18.05\00:19:19.99
So in Matthew 5:37 Jesus is
forbidding oats in a sense. He's
00:19:20.02\00:19:23.96
saying be careful making oaths.
Almost forbidding it. You know,
00:19:23.99\00:19:28.73
because verse 34 says but I
say if you don't swear at all
00:19:28.76\00:19:31.10
neither by heaven, for it is
God's throne. And then it goes
00:19:31.13\00:19:34.17
on in verse 37. But let your
yes to yes and your no be no.
00:19:34.20\00:19:38.91
For whatever is more than this
is from the evil one. Let Yes of
00:19:38.94\00:19:42.98
no. And the wise man in Proverbs
00:19:43.01\00:19:45.31
Solomon says why will you
condemn yourself with your words
00:19:45.35\00:19:50.39
Now if we promise things we
can't do then we are condemning
00:19:50.42\00:19:52.45
ourselves. And so
there's really the crisis
00:19:52.49\00:19:55.26
really the principle of honesty.
Isn't that right? Sometimes
00:19:55.29\00:19:58.69
we look at the principle
and then we have the practical.
00:19:58.73\00:20:01.10
An oath is an outworking of the
practical, but if you follow the
00:20:01.13\00:20:04.73
principle you don't need to make
the oath. You don't need to make
00:20:04.77\00:20:07.24
the oath. Yeah. What sort
of standard could we say here
00:20:07.27\00:20:11.04
Colin that Nehemiah set
for himself in all this?
00:20:11.07\00:20:15.51
Well Nehemiah himself, let's
be honest. He was the governor.
00:20:15.54\00:20:18.61
As the governor you had certain
rights you could take from the
00:20:18.65\00:20:22.85
people. He didn't take it. He
didn't take what was due as the
00:20:22.88\00:20:26.42
governor. He expected high
standards from others and set
00:20:26.45\00:20:28.96
the same standard for
00:20:28.99\00:20:30.33
himself. He financed his own
living for example. And I think
00:20:30.36\00:20:34.60
that's just amazing. Nehemiah
5:14 he talks about it. He says:
00:20:34.63\00:20:39.90
Moreover, from the time
that I was appointed to be their
00:20:39.93\00:20:42.54
governor in the land of Judah
from the 20th year until the
00:20:42.57\00:20:45.87
32nd year, okay for 12 years,
from King Artaxerxes, neither
00:20:45.91\00:20:50.28
had I nor my brothers ate the
governor's provisions; what was
00:20:50.31\00:20:54.08
deserved. And he talks about the
former governors did it, they
00:20:54.12\00:20:56.75
took money, they took bread but
he says but we wouldn't do it.
00:20:56.79\00:20:59.99
So he's setting an example to
the people that he wasn't going
00:21:00.02\00:21:02.56
to. He lived by example.
And I admire him for that.
00:21:02.59\00:21:05.09
Especially you think of the
struggles with the famine and
00:21:05.13\00:21:09.66
I can think of Paul in the New
Testament. He could have taken
00:21:09.70\00:21:13.90
he's certainly allowed to take
money but he says I'm going to
00:21:13.94\00:21:18.21
work at my trade as a tentmaker
and I'll not burden the people.
00:21:18.24\00:21:22.51
The laborer is worthy of his
hire but there's such integrity
00:21:22.54\00:21:26.92
here in Nehemiah isn't there.
And Paul as well. Because this
00:21:26.95\00:21:30.72
integrity to put others first.
00:21:30.75\00:21:32.22
Because it's one thing to say to
others, hey listen, I want you
00:21:32.25\00:21:35.26
guys to do all this, but I'm not
doing it myself. Yeah. So he's
00:21:35.29\00:21:39.23
setting an example.
00:21:39.26\00:21:40.60
I would say he goes and even
exceeds what many others would
00:21:40.63\00:21:45.13
do here by not taking what is
due to the governor. But that's
00:21:45.17\00:21:49.57
not all. Nehemiah goes further.
In verse 16, Steven, I wonder if
00:21:49.60\00:21:52.94
you could read that for us.
Let's find out. He goes a bit
00:21:52.97\00:21:56.01
further here in
verse 16. Nehemiah 5:16.
00:21:56.04\00:22:00.08
Indeed, I also continued the
work on this wall, and we did
00:22:00.12\00:22:03.62
not buy any land. All
my servants were gathered
00:22:03.65\00:22:07.26
there for the work. He wanted
to show that he was sincere. He
00:22:07.29\00:22:11.26
didn't have an ulterior motive
you know of taking the best land
00:22:11.29\00:22:15.40
or anything like that. So he
wavered his right so to speak
00:22:15.43\00:22:19.40
for the good of the nation.
00:22:19.43\00:22:21.80
He could definitely. He was
always a welcome man being a
00:22:21.84\00:22:24.97
governor. He could have easily
gone and put land for himself
00:22:25.01\00:22:27.41
on the church. He could
have lent money and get all the
00:22:27.44\00:22:31.58
things himself and a right
probably to do it as governor.
00:22:31.61\00:22:33.98
But he didn't do it.
00:22:34.02\00:22:37.05
What a wonderful example
for leaders of our nation as a
00:22:37.09\00:22:40.12
Christian. It's
almost what Christians
00:22:40.16\00:22:43.49
refer to as what's an
incarnation ministry, isn't that
00:22:43.53\00:22:46.03
right. As Jesus himself
came down to reach men as men.
00:22:46.06\00:22:50.17
Nehemiah he comes, you know, he
really gets amongst the people
00:22:50.20\00:22:53.94
He becomes a partaker of the
suffering really. He is willing
00:22:53.97\00:22:58.64
to forego his own comforts and
experience to some extent what
00:22:58.67\00:23:04.18
they've experienced. He wants
to let them know that he's there
00:23:04.21\00:23:07.58
with them through it all. That
must have been so encouraging.
00:23:07.62\00:23:10.72
A little type of
Christ, wasn't he?
00:23:10.75\00:23:13.02
That's what I love about when
we look at things from the Old
00:23:13.05\00:23:17.73
Testament even before Christ
comes on. And we see it in the
00:23:17.76\00:23:19.49
people of the New Testament
as well. We see the character of
00:23:19.53\00:23:22.66
Christ being played out in the
life of his people. And we see
00:23:22.70\00:23:25.37
these types of Christ.
It's almost like God through his
00:23:25.40\00:23:29.17
grace as He works in the life
of His people He's pointing to
00:23:29.20\00:23:33.68
the one that is going to come.
There's different aspects there.
00:23:33.71\00:23:37.01
It's by His Spirit really. Yes.
So Steven what is Nehemiah...
00:23:37.05\00:23:42.32
it says he accepted no wages.
00:23:42.35\00:23:45.75
Um yes. If we go to chapter five
verse 18, last part, it says
00:23:45.79\00:23:54.63
that yet in spite of this I
did not demand the governor's
00:23:54.66\00:23:58.77
provisions because the bondage
was heavy on this people.
00:23:58.80\00:24:02.34
Bondage? Bondage. The bondage
of the famine and the taxes they
00:24:02.37\00:24:06.07
were paying and everything else.
He didn't want to be a further
00:24:06.11\00:24:10.35
burden. To gain respect from
this people it had to be like
00:24:10.38\00:24:13.38
that didn't it. Yeah that's
right. To share in people's
00:24:13.42\00:24:16.75
burdens then you can
reach them and be part of them.
00:24:16.79\00:24:18.95
Well, it's tough enough as it
is the way you've been treated.
00:24:18.99\00:24:22.72
I'm not going to add to that
burden. It was just like Christ
00:24:22.76\00:24:28.56
in a way.
00:24:28.60\00:24:29.93
It's in times like this that
people's real religion comes out
00:24:29.96\00:24:31.37
isn't it? That's when you show
help to your neighbor. Yeah.
00:24:31.40\00:24:38.44
So we could apply that to our
day. How do we apply that to our
00:24:38.47\00:24:42.88
day? Oh let's say we're _ family
00:24:42.91\00:24:47.35
mentioned before. When people
in our family have times of
00:24:47.38\00:24:49.78
trouble, friends and that, you
don't... You help them out but
00:24:49.82\00:24:53.79
you don't get money or
expect interest out of it. Take
00:24:53.82\00:24:59.46
advantage of them in business
transactions. To deal honestly
00:24:59.49\00:25:01.66
this is what God's looking for.
They affect His character, they
00:25:01.70\00:25:06.23
affect Nehemiah.
00:25:06.27\00:25:07.60
And not just our family but also
anyone, isn't it, when you run
00:25:07.64\00:25:10.54
across people who are struggling
how do we deal with them?
00:25:10.57\00:25:12.64
Yeah, so there really is a world
that needs to be ministered to
00:25:12.67\00:25:16.41
even today. I think sometimes
in western countries we kind
00:25:16.44\00:25:19.68
of... We don't see much of that
suffering that we hear about in
00:25:19.71\00:25:23.75
other parts of the world until
you visit there, until you take
00:25:23.79\00:25:27.79
the time to investigate. But we
can certainly make a difference
00:25:27.82\00:25:31.06
no matter where we are. Let's
read our final text, Philippians
00:25:31.09\00:25:35.96
chapter 2, Let's go to
Philippians 2:4-7 here as Paul
00:25:36.00\00:25:41.60
speaks of Jesus Christ himself.
00:25:41.64\00:25:43.24
This is a perfect example
of what we were talking about,
00:25:43.27\00:25:46.74
incarnation ministry, and Jesus'
mind set as he reached the
00:25:46.78\00:25:50.25
marginalized and the poor.
00:25:50.28\00:25:51.81
Colin would you
read verses 4-7 for us.
00:25:51.85\00:25:55.48
Let each of you look out not
only for his own interests, they
00:25:55.52\00:25:58.65
were not to look at just their
own interests, but also for the
00:25:58.69\00:26:01.69
interests of others. Let
this mind be in you which was in
00:26:01.72\00:26:05.13
Jesus Christ. I imaging he's
saying king of the universe,
00:26:05.16\00:26:07.00
you know, ruling over the whole
universe, who being in the very
00:26:07.03\00:26:10.50
form of God did not consider
it robbery to be equal with God
00:26:10.53\00:26:13.60
but made himself of no
reputation, taking the form of a
00:26:13.64\00:26:16.81
bond servant and coming down
in the likeness of men and being
00:26:16.84\00:26:22.01
found in appearance as a man,
He humbled himself and became
00:26:22.04\00:26:24.71
obedient to the point of death
even the death of the cross.
00:26:24.75\00:26:26.51
Jesus himself comes down,
humbles himself and he's saying
00:26:26.55\00:26:29.85
we should do the
same. That's right.
00:26:29.88\00:26:32.25
By his own example He
went beyond what we have to do.
00:26:32.29\00:26:35.09
Most of us won't
have to go on a cross.
00:26:35.12\00:26:39.09
This really goes against really
how much of the world practices.
00:26:39.13\00:26:42.53
Much of the world's practices I
should say to take upon himself
00:26:42.56\00:26:50.47
no reputation, to esteem others
better than himself. I mean this
00:26:50.51\00:26:54.71
is how God created us to be.
This is how things ought to be
00:26:54.74\00:26:59.25
and Christ gives to us
that example today. We can read
00:26:59.28\00:27:02.58
about it. We can see
Christ even through the story of
00:27:02.62\00:27:05.12
Nehemiah. Thank you gentlemen.
We'll have to leave at that
00:27:05.15\00:27:08.16
today. Jesus and Nehemiah both
impacted their whole world. God
00:27:08.19\00:27:13.26
is calling us to follow the same
model of investing ourselves in
00:27:13.29\00:27:17.50
the lives of others. We can
be world changers. I believe it.
00:27:17.53\00:27:22.30
Nehemiah was. Jesus said let
your light so shine before men
00:27:22.34\00:27:25.84
that they may see your good
works and glorify your Father
00:27:25.87\00:27:28.48
who is in heaven. That's
Let God Speak for today. You can
00:27:28.51\00:27:32.21
see all our past programs on
our website 3abnaustralia.org.au
00:27:32.25\00:27:37.39
Sabbath school teachers can find
notes on that website also. If
00:27:37.42\00:27:40.32
If you'd like to
sent an e-mail send it to
00:27:40.36\00:27:41.69
lgs@3abnaustralia.org.au.
Do join us again next time.
00:27:41.72\00:27:46.19
God bless.
00:27:46.23\00:27:47.66
¤ ¤
00:27:47.70\00:28:22.40