King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025
Chapters: Nehemiah 5-7
Message: Nehemiah: Nehemiah Stops Oppression
Hello My Friend,
Did you ever notice that the more needs you have the more oppressed you become? Medical bills, utilities, house payments, insurance, home repairs, taxes, all it takes is one shake up in life to start a downward spiral into the abyss of oppression. When that happens we try everything and anything to get out of it, but deep down we know exactly what we lack that keeps us in it. As we continue in the reading of Nehemiah we learn that oppression comes when we stop relying on God to take care of our needs.
[James 4:1-2,8-10 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. 9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.]
We learned yesterday how Nehemiah, and his willing volunteers, came together to rebuild the wall around the temple and Jerusalem, and had their own opposition to deal with. Today, we learn of the great oppression that had taken place among the Jews themselves and now they want Nehemiah’s help.
[Nehemiah 5:1-6 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. 2 For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. 3 Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. 4 There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king’s tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. 5 Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. 6 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.]
As someone who is dealing with an ailing mother who only has social security to live off of, there are two valuable lessons to learn here. We cannot rely on the government for our welfare because they will take everything away from you and there are people all too willing to take advantage of you. This was not the world oppressing them, these were their very own people, most likely it was the elites who wanted nothing to do with helping them rebuild the wall. Oppression, does not begin from the lack of food or money, it begins by not trusting God in the first place and looking to man for that temporary relief. In fact, Nehemiah tells them this.
[Nehemiah 5:8-9,11-12 And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. 9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? 11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them. 12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.]
I really wish it were that easy to get back what you lost by the people who took advantage of the situation to fill their own pockets, because that is not always the case. I will say this, in my experience, I have also learned how important it is for us as Christians to stand by one another. It does not matter if you are a single mother, elderly widow, or couple, oppression comes to all of us so we need to be there for one another. Remember, when one of us suffers, we all suffer, [1 Corinthians 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.]
So, here was their situation, they had mortgaged off their homes and lands, taken out loans so they could provide for their families and pay taxes, but paying them off was the struggle. Their debts had become so huge that they were unable to pay them off and lost everything, including their freedom. Now, Nehemiah goes on to rebuke the lenders for taking advantage of them during their hardship, then goes on to tell them why he never put his trust in the government to provide for him.
[Nehemiah 5:13-15 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise. 14 Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. 15 But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.]
How quick are the oppressed to fall prey to them who do not trust God for their provisions? How quick are the oppressed willing to sell themselves out for a morsel of meat? How quick are the rich, who do not trust God, willing to sell themselves out for that same morsel? There is a fine line between faith and fear and I am not going to lie, even I have teetered on that line a time or two and Jesus is speaking to the choir here when He says, [Luke 12:29-31 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.]
There are much bigger things that we need to be concerned about than what we are going to eat, wear, or live. Remember, we are in a spiritual battle here, we need to stick together because the enemy will sense our fear and use it against us. While they were taking care of all that debt business the wall was not being attended to, when it finally resumes here comes Sanballat once again to try hinder them.
[Nehemiah 6:1-4 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? 4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.]
We must never back down or waver in our faith or work, and we must always be consistent. They will not tell you this, but the biggest threat to the world is Jesus. The world knows that we see Jesus as our KING, and they will use it against us to try and intimidate us into stopping the work that we are doing. They did it when Jesus was here, and they will continue to do it until He returns, [John 15:20-22 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.]
This time Nehemiah, and his group of people were determined to get the wall built, and now they were attempting to stop them all together by their constant distractions. Nehemiah, caught on to what they were doing and called them out, and this time Sanballat knew that God was in this and nothing was stopping them.
[Nehemiah 6:12-16 And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. 14 My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear. 15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. 16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.]
Shemiah, was a person Nehemiah had a good opinion of and came to him on the letters sent to him, since they had suggested that he had appointed prophets to speak of him as a king, but learned that he too was a conspirator. Sometimes the very people we trusted turn out to be conspirators, and this is a great reminder that all who come against us will be hanging their heads down in shame, especially when they do stand before Jesus and He tells them every single thing they did to us as well as how blessed we are because we are with Him, [Luke 6:20-23 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. 22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.]
The walls surrounding Jerusalem were completed in fifty-two days, but the city was huge and still needed a lot of work, yet very few people lived in it. Armed guards stood at the only entrance into the city, the gates were open during the day, but once the gates were closed no one was allowed to go through unless their names were found written in the register book.
[Nehemiah 7:1-4 Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, 2 That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many. 3 And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house. 4 Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded.]
This reminds me of what Jesus said, [Matthew 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.] This is why there are so many Christians just living their lives, going to church occasionally, but never really doing very much for God. And since the laborers are few, we who are faithful are called to pick up the slack and work harder to get the work done. Well, Jesus does give us the ability, wisdom, and strength to do the work, and He actually protects us while doing so. And I am a great witness to this, God will always provide us with what we need, and then some, [Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.]
Genealogy is a little different when it comes to God’s people, they are not Jews or Gentiles, they are the souls that are saved through their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Saviour. The same way in which a person can enter through the gate in Jerusalem, is the same way a person can enter the Kingdom of God. Whether Jew or Gentile, we must have our names written in the register book, also called the Book of life, or we will not be able to enter, [Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.]
Today’s Prayer: God, From the time that I chose Your Son as my Saviour and dedicated my life to You, there has never been a day that You have not supplied my need. Thank You, for everything you provide for me, I know I sometimes ask amiss or not at all, looking at what is in front of me rather than looking to You. And I am sorry for that. Lord, lead me and guide me, keep me looking to You at all times, and not at my bank account. Let me not put my trust in my job or what work You give me so that I can eat, rather always trust that You will supply my every need. Keep me full of Your mercies, and grace, let me always turn to You in prayer for answers, and direction, and let me never stop doing the work that You call me to do so that I shall never lack. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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