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Prophets and Kings
open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient
for his need, in that which he wanteth.” “For the poor shall never cease
out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open
thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy
land.”
Deuteronomy 15:7, 8, 11
.
At times following the return of the exiles from Babylon, the
wealthy Jews had gone directly contrary to these commands. When
the poor were obliged to borrow to pay tribute to the king, the wealthy
had lent them money, but had exacted a high rate of interest. By taking
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mortgages on the lands of the poor, they had gradually reduced the
unfortunate debtors to the deepest poverty. Many had been forced to
sell their sons and daughters into servitude; and there seemed no hope
of improving their condition, no way to redeem either their children
or their lands, no prospect before them but ever-increasing distress,
with perpetual want and bondage. Yet they were of the same nation,
children of the same covenant, as their more favored brethren.
At length the people presented their condition before Nehemiah.
“Lo,” they said, “we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters
to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought into bondage
already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have
our lands and vineyards.”
As Nehemiah heard of this cruel oppression, his soul was filled
with indignation. “I was very angry,” he says, “when I heard their
cry and these words.” He saw that if he succeeded in breaking up the
oppressive custom of exaction he must take a decided stand for justice.
With characteristic energy and determination he went to work to bring
relief to his brethren.
The fact that the oppressors were men of wealth, whose support
was greatly needed in the work of restoring the city, did not for a
moment influence Nehemiah. He sharply rebuked the nobles and
rulers, and when he had gathered a great assembly of the people he set
before them the requirements of God touching the case.
He called their attention to events that had occurred in the reign
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of King Ahaz. He repeated the message which God had at the time
sent to Israel to rebuke their cruelty and oppression. The children of
Judah, because of their idolatry, had been delivered into the hands of
their still more idolatrous brethren, the people of Israel. The latter had
indulged their enmity by slaying in battle many thousands of the men