Re:Verse passage – Nehemiah 5:6-13 (day six)
“I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest.” — Nehemiah 5:10
The outcry in Nehemiah 5:1 echoes the cry of the Israelites enslaved in Egypt (Exodus 2:23); both are desperate pleas for justice.
In this passage, we not only witness Nehemiah’s wise and passionate leadership, but we also see a powerful example of how power and privilege ought to be used.
Though we don’t have the full backstory, one thing is clear: the nobles and some officials were exploiting their fellow Israelites, taking advantage of their desperation, charging excessive interest, and even forcing them to sell their children into slavery to repay debts. Their power became a weapon, rendering the vulnerable completely powerless.
But Nehemiah models a better way. He steps in and uses his position, his resources, and his voice to confront injustice and lift the burden from the oppressed. He does what those in power should have been doing all along, using his privilege to care for those in distress.
How will we use ours?
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