QT 06/01/2025 Mon. Nehemiah 5. Enemy from within. 内部的敌人。

QT 06/01/2025 Mon. Nehemiah 5. Enemy from within.
READ http://www.esvbible.org/neh5

Nehemiah 5:1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. (ESV)

Nehemiah 4 dealt with the enemies from outside, by being united in the building effort. Now Nehemiah has to deal with the enemy from within—fellow Judeans within the community. While the majority took part in the rebuilding of the wall, some of them were exploiting their fellow Jewish brothers for monetary gain.

We sympathise with those who face economic difficulties that would result in "a great outcry" (5:1). The LORD had heard their great outcry and delivered them from Egypt in the past (Exodus 14:10–11). Yet, after being delivered, the people were enslaved again, back to square one.

During Nehemiah's time, the tax on a field might be quite high compared with the low yield of a bad year. Land was likely mortgaged to raise funds and subsequently seized if the loan or interest could not be repaid—thus the "tools of trade" or "resources for production" become unavailable for the destitute.

When creditors take the pledged property, this would somehow destroy the unity of the people because creditors and debtors both belong to the supposedly united community. Relationships within such an environment are challenging at best, but destructive at their worst.

REFLECTION: When it is within your powers to do so, would follow Nehemiah's example and use your authority and powers to alleviate the sufferings of others, even if it costs you personally?

Instead of servant leadership, the Judean nobles and officials' leadership styles added more burden and distress onto others. Nehemiah intervened to stop these harmful practices, going beyond mere legality and adopted a higher ethics based on God's merciful character on the basis of godly ethics rather than relying solely on existing law.

REFLECTION: The motivation that caused Nehemiah to act here is out of the fear of God (See 5:9, 15) that translates into love for fellow believers. When you oversee people in your work place or elsewhere, what kind of mood do you create?

QT 06/01/2025 星期一. 尼希米 5.
http://m.bbintl.org/bible/ncv/neh/5

尼希米记 5:1 那时，民众和他们的妻子大声呼冤，控告自己的同胞犹大人。

尼希米记第四章通过团结一致的建设努力，对付了来自外部的敌人。现在，尼希米要对付的是来自内部的敌人--群体内的犹太同胞。虽然大多数人都在合一的气氛下参与了城墙的重建，但其中有些人却为了金钱利益而剥削他们的犹太兄弟。

我们同情那些面临经济困难的人，他们的经济困难会导致 “大声呼冤”（5:1）。耶和华曾听到他们的大呼声，并将他们从埃及解救出来（出埃及记 14：10-11）。然而，在被救赎之后，人们又被奴役，回到了原点。

在尼希米的时代，与歉收年的低产量相比，田地的税收可能相当高。如果无法偿还贷款或利息，土地很可能会被抵押和没收--因此，“贸易工具 ”或 “生产资源 ”对于赤贫者来说就变得无从谈起。

当债权人拿走抵押的财产时，这在某种程度上会破坏人们的团结，因为债权人和债务人都属于本应团结的群体内的肢体。在这种环境下，人际关系在最好的情况下具有挑战性，而在最坏的情况下则具有破坏及伤害性。

反思：在你力所能及的情况下，你是否愿意以尼希米为榜样，利用你的权威和权力来减轻他人的痛苦，即使这需要你付出个人的代价？

犹大贵族和官员的领导方式不是仆人式的领导，而是给他人增加了更多的负担和痛苦。尼希米出面制止了这些有害的做法，他超越了单纯的合法性，在敬虔伦理的基础上，采用了基于神仁慈品格的更高伦理，而不是仅仅依靠现有的法律。

反思：尼希米在此采取行动的动机是出于对神的敬畏（见 5：9，15），这种敬畏转化为对信徒的爱。当你在工作场所或在其他地方管理别人时，你会营造一种什么样的氛围？