QT: When silence is not golden Nehemiah 5:6–13 Week 29: 12/07/2023. Wed
A serene silent blue pond is scenic. But silence in the face of actions leading to the "taunts of the nations" (5:9) was what Nehemiah did not allow himself to be remembered for.
_Nehemiah 5:6–7 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words. [7] I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them (ESV)
Once upon a time, someone was living in sin. But fellow believers did not wish to deal with it, but let the sin continue, in the name of "protecting" the friendship.
Enslavement angered Nehemiah. His heart, eyes and mind were responsive to the sights that he saw regarding the condition of the covenant community. The faults were called to account and dealt with publicly.
Dealing with such matters in the community of God's church are seldom painless. But more pain and rot sprouts in the long term if silence allowed that seed of tumour to subsist and grow.
Be silent to meditate upon God's mercy, but break the "silence" to attend to excising our own tumours and others', and bandage recovering wounds of everyone, who continues to live under God's mercy, His withholding of immediate wrath, so that we can all have time and second chances.
