Here's a brief overview of the previous plots with links to those blogposts:
1. The enemies first attack - friendship and flattery.
2. His second line of attack is just the opposite - insults and ridicule.
3. If these fail, he'll come at you with threats and discouragement (which both lead to weariness).
In Nehemiah, the next strategy to rob God's people of living their purpose didn't come from the obvious enemy (Sanballat and Tobiah) but from within their own community.
This plot from the real enemy, not the obvious one is Selfishness and Strife.
This plot from the real enemy, not the obvious one is Selfishness and Strife.
Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers... "Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.” Nehemiah 5:1,4, NIV.
The real enemy of God, the devil, stirred up strife among the people, because of the selfishness of a few. The wealthy were taking advantage of the poorer, and this caused tremendous disunity among all the Jewish people, who were trying to work together in "this great work".
It's really hard to stay focused on following Jesus and serving His purposes for our life if we are angry with other Jesus-followers, feel taken advantage of, and are not serving in unity with the larger body of Christ. Secondly, if our motivation is pride and selfishness, this will stir up strife among other Jesus-followers, who are serving with pure and selfless hearts.
When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them... “What you are doing is not right.” (Ne 5:6-7, 9).
Nehemiah didn't react in haste or overact, but in wisdom, immediately dealt with the conflict and corrected those who were wrong. To overcome this attack of the enemy, we must:
- deal with conflict quickly.
- confront, correct, and challenge selfishness and pride.
“Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?” (Ne 5:9). Nehemiah states that the fear of God is the antidote to selfishness and pride among God-followers.
“I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.” (Ne 5:10-11).
Finally, Nehemiah models, then challenges them in generosity. Generous giving is the antidote to selfishness.
How do we overcome the plot of selfishness and strife:
“I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.” (Ne 5:10-11).
Finally, Nehemiah models, then challenges them in generosity. Generous giving is the antidote to selfishness.
How do we overcome the plot of selfishness and strife:
- deal with conflict quickly,
- confront and repent of selfishness and pride,
- guard the testimony of God among and within the Church,
- Give generously to overcome selfishness.
How are selfishness and pride sabotaging God's purposes in your life? What conflict do you need to deal with quickly? What sin do you need to repent of? Where can you begin to give generously?
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