We Must Not Play with the Sin Jesus Died on the Cross to Kill
- Jack Selcher
- Oct 4
- 2 min read
The laborers and their wives in Jerusalem were upset and on strike. They had their reasons. Some could not feed their families (Nehemiah 5:2). Others had to mortgage their homes and property to buy food (Nehemiah 5:3). Some weren't able to pay their debts (Nehemiah 5:4-5). Why were all these things happening?
An extensive drought limited food production, and at the same time, an army of wall workers needed more food than usual in the city. The king’s taxes were a burden. Plus, the interest rates were so high that some people had to sell their children into slavery to pay them. The laborers had empty stomachs, wallets, and nests. Thus, the strike.
Nehemiah was angry because no one was working on the wall. Obeying God’s law could have prevented it all.
God’s law teaches us how to relate harmoniously with others. When it shapes how we each live, it helps the whole community. God’s purpose is that the resulting harmony and love will attract those outside the community like an oasis attracts desert travelers.
God’s law stipulated that Jews were to lend to other Jews who were in need without charging interest (Exodus 22:25). They were not to make their fellow Israelites who could not pay their debts work as slaves.
Instead, they were to treat them as hired workers. They were to employ them until the Year of Jubilee at the longest (Leviticus 25:39-40). The strike happened because the lenders loved money more than the people.
Nehemiah was angry because disobedience was the underlying problem. He thought and prayed about it before he talked to the ruling elite about their violations.
They oppressed the workers, charged interest to other Jews, and permanently enslaved them. Their behavior drove other nations away from God rather than attracting them to Him (Nehemiah 5:9).
Unbelievers celebrate when their community churches squabble. It justifies their lack of participation in the church.
In Nehemiah’s day, the ruling elite was deeply convicted. They knew Nehemiah was right. They did not defend themselves. They had to stop charging needy Jews interest and return the property they had taken immediately.
Similarly, we must forsake sin today. Like alcoholics who decide to change their ways, we cannot put off addressing our addiction to sinning for some more convenient day.
We cannot entertain sin in our lives and also be part of God’s building projects. Sin deceives us. We imagine it as a cuddly teddy bear when it is a deadly serpent. We must not play with what Jesus died on the cross to kill. God works in us so He can mightily work through us. What is your takeaway? See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians.
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