What do you do when the market opens? Nehemiah 10-13

Nehemiah 10:31
As for the peoples of the land who bring wares or any grain on the sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the sabbath or a holy day; and we will forego the crops the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

Belief in God and following God can, at times, be disruptive to community commerce.   Here, in the above text, we have the commitment of those returning to the promise land, after years of bondage, who make a commitment to follow God's Word over personal comfort and commerce.   God's Word had always forbidden the Israelite nation from doing work on the Sabbath, especially commerce.   Although they often abused this law for their own benefit, it was one of the more visible laws they could obey and demonstrate their commitment to God.   In the case above we find that the local sales of goods, by non-Jewish vendors, was taking place, on a regular basis, on the Sabbath.   Because Nehemiah had re-built the walls of Jerusalem these vendors would bring their wares and set up a market within the walls.   Under Nehemiah's leadership we not only see the walls rebuilt, however, we also see the hearts rebuilt.   As a result, when the vendors would show up to sell, the buyers stayed home.    It was a bleak Black Friday event.   All because the buyer decided to obey God's Word.   Obedience to God's Word often disrupts those looking for financial gain.   Noticed what happens later when Paul takes the Gospel to the City of Ephesus, who practiced the worship of the goddess Artemis (Diana):

Acts 19:23-25
About that time there occurred no small disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, was bringing no little business to the craftsmen; these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business.

Because people of Ephesus were coming to Christ they started to toss their magic books and false gods into a fire and quit buying the wares of men like Demetrius.   The old adage, "follow the money" applies here and many places where people of God decide to follow Christ and His Way and reject the plunder and produce of the world.   God's Word (and our obedience to it) does not mirror the world's system.   Too much of our activity is designed to support the world's system rather than reject it and follow principles of God's Word.   We must decide if we will partake of the world's commerce or obey our God's principles.   In Nehemiah's day they simply didn't show up when the market opened.   What happens to us when the market opens?