Real Godly Leadership - Nehemiah 5-9

 Nehemiah 5:14-19 (ESV)

Nehemiah's Generosity

Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

To really appreciate what we read in the above text, we have to recall what took place just before this.  In Nehemiah 5:1-13 we read that Nehemiah confronted the rich nobles who had been usurping interest on the lesser members of the society and taking their properties and putting their children to forced labor.   Their oppression of the poor was brought to Nehemiah’s attention.  He intervened with the judgment built upon Micah’s teaching:

Micah 6:8 (ESV)

He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

What was the result of Nehemiah’s appeal to the rich to stop their oppression of the poor? 

Nehemiah 5:12 (ESV)

Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.

Imagine such a thing happening today?  It would never happen!   This all is the backdrop for the above passage which talks about Nehemiah’s leadership among the people.   You can’t intervene for the poor and then live your life as a privileged elite.   Nehemiah not only talked the talk, he walked the walk.   Nehemiah confronting the evil leadership and set an example of Godly leadership.  Nehemiah set the example of what sacrificial-servant leadership looks like.  God puts leaders on the earth to show others how Godly people should lead.   It is interesting how many of our leaders go into government leadership and suddenly strike it rich.  The power they secure by being voted in office suddenly helps them live a better life than those they send to office.  Why is this?   It is because they are NOT like Nehemiah.  They do not use their powerful positions to care for others, they use it to lord over others.  That is the opposite of Christ.  Note His words to us after He washed the disciples feet, just before His sacrifice of Himself on the cross:

John 13:12-14 (ESV)

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.