So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies? Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 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. I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
In the above passage we have the account of Nehemiah confronting the nobles regarding their enslavement and business practices toward their lessor brothers/sisters. Apparently, prior to Nehemiah’s arrival, those of less means, in an attempt to pay the kings tax, put themselves in debt to those of great means. On top of that situation, those of great means also began to charge interest on their loans. Both these practices were forbidden in the Law, yet that did not stop the nobles from enriching themselves off the sad situation of their brothers. They were truly taking advantage of them. Nehemiah confronts these nobles and notice what happens. Despite what they would lose in personal gain of money and property, these nobles repent of these practices and not only stop their methods, they give back the land, the houses, the orchards, etc. This is a profound response to leadership and something unheard of, certainly in our day and age. What would happen in our churches today if people had this spirit of repentance and restoration. There is one thing for someone to say, “I am sorry I did ‘x’ to you.” There is another thing to say, “I was wrong to do ‘x’ to you and here is ‘y’ to make it right.” That just does not happen in our day and age. Repentance for wrong doing is a big deal, much less restoration to follow. Nehemiah sealed the deal by making the nobles make a covenant in front of the priests. This was, in essence, making it before God. He wanted them to know that this was not a light thing they were doing and the offense was not just against their brothers, but also against God and His laws, as well. This brought restitution between man to man, but also man to God. Ultimate restoration is between God and man. When we have that, we can also make restitution between man to man.
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