NEHEMIAH-PART 5
God’s Formula for Financial Freedom
March, 23 2025

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Nehemiah 2:20 - I answered them, The God of heaven will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or memorial in Jerusalem. AMP

Nehemiah 5:1 - Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers.

I. I want you to see the financial bondage they were in.

A. There was jealousy and fighting.

B. There was a shortage of RESOURCES.

Nehemiah 5:2 - Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”

C. People had MORTGAGED their property just to eat.

Nehemiah 5:3-5 - Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” ⁴ Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. ⁵ 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.”

D. Ten marks of financial bondage:

1. When you charge daily expenditures because of lack of funds.

2. When you put off paying a bill until next month.

3. When you borrow to pay fixed expenses.

4. When you become unaware of how much you owe.

5. When you have creditors calling you.

6. When you take from your savings account to pay current bills.

7. When you make new loans to pay off old ones.

8. When you and your spouse argue over finances.

9. When you begin to think about being dishonest in your finances.

10. When you find it difficult to tithe.

F. The POOR and the RICH were both in financial bondage.

Nehemiah 5:6-8 - 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, “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them ⁸ and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.

Let me ask these questions:

1. Do you have more FAITH in your money and in your material goods than you have in God?

2. Do you have desires that are NOT square with the will of God?

3. Do you have a burning desire for money?

Nehemiah 5:9 - So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?

II. Values of financial FREEDOM

A. Putting God FIRST.

Nehemiah 5:14-15 - Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year — twelve years — neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. ¹⁵ But the earlier governors — those preceding me — placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that.

Matthew 6:33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

2 Corinthians 4:18 - So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

B. Doing the RIGHT thing.

Nehemiah 5:16 - Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

C. Being GENEROUS.

Nehemiah 5:17-18 - Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. ¹⁸ Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

Luke 6:38 - Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Why did God take care of Nehemiah? Because Nehemiah put God first, walked in integrity, and had generosity.

2 Corinthian 9:6-7 - Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. ⁷ Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Let me give you six principles of spiritual giving:

1. God knows what the need is.

2. God knows how much he wants to make available through me.

3. God is pleased to let me know what he wants me to give.

4. God will enable me to be sufficient to do anything he leads me to do.

5. I am not limited in what I can give.

6. This kind of giving requires the presence and the power of God.

Nehemiah 5:19 - Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.