
NEHEMIAH: TIME TO REBUILD: SELFISHNESS
Message Date: 2/9/25
Speaker: Pastor Renee Hidalgo
NEHEMIAH 5: SELFISHNESS
There is no place for selfishness among God’s people.
Nehemiah 5:1-5
5 Now the men and their wives raised a great
Who were they mortgaging their properties to? Who were they selling their kids to?
Nehemiah 5:6-7
6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the
Exacting Usury: charging interest on loans that is unfair or excessive
“Usury laws are state laws that limit the amount of interest that lenders can charge on loans. The purpose of these laws is to protect consumers from being charged excessive interest rates.”
Usury Laws:
• In the United States, each state has its own laws that limit interest rates.
• Usury laws define the maximum interest rate that can be charged on a loan.
• Usury laws often apply to consumer loans, but not always to credit cards.
• Usury rates are often associated with predatory lending practices.
Leviticus 25:35-38
“If any of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support themselves among you,
Deuteronomy 23:19
Do not charge a fellow Israelite
Exodus 22:25
“If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge
Selfish: lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure.
Nehemiah 5:7-8
So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your
Nehemiah 5:9-11
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? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them
There is
place for
among God’s people.
“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Picture of Selflessness
Nehemiah 5:14-18
14 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
17 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
Nobles/Officials: Chose Selfishness
Nehemiah: Chose Selflessness
Philippians 2:3-8
3 Do nothing out of
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
The question is NOT: Are you selfish? But: How can I be less selfish today?
When we are selfish, we look just like the world. When we are selfless, we look more like Jesus.
How can I be less selfish today?
Would you read the Bible Plan, Bricklayers 5, with us?
https://bible.com/p/72331893/57304717a768d4351289e00ee896838f