How can we avoid exploiting others financially, as warned in Nehemiah 5:10? The Heart of Nehemiah 5:10 “I and my brothers and my servants are also lending them money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!” (Nehemiah 5:10) Nehemiah faced fellow Israelites who were profiting from their own people’s hardship. Though he himself had resources, he refused to enrich himself at their expense and publicly called everyone to stop the practice immediately. God’s Timeless Standard Against Financial Exploitation • Exodus 22:25—“If you lend money to one of My people among the poor… you are not to act like a moneylender; you must not charge him interest.” • Leviticus 25:35-37—Care for a brother who becomes poor; “do not take any interest or profit from him.” • Proverbs 14:31—“Whoever oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.” • James 5:4—Unpaid wages “cry out… and the cries… have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.” These passages show that God treats economic injustice as a personal offense against Himself. Profit is not condemned, but profiteering that harms others is. Practical Steps to Safeguard Our Hearts and Practices • Examine motives regularly – Replace greed with gratitude (1 Timothy 6:6-10). • Set fair prices and interest rates – No hidden fees, no predatory terms; reflect Luke 6:31 in every transaction. • Pay workers promptly and fully • Offer help without expecting a return when possible – Luke 6:34-35. • Budget generosity into business plans – Proverbs 3:27 encourages not withholding good when it is in our power to act. • Maintain transparent records – “Provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Romans 12:17). • Seek accountability – Invite mature believers or qualified auditors to review practices. • Keep eternity in view – Matthew 25:40 links service to people with service to Christ. Living Witness in a Watching World When believers refuse to exploit and instead choose fairness, generosity, and integrity, they echo Nehemiah’s call and display the character of the One who “richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). Such stewardship turns everyday finances into a testimony of the gospel’s power and keeps hearts free from the bondage Nehemiah so boldly opposed. |
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