Which other Scriptures emphasize justice and restitution like Nehemiah 5:11? Context of Nehemiah 5:11 “Please restore to them, even today, their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” (Nehemiah 5:11) Nehemiah insists that genuine repentance requires practical restitution—returning property and canceling unfair interest. Scripture repeats this theme from Genesis through Revelation. The Law: Restitution Embedded in Israel’s Foundation • Exodus 22:1 – “If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must repay five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.” • Exodus 22:3–5 – “When the sun has risen on him, … he must make full restitution; if he has nothing, he must be sold for his theft.” • Leviticus 6:4–5 – “The guilty one must restore what he has taken … add a fifth of its value to it and give it to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering.” • Leviticus 25:10, 13 – “Proclaim liberty in the land … In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his own property.” • Deuteronomy 15:1–2 – “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts… every creditor shall cancel what he has lent.” • Deuteronomy 24:10–13 – “Do not go into his house to collect his pledge… return the cloak to him at sunset.” Prophets: Calling God’s People Back to Justice • Isaiah 1:17 – “Learn to do right; seek justice. Correct the oppressor; defend the fatherless; plead the widow’s case.” • Jeremiah 22:3 – “Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from his oppressor.” • Amos 5:11, 24 – “Because you trample on the poor and exact taxes of grain from him … let justice roll on like a river.” • Micah 6:8 – “What does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Wisdom Literature: Everyday Fairness • Proverbs 14:31 – “He who oppresses the poor insults their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors Him.” • Proverbs 29:7 – “The righteous consider the cause of the poor; the wicked have no such concern.” • Psalm 82:3–4 – “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed.” Jesus: Justice Fulfilled and Modeled • Matthew 5:23–24 – “First be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift.” • Luke 4:18–19 – “He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor… to set the oppressed free.” • Luke 19:8–9 – Zacchaeus: “If I have cheated anyone, I will repay fourfold.” Jesus: “Today salvation has come to this house.” Early Church: Living the Principle of Restitution • Acts 4:34–35 – “No one among them lacked anything… the proceeds were distributed to each as he had need.” • Philemon 18–19 – “If he has wronged you or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, will repay it.” • James 5:4 – “The wages you failed to pay the workmen are crying out against you.” Take-Aways for Today • God’s law, prophets, wisdom writings, the ministry of Jesus, and the practice of the early church all insist that justice is not abstract—it includes concrete restitution. • Restoring what we have taken, canceling oppressive debts, and treating people fairly are tangible proofs of genuine faith. • Nehemiah 5:11 stands in a long, unbroken line of Scripture calling God’s people to make wrongs right, because a just God demands—and empowers—nothing less. |
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