I read the Bible daily, with a goal of a chapter a day. I do this as part of a Bible reading group that consists of 3 people—me, my cousin Mark and his wife. We are currently reading through the book of Nehemiah. Today's reading was chapter 5. It's a short chapter, but feels completely relevant to today.
In the chapter, the people living in Jerusalem came to Nehemiah outraged. Due to the famine, they did not have enough grain to live on. The grain they could buy was very expensive. This was precipitated by high inflation and the tax burden being levied by the king. Many of the Jews had to borrow from their neighbors. Some mortgaged their property while others sold their sons and daughters into slavery to get the money they needed.
They came to Nehemiah with their issues and he was furious. So what did he do? He called an assembly of the nobles and officials and chewed them out for what they were doing. He called them out for their evil deeds. They were taking advantage of the Jews and he wanted it to stop. Nehemiah reminded them that they need to be mindful of God and how He would want them to treat each other. In the end, the tax was abolished and everything that was taken was returned.
To me, the most relevant part to today is how Nehemiah handled the outcry of his people. He didn't back down or try to make excuses as to why these things were happening. He saw corruption taking advantage of his people and he boldly called the politicians of the day to account. He had no problem telling them exactly what they were doing wrong and why they should stop. It was not what God would want. It was hurting the people of Jerusalem.
We need to be bold too. When we see something unjust happen, we should not bury our heads in the sand and pretend like nothing is wrong. We need to make sure we voice our opinions with boldness and love. We should not be afraid to hold those in positions of authority or power accountable for what they do. Whether it is through voting, boycotting, writing emails or making phone calls, if we see something wrong going on, we should never let our voices be silenced. If the cause is just, God will be with us because God loves justice. As long as we express ourselves with love and honor.
I have felt this lately. Seeing all of these politicians, on both sides, putting their careers before the actual needs or will of the people saddens me. But I have to ask myself, why do I keep silent? Why have I not been willing to step out and talk about the issues that are bothering me? After reading Nehemiah 5, I feel convicted to start speaking up about the things I see that are wrong in the world. And I have the perfect forum to do that—Substack.
So, is there something on your heart that you want to voice your concerns about? What is holding you back? Even posting about it online is a step forward. Have you already voiced your concerns about something? I'd love to hear about it either way.
—Daniel