The Bible Study Podcast, episode 625. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of the book of Nehemiah

with Chapter 5.

Welcome to the Bible study podcast from your host, Chris Christensen. We have the story of Nehemiah going on.

You may recall that they're rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. This is post the time of the exile in Babylon.

And they're doing this great work. They've had some opposition, so they're doing this work now with their

sword in one hand and a brick in another hand. But then we have a different story coming up

today, a interruption with another important matter. Nehemiah helps the poor. Now the men and their

wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. Some were saying,

We and our sons and daughters are numerous. In order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.

Others were saying we are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.

Still others were saying,

we have had to borrow money to pay the king's tax on our fields and vineyards,

although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews,

and though our children 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. When I heard their outcry in these charges, I was very angry.

I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials.

I told them you are charging your own people interest.

So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said,

As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who are sold to the Gentiles.

Now you are selling your own people only for them to be sold back to us.

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