#DailyDevotion How Are You Treating Your Neighbor?

September 21st

Read Neh 5:1–16; 6:1–9, 15–16

Neh 5:7-13  I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them  (8)  and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.  (9)  So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?..(12)  Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised.  (13)  I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.” And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

 

Exo 22:25-27  “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him.  (26)  If ever you take your neighbor’s cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down,  (27)  for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

 

Lev 25:35-40  “If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you.  (36)  Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you…(38)  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.  (39)  “If your brother becomes poor beside you and sells himself to you, you shall not make him serve as a slave:  (40)  he shall be with you as a hired servant and as a sojourner. He shall serve with you until the year of the jubilee.

 

The Law forbad what the Jews who were returning to Judah were doing.  Nehemiah called them to repentance.  They were called to live compassionately with their brothers even as the Lord had been compassionate with them.

Now we too have been redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus has had compassion on your freeing you from death, sin and the power of Satan.  How then shall we treat the people around us?  Aren’t we called to be Christ to our neighbor in their need?

 

Lord Jesus Christ, grant us such faith in what you have done for us that the life we live we live in You.  Amen.