Nehemiah 5:14-19--Nehemiah's Generosity

Nehemiah 5:14-19
English Standard Version
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Nehemiah's Generosity
14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. 15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. 16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people. 19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

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In contrast to the leaders of the people that we talked about last time that were motivated by greed, Nehemiah deals with the poverty that he sees around him with generosity from the love that he has for the LORD's people.  From that point forward, Nehemiah was appointed to be the governor of the land of Judah, and as governor he ruled the people rightly, as opposed to the governors that came before him.  He did not even feed himself or his family from the food allowance of the governor but used it to help feed the people who were in need.

The previous governors taxed the people heavily, making them pay forty shekels of silver for their daily ration of food, but Nehemiah would not do this because he feared the LORD and obeyed Him.  Nehemiah took care of the distribution of food all while still overseeing the work of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem.  Nehemiah took no land from the people, and he did not exempt his servants from participating in the labor as the previous governors had done.

Moreover, Nehemiah took it upon himself to feed 150 men who were Jews and officials who came from the nations around them to help with the work that was to be done.  Since they had no land and no fields to provide for themselves, Nehemiah took it upon himself to provide for them as they helped in the labor of rebuilding the wall.

Nehemiah paid for the food that was prepared for him each day--one ox, six choice sheep, and birds, and then every tenth day he would also purchase all kinds of wine in abundance.  This was not only to feed him and the 150 people sitting at his table, but also to help pump some money into the economy as he was purchasing the goods that the people were producing (and they knew exactly what he was going to order so they could have the animals and wine ready for him).  Though it was his right as governor to take his daily allowance of food without payment, he did not do so, because that was a burden too heavy on the people.  Nehemiah ends this portion by asking the LORD to remember all the good he had done for the people as their governor.  I'll add that in doing so, Nehemiah has made the name of the LORD great among the nations once again, for the way in which the previous governors acted was detestable not only in the eyes of the LORD, but in the eyes of the other nations, and the nations wondered what kind of god would allow the people to suffer like this under corrupt leaders.