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Today’s Teaching

On the Same Team

Cara Blondo

Day: 20 | Plan: Ezra and Nehemiah

Start Here: Nehemiah 5

Key Verse: Nehemiah 5:9 (ESV) "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?'"

Major Moment: Nehemiah confronted oppression among the Jews.

My husband didn't know much about soccer, but when the league needed volunteers, he agreed to coach our daughter's team. He quickly realized the hardest part wasn't learning the rules of the game or facing stronger opponents ... It was managing conflicts among the girls. Their strife, not their skill, was their biggest challenge. They needed constant reminders that they were on the same team.

Nehemiah faced a similar challenge as he returned to Jerusalem and "coached" the Israelites to work together to rebuild the city's walls. He learned that enemies' external opposition wasn't their only threat; economic oppression also caused internal conflict. Jewish moneylenders were "exacting interest" at exorbitant rates and then enslaving borrowers who couldn't pay off their loans (Nehemiah 5:5-7). Ironically, the Jews who had been enslaved themselves in Babylon were now acting a lot like their former captors.

Nehemiah became "very angry" about this (Nehemiah 5:6). What was happening was unjust and violated God's law, which prohibited exploiting the poor (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:39-42). Without overreacting in his anger, Nehemiah confronted the people's sin with both accountability and an invitation to repent: "The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God ... ?" (Nehemiah 5:9).

We may not coach a soccer team or lead a building project, but God calls all of us to follow His will within our own spheres of influence. Like Nehemiah, we may face opposition from outside or even from within. And we may be called to confront it. But the next time conflict arises, especially within our church or faith communities, we can draw on three principles from today's scriptures to help us see the situation clearly and enter into dialogue with humility:

1. How can I seek the good of others? If a behavior is disobedient to God's Word, as Nehemiah said, it "is not good" (Nehemiah 5:9). Because sin is harmful to our brothers and sisters in Christ, it is good for us to lovingly rebuke it (1 Thessalonians 5:12-14).

2. How am I representing God? Nehemiah said the Israelites' sin would result in "taunts of the nations" (Nehemiah 5:9) because the behavior of God's people and how we treat one another reflects on God Himself. Our love and our lives are meant to draw others to Christ's love and the hope of eternal life (Philippians 2:14-15).

3. Does my response reflect the fear of the Lord? Nehemiah walked in "the fear of God" (Nehemiah 5:15). Deep reverence and respect for God were at the heart of his confrontation. When we are in awe of the Lord and humbled by His grace and mercy, our posture before Him and others changes.

Strife between us affects God's work among us. But thanks be to God for His Spirit, who now lives within us as believers (2 Timothy 1:14)! The people responded positively to Nehemiah's charge and the work on the wall continued in Nehemiah 5:11-13. As we respond to the Spirit's conviction today, may we live in righteousness, peace, and unity for the glory of God.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your Word that challenges us, Your Spirit who convicts us, and Your people who, when necessary, confront us. We're so grateful for the ways You grow us. As we walk humbly and reverently before You, may we strive for unity with others and use our influence for good. In Jesus' name, amen.