As we have seen, the returned exiles had enemies on the outside continually plotting against them – Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem are especially mentioned (Nehemiah 4:1, 3; 6:1), along with Shemaiah and Noadiah (6:10, 14) – yet there was almost as much trouble from within their own ranks.

Among those who had returned from slavery in Babylon to Jerusalem, as it turned out, there were those who were well off and those who were struggling to make ends meet. Those who who were well off were taking advantage of those who had less, by lending money at usury, driving people into poverty, foreclosing on their land, and forcing people into slavery (5:1-5).

Nehemiah was very upset about this (5:6), and confronted those who were gaining wealth this way, demanding that they stop charging interest, and that they restore the property that they had foreclosed (5:7-11). The wealthy could not defend themselves against these charges (5:8), and agreed that they would restore the property that they had gained (5:12).

What would it be like, if we today decided that as Americans we were part of one united family, one indivisible nation, and therefore it would be completely unacceptable for us to take economic advantage of our brothers and sisters? Fair trade? Sure. But usury and price-gouging and other exploitations where we claim that “it’s just business” – we would not tolerate such practice. We would insist that our intention in dealing with one another must always be that everyone reaches redemption; we would be ashamed to offer a Darwinian shrug over those who end up in poverty and hunger (5:8).

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Restore to us, O Lord, that sense of kinship with one another: for we have lost it, and think that the hardships of others are the problems of strangers who have nothing to do with us. Teach us that they are our brothers and sisters: for all of us belong to you.