Our Flesh is as Our Brethren's - Nehemiah 5:5

In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah said, “and there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards”, and in chapter five and verse five of Nehemiah, Nehemiah shared how some of the people said, “our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren”, where we read,

Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

The verse reads, “Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children:” Nehemiah began with the words, “yet now our flesh” or “even still our, the people of Judah's bodies” “is as the flesh of our brethren” which means “is similar and in likeness to the bodies belonging to our, the people of Judah's, kinship, kindred and relatives”, “our children” or “our, the people of Judah's, offspring and progeny” “as their children” which means “similar and in likeness to other people of Judah's offspring and progeny”. Nehemiah shared how the people of Judah said their bodies were the same as their relatives, and their progeny was similar to their relatives' offspring. 

The verse continues, “and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already:” Nehemiah added the words, “and lo, we bring into bondage” or “and see, behold and consider, we, the people of Judah, carry forth” “our sons and our daughters” which means “our, the people of Judah's, male and female offspring and progeny” “to be servants” or “to exist as slaves, bondmen and people of servile condition”, “and some of our daughters” which means “and a number of our, the people of Judah's, female offspring and progeny” “are brought into bondage already” or “are subdued, dominated, violated and made subject at the current time ”. Nehemiah shared how the people of Judah said they had to make their children be servants and a few of them were already serving. 

Finally the verse says, “neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.” Nehemiah concluded this verse with the words, “neither is it in our power” which means “no and not in any way does it exist within our, the people of Judah's, might, strength and ability” “to redeem them” or “to repurchase them, the people of Judah's daughters”; “for other men” which means “because, since and on account that other male human beings”“have our lands and vineyards” or “own and possess our, the people of Judah's, fields, plains and gardens of vines”. Nehemiah ended this verse by sharing how the people of Judah said they were incapable of buying back their“daughters” from servitude because other people already possessed their fields, plains and gardens. 

When we think through the words in this verse, we learn through Nehemiah how the Jewish people who were being abused by their fellow Jews were equal in bodies and progeny to them, however, they were so destitute that they had to sell their own children into bondage to feed themselves. They already had some of their “daughters” serving as slaves, and they were incapable of repurchasing them because they had already sold their properties to other people. We can imagine how this affected them and God Himself. God has given us everything we have, (See Psalm 24:1) and we are never to abuse others with what belongs to Him. When God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for the sins of all mankind, He made the way for us to be forgiven of our sins. When Jesus was resurrected three days later, He gave us the opportunity to have everlasting life with Him. God loves us, and He gives everyone the opportunity to receive Him. Therefore we should never use the positions and possessions He gave us to abuse our fellowman, and we should repent if we have handled them wrongly in any way. 

Next time Nehemiah said, “I was very angry when I heard their cry”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".