Nehemiah 5:14-19 – Being an outstanding example for God

Here in Nehemiah 5:14-19 is a testimony of Nehemiah himself when he was a governor. He showed himself to be an astute leader of great integrity. In his twelve-year tenure as governor, he was careful not to lay any burden on the people. While the governors before him would tax the people for their luxurious living, Nehemiah never followed their example. In verse 14 he said, “…for twelve years, neither I nor my kinsmen have eaten the governor’s food allowance.” In contrast to him previous governors before him “…would lay burdens on the people and took from them bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver; even their servants domineered the people.” The reason Nehemiah did not do as they were was that he had a great fear for the Lord. People who know the Lord should always live to testify to the glory of His name. Because he feared the Lord, Nehemiah refused to impose on the people.

Furthermore, Nehemiah was found busy working on rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. He and his servants were all actively engaged in the work. Neither did he use his own wealth to acquire more land around Jerusalem. Besides, Nehemiah never insisted on his entitlement to feed 150 or so of his subordinates plus others who would come to him from other nations, with food at his table daily. Verse 18 enumerates the amount of food these would consume daily. He said, “each day one ox and six choice sheep, also birds were prepared for me; and once in ten days all sorts of wine were furnished in abundance.”

In walking with God, Nehemiah had always sought to live to the praise of God. He would live his life for the audience of one – God Himself. He did not live for the applause of man. His constant prayer was for God to remember all that he had done. God was his personal motivation to do his best each day.

Nehemiah has left a great example of how to be an effective witness of God. He made God the object and motivation of his life. He lived by the motto that while others might live as they like, he, God’s child, could not live like them. He sought to live a life of separation unto God. Like Nehemiah, we must desire to adopt such a mentality, to always strive to glorify God in words, deeds, and actions.