Nehemiah - Chapters 5 & 13: Sin In God’s Community

---

Read Nehemiah 5

Questions:

1. What wrongs does Nehemiah find here, what example does he talk

about how he lived while in Jerusalem?

2. Deuteronomy 23:19, “Do not charge a fellow Israelite interest.”

   1. Why do you think the interest law was in place?

      
      

Read Nehemiah 13

Further along in Nehemiah in later chapters, he finds more issues within the

community.

Question:

1. What other problems and breaking the law does he find?

Read Ezra 10:1-4

In Ezra the people are called to send away their foreign wives and children:

Question:

1. Do you think this is harsh, but why does Nehemiah think it was

necessary?

2. Note that in Ch 13 v6 we learn that on Nehemiah’s return he finds these

problems had not been resolved. 2 years had passed and the people were still

involved in the sins that He and Ezra had sought to put an end too.

1. Why do you think this was the case?

3. What can we learn from the situation Nehemiah finds in the community?

Paul in his letters is constantly challenging the early church about sin in the

community. The early church clearly still struggled with these issues. He lists

Sexual immorality, Covetousness Idolatry, Reviling, Drunkenness, Extortion,

Slander and gossip, Greed and idolatry, to this we could add Pride.

Questions:

1. What other sins would you add to this list?

2. How do you think they impact the church?

3. Have you experienced these in our community?