Social Injustice

There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen. Some were saying, "We, our sons and our daughters are numerous. Let us get grain so that we can eat and live." Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine." Still others were saying, "We have borrowed money to pay the king's taxes on our fields and vineyards. We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, and we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaves, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others." Nehemiah 5:1-5

The people who were helping to build the walls were away from their usual source of income and this was causing severe hardship, so much so that the sons and daughters were being exploited, and the daughters were either being exploited sexually, or in danger of being so. Those that oppressed them were the leaders. Nehemiah was suitably enraged and took the leaders to task. Fortunately they agreed to restore all they had taken and more.

Exploitation happens in every society, some more so than others. In Australia we have a welfare system that is exploited by the lazy and those who work are being taxed heavily to pay for the lazy. A rage is growing. Yesterday I spoke to a man about an event in out government, a 'spill motion' against the Prime Minister. The PM had been unwise and was in danger of being removed. By the grace of God he retained his position. 

The man I spoke to said he supported the PM but was really annoyed that he worked 12 hours a day for a wage of $600 per week when someone could claim $550 a week being on a carer's pension. He had had a man come into his shop and had complained to him that now his mother had gone into a nursing home he would have to go on unemployment benefits which was a lot less than what he made caring for his mother. My response was, "why did not that man rejoice that he could now work." A attitude of 'you owe me, or I am entitled' is wrong and exploits those who are being taxed to support such lazy people.

The story in Nehemiah is different, in that the rich were e plotting the poor and taking, through users, what was not their right. Nehemiah was defending the poor, who had made time to help on the wall. This was a correction of injustice.

Unjust behaviour is wrong and whatever the circumstance or motive we have to be ruled by God's justice system, not out own greed. What is God saying? Amen!