Nehemiah 5 deals with some of the ethical issues going on in ancient Jerusalem at this point in history. Was it right to lay interest on fellow Jews who could not afford to pay? Should Nehemiah as governor exert all the privileges that came with his office? The answer to both questions was no.
A complaint reaches the ears of Governor Nehemiah in verses 1-5 that the common people are being charged interest and oppressed - by their own nobles and wealthy countrymen! Nehemiah is outraged. The Jews in exile had been diligently raising money and support to buy their fellow Jews out of slavery and debt. Now here were Jews in Judah who were extorting one another! Nehemiah insisted that the practice of charging interest upon the people was to stop at once and that the property seized be restored. The nobles, pricked by a guilty conscience, agreed (vs. 12).
Just as Nehemiah insisted that the powerful not press their advantage against the poor, he led by example. As governor, he could have insisted on a "food allowance" that would have to be provided by people he ruled over. Nehemiah could also have been like previous governors and taxed the people heavily and lorded his power over them. But he refrained. Instead of pressing his advantage, Nehemiah treated the people with fairness and compassion. He fed his people modestly, and insisted that his servants join in the work of rebuilding the wall.
In such decisions, Nehemiah demonstrated the way to rule justly.
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