A few years ago I noticed a church's outdoor bulletin board on my way to my church. The bulletin offered advice saying: "Income Tax Advice, Pay It". That was probably in March or April before tax forms and additional payments are due. Most employers have been getting out W-2 forms as we did from our church office recently.

Over 200 years ago Benjamin Franklin wrote, "Nothing is certain but death and taxes." From what I have read Benjamin did know that some other things were certain and he knew that taxes had been a reality back into early history.

As a result of taxes and hard economic times a practice known as usury came into existence in Old Testament times and the practice continues today. Usury may be defined as the act or practice of lending money at a rate of interest that is excessive or unlawfully high. You have probably not heard many sermons on usury, but today in our study of Nehemiah I want us to consider this subject, first usury in the time of Nehemiah and then usury today, in our times.

I. Usury in the Time of Nehemiah

In reference to these times Matthew Henry wrote: "Hard times and hard hearts made the poor miserable." While that statement could accurately describe the situation in many periods of history, it was indeed true in the time of Nehemiah. There was dissention within and a great outcry of the people against their Jewish brothers. You see, the wealthy Jews were taking unfair advantage of the less fortunate Jews and making there economic plight worse. Complaints that came to Nehemiah were from three classes: (1) large families without property, (2) families with properties they were mortgaging and (3) families who were borrowing money to pay taxes by pledging their crops and because of poor crops they were forced to sell there children into slavery. Many poor families had returned home from Babylonian captivity.

What a deplorable situation! Is it any wonder that Nehemiah was very angry when he realized what was going on? How did he respond? The Bible tells us that he consulted himself - he thought things through before he acted. "Be sure brain is engaged before putting mouth in gear" is a piece of advice on a poster in the music room of my school many years ago. Nehemiah took the time to think over how to wisely apply God's word regarding this terrible injustice.

Then he spoke, rebuking the nobles, the rulers, those who had power because they had money. Their wealth and power did not put them above the law. It did not give them legitimate excuse to take unfair advantage of others. Nehemiah called the people together to resolve this matter.

Because of this and the wording of verse 14 some Bible commentators think this took place after the rebuilding of the wall was completed. While verse 14 might seem to suggest it was later, if in fact it was during the building, it is another illustration of obstacles within in the midst of obstacles without that we talked about last week. Regardless of the fact that Nehemiah had his hands full, this dissention within was so devastating that it needed prompt attention.

Nehemiah criticized these officials for demanding excessive interest from their own Jewish people. The Scriptures do not prohibit the lending of money at a reasonable rate of interest, but strictly forbid a Jew from charging interest on a loan from a fellow Jew.

Commenting on this, Edward Pollard, in ISBE wrote, "The Hebrew Law concerning the exaction of interest was very humane. Hebrews were to lend to their brethren without interest. ... A fact generally overlooked is that here in Israel, commercial loans were practically unknown; ..." Loans were made to help one another during difficult times.

New Bible Commentary wrote, "Nehemiah's relief measurers included the return of all alienated property and the cessation of future payment of interest, thus allowing those who had borrowed money to pay off the capital sum in due time. The Jewish nobles, taking advantage of Nehemiah, had sold their fellow Jews to foreign masters, knowing that Nehemiah's policy was to buy them back."

In verse 9 we see that Nehemiah appeals to their national conscience and their testimony to other nations. "What you are doing is very evil. Should you not walk in the fear of our God? Don't we have enough enemies among the nations around us who are trying to destroy us?" Can you imagine what a disgraceful testimony this was to other nations to see the dissention within - the people taking unfair advantage of their fellow Jews? After the appeal to their conscience, Nehemiah clearly asked them to stop the business of usury and asked them to give back their fields, their olive groves, their homes and the interest they were receiving and to do it that very day! They agree to do it and to continue to help their brothers for nothing in return. As if that wasn't enough, Nehemiah called the priests to take an oath that they would carry out their promises and placed a curse of God upon any who refused. V. 13 and compare with Proverbs 28:8.

That's enough about Usury in the time of Nehemiah, What about

II. Usury Today

I hope you don't have to borrow money to pay your taxes like Nehemiah's brothers did. However, we live in a society that functions on credit, and the use of credit often leads to usury. Some allow themselves to buy too much on credit so that they end up paying very high interest rates. Such high interest rates could be rightly described as usury.

The late Larry Burkett, Christian Financial Counselor wrote, "The average young married couple tries to accumulate in about three years what it should take them thirty years to accumulate." Wealth and riches in God's eyes includes salivation, family, friends - not just money and material possessions. Realize as well that ALL that we have really belongs to God anyway.

Christians are among the victims of usury today. Some persons allow themselves to get into debt so that it causes major problems in their marriages and families. It results in dissention within. Many churches experience difficulties as victims of usury with huge debts.

We live in a wonderful state that is going to the dogs, the horses, the lotto balls and the floating casinos. I believe that some Polk County leaders made some extremely foolish financial decisions about Prairie Meadows several years ago, poor judgment even apart from Christian moral standards. Riverboat Gambling has become a major attraction. Have you ever thought about the usury of the lottery? It is an extremely regressive tax placing an unfair burden on those less able to pay.

Conclusion

Perhaps, in some ways, many of us find ourselves as victims of usury. Could any of us be guilty of some form of usury, taking unfair advantage of someone else, especially someone less fortunate? If so, how do we respond to Nehemiah's words, "What you are doing is evil"? Some of the results are homelessness, broken families, persons thinking the world owes them a living, compulsive gamblers who deprive their children of food and a home, people who allow the pursuit of money and possessions to be their god.

He asked them to stop taking unfair advantage of others and vow that they would keep this promise.

Redemption in Nehemiah's time - those sold into slavery.

Redemption in our times, Jesus redeemed those living as slaves to sin.

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