Nehemiah 5

What issue as a whole did Nehemiah have to deal with in this chapter?

What are the exact complaints that the people bring to Nehemiah in verses 1-5? What do these reveal about the culture at the time?

What was his first reaction to these complaints? How did he prepare for meeting with the officials?

How did he go about presenting the issue, point by point, in verses 7-11?

How did the officials respond?

In verses 12-13, why did Nehemiah summon priests and shake out the folds of his robe?

What might be some modern day equivalents of this unjust behavior?

In verses 14-19, what kind of example was Nehemiah setting? How was that different from the governors before him?

What does this chapter show us about Nehemiah's character?

What important ingredients to rebuilding/starting anew do we see in this chapter?

What is one thing from Nehemiah's example that challenges you personally? How can you work on this in the next week or two?