Written by Uyoyou Christiana Charles-Iyoha
Moreover from
the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from
the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king,
[that is], twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the
governor. But the former governors that [had been] before me were chargeable
unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of
silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I,
because of the fear of God. Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall,
neither bought we any land: and all my servants [were] gathered thither unto
the work. Moreover [there were] at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews
and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that [are]
about us. Now [that] which was prepared [for me] daily [was] one ox [and] six
choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of
all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because
the bondage was heavy upon this people. Think upon me, my God, for good,
[according] to all that I have done for this people. Nehemiah Chapter 5 verses
14 to 19.
A nation, community and Church finances belong to
God and should therefore be divinely deployed. They should be deployed for
divine as well as national, community purposes that glorify God and increase
the kingdom of God. Some people in the Bible disdained the holy offerings of
God by partaking of what did not belong to them but to God. They were
irreverent, had no respect for God and dared to consume holy offerings. Their
actions were sacrilegious and led to judgment, in point of fact untimely death
and generational judgment from God. Please read 1st Samuel Chapter 2
verses 27 to 30, 8 verses 1 to 4, Joshua Chapter 6 verses 17 to 18, 7 verse 1,
20 to 21, Malachi Chapter 3 verses 7 to 12 for greater insight.
The finances of nations and communities are also
divinely designed to benefit the nationals of the nations and communities. They
are not meant to be squandered in riotous living or stolen by the leaders of
the people. It is a sin to deploy national or community resources for personal
benefits of aggrandizement. Achan attempted to secretly steal what was divinely
ordained for God and the nation of Israel. He became a stumbling block to the
nation and unfortunately died young as the penalty for his transgression was
death. Pathetically, he did not die alone.
It is true that certain Kings in the Bible were
wealthy but their wealth was not stolen from their national treasuries. God
made them wealthy through the financial as well as other gifts which they
received from other Kings, Queens and peoples. Kings David, Solomon,
Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah are some of such Kings. The Bible records that silver was
very common in Israel during the reign of King Solomon. Fiscal discipline and
integrity on the part of the King and his court ensured that there was much
money available to the Kingdom of Israel as well as the people of Israel. The
nation and the people enjoyed great economic boom, rapid development and peace.
Israel became the number one tourist destination then.
So king Solomon
exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom. And all the
earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold,
and garments, and armour, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.
And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and
four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the
cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem. And the king made silver
[to be] in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he [to be] as the sycomore trees
that [are] in the vale, for abundance. And Solomon had horses brought out of
Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.
And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred [shekels] of
silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the
Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring [them] out by their means.
1st Kings Chapter 10 verses 23 to 29.
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