The Daily Walk | 05.21.2026 | Dan Stephens | Exodus 22:25 (NIV)

It's Thursday, May 21st, and I'm Dan.

Good morning.

Nehemiah chapter 5 deals with Nehemiah handling a conflict related to Jerusalem's poor by reinstating the no usury clause from the Mosaic Law.

Nehemiah 5 · chapter mention

What was that clause?

Well, it's found in Exodus 22, 25, where it says, If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal.

Charge no interest.

So you could also call it the no interest law if you like.

Wouldn't that be wonderful to not be charged interest?

Yes, this is true, but I'm thinking that many of you listening to me actually have the means to pay interest when it's required.

However, if you are in a financial bind, just having that little burden of not having to pay back a loan with interest is a blessing.

If you read Nehemiah 5 too quickly, you might miss the heart-wrenching drama that's going on with God's people, raising an outcry against the nobles and officials of Jerusalem who were keeping their people in bondage in so many ways.

Besides charging interest on the poor, verse 3 says the people were mortgaging their fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during a severe famine that was happening at the same time Nehemiah was building the wall.

Verse 4 speaks of the people having to borrow money just to pay the king's taxes.

And tragically, some of them were even having to sell their sons and daughters into slavery.

No wonder Nehemiah was very angry after hearing the outcry of his own people.

Now, I ask you today, does it make you angry when you see the poor of our society oppressed?

More importantly, does it lead you to action?

What are you going to do to help?

The whole chapter reminds me of the oft quoted Micah 6.8, which says, He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?

It's my prayer today that we have the will for justice to be done for the oppressed and a heart of kindness that reaches out to all in the name of Jesus.