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Upon returning from exile, Nehemiah and the people committed themselves to rebuilding the wall.
There was a famine around this period seemingly because of the diversion of manpower from agriculture to the rebuilding.
The poor could not bear it and they protested to Nehemiah, the governor.
The large families complained of food shortage, some complained of using their fields, vineyards, and homes to pay for grain, others even had to borrow money to meet the king’s tax, and worse, gave out their children as slaves to meet up.
Meanwhile, there is a class among the people who not only enjoy abundance but make excessive gains through interest on the loans they give to their fellow Jews.
Nehemiah was sad about this and he stood up for the people.
He confronted the rich class for their action, and they promised to give all back and made no further demands.
In the second lesson, the report had gotten to Paul that some of the believers refused to work, but busy meddling in other people’s matters and causing unrest.
So, Paul closed his second letter to the church of the Thessalonians with exhortations about disciplining idly living believers.
When Paul was with the believers; he laid an example by working for his food and was never a burden to any of them.
He aimed to serve as a model for them to imitate.
While serving as a missionary among them, he gave them a rule: “Whoever will not work should not be allowed to eat.”
Paul instructed them to start working and earn their food and as a church be committed to helping those genuinely in need.
They are also to disassociate from people who disregard the instructions of Paul’s letter, not as enemies but as fellow believers; feeling ashamed would bring them to repentance.