Nehemiah 5:15
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.
The verse belongs to the time when the wall of Jerusalem had not yet been completed and attention was called to the distress of the poorer classes. That distress came from tillage neglected in an unsettled country, from selfish conduct that kept divine blessing from resting on the land, and from scarcity of grain. To get food for their families the poor bought on credit at exorbitant prices and borrowed on interest to pay the heavy taxes imposed by the kings of Persia, while the wealthier Jews took advantage of their necessities to enrich themselves.
The former governors were chargeable to the people by taking bread and wine besides forty shekels of silver, and even their servants bore rule over the people. Nehemiah, though his authority and position entitled him to demand contributions for himself, refused to be chargeable to the people or to burden and exploit them as the former governors had done. Instead he gave generously to relieve their need, because of the fear of God. His fear of God meant keeping the commands given through Moses for the poor: raising a tithe every third year for their benefit, letting the land lie fallow every seventh year with its spontaneous products left to those in need, never acting as a lender at interest on money, food, or anything lent, and not hardening the heart or shutting the hand from a poor brother but opening the hand wide and lending sufficient for need, since the poor would never cease from the land.
Faithfulness in devoting these offerings to relief of the poor and to other benevolent uses kept fresh the truth of divine ownership of all and the opportunity to be channels of blessing, and was training to eradicate selfishness and develop breadth and nobility of character. Fear of God in the verse requires resisting injustice and protecting people's rights, restraining injustice, refusing unjust exactions and oppressive use of authority, rejecting selfishness, dishonesty and wrong practices, and standing firmly for what is right and for Christian principles even when others act wrongly. His declaration that he did not do so expresses a firm refusal to take part in conduct that violates conscience and righteousness, even under persuasive pressure or business opportunity and dealings that would pollute the conscience.
Fear of God led him not to join other officers in unjust plans to control the people, but to take a stand against the first encroachment on their rights, to separate himself from those officers, and to rebuke conduct contrary to righteousness. The verse is an example for young people: when professed Christians act contrary to God's word in speech or conduct, they should turn from that example and choose to obey God.