The Fold of God’s Robe
Words of Faith 6-30-26
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2026
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Nehemiah 5
[10b] Let the exacting of usury stop! [11] Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them– the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil."[12] "We will give it back," they said. "And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say."
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. [13] I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, "In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!"At this, the whole assembly said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.

In the ancient world, men wore robes. Because they had no pockets, there was a fold in the robe beneath a rope or sash used to carry things. Like a large pocket, this fold was a place to carry valuable things close to the body. As Nehemiah concluded his plea for fairness among the people of God, he gave a powerful image using the fold of his own robe.

Nehemiah stood before the priests, nobles, and officials, as they promised to change their ways. In response, he suddenly shook out the folds of his own robe, spilling any small coins, important papyrus, or pocket items. The items would have fluttered and clattered as they were released into the air and chattered to the floor. Then Nehemiah made this prophetic statement— “In this way may God shake you out of your house if you do not keep this promise.”

The point was made, and it must have been stunning, because everyone said Amen! This means, “We trust this to be reliable—this is the truth!”

The oath was very simple. The people agreed that charging interest to poor brethren was wrong. They had been charging about 12% annually, or “the hundredth part of the money,” each month to impoverished people. Then they had seized land and homes when the debts could not be paid. These people made an oath to return property and charge no more interest to their brethren.

What is this thing that Nehemiah says? "In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise? So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!" Was it a curse? Was it a blessing? Perhaps it was simply the truth. Not a truth in the sense that people who gain interest through a bank will be shaken from the robe of God. But it is a reminder that if we are blessed, it is only at the gracious hand of God.

What a powerful image. We are in the fold of God’s robe. We are in His pocket. We are close to Him and secure. But we put that relationship in peril when we turn against others who are going through a hard time. If we take advantage of or profit from others' misery, we risk losing our place near God. If we promise to show compassion and fail to follow through, we risk that place. The shaking of the robe is not so much a judgment against the unjust as it is simply the shaking out of a relationship already broken by greed.

Lord God, I want to be close to You. I want that place close to You in the fold of Your robe. Help me clear away any broken relationships that have resulted from my neglect or greed. Help me see the needs of others as needs in my own family. Help me keep just relationships with others so that I may not be shaken from the fold of Your robe. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2025
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2025 Jeffrey D. Hoy.