We know that every passage in the Old Testament is there for our learning: so the apostle Paul tells us. These things are for our learning, for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the earth have come. The reason for the amount of detail we are given in this chapter is that it ministers to us, but at first sight it may appear to be difficult to see quite what the ministry to us is. The record tells us about the nobles and the heads of families in Jerusalem and in Judah among the returnees: here they are cheating their own people and making money out of them by usury, lending money with interest until their people are forced to sell up their possessions and lands, and even place their children into some form of servitude. What does this passage say to us? It is clearly, as you go through the passage, about this strange phenomenon among even those who are part of the typical church of old: hardness of heart. It does indeed minister to us. Who does not have a battle with coldness of heart, with hardness of heart? Sometimes you are all fire and zeal and gratitude to God, deep sense of indebtedness to Christ and love for him, and other times an extraordinary indifference to spiritual activities, and even to the word of God, and to spiritual service. What astonishing fluctuations can take place in our lives! There is a battle against hardness of heart, and that is going to be the main theme of this chapter.