8/9/2011 9:12:52 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: More Gates
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Nehemiah 3
Message of the verses: “26 The temple servants living in Ophel made repairs as far as the front of the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. 27 After them the Tekoites repaired another section in front of the great projecting tower and as far as the wall of Ophel.”
“The Ophel” (Nehemiah 3:26-27): This was a hill that was south of the temple area and it was between the horse gate and the water gate. It was greatly fortified and it also had a tower. Because it was close to where the water was the temple servants lived nearby.
The Horse Gate (Nehemiah 3:28): “Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each in front of his house.”
In 2Chronicles 23:15 we read that it was at this gate where the wicked queen Athaliah was executed. She was a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel who was married to the king of Judah and helped to introduce Baal worship into the nation.
Dr. Wiersbe writes of the significance of this gate: “The Horse Gate reminds us that there is warfare in the Christian life (2Timothy 2:1-4) and that we must always be ready to do battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). It is significant that the priests repaired this gate as well as the Sheep Gate. Both were near the temple area.”
The East Gate (Nehemiah 3:29): “After them Zadok the son of Immer carried out repairs in front of his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, carried out repairs.”
This gate is sometimes called the “Golden Gate,” and tradition says that the Lord Jesus Christ entered through this gate on what is called Palm Sunday. In the sixteenth century the gate was sealed up by the Turkish sultan, Sulayman the Magnificent. It was at this gate that Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord leaving and it is at this gate that the Lord of Glory will enter (Ezekiel 43:1-5). 1 ¶ Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; 2 and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. 3 And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. 4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. 5 And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.”
Dr. Wiersbe says that we can associate this gate with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming (1John 2:28).”
The Gate Hammiphkad (Nehemiah 3:31): “After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, carried out repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, in front of the Inspection Gate and as far as the upper room of the corner.” After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith’s son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the gate Miphkad, and to the going up of the corner.” (KJV
I will call this gate the Inspection Gate as it is in the NASB. It was here that the military troops were mustered for numbering and for inspection. It was at the northeast corner of Jerusalem, and it was the Northern side of Jerusalem that they were the most vulnerable to attack. Dr. Wiersbe writes: “When our Lord returns, He will gather His people together and review their works in preparation for given out rewards for faithful service (1Cor. 3:10-15; 2Cor. 5:9-10)”
Nehemiah’s report begins and ends with the Sheep Gate, the gate that reminds us of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for the sins of the world. The Jewish people rejected Him and so they lost their nation, their city, their priesthood and their temple. When the Lord return at His second coming to planet earth Zechariah writes that thing will be different for the Jews alive at that time: “10 "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. 11 "In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 "The land will mourn, every family by itself; the family of the house of David by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself and their wives by themselves; the family of the Shimeites by itself and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself and their wives by themselves. 13:1"In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity (Zec. 12:10-13:1).”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: This section on these gates has rich significance for all who are believers as the Lord has hidden great treasures in His Word that can be mined like fine gold, and I am thankful for Dr. Wiersbe who has helped to make these gates have greater meaning for me.
Because the study of the gates started and stopped at the Sheep Gate and because it is a reminder of the Sacrifice of the Lamb of God I am reminded of the Lord’s Table. At the Lord’s Table believers are to look back at what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for them at the cross, the Lamb of God dying for our sins, and then look forward to His return, reminders of the East or Golden Gate.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Continue to learn contentment through the ups and downs of my life.
2. Trust the Lord to work out the details of our trip home.
8/9/2011 10:02:45 AM
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