8/6/2011 8:09:24 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: The places of work
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Various verses
Message of the verses: In the introduction of this fourth and last main point of this third chapter of both Nehemiah and “Be Determined” Dr. Wiersbe explains where and to which direction Nehemiah and his workers began the work, which was with the Sheep Gate and that was in the northeast corner of Jerusalem. Towards the end of his introduction her writes: “His primary purpose was to document for posterity and the official records the names and accomplishments of the people who worked on the wall. Without straining the text, however, we can glean from this chapter some spiritual illustrations to encourage us in our own personal lives and ministries.” So with that said I will begin the first sub-point of which is the Sheep Gate.
The Sheep Gate (Nehemiah 3:1, 23). “1 ¶ Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. 32 Between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants carried out repairs.”
Some of us that live in the U.S. who are old enough to remember, may think that the most significant gate listed here would be the “Water Gate,” but that is not true for the believer, for the most important gate is the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate was worked on by the priest, and is the only gate in Scripture that is identified as being sanctified, meaning dedicated to God in a special way. Why? Well this was the gate that was closest to the Temple of the Lord and it was the gate where all of the animals came into Jerusalem including the animals to be sacrificed to the Lord.
Nehemiah begins and ends his writings on the gates with the Sheep Gate, and the Sheep Gate reminds us of the Lord Jesus Christ who was the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world. He is also the “Alpha and the Omega”, the beginning and the end. There are no bars and locks described on this gate for we can always come into the presence of the Lord through prayer, and lost sinners have access to Him at all times.
The Old Gate (Nehemiah 3:6). “6 Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars.” This gate is probably in the Northwest corner of Jerusalem and their some students who identify it as the “Mishneh Gate” which is a word in Hebrew that means second or new quarter. There is a paradox here for it is believed that the Old Gate leads into the new section of the city, that is in Nehemiah’s day it was the new section. Dr. Wiersbe writes “But it is from the old that we derive the new; and if we abandon the old, there can be nothing new (see Jeremiah 6:16 and Matthew 13:52). “Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ’We will not walk in it.’” “And Jesus said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.’”
The Valley Gate (Nehemiah 3:13). “13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars, and a thousand cubits of the wall to the Refuse Gate.”
This gate is where Nehemiah began his tour of the city as seen in Nehemiah 2:13. The location of this gate was at the southwest corner of Jerusalem and was around 500 yards from the dung gate. This gate opened into the Valley of Hinnom. The workers here not only repaired this gate or rebuilt it, but they worked on the nearly 1700 feet of the wall between this gate and the dung gate.
Dr. Wiersbe writes “Every Christian needs a ‘valley gate,’ for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (1Peter 5:5-6). It is only as we yield to Christ and serve others that we can truly enter into the fullness of the life He has for us (Philippians 2:1-22).”
The Dung Gate (Nehemiah 3:14). “14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, the official of the district of Beth-haccherem repaired the Refuse Gate. He built it and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars.”
I could hardly wait to get to this gate. The commentary on this from Dr. Wiersbe is interesting and sometimes when you are not looking forward to something it becomes something that you are glad you did and this may be the case here. There is history of this gate as it is where King Manasseh had the children sacrificed to idols and it is where King Josiah had desecrated by turning it into a rubbish heap (2Kings 23:10)
The gate is located in the southernmost tip of Jerusalem near the pool of Siloam and it was the main exit to the Valley of Hinnom where the city disposed of its garbage. Jesus actually used this as a picture of Hell in Mark 9:44.
Here is the part of the commentary that I want to quote from Dr. Wiersbe and it makes the study of this gate profitable: “The sanitary disposal of waste material is essential to the health of a city. This gate did not have a beautiful name, but it did perform an important service! It reminds us that, like the city, each of us individually must get rid of whatever defiles us, or it may destroy us (2Cor. 7:1; 1John 1:9). “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
That is enough gates for one study but I will try and finish the gate study in the next SD.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Like the Sheep Gate that represents the Lord Jesus Christ; everything in my life must begin and end with the Lord. He has no locks and bars on Him so I can come to Him at anytime and for any problem that I am going through. I must remember that I can also come to Him with the praise and worship that He only deserves and this can be done at any time of place, for He is only a prayer away. One of the prayers that I pray is found in 1John 1:9; for there are many times I am in need of spiritual cleansing. Psalm 139:23-24 is a good prayer for me to pray too as there are times when I know that I need cleansing but do not know from what.
My Steps of Fait for Today:
1. Continue to learn contentment.
2. Psalm 139:23-24
3. 1John 1:9
4. Romans 12:1-2
5. Ephesians 6:10-18
6. Proverbs 3:5-6
8/6/2011 9:07:28 AM
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