The Book of Nehemiah Series #3
THE JERUSALEM GATES # 1
The Gates of Spiritual Progression - Part 1
By Pastor Jim May
Nehemiah 3:1-31
Nehemiah Chapter three concerns itself with the rebuilding of the walls and specifically the ten gates that separated each section of Jerusalem. What also stands out is the people that God has recorded as doing the work.
So what can we take from a chapter such as this? Well, quite a lot actually. If we look at these gates, their positions in the wall of the city, the order in which they were rebuilt and the purpose of each gate, I believe that each of the gates speak of different experiences in our Christian walk that each of us will face.
Their order and position is very specific and give us insight into the journey that God takes each of His children on.
The First Gate to be rebuilt was the Sheep Gate
Nehemiah 3:1, "Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel."
Nehemiah 3:32, "And between the going up of the corner unto the sheep gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants."
The very first gate mentioned is the Sheep Gate. It was called the Sheep Gate because this was the gate which the sheep and lambs that were to be used in temple sacrifices were bought through.
On the day of his crucifixion Jesus carried his cross out of the city, passing through the Sheep Gate. Just as many thousands of sheep had passed through this gate, the Lamb of God passed also.
Those sheep that were brought through this gate to be offered had to examined thoroughly for any blemishes or defects before they could ever enter the city. Only those who appeared perfect could be considered as worthy of offering to God on the Brazen Altar.
Once they were into the city and presented at the temple, they were examined even more closely insure that nothing would disqualify them for use as a sacrificial lamb. The Law of Moses, as given to him by God, stated that only a perfect lamb would be acceptable by God as an offering for the sin of Israel..
The Sheep Gate is a symbol of the very first experience we encouter in our Christian life. It is not through our own righteousness and our own blood, but by the perfect, precious Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world, that we are made righteous.
Not one of us could qualify to enter into the New Jerusalem without his sacrifice. But because Jesus was accepted, the “Sheep Gate” of that New Jerusalem is open for all who will enter by accepting Jesus’ sacrifice for their sin.
The Sheep Gate represents, in symbolism, the cross and the sacrifice that was made for our sins. That’s where our Salvation begins. The first step in having any relationship with God is by coming through the Blood of the Perfect Lamb.
John saw that Perfect Lamb in Revelation 13:8, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."slain from the foundation of the world.
The Sheep Gate then was the starting point of Nehemiah’s reconstruction project in rebuilding of the city just as it is the starting point of rebuilding our lives and our relationship with God.
If you were to read through the entire 3rd chapter of Nehemiah, you will find that the Sheep Gate is also mentioned at the very end of the construction process, once the work on the walls of the city have come full circle.
This is because everything starts and ends with Jesus’ death on the cross. The Cross of Christ is the central point of human history and the center point of eternal life. All of God’s plans for your life and for mine are hinged upon our passage through the Sheep Gate and the acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
The work next began on the Fish Gate
Nehemiah 3:3, "But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof."
To the north of the city of the city of Jerusalem lay the Sea of Galilee. There are a number of smaller lakes and fishing grounds on the northern side of Jerusalem but very few on to the south.
This gate was called the Fish Gate because the fisherman coming from the Sea of Galilee would bring their catch in through this gate to be sold in the city market.
I’m sure that Jesus walked through this gate many times as he began his ministry and the choosing of his disciples as they fished along the shores of Galilee. One by one, he picked them as he spoke those words, “come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
That’s the same call that goes out today. After we come to Christ through the Sheep Gate, the first commandment that Jesus gives us to “go out into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
The Fish Gate reminds us that we are to get involved in evangelism because we have been called to be ‘fishers of men’.
It is a natural progression in our Christian life that after seeing that Jesus dies for our sins, that we would want to tell others about it. Surveys have shown that believers who have been saved less than two years win the most people to the Lord. Their simple testimony of what Jesus has done in their lives qualifies them to be great ‘fishers of men.’
After the construction was completed on the Fish Gate, the next gate they came to was the Old Gate (also called the Jeshanah Gate)
From the Fish Gate we then continue down the wall, building and repairing until we come to the Old Gate.
Nehemiah 3:6, "Moreover the old gate repaired Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof."
The Old Gate represents something very special to each of us who has entered through the Sheep Gate and passed by the Fish Gate. The Old Gate brings us to the place where we must learn of the old ways of truth.
In the Old Gate the elders of the city would meet to discuss matters of community importance and issue judgment on disputes.
In the Book of Joshua, when the cities of refuge were established, it was to the Old Gate that those running for their lives were to report before they could enter the city.
Joshua 20:4, "And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entering of the gate of the city, and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them, and give him a place, that he may dwell among them."
The Old Gate was also where Boaz went to redeem Ruth as her kinsman.
Ruth 4:11, "And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:"
A young Christian having been washed in the Blood of the Perfect Lamb at the Sheep Gate, and then experiencing the evangelistic fervor at the Fist Gate, must soon be discipled and taught the established ways of living for the Lord. In order to learn those lessons, his next stop will be the Old Gate.
Younger converts will soon realize that they must seek out the wisdom and guidance of the church elders, those people who have a track record and who have learned through commitment what it takes to remain faithful to God. They learn that they must learn the old ways of truth that never change. While there may be fads, and some things may change with the cultures and the times, there are some things about the gospel that cannot be compromised.
A life of holiness and sanctification cannot be compromised. Belief in and acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior cannot be compromised. True heartfelt repentance cannot be compromised. The Word of God cannot be changed or compromised.
Jeremiah 6:16 says, ‘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.’
Many of our churches today are in trouble because they don’t want to pass through the Old Gate. All too many Christians cast away our traditions and throw aside the heritage that brought the gospel to them, and quickly embrace only the new things that tend to water down the gospel and ignore the warnings of the Word of God.
I think that we need to keep passing through the Old Gate time and again, lest we forget that this is the path into the New Jerusalem.
The next gate to be rebuilt was the Valley Gate .
Nehemiah 3:13, "The valley gate repaired Hanun, and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the dung gate."
If you will look at the picture you will notice that there is a long distance between the Old Gate and the Valley Gate.
For a new Christian the Lord allows a ‘honeymoon’ type period where He teaches, builds strength and increases our faith. God’s presence seems so strong. This can go on for some time as indicated by the positioning of the Old and Valley gates. But sooner or later the Valley Gate must come. The Valley Gate speaks to us of humbling and trials – valley type experiences used by the Lord for our personal growth.
Time spent passing through the Valley Gate is never easy but the Christian needs to remember that, in the natural, nothing really grows on the mountain tops where the ground is stony and barren. The fertile ground is down in the valley. So it is in the spiritual. It’s never a happy experience to go through the valley, but it always produces fruit.
The Valley Gate led to two main valleys that defined Jerusalem geographically and historically. First the Hinnom Valley separated Mount Zion from the Hill of Evil Counsel and the "plain of Rephaim" to the south.
Solomon erected high places for the idol god called Molech in this valley to whom children were sacrificed by fire.
King Josiah made the valley "ceremonially unclean" by spreading human bones over it and from then on it became the garbage dump of the city.
Because of its ceremonial defilement and its history of human sacrifice by fire, this valley came to be called "Ge Hinnom" or "Gehenna" which is the name used for hell itself, the Lake of Fire.
The second valley was called the Kidron Valley, which means "dim, dusky, gloomy". It was across this valley that Jesus walked to go to the Garden of Gethsemane before He was arrested and crucified. For many it was known as “the valley of the shadow of death”. That gives us a new meaning for Psalms 23:4 when David said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
It was in the Kidron Valley that the pagan altars and images were burned during the cleansing of Jerusalem.
The Valley Gate symbolizes for you and I that we were snatched from the fires of hell by the grace of God. Secondly the Valley Gate represents that we enter by enter the dark valleys of life sometimes by God’s directions and sometimes by the choices we make. It is the valley of suffering and cleansing.
These can be very long valleys for some of us and sometimes the trials are fiery and hot, but remember that in the valley the garbage in our lives is burned away and spiritual maturing and growth occurs while our hearts become fertile ground in the valley. The rocky, stony heart that we may have had on the mountaintop when we were filled with pride and self-reliance is broken and shattered and turned into a place where the seeds of God’s Word can grow.
I thank God for the Sheep Gate, and the Old Gate, and I must also thank God for the Valley Gate as well. In everything we are to give thanks.
The next gate to be rebuilt was the Dung Gate
Nehemiah 3:14, "But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof."
Again there is quite a distance to the next gate indicating that the valley experience can carry on for some time. But the result of that experience is seen in this next gate – the Dung Gate.
This is the gate that was used to take all the refuse and rubbish out of Jerusalem, down to the valley of Hinnom to be burned.
This is what happens in our own life. Valley experiences are used by the Lord to clear away the rubbish so that true faith, refined by the fire, can come forth and produce fruit. Clearing away the rubbish in our lives is never easy but the benefits of this experience can be seen in the next gate.
You will notice also that at this point of your Christian life there is a dramatic ‘turning of the corner’ that takes place.
From the diagram above, up until this point we have been moving downward and the experiences have been hard, but having come to this point there is a sharp turn in the road and we begin to move upward again.
It is now that we have finally begun to take on the attitude that the Apostle Paul had in Philippians 3:8, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,"
As God’s new creation, we count the shame and the ways of the old life as "dung" compared to knowing and experiencing the glory of Christ. We must clean out the trash in our heart and life and dump all this refuse out at the Dung Gate.
We begin this cleansing, or sanctification process by casting aside the sin of the old life, putting on the new man, and then learning to lean upon Jesus. We slowly but surely begin to overcome those little things that so easily beset us and draw us away from the Kingdom of God.
After a while we get to the place where living for Jesus becomes easier. The draw of the world is not as strong anymore. The old ways have been burned away. The old desires for the things of this world are growing weaker every day. The brightness of the future that we see ahead in serving our Lord makes the glitz and glamour of this world lose its luster.
Our treasure is not here anymore, now it’s in Heaven. Therefore, our hearts are set on finishing the course and running the race. We have a lot of walls left to build and a lot of gates left to pass through, and a lot of battle yet to fight, but now we have learned to trust in the Lord and keep building.
Next week we will continue building the walls of Jerusalem and see what the other gates have to say to each of us!
