NEHEMIAH 3-4 APRIL 19, 2016 Review; Compassion for his people Prayer before action Respect for authority Clarity in questions and answers Thorough assessment of needs Findings clearly presented to recruit others Steadfast resolve when opposed The Wall s LIFE application (Ray Stedman) 1. In order to rebuild the walls of your life you have to be concerned about the ruins 2. Strength must be protected 3. Weakness must be repaired 4. Repairs get accomplished in pieces 5. WHEN YOU ARISE TO REBUILD, Satan will arise to oppose NEHEMIAH 3 The Ten Gates of Israel The Sheep Gate 1. Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. Gate where sheep were brought into the city to be sacrificed Symbol of the Lamb of God and the principle of the cross The first gate repaired to facilitate sacrifice without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins
The Fish Gate 3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 4 And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired. 5 And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord. A designated area to enter and market fish. Symbolic of the importance of maintaining the strength of your witness.of being a fisher of men Interesting note about the nobles.with the people generally in accord on their involvement in rebuilding we have a group that has allowed its ego to rise above participation o They had elevated themselves of greatness to the point that serving him would be stooping. Whoa!! The Gate of Yeshanah 6 Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Gate of Yeshanah [ old ]. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 7 And next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, the seat of the governor of the province Beyond the River. 8 Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, repaired. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, repaired, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired. 10 Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah repaired.
11 Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. (Bakery?) 12 Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters. The old gate perhaps the foundation for others or the foundation for which others were designed o A symbolism of steadfastness and truth not to be overlooked or discarded. (tuning fork) Diverse group on this wall noblemen, goldsmiths, perfumers, sons and daughters of district rulers The Valley Gate 13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate. Symbolizes humility and an ego check o We often find our greatest blessing in our deepest valleys This is where Nehemiah s tour began and ended where he got first glimpse of the work that had to be done and the humbling task before him. The Dung Gate 14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Bethhaccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. An escape for the refuse of the city Each of us needs to be aware of the refuse in our life and be careful not to let it pile up. o The consequences can be a poisoning of our lives
The Fountain Gate 15 And Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it and covered it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And he built the wall of the Pool of Shelah of the king s garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the city of David. 16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, repaired to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool, and as far as the house of the mighty men. 17 After him the Levites repaired: Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, repaired for his district. 18 After him their brothers repaired: Bavvai the son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah. 19 Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the buttress. 20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai repaired another section from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 After him Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib. 22 After him the priests, the men of the surrounding area, repaired. 23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub repaired opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah repaired beside his own house. 24 After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress 25 and to the corner. Palal the son of Uzai repaired opposite the buttress and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king at the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh
Essential receptacle of water Pool of Siloam healing Symbolizes the refreshing and filling work of the Holy Spirit The Water Gate 26 and the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower. Symbolizes the cleansing Word of God Only gate that did not need repair The Horse Gate 27 After him the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel. 28 Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house. A Place where soldiers prepared for battle Symbolize the need for us to know there will be battles in a Christian s life, to be alert and prepared to confront the enemy. The East Gate 29 After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired. 30 After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber. Faces the sun and symbolizes the hope in the return of Christ Ezekiel was given a tour of the wall by an angel of the Lord, A glimpse into his millennial kingdom o Ezekiel 43:6 7 (ESV) 6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, 7 and he said to me, Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the
soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places, At the East Gate the place of Christ s return o Ezekiel 44:1 3 (ESV) 1 Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east. And it was shut. 2 And the LORD said to me, This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut. 3 Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way. A BIT OF HISTORY Dr. David Reagan The year was 1967. The occasion was the Six Day War. As the fate of the new state of Israel hung in the balance, I searched the newspapers daily for any information I could find about the war. The turning point came on June 7 when the Israeli army broke through the Lion's Gate and returned control of the ancient city of Jerusalem to the Jewish people for the first time in 1,897 years. A Mysterious Remark The next day I read a fascinating news account about one of the Jewish commando groups that had been involved in the assault on the city. The article stated that some members of the group had suggested catching the Jordanian defenders of the city off guard by blowing open the sealed Eastern Gate. But the leader of the group, an Orthodox Jew, had vehemently protested the idea, stating that "the Eastern Gate can be opened only when the Messiah comes." A Momentous Decision This prophecy was partially fulfilled more than 400 years ago in 1517 when the Turks conquered Jerusalem under the leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent. He commanded that the city's ancient walls be rebuilt, and in
the midst of this rebuilding project, for some unknown reason, he ordered that the Eastern Gate be sealed up with stones. Legends abound as to why Suleiman closed the Gate. The most believable one is that while the walls were being rebuilt, a rumor swept Jerusalem that the Messiah was coming. Suleiman called together some Jewish rabbis and asked them to tell him about the Messiah. They described the Messiah as a great military leader who would be sent by God from the east. He would enter the Eastern Gate and liberate the city from foreign control. Suleiman then decided to put an end to Jewish hopes by ordering the Eastern Gate sealed. He also put a Muslim cemetery in front of the Gate, believing that no Jewish holy man would defile himself by walking through a Muslim cemetery. A Prophetic Symbol The Gate has remained sealed since that time. The Muslim cemetery still blocks the entrance. The old walled city has eight gates, and the Eastern Gate, and it alone, is sealed just as prophesied in Ezekiel 44. The Muster Gate 31 After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the upper chamber of the corner. A place where troops were gathered for enlistment and inspection Symbolizes a life check are we prepared for the events to come. Back to The Sheep Gate 32 And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired. Summary observations o 40 different sections of the wall are mentioned o Each section was assigned to a different group o Each group works close to home.an investment then in something culturally important and meaningful to them
o The4re work ultimately to rebuild a wall that would protect their homes and businesses o Diversity of gifts and skills wringing in unity towards a common goal.ultimately a definition of the church. o And we did not even examine the engineering intricacies of the wall.this was not just a stack of bricks stack on top of each other! Nehemiah 4 1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 2 And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that? 3 Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, Yes, what they are building if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall! All of this incredible effort is ridicule and jeered as worthless effort We should not be surprised as the evil one will always confront the work of believers 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
PRAYER AGAINST ADVERSARIES 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5 Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. This is a pretty aggressive prayer. Is it okay to pray in this manner amidst so much scripture that commands us to love our enemy? o Nehemiah is asking God to deal with his enemies and ultimately to protect them. o And, for the success of God s cause Another example of prayer for judgement; o Revelation 6:9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? Prayer raised but no mention if or how answered here. Work moved forward amid opposition..halfway MARK 6 So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. OPPOSITION BECOMES MORE THAN JEERS 7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. 8 And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
These Jews are not being intimidated by words so the enemies are moving to plan B Nehemiah takes the threat seriously and is concerned for the safety of his people. GUARDS POSTED TO PROTECT 9 And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. 10 In Judah it was said, The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall. The task at hand becomes overwhelming. Did we bite off more than we can chew? Add to that the psychological pressure of an attack threat.and a secret attack; 11 And our enemies said, They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work. 12 At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, You must return to us. Wherever you turn, they will attack us (NIV) NEHEMIAH S COUNTER STRATEGY 13 So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes. Nehemiah s plan includes wit and faith. o A plan to stay on the alert
o A plan that invited them to remember God in the battle Not that they were not going to have to face the enemy In fact they were grouped with family as a discouragement to flee.to fight for their lives if necessary Nehemiah uses every tactic to keep the wall construction going 15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. 16 From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, 17 who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. 18 And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. PROGRESS REPORT / KINDLED RESOLVE 19 And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. 20 In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us. 21 So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. 22 I also said to the people at that time, Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.
23 So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand. Working day and night, not venturing out of the safety of Jerusalem, not even changing clothing as work progressed be it construction or security. o Model of fast tracking Most notable is Nehemiah s faith in God every step along the way. His example is a powerful model in what it means to be a man of God