Address—G.H. Hayhoe
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Last week we were speaking about Ezra and the company that came back to Jerusalem. And this afternoon I'd like to look at Nehemiah and the third chapter where we have brought before us the building of the wall of Jerusalem, so the third chapter of Nehemiah. And there are 10 gates that are mentioned in this chapter, and I'd like to just speak about these gates in the order in which they're given and also the comments.
Spirit of God has been pleased to make about each one of them because I believe they have something for us to learn.
So I think I'll just read the little portion that refers to each one of the gates. Let's start then at the first verse, just the 1St 2 verses. Then Elias Shiv 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 under the tower of Mia. They sanctified it under the tower of Hannah Neil. And next unto him builded the men of.
And next to them builded Zachary, the son of Emory.
Now, I believe it's very important what we have brought before us in connection with the building of the wall, but I believe it's also very necessary for us to notice that the book of Ezra precedes the book of Nehemiah. And historically it was before Nehemiah. God in his goodness brought back a remnant from Babylon. His people had been carried into Babylon, into captivity.
And Babylon no doubt represents the confusion and to which Christendom has sunk. And when God finally judges the false church it's spoken of his Babylon, well, God's people were actually carried into Babylon. And even though God had faithful witnesses like Daniel and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in Daniel, it never was the place where God would have his people to be, although he sustained those who were faithful.
And we know that even during all those dark ages, God had his faithful servants, man and women too, who are faithful to him even to death. But we find that God and his goodness brought back a company. We were reading about them last Lords day from Babylon back to Jerusalem.
And I believe it corresponds in the history of the Church to the goodness of God and bringing back the truth to us of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus, gathered according to His Word, gathered where He would have us as members of His body around himself.
Well, that little remnant in Ezra, when they returned, the first thing that we find them doing was to set up the altar of burnt offering that was giving the Lord His rightful place. Then we find them building the temple, and this was before the building of the wall. And I say I believe this is very important because we must first of all have a center before there can be separation. If we had separation apart from God's center, it would just be.
Like the Pharisees and they were boastful and they shunned and looked down upon others, but they didn't know what it was to recognize the true center. The Lord Jesus was among them and He was rejected. No wonder that He had to say when He went out of the temple. Your house is left unto you desolate. What was the empty building if He was rejected? And what is separation if it's not to a person? Let us go forth there for.
Him without the camp bearing his reproach. I believe Mr. Darby once said, anyone who speaks of separation without being humbled by it only shows his own unbroken spirit. And how could we speak of separation when we think of what failures we are, but when we think of the person around whom God has gathered us in His grace?
This is what makes the place, and This is why separation is important.
Not separation in itself as a cold fact, but separated unto him. Even when we read of separations in Second Corinthians, in Second Corinthians chapter 6, it says that if we would separate, the Lord says that come out from among you among them, not go out, come out, it's to a person. And he says, I will be a father unto you, and he shall be my sons and daughters saith.
Almighty. So let us always remember this. And so I say again, they first built the temple, the place where the Lord had chosen to put His name, and then in the time of Nehemiah, there was the building of the wall. Well, we find too the constant danger, and I might just mention this. And I believe there's a purpose why the Spirit of God mentions it. Nehemiah.
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Even though he was occupied in this, we find that he often mentions.
In his prayer, Remember Me, O God, for good, He was really occupied with himself.
And, you know, it's quite possible for us to be doing the right thing and be sort of proud that we are doing the right thing.
And I believe God lets us see this in His Word to show that it's very important to do the right thing.
But let us seek grace to do it in the right spirit, and the spirit in which we should always do anything for him. His humility, What God requires. We are told to walk humbly before thy God. And it seems that there was that spirit with Nehemiah. I was rather struck in noticing. When Ezra saw the condition of the people of God, he pulled out his own hair. He felt so badly about it that he was really cast down in himself.
But Nehemiah pulled out other people's hair. He was more concerned about the wrong that other people were doing and perhaps forgot to apply it to himself. And it's very easy for us to do this, but we need to first of all be before the Lord. The hairs, as we know, a picture in the word of the glory. And so he said that he wanted to acknowledge how badly he had failed because he was the leader of God's people.
Got Nehemiah seemed to be very occupied with what he was doing. Well, may the Lord give us grace to do the right thing.
In the right spirit, in the right way. I just mentioned this before we speak about this very interesting chapter about the building of the wall. There are 10 gates that are mentioned here in this chapter, and I believe there's a beautiful order. We know that when the heavenly Jerusalem is brought before us in Revelation 21, there are 12 gates, but here we only have 10.
And perhaps that brings before us the fact that we are not to look for perfection down here in this world.
No, when the apostle was writing to those at Corinth, he sought to bring before them many things, but he added this little expression and the rest. Well, I said in order when I come. And if we're ever looking for a perfect group, we're going to be disappointed. We're not perfect ourselves, but we can seek to fulfill our own responsibility. And 10 is the number in the Bible that represents responsibility. Godward, there were 10 commandments.
And so we have 5 fingers on each hand. There are 10. It always brings before us that thought of responsibility. And so, as I say, we don't look for perfection, not as long as we are here upon earth. But we do have a responsibility to God, our responsibility to the One who loved us and gave himself for us. And perhaps that's why there are 10 gates in this chapter.
We notice here that it was.
Elias Ship, the high priest, who rose up with his brethren, the priests, and builded the sheep gate. This chapter begins and ends with the Sheep Gate. It was actually, as we know, going around the city, and so it started there at the sheep gate. The 9 intervening gates are brought in, and then it comes back again to the sheep gate. Because there's no progress beyond this. I'm sure that each one of us can think of a verse that applies as we read this here.
Says they build the sheep gate and we think of John's Gospel chapter 10.
Where the Lord Jesus said I am the door of the sheep, And then he said I am the door.
By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. So I don't think any of us have any difficulty in seeing what the sheep gate is brings before us the precious Savior. And it tells us in that same 10th chapter of John that he entered in by the door. He came in fulfillment of all the Old Testament scriptures that pointed on to him.
The one who would come as the Good Shepherd to give his life for the sheep.
And that's the grand starting point. How could any of us be brought into any place of blessing whatever? As I said before, what would separation be worth unless we had a person to whom we can be separated? So it begins with that blessed One who came and himself entered in by the door, and then himself became the door He entered in, because all the Old Testament prophecies told about the coming of the Messiah and the work he would do. And that's why it says to him.
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Openness, I believe it was the Holy Spirit bearing witness to this One who came fulfilling all those scriptures. And then as we know, as the Good Shepherd, He gave His life for the sheep, and now He is the door. He is the way of entrance. And unless you have entered by that door, unless there is, unless you have received them as your Savior, why, you haven't even made the start of what this chapter brings before us. So how very blessed it is.
Behold of this high priest rose up and the priest and they builded the sheep gate. That is the Lord really, I believe is given his rightful place. You notice too, it's rather interesting to me that on some of the on some of the gates, it speaks of locks and bars. But in this one here it doesn't mention anything about that. Now some have thought that perhaps there was failure in not putting locks.
Bars on all the gates. But perhaps there is also a reason why the Spirit of God has omitted that in some of them. And I would just suggest here that it's very blessed to my soul. There are no locks and bars to keep one from coming to that Good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus says I am the door, and he invites us. His arms are open wide, inviting whosoever will to come.
And enter in and be blessed.
And so there were no locks and bars here. And if there's one here who hasn't come, I want to tell you there's no locks and bars now to keep you out.
There is a free entrance, and the Lord Jesus has, as the Good Shepherd gone to Calvary that he might have his sheep. He has borne the judgment and he enters He He invites you to come in. Notice too, that it mentions it was sanctified, set apart.
This is very blessed too, because the Lord Jesus, as we're told in Hebrews chapter 10 by 1 offering a perfected forever them that are sanctified. And then it says by the which will we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. So that precious Savior has done the work, and then it tells us that next unto him builded the men of Jericho.
Well, we know that Jericho is the city of the curse.
Isn't that just like this world, this world, it was under the curse because it says in Galatians 3 curse, it is everyone that continue with not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them. This world was exposed to judgment just like Jericho beautiful city though it was. It was a city that was under judgment and here are the men of Jericho building the sheep gate and we were once exposed to God's judgment. We were under.
Curse as it were, but isn't it very blessed that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us? Oh, what a precious Savior who has redeemed us. And so here we find the high priest, we find the his brethren, the priest who perhaps bring before us believers. And then we find the men of Jericho, which we were once under judgment.
Once in condemnation, like the little hymn says, Once we stood in condemnation, waiting. Thus the sinners doomed.
Christ in death has wrought salvation. God hath raised him from the tomb.
So this was the start, and the fish the sheep gate rather. Now let's read what it says about the fish gate here. The third verse on to the end of the fifth. At the fish gate did the sons of Hasana build, who also laid the beams thereof.
And set up the doors their oven locks their oven the bars thereof. And next unto them repaired Merrill Moth the son of Urijah the son of Cause. And next unto them repaired Mashhilum the son of Berakaya, the son of Meshes Bill. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Vena. Next unto them the Techowites repaired. But their nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord.
Now perhaps when we think about the fish gate, perhaps we could turn just for the connection to Mark's gospel.
And I think we can learn something from Mark chapter one and verse 17.
And Jesus said unto them, That was Simon and Andrew, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their Nets and followed him. Well, you know when we've entered by the door, and we know that we belong to the Lord. Isn't it true that that's what we desire? Why, we want to have part in telling others the good news?
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Just as the disciples were now to become fishers of men, the Lord was going to give them that privilege.
And he took them from their employment of being fishermen in the sea, and said they would be fishers of men. And I know all the children have sung that little song. I will make you fishers of man if you follow me. We know that we have a very blessed privilege. The Lord Jesus is absent now. He's gone back to glory, but he gives us this privilege. And how can we be used of Him in this work? Well, he said, come ye after me.
And I will make you to become fishers of men. This isn't first. It follows the sheep gate, doesn't it?
And then we find this.
Privilege given of building this, and it says they laid the beams thereof and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. Well, I believe this is very important here because we need to be very careful when we preach the gospel that we preach it according to truth. There are some people who perhaps would call it the gospel and tell people that they have to keep the law. They would tell them they have to do certain works of their own. They're not setting up the gates.
And the bars showing that there's only one way of salvation and we need to be well established in the truth of God. I believe it's very important when we speak for our precious Savior and that we make the gospel very clear. There's no compromise. We often hear in this day of what is called a watered down gospel, a gospel. It really doesn't stand for the truth of God. And I think it's important.
That we should remember this saw that these who were engaged in building the fish gate, they were very careful at this fish gate was set up in such a way that the beams, the foundation, the doors were set in a certain way. There was no other way but through Christ.
It says in Acts 4 and 12, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Some people will think, well you need to be broad minded in this, in this age when we stand for God's truth, we must stand firmly and faithfully and especially when it has to do with the gospel. And so the disciples weren't sent out just to do as they.
Pleased he, the Lord said you stay with me, and I'll make you to become fishers of men in his company. They learn how to do this, and you and I want to be used of the Lord. Do we want to be used of Him?
Well, it's very important then that we spend time in his company, that we're with this blessed One, the one who is the Good Shepherd, the one who knows. For it says he that winneth souls is wise. And sometimes we're not very wise in the things we do. We repel people. I think Peter meant well when he defended the Lord by cutting off a man's ear. But that wasn't a very good thing to do because then the man couldn't listen to what he said. And sometimes we do very.
Things and we cut people's ears off and then we expect them to listen well. We need to be careful and that we seek to do what the Lord's work in the Lord's way and by being in the company of the Lord Jesus. What they learned how wonderfully he spoke to every person he knew just exactly how to approach each one and he always did it perfectly and wisely.
So.
This brings before us the Fish Gate, and then it tells us about these different ones that were engaged in this and their names. Here we find the name of Michelle who was one of the leaders, and we'll speak a little bit about him later. Michelle, I'm the son of Barakaya. But now let's notice what it says in the fifth verse. And next unto them the Techowites repaired, but their nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord.
Now, there were some that apparently were quite diligent in this work, but here were those who were nobles. Maybe that means that they thought they were someone kind of important and so they they didn't put their necks to the work of the Lord. We all know, I think, what that means. They just weren't willing to put energy into doing these things. And I'm sure that all of us have to hang our heads.
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Sometimes we just get so busy.
We think that we're somebody important and somebody big. And so we're so occupied with maintaining our own importance and our own place in life that we're not really diligent. We're not really willing to put ourselves out in serving the Lord. It was the nobles, the ones that ought to have known better and have done better, and they just didn't apply themselves. And I want to say this, and I say it to myself as well as to each one.
The scripture says cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently. The Lord wants diligent workers. He wants those who really have a true interest in souls. And we're not just going about it in 1/2 hearted way when we realize what a master we have and the value of the soul. Let's put our next to the work, sometimes even in trying to get those who teach Sunday school or who will help in the work of the Lord.
You find it very difficult to find ones who are willing to be there every Lord's Day.
To try and help in the work and visit the children and take an interest in the children. Or perhaps they say, well, I just have so many other things, I can't do it. Their nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord. If you undertake to do anything for the Lord, put your neck to the work.
It says about some in Romans 16, Priscilla and Aquila, I believe it was. It says who have for my life laid down their own necks. That doesn't mean they had their heads cut off, but they were so diligent they were willing to, as it were, sacrificed their own interests and let put down their heads and said we're going to work as much as the Lord gives us strength in his work. Well, this is all in connection with a fish gate, which undoubtedly brings.
For us, serving the Lord now, we have next the old gate, beginning from the sixth verse.
Down to the end of the 12Th verse. Moreover, the old gate repair Jehoiada the son of Passaya, and Masholam the son of Vesediah. And they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, and the locks thereof, and the bars thereof. And next unto them repaired Melatia the Gibeonite, and Jaydon the Maranatha knight.
The men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, under the throne of the Governor on this side of the river.
Next unto him repaired as the oldest son of Hirhaya of the Goldsmiths. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah, the son of one of the apothecaries. And they fortified Jerusalem under the broad wall. And next unto them repaired Raphael the son of her, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. And next unto them repaired Jedi Aya, the son of Harumpa.
Even over against his house and next unto him repaired Haddish, the son of Hashem NIA Mel Qaeda, the son of harem and hashish, the son of Path Moab. Repair the other piece and the tower of the furnaces.
And next unto him repaired Shalom, the son of Helloish, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, and waters. I would like to just turn to a verse in connection with the old gate. It's in Jeremiah chapter 6, Jeremiah chapter 6, and the 16th verse.
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way? And walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
This is very interesting to me why the old gate follows on the fish gate. You know, we're told that we've got to go to modern methods, and sometimes these modern methods take us out of the path of obedience to the Word of God. Now I know that we do need to have understanding of the times and to serve our own generation according to the will of God. And the Lord can show us how to live and act in our generation, but we don't have to.
Compromise the truth. We don't have to depart from the truth. And sometimes in order, as people will say, to accomplish something, you have to sidestep the path of obedience a little bit. Is that so? Is that what the Lord wants us to do? No. Here we find a great deal said about the old gate. It's rather remarkable to me that there are all these verses from the sixth verse down to the end of the 12Th all about the old gate.
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And it must have been very important. And when we connected with that verse in Jeremiah, we can see, I think, what it means. Stand in the way and ask for what? A new path for a different age. No, ask for the old paths. But some said, Oh no, we're not going to walk in those old paths. And so we say it was a loss to them when they didn't.
But here we find that there were those who were very busily engaged here, building up, setting up the beams and the doors and the locks and the bars.
These were the old paths. They were not going to allow something to come in, even in the work of the Lord, that was not according to His word. They were going to seek to follow His directions. And as our brother Brown used to say, we can never be wiser than God. If we think that we can accomplish something by getting out of the path of obedience, we're really saying we're wiser than God.
And sometimes we do it for various reasons.
We might do it because we're put under pressure. We may do it for friends, we may do it because we say, well, other people see results.
I often thought of what you have in acts there, when Paul came up to Jerusalem and he had been serving the Lord very faithfully and James said to him, Thou seest brother, how many thousands of Jews there are that believe, and they're all zealous of the law. And now they tried to get.
Paul to go along with Judaism, that was quite a difficult thing for Paul, wasn't it? Well, he was really. James was really saying, well, look.
All the results we're getting thousands believe what have you got to show Paul and.
And we have far more. Therefore it must be right to put the Lord's people under the law. Was it? Was that right to put them under law? Was Paul the compromise, his position? Well, it was pretty hard not to give in to this kind of pressure. And sometimes these very pressures are brought to bear upon us. And now what are we going to do? Here's the old, the old gate. And Jeremiah talks about the old.
Paths. What are we going to say?
Are we going to say we will not walk there in, or are we going to do like these workers who build it up this old gate and all these different names are mentioned? Because, you know, when you try to work for the Lord and do it according to His word, people won't make much of you. Your name will hardly be known in Christendom. You'll be somebody. That seems very unimportant. But I think it's quite interesting that the Lord records more names here in this than in the rest.
Because what the Lord values is obedience. He tells us to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of Rams. Isn't it better to have your name on God's honor roll? That's what really counts. And so here are a lot of names given, and there were ones who were.
Of the Goldsmiths, and there was the son of one of the apothecaries and different people. That one was a ruler of the half part of Jerusalem. These noble people, these people who had, we might say, good jobs and all.
Were they going to go along in the old paths? Oh, may the Lord give us grace to walk in obedience to his word, to follow in that path that He has marked out for us. And it's rather interesting in the 12Th verse, this is the only one of all gates that it talks about He and his daughters. And to me this is quite interesting because.
People might say, Oh well, this is a different age and now women take a prominent part in business and everywhere. Why can't they have a prominent place in the service of the Lord? But the only place where we find the women mentioned was in the old gate. There is a service for the sisters, a very important service, but it's not to get out of what God has said in His Word. It's in that path.
So we find there were those who labored in the gospel, but it doesn't say that they were up in public preaching. We find in the Old Testament different ones who were very faithful to the Lord, women whose names were mentioned. And so I believe this is helpful for us to see this. There is a place there's a young lady back in Ottawa.
A home where her parents were not saved and she was staying in this home and someone came to stay there.
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A woman preacher, a woman preacher, and she got talking to this girl and she said, I hear in your group you don't give women any place. Oh yes, she said, we give women a very important place in ours. Oh, I didn't know that. She said, well, she said we give them the place that God's word gives them. And isn't that what we want? The place that God's word gives them? We believe that women occupy a very important place.
Sometimes more important than men.
And no doubt in that coming day of manifestation, we may be surprised that it may be sisters who will get the greatest rewards. God gives to them a very important place, but He has given the place that pleases Him. He has set in the body as it pleased Him. May we all be willing to occupy the place the Lord intends for us.
Now we come to the next one, the 13th verse. Just one verse here.
The Valley Gate repaired Hannon and the inhabitants of Zenoa. They build it and set up the doors thereof and the locks thereof and the bars thereof, and 1000 cubits on the wall onto the Dung Gate. Here we find this rather brief mention about the Valley Gate. Well, I won't turn to it, but I like to connect this with the 23rd Psalm where it says, yeah, though I pass 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. And perhaps that's the reason that we have this brought before us after the old gate. We were talking a little bit about this last night with the young people. How lovely it is when we come to the end of the journey, when if the Lord leaves us here, someone like the apostle Paul.
Must come and lay down his life to be able at the end of his life to feel.
That He has sought, with the Lord's help, to walk in the path of obedience. We were mentioning how?
Paul said when he was talking to the elders at Ephesus that he had two great desires, and that was that he might finish his course with joy and that he might fulfill the ministry that the Lord had given him to fulfill. And you can't have any higher desire than that. And when you come to the end of life, if the Lord leaves you here to have finish your course with joy. All Christians don't sometimes Christians who have.
Away from the Lord, they come back and have to look back on a wasted life. They don't finish their course with joy. They just wish that they had devoted their lives more for the Lord. But it's too late, as a little poem says. Lost 1 golden hour somewhere between sunrise and sunset. Set with 60 diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for it's gone forever.
You can never recall yesterday. You can't bring it back. But I'll tell you this, that if you seek to walk in the path of obedience.
As you get on in life, He'll praise the Lord that He has preserved you and kept you.
And it's a very happy thing as we go on to find that the Lord is able to sustain us in the path. We may be weak, indeed, we are weak in ourselves. But here we come to the to the valley gate. And when we come to the end of the journey, how lovely it was to hear the Apostle Paul say, I know whom I believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
That didn't mean that he simply committed the salvation of his soul to the Lord, it meant that he committed his whole life to the Lord, and he left it until that day. Well, this was the happy path. So this, I believe, would be brought before us in the Valley Gate, the end of the journey, no doubt. Now we come to the next one, the Dungate, the 14th verse. But the Dung Gate repaired Malkai, the son of Recap, the ruler.
A part of Beth Hackerum.
He builded and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars there are. Maybe we could turn to this verse because mightn't be so familiar. Philippians chapter 3.
Philippians, Chapter 3.
Verse 7.
But what things were gained to me? Those I counted loss for Christ, Yeah, 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 to count them but dung, that I may win Christ.
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Here was the apostle Paul, who was very accomplished. He had many things that he could have boasted about.
As a natural man he had been well brought up. He had many things that made him quite a great man among his peers. But when he found the Lord Jesus, his sense of values was changed and all those things that he once counted very important. He said I counted them, but lost for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. And it wasn't only on the day he got saved, but it was also afterwards.
He said that when he met the Lord, he said, I count them but lost. And then afterwards he said he had he still counted them lost when he was saved. He said rather that he counted them lost afterwards he said and I still count them but loss. And he said I count them but down something that.
He actually abhor because he abhor something as filthy as that. And so he said those things that made a great man of me in the world. He said I don't want them now I count them, but dung for the Excellency of the knowledge.
Of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things.
And dear young people, I speak to you especially as you're growing up. We talked about the Valley Gate just before.
And now the Dung Gate. And I'm sure if you and I think of the end of the journey, we'll be something like Paul. He considered himself in that third of Philippians as a runner, and there was a prize at the end, he said. I pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. There were a lot of attractive things around that might have appealed to him, he said.
I have a prize at the end and it makes everything along the way just seem as nothing and worthless.
Even abhorrent if it hinders me in running this race. So here we come to the.
Dungate and there are many appeals along the way.
As we're seeking to walk in the path of following the Lord, isn't it true that the devil seems to drop diamonds and gold all around us and say, oh, you can't miss this, you can't miss that. And so we stopped to pick up these things and first thing you know, we find that they get hold of our hearts.
And we're not pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ.
Perhaps there's some meaning to that verse. In a spiritual way. A false weight and a false balance is an abomination to the Lord. The Lord wants us to be honest in all our business dealings. That's true. But isn't it possible to have a false balance about spiritual things?
To have the wrong sense of values. And I think that many of us are guilty of this in life, we have the wrong sense of values. I always used to wonder why it said that all the weights of the bag were his and that the money was after the shekel of the sanctuary. Because another verse says that money's like filthy looker. But why does it say that all the weights of the bag are his and the the shekel was after the shekel of the sanctuary? Because we'll never place a right value on money.
Unless we are in the presence of the Lord, we'll always have a wrong sense of it. We'll think it's something that's really important and in the Lords presence, why? It's just something that we can use for Him. It's not something that's really important. So how lovely it is to see here. The ones who.
Repair the the Dung Gate. They wanted to have a right sense of values. Now we come to the next one.
And there are quite a few verses about this, beginning from the 15th all the way down to.
The end of the 25th.
But the valley of But the gate of the fountain repaired Shalom, the son of Calhouse, the ruler, a part of Mispa. He built it and covered it, and set up the doors, the rod, the locks, the rug, and the bars thereof, and the wall wall of the pool of Siloa, by the King's garden, and under the stairs that go down from the city of David. After him repaired Nehemiah, the son of. Asbuck, the ruler of the half part of Bethsur, under the place over against the sepulchres of.
And to the pool that was made, and after unto the House of the Mighty, after him repaired the Levites, Rehome, the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashibaya, the ruler of the half part of Kela. In his part after him repaired their brethren Bavia the son of Hemaded, the ruler of the half part of Keela, and next to him repaired Easer the son of Joshua, the ruler of Mispa.
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Another piece over against the going up to the Armory at the turning of the wall after him, Barrack, the son of Zabiai, earnestly repaired the other piece from the turning of the wall unto the door of the House of Eliaship. The high priest after him repaired Miramar, the son of Garage, the son of Cause, another piece from the door of the House of Eliaship.
Unto the end of the House of Eliaship.
And after him repaired the priest, the men of the plain after him repaired Benjamin and Hashib over against their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Messiah the son of Ananiah, by his house. After him repaired Benui the son of Henedad, another piece from the House of Azariah under the turning of the wall, even under the corner.
Powell, the son of Uzziah, over against the turning of the wall and the tower which lieth out from the King's high high house. That was by the court of the prison after him. Pettia, the son of Parrish. Now we find here about the gate of the fountain. Perhaps he just turned to the Song of Solomon, and we might have something in the Song of Solomon that.
Has a reference to this.
The end of the fourth chapter of the Song of Solomon.
Beginning at the 12Th verse, a garden. Enclosed is my sister, my spouse, a spring. Shut up, a fountain sealed. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates with pleasant fruits, campfire with spikenard, Spikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon with all trees of frankincense, myrrh, and Alice with all the chief spices.
A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon.
Isn't this very lovely? It was the gate of the fountain. And doesn't this make you think of this fountain that was shut up and sealed? Well, seems to me to bring before us this very great secret in our lives, and that is that we should keep ourselves in the love of God. It's a very sad thing when a Christian loses in his solely enjoyment of Christ. You and I can be LED into almost anything if we lose in our souls the enjoyment of Christ.
And the devil is at work to do this, just as we've noticed about this Dung Gate. It's got all kinds of things sprinkled around for us to pick up. And what's it for? So we'd lose our enjoyment of the Lord. And so this, this fountain, it had to be sealed. It had to be protected because.
We have to. I like the way the little hymn puts it. Take thou our hearts and let them be forever, close to all but Thee.
Thy willing servants let us wear the seal of love forever there. And that requires a great deal of energy at the gate of the fountain, that our hearts would be preserved in their freshness for the Lord. Because when there was this fountain seal, this garden that was closed in, well then there were all kinds of lovely fruits and spices. And when the north wind blew, it just made that.
Garden send its fragrance all around the countryside.
And there's nothing like a Christian who's walking with God in the enjoyment of Christ. What a fragrance he is. In the meeting when Mary came and offered her alabaster box, it says the house was filled with the order of the ointment. And Mr. Darby once said, our testimony to the world is our joy in the Lord. We can say this is wrong, that's wrong. But what the world realizes is that they have nothing that satisfies. And when they see a Christian that's really enjoying.
Lord, they may see a testimony and when you and I come to the meeting with.
Hearts just bubbling over and overflowing with Christ. Then there's a blessing that reaches out and so we can see about the King's garden here and the stairs that go down to the city of David. Reminds me of another verse in Ecclesia in the Song of Solomon that says.
That his beloved was on the secret places of the stairs seems to me that we can be going up in the right direction, but we can sort of stall off. We can go off to the side and he was hunting for she was on the stairs all right, but she wasn't continuing to go up those stairs. And it's very easy for us to to get discouraged along the way, so.
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Here we have all these workers, just so many of them that are mentioned from.
There's 15 verse on to the end of the 25th verse, all between the gate of the fountain and the water gate that we read about sold it. This represents to us, I believe, the enjoyment of the Lord in our souls and I just wanted to call your attention here. We mentioned about Eliaship at the beginning. Let's notice this 20th verse.
After him, Barrack, the son of Zambia, earnestly repaired the other piece.
From the turning of the wall unto the door of the House of Elias Ship the high Priest. Now why does the Spirit of God call attention to this, to the door of the House of Eliashim? Some of these men, you notice they repaired against their own house. But here we find people repairing against the door of the House of Elias ship the high Priest. How could it be that he neglected to repair in front of his own door?
Well, just if you turn over, you'll see perhaps a little secret about this in the 13th of Nehemiah.
The fourth verse and before this Elias shipped the high priest, having the oversight of the Chamber of the House of our God, was allied unto Tobiah. Tobiah was one of the enemies of God's people. He was the one who was trying to hinder them building the wall.
And here Elias shed the high priest he was allied to him isn't his son. Doesn't it show us that no matter who we are, no matter what position we might occupy, unless the Lord keeps us by, we can become a hindrance to the people of God instead of a blessing? And dear Elias ship who helped to build a sheep gate, whose name is mentioned as at the first of the chapter, and the scripture tells us that he was.
In this important place of oversight. And yet here we find him allied with Tobiah. Can we hardly believe such a thing?
We know that our own hearts are like, and oh, how easy it is. How very important then that we should do what Elias ship didn't do. He didn't repair in front of his own house. He was very occupied with a very good work in connection with the sheep gate, but this part against his own house he seemed to have neglected. Well, may the Lord keep us. It's a very blessed privilege to communicate the truth of God, but we need to.
Always apply it first to ourselves. It says about the Lord Jesus, what is so beautiful. He began to do and to teach. Jesus began to do and to teach. He put the doing and then he began to teach. And that perfect life up to 30 years of age was doing His Father's will. Was she not that I must be about my Father's business? And then we find him going forth in His blessed pathway of service.
Well, now we come because we don't have time to deal with all the details.
The 26th verse and 27th Moreover, the Nathanyms dwelled in awful unto the place over against the Watergate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out after them. The Techoids repaired another piece over against the Great Wall at lieth even unto the wall of Opal well the Watergate perhaps Hardy of time, but I'd like to just call your attention to the Scripture in Ephesians chapter 5, where it speaks about the.
Jesus, it says that he might sanctify and cleanse the church, that he by the washing of water, by the Word, that he might present it to himself, a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Remember how when the Lord wanted to wash Peter's feet, the Peter said, Thou shalt never wash my feet.
That even though he was clean, he still needed to have his feet washed. I mean, he was clean as to his standing.
But he still needed to have his feet washed. And the Lord said to him, if I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. And this is something for us and I take it to myself too. Hope each one of us will. When we read God's word and it shows us something that has been allowed in our lives, it's not according to His word. Do we put our feet into the Lord's hands and say, Lord please, I want to have my feet washed. I.
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To have part with thee. Are we willing to do this? And so here we find about the the Watergate after the gate of the fountain, and we've seen how easily we can lose the enjoyment of Christ because that's really having part with the Lord, fellowship with him. But then if we're not watchful, why something comes in and isn't it true that we often often have him wash our feet? Perhaps we read a verse in the Bible and the Lord says you need that verse.
Come to the meeting and some little verse is brought before us and I say that was for me tonight. The Lord was seeking to wash my feet. Are we willing to let Him wash our feet? We need the Watergate too. That's a very important thing because if we are not constantly watching things creep into our lives and the Lord would have us going on in such a way. He's looking forward to the time when His church will be presented a glorious.
Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.
And now the next one, the 28th verse from above the horse gate, repaired the priest, everyone over against his house after them repaired Zadok the son of Emmer over against his house, and then come to the next one. So the next one was the horse gate. Perhaps I could turn to a verse. I don't think I can quote it word for word in the 20th Psalm.
Psalm 20 and verse 7.
Some trust in Chariots and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. No, it's rather surprising when you read through the reign of King Solomon that he multiplied horses. Why did he do that? Well, you know, there seemed to be a great deal of strength by having a number of horses, and he felt that having all these horses that he would have strength to handle.
That might arise. The Lord had said that the king was not to multiply horses.
Why did the Lord say that He wanted them to rely on him? And so here, here was the horse gate. In other words, we need to remember that our strength is in the Lord. Some trust in Chariots and some in horses. What are we trusting in? Says we will trust in the name of the Lord our God. Are we trusting in some arm of flesh that's only going to disappoint us?
Well, perhaps that's what's brought before us here about the horse gate. And everyone repaired over against his house.
They were careful because we can be so self confident. Everyone of us have this tendency. I wouldn't do this and I can do this. That's self-confidence. We need to repair the horse gate so that our confidence would not be in an arm of flesh. Our confidence would not be in horses or Chariots, but in the Lord, the one in whom we can safely trust. Trust ye and the Lord forever.
For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.
And then we have a brief mention here about the Eastgate.
The end of this 29th verse after him repaired also Shamiya the son of Shekinah the keeper of the Eastgate. After him repaired Hananiah the son of Shalomaya, and Hannon, the sixth son of Zelip. Another piece after him repaired Mashon the son of Berekaya over against his chamber.
After him repaired Malcolm the Goldsmith, son of the under the place of the Nathaniems and of the merchants, alvered against the gate Miff CAD and to the going up of the corner. Or you've mentioned 2 gates here. First of all, let's speak about the keeper of the Eastgate. Just to get the connection. Perhaps you'd like to turn to Ezekiel. Forgotten the chapter.
Ezekiel, chapter 44.
Verse One. Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary, which looketh toward the east, and it was shut. Then said the Lord unto me, This gate shall be shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it, because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it. Therefore it shall be shut. Well, I think we can see that this gate represents this Eastgate represents.
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The place that belongs to the Lord. And one has often said, there ought to be a place in your heart and mind that nobody else can take.
Sometimes don't like the expression all my love when we speak about any earthly person because I feel that there should be a place in our hearts that's reserved for the Lord. There was a gate in Jerusalem that only one person could enter, and that was the Lord.
And I hope this is true with us in our lives, that there is a place in our hearts that belongs only and solely to the Lord. He, he's worthy of our all. But it does seem important that we should give him that place in our hearts that no one else can have. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. It's first place that in all things He might have the preeminence. Doesn't matter how good the friend is or.
What he offers you or whatever. Never allow anyone to steal that first place in your heart.
The Lord Jesus is the one who is to have that place. That gate was shut, I believe we quoted to Him before. Take thou our hearts, and let them be forever closed to all but they Thy willing servants, let us wear the seal of love forever there. And this is noticeable. This is the only gate that had a keeper. The others had the bars and gates and so on. But here was a keeper, and we do need a keeper. Keep thy heart with all.
For out of it are the issues of life. Have you got a keeper for the Eastgate? Are you careful to see that that first place is always reserved for the Lord? Nobody can steal it. Not your best girlfriend, boyfriend, anybody. That place belongs to the Lord. He must have the preeminence. So here was the keeper of the Eastgate. And then the 31St verse. In the end it says the gate myth CAD. Now there seems to be.
Something a little bit mysterious about this and I just have one little thought about it.
And I'd like you to turn to Revelation Chapter 3.
Or is it Revelation chapter 2, Revelation chapter 2 and verse 17?
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a whitestone. And in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. Now it seems to me that there's something that's rather a bit mysterious about this name. Myth CAD. I don't know where else it's mentioned in the Scripture.
It seems to me that this name is given here about this gate to show us.
That there is something that we can't just fully identify. And that's why I connect it with that passage in Revelation 2. The Lord giving a name which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. To me it represents this, that we have to go on in life sometimes with a secret sense in our souls of the Lord's approval. We just have to walk on and just have that sense in our.
The precious Savior here was despised and rejected of man, but he walked in fellowship with his Father. He had the sense of his Father's approval. And if we seek to walk in obedience to the Word of God, then even if others condemn us, why, we can say, well, I'm seeking to walk in obedience to the Word and we need to have that sense. Paul lived to see the day when all those in Asia turned away from him.
Don't you think he loved them? Oh, he had said to those in Corinth that he was willing to love them, though The more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. Certainly he loved them.
But he wanted to have the Lord's approval most of all, and he wouldn't give up the path even for his dearest friend. So we find here that there was this gate myth CAD, and isn't it nice? You know, perhaps we understand a little bit of it like this, that sometimes there is someone we like very much and we have a little nickname for them. We just don't like other people calling them that name. That's just a sort of a little secret.
Between two people.