The work was progressing. Two men repaired the Old Gate, an undetermined number of men worked on the residence of the governor beyond the river. Every man, no matter what his occupation was, worked side-by-side. They completed one section, and moved on to another, and another

11 Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens. 12 And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs.

Are you overwhelmed yet by all the gates? Here’s a secret. Instead of looking at these passages as long and tedious, make it more of a Trivia Game, especially since the gates will be discussed in Class Notes and Connections. Learning about the gates gives us a better understanding of the layout of the city and the gates referenced in the New Testament.

13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Refuse Gate. 14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, leader of the district of Beth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate; he built it and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. 15 Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the King’s Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David. 

Who is this man who repaired the Fountain Gate, built it, covered it, hung it, then repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah? Shallum, the leader of the district of Mizpah.

16 After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs as far as the place in front of the tombs of David, to the man-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty Men.

Who were the Mighty Men and why did they have their own house? According to Wikipedia, they were first known as “David’s Mighty Warriors,” a group of 37 men who are further identified in 2 Samuel 23:8-38. Other great warriors who came along after David’s Mighty Men also earned the privilege of residing in the House of Mighty Men. If you were king, wouldn’t you want your best warriors living near you? Read more about the exploits of the Mighty Men in Class Notes.

17 After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. 

18 After him their brethren, under Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of the other half of the district of Keilah, made repairs. 

19 And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the Ascent to the Armory at the buttress. 

20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai carefully repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

21 After him Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, repaired another section, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib.

Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district, and then there was Bavai, leader of the other half of the district. While most made repairs, note that Baruch “carefully” made repairs to the door of Eliashib’s house. Eliashib, the high priest, was busy repairing the Sheep Gate, as well as sanctifying the other gates as they were completed.

22 And after him, the priests, the men of the plain, made repairs. 23 After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his house. 24 After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress, even as far as the corner. 25 Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the buttress, and on the tower which projects from the king’s upper house that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.

26 Moreover the Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east, and on the projecting tower. 

Verse 26 refers to the Nethinim, men “given or consecrated” to perform temple duties. They may have been descendants of the captives or slaves who were first given to Aaron and his sons to assist with worship duties. The Nethinim even went into captivity with the Israelites, and then returned with the refugees. (For more info, see www.biblehub.com.)

27 After them the Tekoites repaired another section, next to the great projecting tower, and as far as the wall of Ophel.

From https://sermons.faithlife, I learned Tekoa was a town about 11 miles from Jerusalem. While the Tekoites built in two places on the wall, their nobles thought of themselves as too good to work in even one place.

28 Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 

Obviously, the priests set an example that no one (except maybe the Tekoite nobles) was too good to work.

29 After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs. 

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 made repairs in front of his dwelling. 31 After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the Nethinim and of the merchants, in front of the Miphkad Gate, and as far as the upper room at the corner. 

32 And between the upper room at the corner, as far as the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.

Verse 32 made me wonder if the upper room was the Upper Room where Christ and His disciples shared the last supper, although there were many “upper rooms” throughout the city. Continued repairs were made until they ended where they began, at the Sheep’s Gate. (For more information about the Upper Room, see NEH & ME, DAY 11, journal entry Sept. 29, 2017.)

NEH 3: DAY 10 CLASS NOTES & CONNECTIONS

Assignments Made to Rebuild the Wall

We read in Nehemiah Chapter 3 how the priests and volunteers labored to fix the wall and gates, and how Nehemiah assigned them projects according to their skill, and how they went on to repair the walls nearest their homes. We, too, can make assignments to rebuild our spiritual wall or volunteer to help others.

Pastor Michael Hanson told the class that God had spoken to him prior to his church planning class and encouraged him to hang in there. It used to be when someone told me that God spoke to them, I thought, “Yeah, sure.” But, I believed Michael, especially since knowing him, I had the privilege of watching him grow in his role as family man, teacher, neighbor, friend, and pastor. God was actually giving Pastor Michael an assignment. The LORD was calling him to plant a church. I had yet to know what my assignment from God might be. God was still teaching me. My two years at Calvary in Rosarito was a type of spiritual boot camp. Many months of songs and services and following the steps of Bible study, fellowship, daily devotion, and attending church helped me understand that God does speak to us. My “A-ha” moment came as I was driving home after my first class on I and II Peter. Usually, when I’m talking or praying, it’s more of a one-sided conversation. On the night after class, God interrupted my thoughts to bring me His news bulletin. He told me that half the spiritual battle was just getting to church. I also realized that half the battle of hearing God is to listen for Him.

We can’t listen to Him if we don’t listen for Him.

God is unlimited in His power to communicate with us, and He often uses Scripture to talk to us. It's one of His languages. Like Spanish is the language of Mexico, Scripture is the language of the LORD. So, if you discover that God is calling you to serve Him, you’ll also learn quickly that the enemy will taunt you, discredit you, and laugh at you much like Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem did in Nehemiah 2:19-20. When these officials heard that Nehemiah was embarking on a plan to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, they really laid into Nehemiah and insulted him, as if that would get him to cancel his project. Instead, Nehemiah told them that they had no part in the project. Why did Nehemiah turn them away? Maybe they really were sincere and wanted to help. I don’t think so! Nehemiah knew Tobiah and his two friends were unbelievers, meaning their influence could contaminate the belief of the Jews, so Nehemiah saw to it that only the priests and Israelites were given assignments. That angered their enemies, who didn’t waste any time plotting how to stop the rebuilding of the wall.

When you take on a project at work or a spiritual project such as planting a church or becoming involved in mission work, there will be someone who opposes you. It might even be yourself! I was making slow progress on compiling this workbook, but after I looked at what I had accomplished I felt better. Later, I sat down at my laptop and my thoughts went wild. “You’re a terrible writer. No one will

want to read this. You’re only writing it for yourself.” I felt it was pointless to continue and I was only trying to fool myself that this book could help anyone.

The next morning as I talked to Jesus through prayer, it was suddenly clear that I had been under attack. Just like Nehemiah, I had been ridiculed and shamed by the enemy in an effort to make me give up. Instead of feeling frustrated and angry and wanting to quit, I felt blessed that the enemy considered my work worth stopping. As I thought about it, I also realized Nehemiah and I have the same enemy, in spite of a 2500-year difference. Some things never change, and that includes God’s wonderful protective love. Anytime, we listen to negative thoughts that we’re weak or unqualified for a task, then slowly like weevils in flour or like the yeast of the Pharisees, that negativity will spread. That’s what Nehemiah wanted to prevent Sanballat from doing—spreading negativity throughout the Israelite community. That’s why Christ warned his disciples about listening to the Pharisees.

Do you fight back with insults or raise an angry fist when someone insults you? Remember this: A wise leader does not react; he responds. Nehemiah responded by setting his adversaries in their place. After that, the men with Nehemiah got busy. The high priest Eliashib went to work repairing the Sheep Gate. As others stepped forward to help, Nehemiah assigned logical people to logical projects. 

Even before the rebuilding began, opposition started. The rebuilding project was not popular with outsiders, and Nehemiah was instantly met with opposition. The wall was in shambles, the gates burned. The men had to sort through the rubbish for suitable building material. No new materials were used except for the lumber Nehemiah had the foresight to bring along for his residence and gates.

THINK ABOUT IT. No new materials were used. How does that tie in our spiritual wall and gates? Our wall is down. Do we rebuild it with old material? Keep in mind that with God, we can do build anything and use whatever He provides, no matter where it comes from.

The Spiritual Applications of the Gates

At last, we have reached the gates! The high priest jumped in and volunteered to rebuild, starting with the consecration of the Sheep Gate. If you Google "Jerusalem walls” you’ll find many resources pointing to the rebuilding of the walls during Nehemiah’s time, but it wasn’t just the walls that were rebuilt. The gates were also repaired and re-hung. Did you know that each gate carries a spiritual application as well as serving an actual physical purpose?

The Sheep Gate is the gate which shepherds used to herd sheep into the city for the required sacrifices at the temple. Who would have thought 433 years after the reconstruction of the gates, Jesus, as the Great Shepherd and sacrificial lamb would enter through those gates?

The Fish Gate was aptly named for the entrance into the city for those fishermen, like Peter and Andrew, who spent much of their lives off shore casting nets over the waters of the Sea of Galilee, or perhaps mending nets like the Zebedee brothers, James and John—all of them hoping for a large catch to sell in the city. When Jesus called the first disciples, He said He would make them “fishers of men.” I pictured the disciples pulling in large groups of new believers like the ones mentioned in Acts. Thousands of new converts at a time. I was surprised when I read during one of my studies that “fishers of men” had a different meaning.

FISHERS OF MEN

It was a search and rescue mission. When a tribe or village was under attack, many people left everything behind to head into the hills or find a cave or set up camp far from their besieged home. And sometimes, rather than face captivity, the endangered villagers seeking refuge in another city would assimilate into the foreign culture. After captivity ended, men were sent to find those who had fled, and bring them home safely. They used the term, “hunting” or “fishing” for the lost people to let them know it was safe to return. Think about how the Israelites had scattered over the centuries or had been lured into worshiping false religions and idols. God promised in Jeremiah 16 and in Micah that He would search for His people and bring them back from the far reaches of the earth. Remember, Nehemiah reminds God in 1:8 of His promise: “If you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ “

Next, if you’re travelling counter-clockwise toward the southern valley of Jerusalem, you reach the Valley Gate. Spiritually, the Valley Gate was symbolic of being humble. Who is more humble than our LORD?

The Old Gate was just that. On a spiritual level, the Old Gate represents the “old man,” or the old covenant. Christ is the gate to the “new man.” He is the new covenant.

The Refuse or Dung Gate was built by King Manassas who sacrificed children to idols. Later, the gate was desecrated and turned into a dump by King Josiah. All trash went out of the city through that gate. Any reference made to the Valley of Hinnon refers to the Refuse Gate outside the city where unclean bodies were also left to decompose.

THE JESUS CONNECTION, Mark 9:43

Jesus is talking with the disciples about believers who would cause a child or someone new in the faith to sin. He warns, “If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where ‘their worm does not die.” He quotes Isaiah 66:24 three times. Isaiah 66 refers to the Valley of Hinnon, Jerusalem’s garbage dump of decomposing corpses. “And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.”

The Tijuana Dump. Surprisingly, you don’t read a lot about how there may have been people living near the dump or scavenging for food. Living in Lincoln, Nebraska, I grew up familiar with the City Dump. It was always a special day when my brothers and I got to tag along with Dad when he went to the City Dump, looking for things to use or restore.

In Rosarito, Mexico, when one of my missionary friends said they were going to the Dump and invited me to tag along, I learned they were literally “going fishing.” Their mission was to seek out and help some of the 200 people who live in Tent City, also known as Tijuana’s Garbage Hill. People live in the Dump because they can’t afford to live any place else. During the day, the poor and needy meet the garbage trucks and search the trash for anything worthwhile to recycle or sell. Missionaries make it a practice to go to Tent City on a regular basis to bring clothing, food, and offer services such as bathing feet or washing children’s hair or setting up schools to help the people who live in a very real wasteland. Fortunately, God can restore and reuse those of us who have also come through the rubble of life.

The Fountain Gate, located at the entrance of the Pool of Siloam means “Sent,” the same pool in John 9:7 where Jesus sent the blind man to wash. People who wanted to be spiritually clean would stop at this pool before entering the Temple area. The Fountain Gate also represents the Living Waters connected to the Holy Spirit.

The Water Gate was a reservoir in the area where the Nethinims lived. The Nethinims were descendants of the Gibeonites who were made to draw water (Josh. 9:23). Jerusalem was one of the only cities not built on a river. The Water Gate signifies our life in the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Christ says that whoever drinks from the water which He offers will never thirst. The reservoir is likely the place where 3,000 people were baptized on the day of Pentecost.

THE JESUS CONNECTION: John 7:37

Jerusalem, as part of the of the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the people marched around the altar while a priest filled a golden pitcher with water from the Pool of Siloam. And then the priest poured the water on the altar as an offering to God in remembrance of Meribah. The crowd knew the story and knew what to expect, but on this particular day, perhaps at the same time the priest was pouring water on the altar, Jesus cried out loud enough for all to hear.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has celebration said, ‘out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’"

The Horse Gate, north of the Water Gate, was used by King Solomon who imported horses from Egypt, even though God warned His people not to trust in horses. The Horse Gate reminds us of warfare in the Christian life. Because the horse provides transportation and serves mankind, the spiritual significance is that we should also be in service to mankind. Jesus taught the disciples to serve others as He served.

Further north is the East Gate where Ezekiel saw the glory of the LORD exit through the East Gate. People have been talking about pulling down the stones so Christ can come through the East Gate when He comes back. The East Gate is also known as the Golden Gate. It is believed that Christ came through this gate on Palm Sunday.

Finally, the Inspection Gate is where all soldiers would assemble for inspection. Spiritually, Christians view the gate as God’s Judgment Seat where we’ll be judged when Christ returns.

The rebuilding started and ended with the Sheep Gate.

Interesting that the gates that were being rebuilt would end up figuring so prominently in the life of Christ, from His entering through the Sheep Gate on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread to carrying His cross through the East Gate, a.k.a. Gate of Mercy or the Golden Gate.

Rebuilding the Church

In class, we discussed how God used Nehemiah to call an end of reproach to the church. Back then, the wall represented the beliefs of a people and the strength of their god. The Israelites were respected because their God, the one true God, was all powerful, and the enemies of the Israelites knew it. Today, if the church represents the wall, then there is need for repair, except that gaps in the wall have allowed other beliefs to seep in. No longer is the church respected, which in part is due to the media. The media specializes in sensationalized stories such as mass killings at a church. It seems wrong to the media or world to talk about the Spirit of the church. And so the world will never esteem the real spiritual nature of the church. We once had a strong foundation, but then Christians became compromised.

Although there are Christians throughout the world who are involved in spiritual warfare, there are just as many or more structure who have compromised their values and grown complacent. Because of that, individual Christians have a lot of room to grow. Our job is to rebuild the church, not just the physical structure, but the spiritual as well. That’s why we need to examine the walls and gates within ourselves.

A wise leader does not react; he responds. 

NEH 3: DAY 11 NEHEMIAH & ME

Feb. 7, 2017 Armani’s 8^th birthday! 

Slept some but by the time my body gets comfortable, my mind wakes up. “Advanced Osteoarthritis” is finally the diagnosis, the prediction of things to come, a challenge to tie in with Nehemiah.

For the Israelites, after 70 years’ captivity, they went home to Judea, back to Jerusalem. Sadly, their beloved city no longer offered protection because of the broken walls and burned gates.

I compare it to my body, broken for whatever reason, but I am still standing. As there were many walls and gates in need of repair and rebuilding, so there are many parts of my body that need repair. I can work with therapists, doctors, pastors, frien.ds, and family to rebuild it, and when one section is done, I can move forward to the next.

Thinking of anti-types where New Testament events are related or very similar to Old Testament events, I’m wondering how the act of “building" compares to the building of the New Jerusalem—a spiritual building.

God called Noah and instructed him to build the Ark, plus provided everything he needed o build. He gave specific instructions to Moses on building the Tabernacle in the Wilderness (Exodus 35) and to Solomon for building the temple. Through answered prayer, God provided Nehemiah with supplies, hope, protection, laborers and He gave the people a heart to rebuild. Today, our spirits need rebuilding; our churches need rebuilding. WE, as God’s people, are the builders, just like those who volunteered to work on the wall. We need to trust that God will use our skills, assign us an area to work on, then move on to repair what needs to be fixed in our lives and the lives of our family. Family is important to the LORD. 

Sept. 29, 2017 Reference to the Upper Room

(Neh. 3:31) After him, Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs . . . as far as the upper room at the corner.”

I’ve been inspired by Nehemiah to research more about Jerusalem. From my map study, I hoped to get a better idea if Nehemiah’s upper room and the Passover upper room were the same room. Although I know there were many “upper rooms” in Jerusalem, I would not be surprised if this particular upper room was where the Last Supper took place, because of the spiritual connections in Nehemiah to the life of Christ.

Mark, the gospel writer, may have been the son of the man who had the Upper Room readied in his home for the LORD and His disciples. It was large enough to hold up to 100 guests and may have been used again by Christ’s followers as a safe haven after His  death. Read Mark 14:1-16, about the Passover; The Feast of the Unleavened Bread was a feast of remembrance and the night God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt.

Jesus sent out the two disciples, giving them specific instructions where to find a room where they would share the Passover. In Luke 22:10, Jesus instructed his disciples to find a man carrying a jar of water at the entrance of the city, follow him, and he would show them a large upper room, all furnished where they would share the Passover. After the Passover meal, Christ goes to the Mount of Olives in Gethsemane to pray. The Sanhedrin set their plans in motion to arrest Jesus. To avoid dealing with the temple crowd, the Sanhedrin arranged for Christ to be arrested at night. However, the arrest was anything but quiet.

In Mark 14:43-50, “Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and scribes and the elders.” 

Judas betrayed Christ with a kiss. “Then they laid their hands on Him and took Him. And one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.”

The house where the Last Supper was held in the upper room must have been near Gethsemane because the noise had disturbed at least one of the occupants.

Verse 51: “Now a certain young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of him, and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.” Rumor was that the “certain young man” was Mark, who later joined Paul and Barnabas on mission trips, before writing the Gospel of Mark.

The only other question I have is whether the upper room of the house where Mark may have lived was near Gethsemane. If you look closely at a map of the wall (see Chapter 3, Class Notes) you’ll see a notation of the upper room, and to the east of the wall was the Mount of Olives.

P.S. To set the record straight, I learned there is no proof that the upper room in Nehemiah 3:31-32 was the same upper room used for the Last Supper, but neither was there proof that it wasn’t

Nov. 12, 2017  Leadership

Read Psalm 56 again. Written by David. I know I’ve read before and recently, but reading again, verses stand out. Poor David is hounded by the Philistines and King Saul. David goes to King Achish of Gath. The Philistines hated Saul and may have offered David a chance to join their army, except someone ratted to the king that David was the celebrated killer of Goliath. Oops. (2 Sam. 17:20).

(Heb. 13:6) So we say with confidence, “The LORD is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”

David’s success as a warrior and leader was also due to the respect of those men who served him, especially the Mighty Men, as they were called. Something about David drew the loyalty of his men to the point that they would do anything for him. I love that. Especially when you compare that love and loyalty to the disciples who walked with Jesus. What they wouldn’t do for Him! “Hey, LORD, someone was healing people in Your name. Shall we call thunder and lightning down on them?” Or Peter’s fervent denial that he would never deny Jesus. These 12 men were indeed Jesus’ “Mighty Men,” although they later became the church. They fought battles on a spiritual plane, though often suffered physically. David’s Mighty Men fought more on the physical plane. God went before them in battle as He does with our battles now. And every battle fought on the physical plane was connected to the forces of wickedness in heavenly places who attempted to destroy God’s plan of Salvation. David’s lineage was important and his men knew it.

EXPLOITS OF THE MIGHTY MEN 

In 2 Sam. 23, David fights to the point of exhaustion and his men rescue him from the Philistine giants, which includes Goliath’s brother, and a giant with six fingers and toes on each hand and foot. Do the math. 6 times 4=24! David’s men order him to take a break. They swear to David, they won’t let him fight anymore “least you quench the lamp of Israel.”

Such good, Godly, and wise men. After David captured and then relocated to Jerusalem, he designated a house for the “Mighty Men.” Nehemiah mentions it as part of rebuilding the wall. See the illustration in Nehemiah, Chapter 3.

2 Sam. 23, King David’s final words include a tribute to the mighty men.

• Adino the Eznite killed 800 men at one time.
• Eleazar, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines, attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. . . 
• And after him was Shamah the Hararite who stationed himself in the middle of the field full of lentils. He killed the Philistines, so the LORD brought about a great victory.
• Abishai the son of Zeruiah was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against 300 men and killed them.

These are just a few of the 23 exploits of David’s Mighty Men. There are more stories and references in 2 Sam.

Nov. 14, 2017 Deut. 32:39  

Now see that I, even I, am He, and there is no God besides Me;

I kill and make alive; I wound and heal;

Nor is there any who can deliver from my hand.

For I raise My hand to heaven and say, “As I live forever. . .”

Nov. 15, 2017 Living Water

Surgery tomorrow at 7 A.M. Thursday. My cold is quiet for now. I’m very much at peace.

March 13, 2018 The Stages Of Rebuilding

• Nehemiah hears about the distress of Jews. His heart burns to help (God gives him the desire to do something.)
• He prays constantly, fasts, and plans.
• He gets the green light of confirmation to proceed after he shares his plan with ones in authority, God and the king.
• He prepares for the journey and knows where his help (supplies, letters) comes from. He tells no one.
• He travels and settles in, then visits the sites of his concern. He assesses.
• Shares his concerns.
• Outlines/summarizes his plan, purpose, intention (rebuild and serve God thru rebuilding).
• Asks for help.
• Nehemiah assembles his workforce and makes assignments according to skills and positions, i.e. High Priest/Sheep Gate, men repairing gates in their area or neighborhood.

I need to see where I am in these stages. Have I completed the steps? What about the different spiritual and physical stages? Do all the steps and stages need to be completed in the same order as Nehemiah? What if I forget something?

March 22, 2018  The Big Picture

TODAY’s forecast is for a beautiful Spring day. Wanted to note the story of King Joash, I Chron. 22-24, and how it relates to Nehemiah and Me because it mentions the Horse Gate and Upper Gates. This is an example of people using the gates. All relevant to the rebuilding of the gates. Thank You, LORD, for sharing.

July 1, 2018  Update on the book

Dear Holy Spirit, good sermon today, all about You, the Helper. Help me, please. Remember me, O LORD, as I work on this book for You, and do not let my words become entangled with the enemy’s.

YOUR TURN! If you’re looking for an idea for a journal entry, I challenge you to journal about your talent or skill that God has given you to use.  

NEH 3: DAY 12 PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE

INSPIRATIONAL VERSE: NEH 3:1-2 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its door. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built

The work is started. Nehemiah assigned people to work on the wall, according to their skills, and according to where they live. That way, the volunteers were intrinsically motivated to rebuild, since it would benefit and protect their families. (See Chapter 2, Day 6 Class Notes and Connections for extrinsic and intrinsic.) From here on out, it will only take 52 days to rebuild the wall. Think about your family or the people in your corner who care for you. By working together, we can help each other rebuild physical lives and spiritual walls. 

Do you remember how the wall and the gates pertained to Christ, such as the Sheep Gate? If you have a study Bible or Concordance, check the index for specific gates discussed in Class Notes and Connections. See if you can figure out which gates Christ went through when He came back from praying in the Garden of Gethsemane or which gate He rode through on Palm Sunday.

Consider the psalms that reference to the Messiah coming through the gates; or Christ at the gate of righteousness waiting for us to come through. How can He come through the Gate if the Gate is broken? And if the gate is broken and the city ruled by our enemies because we let them in, or didn’t do anything to stop them, we’d be like the Israelites before captivity. On one hand, they worshiped God; on the other, they were worshiping their enemies’ idols and sacrificing their children. They actually thought God wouldn’t find out.

I confess that when I first read about the rebuilding of the gates and walls, I yawned. What could possibly be interesting about that unless you were an architectural engineer? But then, a former engineer, my teacher, pointed out the significance of Christ’s connection to the gates. It blew me away.

Start at the Sheep Gate, end at the Sheep Gate. Not ba-a-a-ad.

Wow! Look where you are! You've reached the end of Chapter 3. Together, we can move on to Nehemiah Chapter 4, one of my favorite chapters. Be prepared for anything! You might even find some household cleaning tips on getting rid of our spiritual and physical clutter.