Nehemiah Prototype
Notes
Transcript
We heard Ezra and Nehemiah for 2024.
We heard Ezra and Nehemiah for 2024.
Ezrah and Nehemiah were one book in the past.
Ezrah and Nehemiah are broken down into three sections.
Summary Outline:
First Zerubabbel in brining in 42k and rebuilding the temple.
Second Ezrah brought in community and the teaching of God’s law and way.
Third Nehemiah rebuilt the walls and gates of the city.
The story begins with a decree from Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-4), the king of Persia who is moved by God to allow the exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.
These story’s spark hope in unusual ways.
After they rebuilt the temple some were upset that it was not the same as the original.
The books Ezra and Nehemiah focuses in on three key leaders who led the rebuilding efforts: Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. Zerubbabel first led a large group back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple (Ezra 1-6). About 60 years later, Ezra arrived in Jerusalem to teach the Torah and to rebuild the community (Ezra 7-10). He was soon followed by Nehemiah, who led the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls (Neh. 1-7).
All three stories are designed to be parallel to one other. Each begins with a king of Persia being prompted by God to send a leader to Jerusalem while offering resources and support. Then, each leader encounters opposition in their efforts, which they overcome.
The beginning of Abundant Life was a lot like the time of Zerubabbel.
Bringing an entire community into a city to bring Abundant Life to Bellingham and the world.
That continues today…
Some things we learn for Ezra’s time.
In our lives God’s love has been invading our hearts to remove the fear we have of Him not coming through for us.
At point in the story Ezra gets real upset about all the mixed marriages. He points to how the law said not to marry from other tribes or their gods will become our gods.
This speaks of removing places in our lives that rule over us instead of God being our Lord and guide.
When Ezra shared the words of God from the Tora people were convicted and they had hope for being part of God’s way. Outside the Water Gate.
We have been in a long season of God revealing who He is.
He has invited us to become His people.
This means we have been going through a process of the places in our lives that are not of Him being exposed and then His grace moves in to become like Him.
Nehemiah’s time
Building the walls and the gates
What is the significance of the wall and gates being done?
Walls and Gates help define the purpose of the community.
Walls and Gates also define the value of the community.
The walls and gates are about the values and ways we in and out of our community.
The walls and the gates also speak of the boundaries in our personal lives.
Wisdom and God’s favor were with Nehemiah and those rebuilding the wall and gates.
Highlights:
They brought supplies and money
Everyone pitched in including kids and elderly.
Those working on the walls and gates had trowels in one hand and a sword in the other.
They lived in their homes and worked on the wall closest to where they lived.
They were focused on the task not the words of those opposed to them building.
Nehemiah 6:15–16 (NASB95)
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.
That is very fast to accomplish what many were saying was impossible.
Fifty-two days is all it took.
The finished work silenced the enemies.
I believe that we are entering into a season work the finished work of Christ in you is going to silence the enemy in your lives.
Walls and Gates help define the purpose of the community.
Walls and Gates also define the value of the community.
There were 10 main gates in Jerusalem.
Sheep Gate
Fish Gate
Old Gate
Valley Gate
Dung Gate
Fountain Gate
Water Gate
Horse Gate
East Gate
Muster/Inspection Gate
Sheep Gate = Sacrifice,Offering, Becoming Like Jesus,
Fish Gate = Evangelistic, outreaching, fishers of man,
Old Gate = First Love, Facing Mt Zion, Wisdom of Past Testimony, ancient ways
Valley Gate = times of testing, humility, creating personal testimony, growth and strengthening
Dung Gate = Repentance, removing what does not bring life,
Fountain Gate = Holy Spirit outpouring, refreshing, spring of life
Water Gate = Word, purify with His words, clarity, revelation
Horse Gate = Take back ground, heaven to earth, warfare, kingdom benefactor, mountains
East Gate = New things, Beautiful Gate,Glory, Healing, Hope
Muster/Inspection Gate = Preparation to take new ground, sent out, commands, assignment
All of the these gates give the community in Jerusalem clear ways to get rid or and bring in what is needed.
There were more sub gates than these at times.
If you dont have a gate functioning in the community, it will trickle into the temple.
If you do not have a healthy dung gate then the dung will come up in the temple.
If you do not have gates with specific purposes they will contaminate the community in side the walls.
The Temple will become defiled with purposes that it was not made for.
If you take any one of these gates and picture that happening inside the temple it becomes clearer as to the need of boundaries and gates.
Examples:
If a church community does not have a healthy fish gate the only way to get new people into the church community is to make the gathering a fish gate. We will become a seeker friendly place that tries to appeal to getting people in.
What are the walls today?
The Way is inside the boundaries.
The Kingdom of God is inside the boundaries.
God given boundaries in your life.
What are the Gates today?
People are gates.
Psalm 24:7–9 (NASB95)
Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!
Closing:
Walls and Gates define the value and purpose of the community.
Boundaries show the values and purpose of a person.
Sheep Gate = Sacrifice,Offering, Becoming Like Jesus,
Fish Gate = Evangelistic, outreaching, fishers of man,
Old Gate = First Love, Facing Mt Zion, Wisdom of Past Testimony, ancient ways
Valley Gate = times of testing, humility, creating personal testimony, growth and strengthening.
Dung Gate = Repentance, removing what does not bring life,
Fountain Gate = Holy Spirit outpouring, refreshing,
Water Gate = Word, purify with His words, clarity, revelation
Horse Gate = Take back ground, heaven to earth, warfare, kingdom benefactor, mountains
East Gate = New things, Gate called Beautiful, Glory, Healing, Hope
Muster/Inspection Gate = Preparation to take new ground, sent out, commands, assignment
Look at your life and look to see what is just outside your life that Jesus wants you to reach.
Are there any boundaries that Jesus wants you to build stronger?
What Gates are you called to be?
What Gates does He want you to explore with Him?
Activation:
What Gate stands out to you the most?
What is right outside your living space that God wants you to be part of?
Study the gate that God highlighted to you.
Ask God if He wants you to apply that to those around your work, neighbors, and or family.
Study guide for gates:
Sheep gate
The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Fish gate
“Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
old gate
Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
valley gate
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
Dung gate
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
Fountain gate
‘For I will pour out water on the thirsty land And streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring And My blessing on your descendants;
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
Water Gate
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Horse Gate
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.
“I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.
East Gate
In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.
Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing toward the east; and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.
And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east.
Inspection Gate
“If, on the other hand, the priest comes in and makes an inspection and the mark has not indeed spread in the house after the house has been replastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean because the mark has not reappeared.
And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
or Miphkad
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 4663 מִפְקָד
4663 מִפְקָד [Miphqad /mif·kawd/] n m. The same as 4662; GK 5152; AV translates as “Miphkad” once. 1 one of the gates of Jerusalem. Additional Information: Miphkad = “command”.
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 4662 מִפְקָד
4662 מִפְקָד [miphqad /mif·kawd/] n m. From 6485; TWOT 1802g; GK 5152; Four occurrences; AV translates as “number” twice, “commandment” once, and “appointed place” once. 1 muster, appointment, appointed place. 1A muster (of people). 1B appointment. 1C appointed place. 2 (TWOT) number.