Let us rise up and build the Dung Gate:
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Text: Neh. 3:13-14.
Intro: Last week we considered the Valley Gate. If you remember we discussed how the valley Biblically represents that place of trials and tribulation. We discussed the reason that God has us rebuild the gate that leads to the valley and not a wall. It is simple… we need the valley. The valley gate for us as a church, is that place where we let hurting people come in out of the valley, where we as a church shed the light of Christ upon the darkness of their hardship. It is also the place that we go out into the valley, understanding that God has a purpose in the valley. We ended with the this thought, that we shouldn't be building walls where God wants a gate. In that, through our times of being hurt, we need to tear down our walls, and let people back into our heart!
Today we are going to begin by looking at the next gate here in Nehemiah 3, which is the fifth gate.
The Dung Gate: The dung gate is possibly the only gate that does not operate in two directions. It is not the gate in which we open it to let things come it, it is only opened for all of the garbage to be brought out.
As we consider this man Malchiah, I think I would almost ask if my name could not be mentioned in connection to this gate… He is a guy that you have to have a lot of respect for, maybe shake his hand… or not, maybe salute him or tip your hat, but certainly a man that we all must be thankful for!
The dung gate was both for all of the human waste in the city but also just garbage in general. Everything from peoples, homes, the industry, and even the streets would all be sent out through this gate in into the valley called Hinnom.
The valley of Hinnom was the place where Ahaz and Manasseh sacrificed,
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place.
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel.
Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.
With all of this wickedness, this is the place that becomes the place where all the dung is brought and dumped. All of these children were offered to Molech who was the graven image of an ox which is interesting, because in the book of Ezekiel, we get the description of a cherub, which has four faces, of which one of them is the face of an ox. It is also the book that we get the understanding that Lucifer is the anointed cherub.
They made a calf in Horeb,
And worshipped the molten image.
Thus they changed their glory
Into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
They forgat God their saviour,
Which had done great things in Egypt;
The place was polluted by Josiah as he attempts to restore the nation of Israel as a godly nation.
And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men.
Psalm 106:38 “And shed innocent blood, Even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, Whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: And the land was polluted with blood.”
Proverbs 6:16–19 “These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.”
But the dung gate repaired Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Beth-haccerem; he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.
Malchiah’s name means Jehovah is king!
The first time this gate is mentioned is in Nehemiah 2:13
And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
First time the word dragon is ever used in the Scripture, notice it’s close proximity to the word fire as well? After that we see it mentioned again in chapter 3:13.
Dragon is mentioned 19 times but I find it interesting in connection with Nehemiah that we see it mentioned in Ps. 91:13, Rev. 12:13, Rev. 13, and in Rev. 16:13. Do you think there is a connection there? We know who the dragon is…
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
This valley of Hinnom is a picture of hell...
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of slaughter.
And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:
Dung represents many things in Scripture…
Dung represents sin…
But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.
Dung represents rebellion...
If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart,
To give glory unto my name, saith the Lord of hosts,
I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings:
Yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.
Behold, I will corrupt your seed,
And spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts;
And one shall take you away with it.
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you,
That my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.
Dung pictures Judgment...
And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men,
Because they have sinned against the Lord:
And their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
Represents death.
And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day
From one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth:
They shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried;
They shall be dung upon the ground.
Dung represents worldy rewards…
Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
The dung gate is where we get rid of stuff… What are we getting rid of? How about sin?
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
If we would get serious about this thing called the Christian life, and if we got serious about loving the ONE whom we call our Saviour then we would get serious about getting sin out of our life.
We have been studying the book of Nehemiah in consideration of the fact that we are God’s building! We are not Jews, we are not Israel, we are the body of Christ, His church!
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
It’s time we rebuild our dung gate and get rid of the stuff that is hindering God. We need the dung gate, because it is there that we begin to live holy lives…
The dung gate was right against the valley gate…
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Hey that’s the verses we focused on last week… I know, it is right next to this weeks focus… It was in Nehemiah chapter 3 as well!
But we are all as an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
And we all do fade as a leaf;
And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
We are not in this for worldly accolades… The only way the world will ever accept us is if become just like them…
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
The Apostle Paul...
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?