The Fountain Gate:
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Text: Nehemiah 3:15
Intro: I originally planned on studying the gates in groups of three because if you look at the city of Jerusalem these gates are positioned in groups of three. We did the first three gates together and then we have done the next three individually. If you remember back a few weeks ago and our study of the valley gate is the place that we realize that the things in this life that we go through, even the hard things, can be used for God’s glory. Sin has made the world a terrible place… Bad things happen to good people, even to good Christian people, and none of it happens because God doesn’t love us, but because God loves us, but because He loves us, He will use all of those things in our life. The valley is the place that I am most teachable, and it prepares me in that sense for me to deal with all of the sin, all of those things that take my mind off from God, all of those things that need to be flushed out of my life. The dung gate...
The fountain gate… Shallun was in charge of this gate and we learn some interesting things as we read about this gate, and what is between it and the next gate which by the way is the water gate.
(Neh. 2:15, Neh. 3:15-16)
We notice that this is the only gate with a cover…
Covers in the Bible do one of three things.
They are that which covers the shame of a man.
They are the hiding place from the judgment of an almighty God
They are the glory of God!
I see all that here in the fountain gate...
The law of the wise is a fountain of life,
To depart from the snares of death.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
To depart from the snares of death.
The fountain gate represents that part of us that produces in us, godliness.
Godliness very simply defined is the act of letting Christ be manifest in our flesh!
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
We do that as temples of the Holy Ghost, but we also do that collectively as the body of Christ!
Begat/Beget aspect of a son...
And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
Being a child of God should produce in us godliness… We should be like God… What do I mean by that?
We should...
Look like Him
Talk like Him
Think like Him
Act like Him
and believe like Him
Notice* I didn’t mention any standards? That’s because it isn’t about the standards which we prop ourselves up with but about the Saviour which props us up!
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
The fountain gate represents the work of the Holy Ghost in our lives… How can we, frail, and weak people live godly? We allow the Spirit of God that lives in us, to work out of us!
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
BETH.
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with 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; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Arthur Pink (1946)
Be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). Probably that means, in part at least, Let no compartment of your complex being be reserved or retained for self, but desire and pray that God may possess you wholly. Is that the deepest longing and endeavor of your heart? Are you finding increasing pleasure in the will and ways of the Lord? then you are following on to know Him. Are you making a more determined and continuous effort to "Walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God’ (Col. 1:10)? then that evidences you are growing in grace. Are you less influenced than formerly by how others think and act, requiring nothing less than a ‘Thus saith the Lord" for your monitor? then you are becoming more rooted and grounded in the faith. Are you more watchful against those things which would break, or at least chill, your communion with God? then you are going forward in the Christian life.
chill, your communion with God? then you are going forward in the Christian life. To be increasingly devoted to God requires that I be increasingly occupied and absorbed with Him. To that end I need daily to study the revelation which He has made of Himself in the Scriptures, and particularly in Christ. I need also to meditate frequently upon His wondrous perfections: His amazing grace, unfathomable love, His ineffable holiness, His unchanging faithfulness, His mighty power, His infinite longsufferance. If I contemplate Him thus with the eyes of faith and love, then shall I be able to say "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [the place of nearness and fellowship with him] all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord" (Ps. 27:4).
Consider the Word of God and seek to measure yourself by the degree in which you really honor it. What place do the contents of the Sacred Volume have in your affections, thoughts, and life: a higher one than formerly, or not? Is that Divine communication more valued by you today than when you were first converted? Are you more fully assured of its Divine inspiration, so that Satan himself could not make you doubt its Authorship? Are you more solemnly impressed by its authority so that at times you tremble before it? Does the Truth come with greater weight, so that your heart and conscience is more deeply impressed by it? Are more of its very words treasured up in your memory and frequently meditated upon? Are you really feeding on it: appropriating it to yourself, mixing faith therewith, and being nourished by it? Are you learning to make it your Shield on which you catch and quench the fiery darts of the wicked? Are you, like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), bringing to this infallible Scale and weighing therein all you read and hear?
The connection between the fountain gate and the water gate.
Moreover the Nethinims dwelt in Ophel, unto the place over against the water gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out.
Notice: The water gate is the only gate that didn’t need repairing! That is because water represents the word of God, and the word of God stands forever! It is already perfect! All those other gates we either repair and it represents us allowing God to do that work in our life. But...
LAMED.
For ever, O Lord,
Thy word is settled in heaven.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
We see both of these gates mentioned again later in the book, and one of those occasions is when we are introduced to Ezra...
And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
If we are going to rise up and build this church… We must be an example of godliness.
Allow God to show you today, if you represent Christ well…
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
You can't allow the Spirit to be expressed if you are not feeding our spirit with truth.
There is not need of a fountain gate, if there is not water...
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Why do we ever convince ourselves that we can have a loving relationship with God and not have a loving relationship with His word.
Jesus is called the bread of life, do you know what the Bible says...
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
If we are going to rise up and build, let us repair the fountain gate, so that, as sons, we allow God to produce in us, godliness!
Through the...
Valley gate - Restore
Dung Gate - Remove
Fountain Gate - Represent