The Book of Nehemiah (3)

Nehemiah 3:1-12 (Part 1)

(READ NEHEMIAH 3:1-12)

(ASK) What has happened up to this point?

(ASK) What can our response be, at times, when read “lists” in the Bible”

Is the tendency to “skip over it?”

Is the tendency to “skim through it?”

Is the tendency to “think it less significant?”

***The truth is—what God has included in His Word, has been included for a purpose and for a reason;

***SOMEONE TO READ: (2 Timothy 3:15–17) “and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”***

The same is true for chapters like Nehemiah 3. “What’s the big deal about all of these gates/walls and the people repairing them?” What is so important about them, that God included them in His Word?” “What does this have to do with me today?”

There’s a value in slowing Scripture down—delighting and meditating over it, allowing the Holy Spirit to take us from spiritual milk to the meat of the Word; (ASK) What is this value?

THE WALLS of JERUSALEM:

We are going to begin our look at Nehemiah 3 with a 30,000 foot view of the walls/gates and their purpose—and then we will look at each one of them and discover their meaning/purpose and how it correlates to you and I today.

As we look at this 30,000 foot view—pay close attention to how of these truths connect us to salvation

The rebuilt walls of Jerusalem represented security & protection from enemies

When a person “enters into” the gates of salvation—they are (1) protected from the wages/curse of sin and (2) possess security and assurance in salvation

(READ Ephesians 1:13-14)

(READ Psalm 18 this week)—here are some highlights

Psalm 18:1–3 “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”

Psalm 18:16–19 “He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”

Psalm 18:21–24 “For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.”

(ASK) What was David diligent in doing?

Keeping the ways of the Lord

Not wickedly departing from God

Did not put away God’s statutes

Blameless—kept himself from iniquity (didn’t desire sinful living)

The rebuilt walls of Jerusalem represented spiritual separation from the outside world (when a person settled down within the walls of Jerusalem, they were declaring they were separating from the unbelievers of the world & setting themselves apart to God and to the worship of Him alone)

The believer’s life is a life of separation; separation from

The passing pleasures of the sin & this world

Genesis 12:1 “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.”

This verses tell Abraham was called to completely separate from the his previous life (family, wealth, heritage, etc)

(Hebrews 11:24–25 “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”)

These verses tell us that Moses preferred to suffer for the sake of righteousness rather than have status and rather than give himself to the pleasures of sin and

READ the FOLLOWING VERSES TOGETHER

1 John 2:15–17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”

2 Corinthians 6:14–16 “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Ephesians 5:11 “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

The rebuilt walls of Jerusalem represented deliverance & salvation (The person living in Jerusalem had been rescued from the captivity of enemies—allowed to live in the promised land of God)

Any person who repents of their sins, confesses and believes on the name of Jesus Christ

Is delivered from the wages/penalty of sin—death

Is rescued from darkness and brought into marvelous light

Is ransomed from the enemy (we’ve been bought twice)

Is redeemed from the captivity of sin

READ the FOLLOWING VERSES TOGETHER

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

Acts 2:21 “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

John 1:12 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,”

The rebuilt walls of Jerusalem represented the need for watchfulness and diligence (Jerusalem needed a constant guard to stand watch for any attacks)

(ASK) How does this connect to our Christian walk tonight

READ the FOLLOWING VERSES TOGETHER

Colossians 3:1-4.

1 Peter 5:8–9

Romans 8:12-13

Romans 13:14

Ephesians 6:10-18

1 Timothy 6:11-14

The rebuilt walls of Jerusalem represented God’s presence, righteousness, provision, guidance, and blessing (to the Jews, Jerusalem was the Holy City of God—living there, worshipping the Lord & keeping His commandments meant the Lord would grant his presence—Exodus 25:8—and His blessings)

For the person who gives their life to Jesus & turns to Him, that person

Is promised the presence of the Holy Spirit

John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,”

Romans 8:10–11 “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

Is promised that God will supply all their needs

Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

THE GATES OF JERUSALEM

The gate repairs begin with the Sheep Gate (the only gate we will focus on this morning)—it was in the NE corner and Nehemiah would build/repair in a counterclockwise manner (as it was the most vulnerable area)

The gates represent critical access/exit points within Jerusalem

I. The Sheep Gate (This is the gate where sheep and lambs, used in sacrifice, were brought through)

Nehemiah 3:1–3 “Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars.”

Note the significance of the Sheep Gate

Eliashib the high priest and his brethren high priests “rose up, and “built the sheep gate”

Eliashib and his brethren high priests, “consecrated” the Sheep Gate

Remember, consecration reflects “separation,” aomething “set apart;” and in this case they were recognizing the Sheep Gate as something special—uniquely set apart for God’s glory and service

(BIBLICAL APPLICATION—YOU and ME)

The first step point directly to Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God

John 1:29 “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Hebrews 10:11-18 (READ)

As the Sheep Gate was the “first step” in restoring Jerusalem, so to is the cross of Christ for

The lost person— salvation MUST be the first step, b/c a person is “most vulnerable” apart from salvation

The wayward/backslidden/struggling believer—for the cross is where we find healing, rest, reassurance, strength, wisdom, and continual forgiveness of sin

At the foot of the cross—at the feet of Jesus—everything changes.

Everyone must enter here

John 10:7–9 “So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”

The Sheep Gate reminds us of the cross of Christ and the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf—bearing our sins/shame/guilt/and wrath we deserved

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”