The Book of Nehemiah (4)

The Valley Gate and The Refuse Gate

(READ NEHEMIAH 3:13-14)

I. The Valley Gate—Valleys surrounded Jerusalem; here the Valley Gate opened up to the Valley of Hinnom (talk about this later)

About the job:

Part of the construction of the western wall of Jerusalem

Two gates were associated with the western wall (The Valley Gate and the Refuse (Dung) Gate)

The wall was 500+ yards of wall (1000 cubits or 1720+ feet)

The construction of the wall required total commitment

The construction of the Valley Gate and the Refuse Gate were not the most ideal tasks (long, difficult, and “smelly”)

Personal Aspect

(First)—Think back to when you were first saved—was there a season where you were taught and felt God’s presence was strong in your life? (“Honeymoon” period?)

This season is different for each believer (ex. The Apostle Paul’s “season,” according to some scholars, was about three (3) years

(Second)—There was inevitably (and will be still) a time when this “honeymoon” period ended—when the “highs,” gave way to the “lows”

(ASK) What does a “valley” represent in the Christian life?

(ASK) What are the purposes of the “valleys” in our lives?

(Third)—Valleys represent the trials in our lives—times of testing (READ James 1:2-6, Romans 8:18, 1 Peter 3:13-17; 4:12-16)

Tests are designed to prove our faith—and true tests (like that of Abraham’s in Genesis 22) will defy logic at times

“This doesn’t make sense”

“This is outside of my comfort zone”

“I cannot handle this on my own”

(Fourth) What happens during our “valleys”

READ and DISCUSS Philippians 3:10

(ASK) Who’s been to the peak of a mountain? (Black Elk Peak)

On top of the peak is gratitude, thankfulness, awe, and wonder—yet very little growth (you’re above the tree line)

(ASK) Who’s ever hiked or walked in a valley? (Sunday Gulch)

In the valley, you cannot see as much as you could on the mountain top—but that’s were the growth happens—b/c that’s where the soil is watered/nourished

“In the natural, nothing really grows on the mountain tops—but it certainly does down in the valley. So it is with the spiritual—never a nice experience, but it always produces fruit.”

Recognizing our tendency (flesh) in responding to trials, lets turn to Genesis 26:1-35 and look at a section of Isaac’s life:

(v.1-6) What’s happening and what did Isaac do? (Famine/Headed towards Egypt representation of the world.)

What this shows: tendency to run to the things of this world when we experience loss or we are in want/need

(v.7-11) What’s happening and what did Isaac do? (Isaac’s copycat sin of his father Abraham)

What this shows: tendency to lie when faced with danger and fear

(v.12-17) What’s happening and what did Isaac do? (Isaac just “changed” locations near Egypt—he never fully returned to the heart of the Promised Land)

What this shows: tendency of 1/2 hearted obedience when facing envy and rejection b/c of prosperity

(v.18-22) What’s happening and what did Isaac do? (Isaac’s trouble increased b/c he still did not return back to the heart of the Promised Land)

What this shows: tendency to resolve our strife on our own

However, God used the strife to draw Isaac back to Himself, leading Isaac to a well that didn’t bring strife, but peace and room (“Rehobeth”)

(23-25) What’s happening and what did Isaac do? (Facing fear and failure of God’s promises (Isaac’s heart, more than likely was gripped with fear (v.1-22)—he had lived for so long in contention/hostility/and strife)

Coming through these times in our lives—it may see difficult for us—we may even have some fear—that God would “take us back,” continue to keep His Word towards us, or pick us up and keep us moving forward, yet note what God tells Isaac (Genesis 26:24–25 “And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of Abraham your father. Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring for my servant Abraham’s sake.” So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.”)

What did Isaac do? Isaac moved to Beersheba—which would have brought back fond memories of growing up in his father’s house (Abraham)

What did Isaac realize? He realized he had been following God 1/2 heartedly—living “on the border” of the worldly and not living centered in the Promised Land

What did God do? God met Isaac right where he was—in his fear/worry, amidst his strife/doubts/and uncertainties—amidst his weaknesses and failures, b/c Isaac returned to Him

“Returning” in Scripture (esp the O/T) is often (if not most) times a reference to repentance (Ruth 1:7)

(ASK) What do you think Isaac learned?

(ASK) In what ways do you think Isaac grew?

(ASK) What can we learn from this?

II. The Dung Gate (Refuse Gate)—All of Jerusalem’s rubbish was taken through the Dung Gate and down to the Valley of Hinnom, where it would be burned

The Dung Gate was quite a distance from the Valley Gate (see this later)

The Valley of Hinnom is also known as the Valley of the son of Hinnom (Joshua 15:3, Jeremiah 7:32)

Carried with it an evil reputation, as later it was the site of Tophet, where parents made their children “pass through the fire,” sacrificing them to Baal and Molech

see Isaiah 66:24

see 2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6

see Jeremiah 7:31-34

The Valley of Hinnom’s name became corrupted—N/T refers to this places as eternal punishment or Gehenna)

Personal Aspect

(FIRST) Sometimes our “valleys” can take a while to get through; yet the results of the “valleys” can be seen in the Dung Gate

As we go through the “valleys” we are refined (Daniel 3) pruned (Hebrews 11:5-11) and the dross is burned off (Malachi 3:3, Isaiah 1:25, Proverbs 25:4-5, and more)

In other words, what “rubbish” exists on our hearts (what doesn’t need to be there) is burned off/away and good fruit can be produced

(SECOND) Notice the movement directly after the Dung Gate (provide a picture)—it’s like, “turning the corner”

From the Valley Gate to the Refuse Gate the movement is downward

From the Refuse Gate on, the movement is upward

(APPLICATION)

In order for this to happen—we must be willing to confess & confess of the dross that God reveals to us in the valley, lay these things at the foot of the cross and allow God’s grace & mercy to strengthen, sustain, and keep us moving forward

(ASK) What’s the dung God is revealing to you that you need to repent of and allow Him to burn off?

(ASK) What is the difference in these questions: “God, why?” and “God, what are wanting to teach me?”

(ENDING)

How we confront our “valleys”—how we deal with the things that must be removed (dung/rubbish—i.e. sins, doubts, deceits, fear, etc.), speaks to our view of the cross

We can deal with or confront by (1) minimizing, (2) pretending, (3) performing, or (4) religion—thus shrinking the cross (“God, the cross is not good enough, so I must __________”)

We can deal with or confront by (1) praying for godly wisdom, (2) depending on the Word (faith with feet), (3) yielding to the Holy Spirit, and (4) placing ourselves at the feet of Jesus

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

How we should view the valleys and the refuse

Means of sanctification (growth/separation from the world)

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;”

Romans 8:29 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”