Nehemiah: Rebuild the Gates

Over the past couple of weeks, we have been studying Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a man used by God to help rebuild Jerusalem. But he did not just rebuild the city. He was used by God to restore hope to people, and to restore people to the Lord.

We certainly live in a day when people need to have hope restored, and they need to be restored to the Lord.

The only hope for our nation is if people will repent, and seek Him. Only in following the Lord will there be true change, and a true rebuilding.

As we will see today in Nehemiah 3, the rebuilding took place individually, and then corporately. As individuals took part in the rebuilding, doing their part, the whole of the city was restored.

The same will be true today. We need personal rebuilding before there will be a corporate rebuilding.

My goal today is that we will see in Nehemiah 3, some important principles for personal rebuilding.

Please open your bible or bible app to Nehemiah 3, as we will read this together, and then dig into this passage. Now, I plan to read this quickly, because there is a lot of good practical application for us in this chapter. So, here we go...

Nehemiah 3 NIV

Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them. The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors. The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters. The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate. The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes. Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it. The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner, and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel. Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

“What about me?” Practical Application

As we saw last week, Nehemiah challenged the people of Jerusalem with the needs of their city. The city was in ruins. The gates were burned. The walls were broken down. The people were in disgrace.

After Nehemiah shared his testimony of how God provided, they realized the Lord was with them and for them. They excitedly went to work, knowing the Lord wanted this to be done.

Chapter 3, which we just read, gives details of who was involved, and what they did to see the work of the Lord accomplished.

As I thought about Nehemiah 3, as with other scriptures, I was contemplating how this practically applies to my life, to our lives today.

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this chapter.

Now I realize, you and many others may be thinking, “Really? Practical application for me? It seemed like it was just a bunch of names and sections of wall being rebuilt. Is there really a practical application for us to make from this chapter of the bible?”

It may seem like a just a list of names and sections of wall at first, but there are some interesting things in this passage which can make for some real personal application.

God uses everyday people

One of the first applications I thought of sharing was that God uses everyday people to accomplish his work. Did you notice that not one person was listed as a carpenter, stone mason, or builder?

There were priests, Levites (who took care of the temple), perfumers, gold smiths, politicians, and regular men and women all listed, but not one builder.

God used ordinary people to do His work of rebuilding.

It does not matter what your skill set, or your occupation. The Lord can and will use you for His work.

That was one application.

Another I thought of was this.

God uses earnest workers

I like that in verse 20 it says that Baruch zealously repaired another section. He may not have been a skilled carpenter, but he worked with all he had, to the best of his ability. God likes when we work zealously, or earnestly for Him. Too often, people do just enough to get by. That wasn’t Baruch, or likely many of the other people working on this project. They gave it their all. They wanted to do their best. If you do your best for the Lord, though it may not be perfect, it will be good enough to get His praise!

How are you and I doing? Are we working earnestly for the Lord, or just doing enough to say we did something?

God uses each doing their part

Did you see that in this chapter, each person, or small group of people just did their part? As they did their part, the whole of the city was getting better and better.

God designed the church the same way. 1 Corinthians tells us that those who believe in Jesus are members of his body. Each of us is a part of the body, and we each need to do our part. As we each do our part, the whole body will do better!

The practical application there is, are you doing your part in the body?

Well, you may think that is the sermon for today. And it might have been. But I also turn to preachers to learn, and I found something I wanted to share from Harry Ironside. This isn’t what I was thinking about at all with this chapter until I read what he shared. But as I considered what he shared, I felt like this is what I should really share today.

So, here is the real application I want to dwell on today.

Rebuild the Gates

Typically, when thinking of Nehemiah, I think of the rebuilding of the walls. And there is a lot of emphasis on that in this chapter. But, did you notice that he mentions 10 different gates in this chapter as well? And, did you notice that all but two of the paragraph divisions are the gates?

Walls are meant to keep bad things out. Gates are ways for things to go in and come out of the city. The gate is meant to allow the good in, and other things out, that need to get out. Gates are important. A walled city without gates will not survive! It may have good walls, but it will starve to death!

However, a walled city without good gates will also perish. The wall may be good, but if the gate is bad, it is like having no wall at all!

The same is true in our lives. We need walls to protect us. We need standards, God’s standards as walls in our lives to keep bad out, and to keep us from bad things.

But we need gates. We have gates in our lives to allow things in and out that we need to live.

Too many people today are struggling in life. The problem is that they do not have good gates. We need to rebuild the gates if we want to have the life that God intended for us to have.

We need to rebuild the gates of our lives, just like they rebuilt the gates of Jerusalem.

What do I mean? What are the gates of our lives?

Well, lets work our way through the gates.

Nehemiah 3:1 NIV

Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel.

The Sheep Gate

Sheep for the sacrifices

Some people think they can have a good relationship with God if they live good lives, or live sacrificially, doing things for God.

That is not the point of the Sheep Gate.

The Sheep Gate should keep the thinking that I can do things to earn salvation, or a relationship with God out.

The Sheep Gate was to let in the one means of having a relationship with God. Let me explain.

God gave the Law to show us our sin

Romans 3:19–20 NIV

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

God told them to make sacrifices which reminded them of their sin, and the punishment for sin.

Romans 6:23 NIV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The sheep gate also reminds of us how Jesus came into the world, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He was as Isaiah 53 states, led like a lamb to the slaughter.

He who knew no sin, became sin for us, and died in our place, paying the penalty for our sin when he died on the cross.

Hebrews 10:14 NIV

For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

His one sacrifice

Jesus is the Sheep, and He is the Gate.

John 10:9 NIV

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Nehemiah 3:3 NIV

The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place.

The Fish Gate

It was through this gate that men from the coast, or from that region around Galilee would come and bring fish to the city market.

This reminds us of the next gate in our lives. After we are saved, we are to live as Christ’s disciples.

Like Jesus said to those fishermen from Galilee so long ago,

Matthew 4:19–20 NIV

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

After we have the Sheep Gate, our salvation firmly in place through Jesus, we need to rebuild the Fish Gate. We need to be like those fishermen and leave our old lives behind to follow Jesus!

Are you living as His disciple? Does the world around you see you living for Jesus, or like the rest of the world?

Are you a fisher of men? After having found the Sheep Gate for your life, are you helping others to find that Sheep Gate?

We need to rebuild the Fish Gate in our lives. We need to live as Jesus disciples.

In this world that wants us to think and act like them, we need to think and act like Jesus!

Do we see people, even officers, who hurt others, do we see people who are rioting and looting, do we see people who are carrying out political agendas contrary to God’s standards as someone to judge? Or, do we see people who need to find the Sheep Gate? People who need Jesus as their savior? Are we praying for them? If we meet them, will we share the hope of Jesus with them?

The next gate is...

Nehemiah 3:6 NIV

The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

The Jeshanah (Old) Gate

Sometimes we look on old things with disdain. We want the shiny. We want the new.

The Bible and its teachings are so old, the world would say. We have grown in our understanding. We have more knowledge. We don’t need those old, backward ways.

Has any of that thinking crept into your life?

Jeremiah 6:16 NIV

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

Even in Jeremiah’s day, there were people who did not want to walk in the old ways. They were too enlightened to live in God’s standards.

We do not want to be like them. They are the reason Jerusalem was destroyed to begin with.

We need to rebuild the Old Gate. We need to get back to, “What does God say?” “What is right in God’s eyes?” We need to seek out the ancient, good path, and walk in it, regardless of what the world may say.

Nehemiah 3:13 NIV

The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

The Valley Gate

The other day I was driving along Route 6 with my son. There were some spectacular views overlooking the valleys past Meshoppen. And what was up there beside the road we were on? Nice houses.

People who have the money typically by the high ground, and build a nice mansion overlooking the valley.

It is the poor who live in the valley, in the shadow of the mountains.

The Valley Gate had to be rebuilt. It takes a measure of humility to go for the low gate. Pride says to go up, be exalted.

Humility says God will exalt me in due time.

We need to rebuild the Valley Gate, the gate of humility in our lives. Pride is ever present, and wanting to take over.

Philippians 2:3–4 NIV

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

We need to rebuild the gate of humility and start thinking of others instead of just thinking of ourselves.

We need to, as James puts it,

James 4:10 NIV

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

We need to rebuild the Valley Gate to keep pride away, and allow the Lord to lift us up appropriately, instead of lifting ourselves up.

Nehemiah 3:14 NIV

The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

The Dung Gate

Every city needs a way to remove filth. The Dung Gate was the way to go to dispose of the refuse. Can you imagine the humility it took to take on rebuilding that gate? Malchaiah did!

Just as Jerusalem needed a way to get rid of dung and other refuse, we need to get rid of the dung and refuse in our lives.

No matter how long we have been Christians, there is still some part of us that is still drawn to sinful things.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 7,

2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

We need to purify ourselves. When we find something that is polluting our lives, we need to get rid of it!

What is polluting your life? Pride? Anger? Resentment? Selfishness? Addiction? Drugs? Alcohol? Fear of people instead of fear of the Lord?

Find what refuse is lingering in your heart, and dispose of it!

We need a working Dung Gate in our lives. We need to be using it, and not neglecting the Dung Gate. Too many people think, “I have been forgiven. I can do what I want.”

Romans 6:1–2 NIV

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

We need a working Dung Gate in our lives. We need to confess to the Lord and to others. We need to remove sinful habits. We need to replace sinful desires with the desires of Christ, and then the habits that feed those desires. But it starts with rebuilding the Dung Gate. Knowing there are things to dispose of, and then rooting them out.

Nehemiah 3:15 NIV

The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David.

The Fountain Gate

How can we root those things out, the refuse in our lives? We cannot do it alone. And we don’t have to!

We have the Holy Spirit!

Jesus spoke of the Spirit this way,

John 7:38 NIV

Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

We need to rebuild the Fountain Gate. We need to listen to, and yield to the Holy Spirit. He is the one who is at war with our fleshly desires. He will give us new fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control instead of the anger, disputes, malice, slander, hatred...

We need to listen to and yield to the Holy Spirit. We need the Fountain Gate. If we walk by the Spirit, we will no longer gratify the desires of the flesh, and we will know true joy and peace!

Nehemiah 3:26 NIV

and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower.

The Water Gate

Just as we need water to drink and to wash daily, we need the Word of God. It refreshes us, nourishes us and cleanses us.

Psalm 19:7 NIV

The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

Ephesians 5:25–27 NIV

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Jesus wants to wash us clean. He wants to refresh us.

We need to rebuild the Water Gate, and spend time in the Word of God. Do we spend as much time reading the word as we do reading, listening or watching the news?

Do we spend as much time in the Word of God as we do watching movies, videos, or other entertainment?

What are we using for water? If we drinks the worlds Kool-aid it will lead to death. If we drink the Lord’s water, it will lead to refreshment and life!

Rebuild the Water Gate. Spend more time in His Word and find the refreshment you need!

Nehemiah 3:28 NIV

Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house.

The Horse Gate

Horses were used primarily for the military in that day. All through the scriptures we find this kind of imagery.

What could the Horse Gate respresent in our lives?

We are to be soldiers for Christ!

Paul speaks of our need to constantly put on the armor of God. We are in a spiritual battle day and night? Have we forgotten that we are living in enemy territory? We are living in the world, under the prince of the power of the air. We are in a battle!

We need to rebuild the Horse Gate. We are too often lulled into thinking we are in peacetime, when in reality we are in a spiritual warzone!

We need to,

2 Timothy 2:1–4 NIV

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

We also need to,

Jude 3 NIV

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.

We need to rebuild the Horse Gate. We need to know we are in a spiritual war. We need to put on our armor. We need to be prepared to stand. We need to contend for the faith which is under constant attack from our enemy who continues to say, “Did God really say...”

Too many Christians are weak and falling away, because they are not prepared for the battle. They are confused, and led away by the enemy of our souls. They did not have on their spiritual armor. They did not contend for the faith.

Nehemiah 3:29 NIV

Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs.

The East Gate

The Eastern or Golden Gate is the gate of hope. It is through the Eastern Gate that one day our Savior will return to establish His earthly kingdom.

We need the Eastern Gate. We need to know and remember that this battle, this spiritual war, will not last forever. Our victor is coming!

2 Peter 3:9 NIV

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Nehemiah 3:31 NIV

Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner;

The Inspection Gate

This was the place where in the olden days, the troops assembled for inspection.

Just as they assembled to be inspected by the king, so too, we will be inspected by our King.

1 Corinthians 3:12–15 NIV

If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

Nehemiah 3 - people who left a legacy, by rebuilding their gates

Nehemiah 3 is a record of people who worked for the Lord. It has been recorded for eternity. What they did was written down. Can you imagine their descendents reading this? That was my great, great, great, great, … grandfather! Look what he did!

This is a record for future generations. They could take pride in what their ancestors did.

They rebuilt the Gates!!

As they rebuilt the Gates, one by one, each person doing their part, the whole of the city was restored.

We need to individually rebuild the gates in our lives. We need to rebuild all of these gates in our lives. Just leave one bad gate and the city will fall. Leave out one gate, and your life will not be prosperous. The thief will break in and steal. He will steal your joy, your peace, and your reward.

The practical application is that God is keep a book. He is keeping track of what we are doing for him. We will receive a reward (or, lack of reward) for what we do in this life for Him and His glory!

The question is, “What legacy are we leaving?” Will our children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews look at us and say, “Wow! Look what they did for the Lord?” Or, will they even wonder if we did anything for the Lord?

That is some application.

Do you see what I mean? Nehemiah 3 has tons of application, and if you took the time to consider it, we could probably come up with 4 weeks worth of sermons from a chapter that lists people who rebuilt walls and gates. We typically get excited about Samson defeating a Lion, or David defeating Goliath, or Jesus healing the sick and lame. But God considers these people who faithfully, earnestly did their part to rebuild a wall and gate worthy of recording for all eternity. There is a lot here to apply to life.