Neh 3:1 | KingComments | STEP | This chapter radiates warmth and enthusiasm. The whole population responds to Nehemiah’s call to build. Each is satisfied with his place, without being jealous of another. Hardly anyone avoids his task, no one grumbles about his task. Because of this there is care for every part of the wall. How impenetrable is a church with such collaborators. The Spirit takes us by the hand and goes with us along the wall. We are allowed to watch the progress of the building with Him. We see people busy. We are not inspectors, but students. The Spirit is the Inspector. He says what the people are called, what they are doing, where they are doing, why they are doing it. He shows who’s diligent and who’s doing nothing. He sees the motives that lead a person. Everything that is done is recorded. Not to have a nice evening later with a slide presentation or a video presentation and to talk about the performances. There doesn’t have to be anything wrong with that. But what is recorded here, is recorded on indelible paper, in the register of God. Impeccably, the Spirit records the names of the employees and their activities. The listing of the workers is reminiscent of the mention of saints by name at the end of the letter to the Romans ( ). It is also reminiscent of “the judgment seat of Christ” ( ). There each one will “receive his own reward according to his own labor” ( ). This also applies to us. That is why it is so instructive to walk with the Spirit of God. The work of every believer in God’s kingdom, in which each has his own task and field, is recorded. However, we are not all working on our own, for our own little kingdom. We do not work alongside each other when we are working together towards the same goal: the rebuilding of the wall. Shoulder to shoulder they are busy, which is so nicely indicated by the recurring words “next to”. Nowhere is it more important than in the church of God to have the right person in the right place. For this purpose “God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired” ( ). To this end a necessary gift has been given to each member by the Spirit ( ). Service is not only serving with the Word. Service is being engaged in the work that the Lord has ordained for each person. It is about doing His will. He rewards according to the faithfulness with which one is engaged and not according to the gift one possesses. Everyone has a personal and unique share in the restoration of the wall of Jerusalem. No one does the same work, no one imitates another. Each has a share that is different from all the others. We see this in the disciples of the Lord, in the co-workers of Paul, in the warriors of David. There is work enough. Everyone can get to work, no one needs to be unemployed. Those who have nothing to do may ask themselves whether it is because of laziness, jealousy, or pride. If you’re lazy, you don’t want to work. He who is jealous only wants a certain work, but that has already been assigned to someone else. He who is proud does not want work that he considers to be beneath his dignity. Everyone has a work that suits him and is given the grace to do so. Building the wall is not an afterthought, but a necessity. A wall is intended for separation, it is a means of defense against external attacks by the enemy. This also makes the wall a means of security for society within the wall. The presence of the wall allows the inhabitants of the city to concentrate on the values of the city. The values of the city are determined by the temple, the house where God dwells. The wall also makes the city a whole. The wall is not meant to isolate the city from her surroundings. Separation does not equate to isolation. It is beautiful to see how in this wall there are no less than ten gates. This makes it possible to enter and to leave. It is necessary that the gates are guarded. In the new Jerusalem guarding is no longer necessary ( ). The ten gates are: 1. The Sheep Gate ( ) 2. The Fish Gate ( ) 3. The Old Gate ( ) 4. The Valley Gate ( ) 5. The Refuse Gate ( ) 6. The Fountain Gate ( ) 7. The Water Gate ( ) 8. The Horse Gate ( ) 9. The East Gate ( ) 10. The Inspection Gate ( ) The account of the building begins at the Sheep Gate in the northeast and runs counterclockwise to the north ( ), west ( ), south ( ), and east ( ) to end up again at the Sheep Gate in the northeast. Eliashib The first to be mentioned as someone preparing to start the building work is the high priest Eliashib. His name means ‘God restores’. The fact that he is mentioned first is unfortunately not because of his devotion to the work, but because of his position. He is not faithful. A comparison with the building of the next gates shows that he does not provide the doors in the Sheep Gate with beams and bolts and bars ( ). By omitting the beams and bolts and bars, the door is only a symbolic barrier. Everyone is free to open it, and those who wish to do so will not encounter any resistance. But that is not the purpose of a door. People who have nothing to do in the city must be stopped by it. The door may only be opened to people who belong in the city and who keep to the rules of the city. Is this negligence perhaps due to the fact that he is a blood relative of Tobiah ( ) and that his grandson married a daughter of Sanballat ( )? Those who have family ties with enemies of God are particularly exposed to the danger of not being so concerned about separation. This is an understandable difficulty. Therefore, we must take care that family relationships do not affect the position of separation before God. The Sheep Gate The first repair work is done at the Sheep Gate, by the priests. Through this gate the sheep are brought into the city to be sacrificed in the temple. In this way we are immediately reminded of the most important reason for the existence of the city and the temple: the worship of God. All believers are priests. Restoration of the wall is first and foremost necessary for the progress of priestly service. It is said only of this gate that they consecrate it, i.e. they separate and dedicate it especially to God. The Sheep Gate is also a reminder of the Lord Jesus. He is the true Sheep Gate. He says of Himself: “I am the door of the sheep” ( ). And a little further on He says: “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” ( ). Our personal life can be compared to a city. We can admit all possible sins in our lives, we can even enjoy sin. As long as we are of the world, we do the same. But enjoying sin gives a bitter aftertaste and the end is death. Then we must resort to the city of God. The Sheep Gate is the entrance we must have. The real restoration of our life begins when we are saved from judgment by the Lord Jesus. As a result, we are allowed to “go in”, which is to come into the presence of God in faith to approach Him as priests ( ). We may also go “out”, that is to go out into the world to testify of the Lord Jesus and to work for Him. We will also “find pasture”, which is rest and food. We can also see the local church as a city. If there is no wall around it, if the separation of the world is bad, then the thoughts and actions of the world can find their way in unhindered and unrestrained. Anyone who is concerned about this development should start by rebuilding the Sheep Gate. The Lord Jesus must once again be given His place as the One to Whom we owe our salvation and through Whom we may come into the presence of God. Through Him we may also do our service in the world, and with Him we will find rest and food. The builders at the Sheep Gate are the high priest and the priests. Priests are people who are used to the presence of God. They know His holiness and His goodness. Such people are needed to present the Lord Jesus as the door of the sheep. Whoever knows God, who knows what is His due and what His desires are, will gladly point out the door that leads to that God. Two towers Near the gate there are two towers: “Tower of the Hundred [and] the Tower of Hananel”. A tower is a watchtower, where a guard can see far outside the city and what is approaching. This is reminiscent of vigilance. The gate is only allowed to open for sheep. The door must remain closed for wolves. Paul warns that after his departure “savage wolves will come in …, not sparing the flock” ( ). What we must be especially careful of are “the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” ( ). The name “Tower of the Hundred” is remarkable in connection with the shepherd and the sheep. It recalls the parable the Lord Jesus pronounces about a shepherd who had a hundred sheep, of which he lost one ( ). The intention is that all one hundred sheep should be brought to safety and not just the one lost sheep. From this tower the whole flock is watched over. No sheep should be missed.

‏ Nehemiah 3:1

Introduction

This chapter radiates warmth and enthusiasm. The whole population responds to Nehemiah’s call to build. Each is satisfied with his place, without being jealous of another. Hardly anyone avoids his task, no one grumbles about his task. Because of this there is care for every part of the wall. How impenetrable is a church with such collaborators.

The Spirit takes us by the hand and goes with us along the wall. We are allowed to watch the progress of the building with Him. We see people busy. We are not inspectors, but students. The Spirit is the Inspector. He says what the people are called, what they are doing, where they are doing, why they are doing it. He shows who’s diligent and who’s doing nothing. He sees the motives that lead a person.

Everything that is done is recorded. Not to have a nice evening later with a slide presentation or a video presentation and to talk about the performances. There doesn’t have to be anything wrong with that. But what is recorded here, is recorded on indelible paper, in the register of God. Impeccably, the Spirit records the names of the employees and their activities.

The listing of the workers is reminiscent of the mention of saints by name at the end of the letter to the Romans (Rom 16:1-16). It is also reminiscent of “the judgment seat of Christ” (2Cor 5:10). There each one will “receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1Cor 3:8). This also applies to us. That is why it is so instructive to walk with the Spirit of God. The work of every believer in God’s kingdom, in which each has his own task and field, is recorded.

However, we are not all working on our own, for our own little kingdom. We do not work alongside each other when we are working together towards the same goal: the rebuilding of the wall. Shoulder to shoulder they are busy, which is so nicely indicated by the recurring words “next to”.

Nowhere is it more important than in the church of God to have the right person in the right place. For this purpose “God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired” (1Cor 12:18). To this end a necessary gift has been given to each member by the Spirit (Rom 12:6-8). Service is not only serving with the Word. Service is being engaged in the work that the Lord has ordained for each person. It is about doing His will. He rewards according to the faithfulness with which one is engaged and not according to the gift one possesses.

Everyone has a personal and unique share in the restoration of the wall of Jerusalem. No one does the same work, no one imitates another. Each has a share that is different from all the others. We see this in the disciples of the Lord, in the co-workers of Paul, in the warriors of David.

There is work enough. Everyone can get to work, no one needs to be unemployed. Those who have nothing to do may ask themselves whether it is because of laziness, jealousy, or pride. If you’re lazy, you don’t want to work. He who is jealous only wants a certain work, but that has already been assigned to someone else. He who is proud does not want work that he considers to be beneath his dignity. Everyone has a work that suits him and is given the grace to do so.

Building the wall is not an afterthought, but a necessity. A wall is intended for separation, it is a means of defense against external attacks by the enemy. This also makes the wall a means of security for society within the wall. The presence of the wall allows the inhabitants of the city to concentrate on the values of the city. The values of the city are determined by the temple, the house where God dwells. The wall also makes the city a whole.

The wall is not meant to isolate the city from her surroundings. Separation does not equate to isolation. It is beautiful to see how in this wall there are no less than ten gates. This makes it possible to enter and to leave. It is necessary that the gates are guarded. In the new Jerusalem guarding is no longer necessary (Rev 21:25 ; 27).

The ten gates are:

1. The Sheep Gate (Neh 3:1)

2. The Fish Gate (Neh 3:3)

3. The Old Gate (Neh 3:6)

4. The Valley Gate (Neh 3:13)

5. The Refuse Gate (Neh 3:14)

6. The Fountain Gate (Neh 3:15)

7. The Water Gate (Neh 3:26)

8. The Horse Gate (Neh 3:28)

9. The East Gate (Neh 3:29)

10. The Inspection Gate (Neh 3:31)

Eliashib – the Sheep Gate – Two Towers

The account of the building begins at the Sheep Gate in the northeast and runs counterclockwise to the north (Neh 3:1-7), west (Neh 3:8-13), south (Neh 3:14), and east (Neh 3:15-32) to end up again at the Sheep Gate in the northeast.

Eliashib

The first to be mentioned as someone preparing to start the building work is the high priest Eliashib. His name means ‘God restores’. The fact that he is mentioned first is unfortunately not because of his devotion to the work, but because of his position. He is not faithful. A comparison with the building of the next gates shows that he does not provide the doors in the Sheep Gate with beams and bolts and bars (Neh 3:3 ; 6 ; 13 ; 14 ; 15).

By omitting the beams and bolts and bars, the door is only a symbolic barrier. Everyone is free to open it, and those who wish to do so will not encounter any resistance. But that is not the purpose of a door. People who have nothing to do in the city must be stopped by it. The door may only be opened to people who belong in the city and who keep to the rules of the city.

Is this negligence perhaps due to the fact that he is a blood relative of Tobiah (Neh 13:4) and that his grandson married a daughter of Sanballat (Neh 13:28)? Those who have family ties with enemies of God are particularly exposed to the danger of not being so concerned about separation. This is an understandable difficulty. Therefore, we must take care that family relationships do not affect the position of separation before God.

The Sheep Gate

The first repair work is done at the Sheep Gate, by the priests. Through this gate the sheep are brought into the city to be sacrificed in the temple. In this way we are immediately reminded of the most important reason for the existence of the city and the temple: the worship of God. All believers are priests. Restoration of the wall is first and foremost necessary for the progress of priestly service. It is said only of this gate that they consecrate it, i.e. they separate and dedicate it especially to God.

The Sheep Gate is also a reminder of the Lord Jesus. He is the true Sheep Gate. He says of Himself: “I am the door of the sheep” (Jn 10:7). And a little further on He says: “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (Jn 10:9). Our personal life can be compared to a city. We can admit all possible sins in our lives, we can even enjoy sin. As long as we are of the world, we do the same. But enjoying sin gives a bitter aftertaste and the end is death. Then we must resort to the city of God.

The Sheep Gate is the entrance we must have. The real restoration of our life begins when we are saved from judgment by the Lord Jesus. As a result, we are allowed to “go in”, which is to come into the presence of God in faith to approach Him as priests (Heb 10:19). We may also go “out”, that is to go out into the world to testify of the Lord Jesus and to work for Him. We will also “find pasture”, which is rest and food.

We can also see the local church as a city. If there is no wall around it, if the separation of the world is bad, then the thoughts and actions of the world can find their way in unhindered and unrestrained. Anyone who is concerned about this development should start by rebuilding the Sheep Gate. The Lord Jesus must once again be given His place as the One to Whom we owe our salvation and through Whom we may come into the presence of God. Through Him we may also do our service in the world, and with Him we will find rest and food.

The builders at the Sheep Gate are the high priest and the priests. Priests are people who are used to the presence of God. They know His holiness and His goodness. Such people are needed to present the Lord Jesus as the door of the sheep. Whoever knows God, who knows what is His due and what His desires are, will gladly point out the door that leads to that God.

Two towers

Near the gate there are two towers: “Tower of the Hundred [and] the Tower of Hananel”. A tower is a watchtower, where a guard can see far outside the city and what is approaching. This is reminiscent of vigilance. The gate is only allowed to open for sheep. The door must remain closed for wolves. Paul warns that after his departure “savage wolves will come in …, not sparing the flock” (Acts 20:29). What we must be especially careful of are “the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mt 7:15).

The name “Tower of the Hundred” is remarkable in connection with the shepherd and the sheep. It recalls the parable the Lord Jesus pronounces about a shepherd who had a hundred sheep, of which he lost one (Mt 15:3-7). The intention is that all one hundred sheep should be brought to safety and not just the one lost sheep. From this tower the whole flock is watched over. No sheep should be missed.