Neh 3:14 | KingComments | STEP | The Refuse Gate The fifth in the row of gates is the Refuse Gate. Through this gate all the garbage of Jerusalem is brought out to the garbage dump in the valley of Hinnom. There it is burned. From a spiritual point of view it is understandable that the Refuse Gate follows the Valley Gate. If we have to humble ourselves, it is accompanied by confession of sins. By confession, sins are removed and we are cleansed. We must “cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit” ( ). All filth must be removed from our lives. The rebuilding of the Refuse Gate does not seem at first sight to be a pleasant occupation. It stinks there. Nevertheless, it is important that the Refuse Gate also starts to function again. This means that what does not belong in the city of God must be removed from it. We can apply this to our personal life as well as to our collective life. Malchijah The restorer of the Refuse Gate is called Malchijah, which means ‘king of (appointed by) Yahweh’. He is an official. Yet he is not ashamed to do this humble work. We build the Refuse Gate if we remove sin from our own lives. We build the Refuse Gate when we help our brother or sister remove sin from their lives ( ). We can only do this by identifying with him or her ( ). We build the Refuse Gate when we get rid of sin out of the church ( ). We only build the Refuse Gate in the right way if we look to the Lord Jesus and are at work according to His mind. In the name of Malchijah we recognize the Lord Jesus, Who is not ashamed to do the least work, slave work ( ). Above all, we see that in Him when He takes our sins upon Himself on the cross and is made sin on our behalf. There He has received the judgment of the sins of everyone who believes, and so has removed them.

‏ Nehemiah 3:14

The Refuse Gate – Malchijah

The Refuse Gate

The fifth in the row of gates is the Refuse Gate. Through this gate all the garbage of Jerusalem is brought out to the garbage dump in the valley of Hinnom. There it is burned.

From a spiritual point of view it is understandable that the Refuse Gate follows the Valley Gate. If we have to humble ourselves, it is accompanied by confession of sins. By confession, sins are removed and we are cleansed. We must “cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit” (2Cor 7:1). All filth must be removed from our lives.

The rebuilding of the Refuse Gate does not seem at first sight to be a pleasant occupation. It stinks there. Nevertheless, it is important that the Refuse Gate also starts to function again. This means that what does not belong in the city of God must be removed from it. We can apply this to our personal life as well as to our collective life.

Malchijah

The restorer of the Refuse Gate is called Malchijah, which means ‘king of (appointed by) Yahweh’. He is an official. Yet he is not ashamed to do this humble work. We build the Refuse Gate if we remove sin from our own lives. We build the Refuse Gate when we help our brother or sister remove sin from their lives (Mt 18:15). We can only do this by identifying with him or her (Gal 6:1). We build the Refuse Gate when we get rid of sin out of the church (1Cor 5:13b).

We only build the Refuse Gate in the right way if we look to the Lord Jesus and are at work according to His mind. In the name of Malchijah we recognize the Lord Jesus, Who is not ashamed to do the least work, slave work (Jn 13:1-17). Above all, we see that in Him when He takes our sins upon Himself on the cross and is made sin on our behalf. There He has received the judgment of the sins of everyone who believes, and so has removed them.