One of the most famous landmarks in the world today is the Berlin wall, dividing the city in two. It involved much prayer, much planning, many people and fair amount of hard work. Truth is always old, and it is upon old things that everything new must rest. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to itâ (Nehemiah ⦠... One of the things this chapter reveals is that often the workers began rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem outside their own home first. God raised Esther, a young Jewish maiden, to the throne of Persia as queen. 3 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. It never changes. In verse 9 of chapter 2 we read: Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and gave them the king's letters. RayStedman.org/permissions. Nehemiah told their enemies, âThe God of heaven will give us success. But God in grace frequently reaches down and gets some of those people and brings them out to rebuild the walls. 432 B.C. (Nehemiah 13:8 RSV). This gate needs to be rebuilt in many of us who fall under the pessimistic spirit of this age and are crushed by the hopelessness of our time. with sparks flying from his eyes, and yet he is perfectly justified in what he does because he is resolutely saying no to that which defiles the temple of God. This is followed by the Water Gate. They have learned to have a low opinion of themselves but a high opinion of their God. Copyright © 2021 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. Nehemiah Chapter 3 Bible Study - Gates of Jerusalem. Nehemiah (in Babylon) receives word about the condition of Jerusalem and requests permission to leave and repair the city walls and gates. Nehemiah was not distracted by opposition. Nehemiah was Godâs leader who encouraged the Jews to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah Rebuilds the Wall . When they failed, they attempted a conspiracy. That queen, I believe, was Queen Esther, the Jewish maiden who had been raised to this prominent position by the grace of God. Nehemiah is the account of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. The laborers who carried materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. Map of Jerusalem with Nehemiah's Reconstruction of Walls (445 B.C.) The wall is almost finished and Nehemiah's enemies are desperate. " "We are not contending against flesh and blood," the apostle says, "but against the principalities, against the powers...the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Immediately, Nehemiah prayed silently. He knocked on the musician's door and said. It mentions the people who lived by it, but it doesn't mention its needing repair. Then he added, "The tenor across the hall sings off-key. He said: I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. I would like to quickly describe these for your own edification, and we can draw the lesson from each at the same time. (Nehemiah 1:11c RSV). We need to sit and take a look at ourselves every now and then -- to stop and re-evaluate what we are doing. In those days, the high priest was very powerful. (Mark 1:17) This suggests the witness of a Christian. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite... (Nehemiah 2:9-10a RSV), Do you recognize these names? The people were still intermarrying with the forbidden races around them. 3 Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests began rebuilding the Sheep Gate. Realizing this, Nehemiah seeks and receives permission from the emperor to travel to Judah to rebuild its walls (Nehemiah 2:1-10). It was also true a hundred thousand years before it was uttered. In chapter 3 we learn how he went about this task of reconstruction. The East Gate faced the rising sun, and is the gate of hope. The rest of the chapter describes how they went about building. Nehemiah Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem There is a small book in the Bible called Nehemiah. Then, in chapter 12. in the dedication of the walls, the people gathered and marched around them with instruments, singing and shouting, playing and rejoicing, and crying out with great joy. Tobiah sent more threatening letters to Nehemiah. That name reminds us instantly of the words of the Lord Jesus to the woman at the well, "The water that I shall give [YOU] will become in [you] a spring of water [a fountain] welling up to eternal life." 3 Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. So here is a man who, out of his concern, and after the confession of his heart, commits himself to a project. He asks God to begin moving in the king's heart. Neither Artaxerxes nor Ahasuerus are the names of this king. He says: "...and grant him [Nehemiah] mercy in the sight of this man." 1 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it -- though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates -- 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: 'Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.' Since this is the very king whose wife is Queen Esther. (Nehemiah 13:28 RSV). They dedicated it and installed its doors. But that still isn't all. (Ephesians 6:12) This is the battle! 2 People from the town of Jericho worked ⦠Rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was an important sign to the enemies of Israel. The walls of the city of Babylon, as recounted in the story of Daniel, were some 380 feet thick and over 100 feet high -- massive, tremendous walls. Nehemiah adds that Eliashib the high priest was related to Tobiah (Nehemiah 13:4) and one of his grandsons was the son-in-law of Sanballat (Nehemiah 13:28). (Nehemiah 13:7b RSV). The book closes with the matter of resistance to evil. 10 "They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. True, God called Nehemiah to rebuild the wall, but ultimately God wanted the people to repent and return to Him so that he could restore their hearts and rebuild their lives. 6:15). The wall was begun 3:1 The wall was at half height 4:6 The wall was finished except for the gates 6:1 The wall was done 6:15 The wall was dedicated 12:27. The first step in this process is given in chapter 1, verse 4. They built as far as the Tower of [] the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. Similarly, in the New Testament we are told to discover the gifts that the Spirit has given us and to put them to work. The first six chapters cover the reconstruction of the wall, while chapters through 13 deal with the reinstruction of the people. The efforts of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were futile for the simple reason that they were fighting Godâs plan. You know. (Nehemiah 8:8 RSV). My Book of Bible Stories. He makes an honest survey of the facts. Has the wall around the Fish Gate crumbled? Nehemiah returns to Babylon-Persia (later returning to Jerusalem) Nehemiah was an official in the court of Artaxerxes, the Persian king. Following this prayer, the people signed a covenant and agreed that they would do what the law demanded. Then he discovered that throughout the city the people were violating the Sabbath. I can tell you out of my own experience as well that you will never be able to retain the strength that God gives you until you are ready to be obedient to what he says. PRIVACY POLICY, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/1101978139/univ/art/1101978139_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/my/E/wpub/my_E_lg.jpg, Share In verse 19 he says: When it began to be dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the sabbath. For permission to use this content, please review If you can never say a word for Christ, if there is never any witness in your life, then this wall is broken and the Fish Gate needs to be built again. Implicitly, he was formulating a plan to remedy the situation in Jerusalem. They are saying that we don't need these things anymore. We pray that we, also, may learn as Nehemiah did to be disciplined, courageous, confident in you, and willing to say no, willing to be absolutely ruthless against the forces that would undermine and sap the vitality of our lives in you. To do what? It was 'A' yesterday. Nehemiah encountered hostility from the (non-Jewish) local officials in neighbouring districts, but in the space of 52 days the Jews under his direction succeeded in rebuilding Jerusalemâs walls. But Jehovah has promised that he will send a new king, and that this king will bring peace to the people. However, few people were as instrumental in rebuilding Jerusalem, particularly its walls, following Israel's return from captivity in Babylon. God has said in every page of Scripture that he is against the pride of men. He says: "O Lord, let thy ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants who delight to fear thy name; and give success to thy servant today," (Nehemiah 1:11a RSV). He has learned one of the greatest lessons that the Spirit of God can ever teach anyone: to say no when it needs to be said. The soprano upstairs is flat on her high notes. Then he begins to lay his plans. Satan makes things difficult when we start turning back to God. Then he said: âPlease, let me go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.â King Artaxerxes told Nehemiah that he could go, and the king made sure that he would be safe on his long journey. The Walls of Jerusalem, Deliverance From Egypt to Israelâs First King, Israelâs First King to Captivity in Babylon, Captivity in Babylon to Rebuilding of Jerusalemâs Walls, Jesusâ Resurrection to Paulâs Imprisonment, Publication download options Sometimes these walls were tremendously thick and high. In an individual life, then, the rebuilding of the walls would be a picture of re-establishing the strength of that life. In the eleventh chapter is the recognition of gifts among the people. It was on this very note that the Lord Jesus began his ministry in Jerusalem. Nehemiah is a rather unfamiliar figure in biblical history, meaning not many people know his story. These are the days when the old truth is being forsaken. The restoration of the house of God is always the first thing in the way back to God. This is the way to retain strength once it is rebuilt. Let me share the story with you. It was taken out through the Dung Gate. Ordinarily, though, a wall symbolizes strength and protection. When his brother visited and told him about Jerusalemâs destruction, Nehemiah could have said, âLook, ⦠It is the gate of anticipation of what is yet to come when all the trials of life and all the struggles of earth will end and the glorious new sun will rise on the new day of God. The Fountain Gate is next. (Nehemiah 6:15 RSV). It may or may not be helpful to know that this Artaxerxes and Ahasuerus are also Darius the Mede of the book of Daniel. In other words, Esther actually happened when God first began to move in the midst of Israel's captivity to return this nation to the land. Nehemiah followed a series of practical steps to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, steps which you can follow to rebuild the things in your own life that need rebuilding. It doesn't need to be repaired. But things are still not the same as they were before the Israelites were taken as prisoners to Babylon. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. You must obey him whenever you hear and know what he wants. Nehemiah 3 New King James Version (NKJV) Rebuilding the Wall. It begins with a concern about the ruins. Here is a man who is thoroughly angry. And that isn't all. First of all is the Sheep Gate. That is what is so confusing. The interesting thing about this Water Gate (as opposed to the one in our nation's capitol) is that it did not need to be repaired. so Nehemiah prays about going to the king. If he does, he would fall into the trap of his enemies. And then, to add to the confusion, Artaxerxes in the book of Nehemiah is not the same Artaxerxes as in the book of Ezra. In chapter 9 you have Ezra's tremendous prayer, when he recounted what God had done in the life of this people. That is where we must begin building for strength. Nehemiah is well aware of this -- God must move in the areas where Nehemiah cannot. Nehemiah says: When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days; and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Those who have made a mark for God throughout the history of the church have been those who have learned to say no and have said it at the right time. Then the musician said, "That, my friend, is 'A'. Men are rapidly throwing away what the church has stood for. Then he discovered yet another problem. When that failed, they tried to call Nehemiah away from his work by a very cunning scheme. Now do I have you thoroughly confused? He struck the tuning fork again and said, "That is 'A' and that, my friend, is the good word for today." (2 Timothy 1:6) If you want to retain your strength, start using what God has given you. Find the right leaders for leverage. He has something definite he wants to ask. When he appears before the king, the king notes the sadness of Nehemiah's face and asks what he wants. It would take many people to work together to complete this job. We have all met people whose defenses have crumbled away. It is concerned with the teaching of each book. In these three books we have the story of the way out of captivity, back to God. (Nehemiah 13:21a). He looks for the lowly, the humble, the contrite, and those who have learned that they are not indispensable. It is the place of lowliness of mind and humbleness of heart. This is the gate through which the sheep were brought into the city to be sacrificed at the altar. to the forces that would destroy what God was doing in his life. So about 444 bc Nehemiah journeyed to Jerusalem and aroused the people there to the necessity of repopulating the city and rebuilding its walls. Have you ever stopped long enough to assess what you could be under God, and compared that with what you are? The ruins of ⦠If so, this gate for defense, and its wall, need to be rebuilt again, for the Lord Jesus said that every Christian is to be a witness for him. Therefore, the city of Babylon considered itself very safe. He was ready to say "No! In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was ⦠In ancient cities the only real means of defense were the walls. This means, when Nehemiah returns, he has to start from square one. 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. When Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem were still broken down more than a half-century after the completion of the rebuilding of the temple, he âsat down and wept,â fasting and praying before God (Neh. The work of rebuilding the walls and repairing the gates was going to be a lot of work. This Valley Gate often needs to be repaired. As you read through this chapter, you will find the names of these gates; the Hebrew names have great significance. They appear in our Bible in reverse order of the chronological order in which they took place. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.". 2 [] Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. The officers stationed themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were rebuilding the wall. Now what does a wall symbolize? God has reversed this order in scripture. We learn, first of all, that the people were willing to work; second, that they became involved and immediately started doing something. He is a man who, even in the final chapter of his life, is seen building values into the people and seeking Godâs strength through prayer (chapter 13). Nehemiah became violent. The governors of surrounding territories viciously oppose Nehemiahâs efforts, but the wall is finished in just 52 days ( ⦠It is the place of humility, isn't it? Nehemiah is well aware of this â God must move in the areas where Nehemiah ⦠With those two you have the whole book. This is followed by confession. The first thing he does is arise at night when no one else knows, ride around the walls of the city, and survey the ruins. He is responsive to Nehemiah's plea for permission to return to Jerusalem. Immediately courage is needed. Nehemiah 3 tells us of the people who participated in rebuilding the walls and repairing the gates. When Nehemiah comes back to Jerusalem and rides about the city at night he doesn't just start putting bricks on top of one another. Do you remember how the Lord Jesus said to his disciples, "Follow me and I will make you become fishers of men"? Theyâve burned the buildings, t⦠Prayer is the fundamental act for people of God. Lies were spoken against him, and a pesky contingent opposed the fact that he was rebuilding the walls. Then he discovered that some of them were waiting outside the doors all night, hoping that someone would come out and do a little business. Godâs leaders ⦠He had allowed Tobiah to move right into the temple! The next chapters, four through six, cover the persecution that arose from building the city walls. 3 They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. Whenever you read of Ammonites, Amorites, Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites, Perizzites, or any of the other "ites," you have a picture of the enemy of God -- the flesh. If this wall is broken down, you will find that through this the enemy will enter again and again. Ezra and Nehemiah are one book in the Hebrew Bible, for they are part of the same story. Rebuilding the Walls To me some of the most fascinating chapters found in the word of God are found in Nehemiah chapters 1-7. What man? In Duet 12:5 Moses told the Israelites to âseek the place where the Lord you God chooses, out ⦠If the walls of your life are broken down -- if your defenses have crumbled so that the enemy is getting at you on every hand, and you easily fall prey to temptation -- I suggest you pay special heed to the process of reconstruction set forth in the book of Nehemiah. Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. Next was the remembrance of the lessons of the past. That is always the starting place for strength in your life. From the beginning of his obedience, Nehemiah faced ridicule from Sanballat, Tobiah and their sympathizers. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. (Nehemiah 4:10) Then Judah said, âThe strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.â The work of rebuilding the walls was not only construction, but cleaning and hauling away the rubbish. There is nothing that will add more to your strength in the Lord than to express the joy of the Lord in your life. Not only did the Babylonians take the best of the best (Daniel 1), leaving only the poor and frail behind, but according to accounts in the Bible and Josephus, the Babylonians set fire to Jerusalem. In an individual life, then, the rebuilding of the walls would be a picture of re-establishing the strength of that life. Water is always a symbol of the word of God. Then we confess. The persecution revealed here can be summarized in three words -- contempt, conspiracy, and cunning. therefore I chased him from me. The enemies tried to mock or heap contempt on what God was doing. 1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. Nehemiah realizes some will resist the idea of having a wall at all. In verse 28 we read: And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; [So what did he do with him?] Realizing this, Nehemiah seeks and receives permission from the emperor to travel to Judah to rebuild its walls (Nehemiah 2:1-10). They covenanted; they resolved that they would take the step of obedience. 2 The men of Jericho built next to Eliashib, and next to them Zaccur son of Imri built. It is always good to stop and remember what God has taught you in the past. And my friend, if you do not have a dung gate in your life, youâre in bad shape because all the refuse in your life is accumulated and it will make you smell to high heaven in the sight of God and man. It was true when it was uttered. It all centered on the ten gates of the city of Jerusalem. So what did he do? The cross must be at the beginning and the end of every life. You see, this man has a plan forming in his mind, even while he has been in prayer, of how to go about rebuilding the walls. (Nehemiah 13:19a RSV). Whenever a man like Nehemiah says, "I will arise and build," Satan always says, "Then I will arise and oppose." It was hard for Nehemiah to maintain secrecy. In chapter 13, verse 7, having gone back to Babylon and returned to Jerusalem, he says: I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah [this man was first mentioned in the beginning of the book as an enemy of the Jews], preparing for him [the enemy of God] a chamber in the courts of the house of God. The book of Nehemiah falls into two divisions. Message transcript and recording © 2021 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. The people would be assigned a certain portion of the wall defined by the gates that gave access to the city. (Nehemiah 13:25 RSV). Your strength will be maintained if you will take the attitude that Nehemiah took for God. He kept them all out of the city. The next gate is the Old Gate. How will he bring peace to the earth? As he came into the temple and found it filled with the money changers, who were defiling the house of prayer, he made a whip of cords and drove them out of the temple. He found that the priests had been cheated, so he restored the money that belonged to them. If that leader did ⦠After building the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel, they dedicated it. (Nehemiah 1:4 RSV). It was her husband, King Ahasuerus of Persia, who is the Artaxerxes of the opening chapters of Nehemiah. The horse in scripture is a symbol of warfare or, in this case, the need to do battle against the forces of darkness. Nehemiah has a plan forming in his mind, even while he has been in prayer, of how to go about rebuilding the walls. but it worked so well that I could see that God had provided prayer for us." (Nehemiah 1:11b RSV). 8 "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.'. The wall of Jerusalem was completed in record time (Nehemiah 6:15). Do you get discouraged? Now this is always how any return to the grace of God must begin. Nehemiah began the work of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem. I thought it was quite an unfair advantage over those poor heathen. Scripture is never concerned simply with chronology. "What's the good word for today?" Such people see no danger in living unprotected and even believe something can be gained by being open to the world. Nehemiah took note of his enemies, but their opposition did not deter him. He already has a great concern and knowledge of the Jews' problems. 1:4). The next gate is the Dung Gate â the place through which all the refuse of the city was carried; all the rubbish, all the filth was carried. And so, using the wall as a catalyst, God called Nehemiah to Rebuild, Restore, and Revive the people. He read the Book of Moses and wanted to make sure the people stayed faithful to God's ways. After this, the people celebrated the Feast of the Tabernacles, when Israel dwelt in booths made of tree boughs to remind them that they were simply strangers and pilgrims on earth. They have become human derelicts, drifting up and down the streets of our large cities, absolutely hopeless and helpless. Truth is always the same. We need to rebuild the old gates of truth. It is this attitude that he seeks. Discouragement Overcome ⦠16 And from that day on, half of my servants did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. And the piano in the next room is out of tune." You have to recognize the principle of the cross -- the fact that God will be moving in your life to utterly cancel out your own ego, your own plans, and your own self-interest. This was the first means of retaining the strength represented by the walls. This satanic agency within man inevitably resists the work and the will and the ways of God. Next is the Horse Gate. He said, "I didn't think praying was the right thing to do at first. I warned them and said to them, "Why do you lodge before the wall? Finally, the book of Esther comes as the revelation of the purpose of all this in the life of any individual. Now perhaps you feel that Nehemiah was too severe. That brings us around again in the last part of the chapter to the Sheep Gate, the gate of the cross. There are the Levites, the gate keepers, the singers, and various others who ministered in the temple. The first section, A-E above (chapters 1 and 2), describes Jerusalem's ruined state as a reproach against God. In the latter part of the book, chapters 7 through 13, is the story of reinstruction. Artaxerxes means "the great king" and Ahasuerus means "the venerable father." The next gate is the Valley Gate, and you can see immediately what it suggests. You will never rebuild the walls of your life until you first weep over the ruins. The cross is that instrument in God's program that puts the ego to death. Truth will never change. When Nehemiah hears this report about Jerusalem, he weeps and prays for days, showing his intense concern. In the end, we leave Nehemiah right where we first met himâon his knees, praying (13: 31). It is only 13 Chapters long and recounts the story of a man named Nehemiah who spent 12 years rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. 5 Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. You will never build the walls of your life until you have first become greatly concerned about the ruins. These are really titles. When Nehemiah hears that âthe wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire,â , he gets permission from Persian King Artaxerxes to rebuild the city.