Nehemiah 3-4
Welcome! We are continuing our series on Ezra and Nehemiah, today looking at Nehemiah chapters 3 and 4. Last week we looked at the first two chapters of Nehemiah, and we saw Nehemiah, cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, learn of the state of disrepair and discouragement of the people in Jerusalem. After several months of prayer and fasting, the king asked Nehemiah why he seemed sad, and Nehemiah told him of the situation in Jerusalem among his people. In a miraculous answer to prayer, the king had profound sympathy for Nehemiah and sent him to take charge of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah looked over the walls one night, and then he spoke to the people and encouraged them to begin rebuilding the walls under his leadership. They agreed, and despite some initial opposition in the forms of taunting from several non-Israelite leaders of surrounding regions, they began to rebuild. This brings us to today’s passage.
As we are about to see, Nehemiah 3 provides details about which people began to rebuild which parts of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Now, as you probably know, ancient cities were made like fortresses so that they could be defended in times of war. Walls were erected around the cities, along with towers, so as to discourage invaders from attacking at all, and so as to be able to fight back from a position of safety and defense. When attacking a city, the gates were the most natural targets, because you could most easily enter the city with your forces through an overtaken gate. For this reason, gates were usually built in such a way that they were parts of guard towers. Gates and the parts of the walls attached to them were imposing structures, built to be able to withstand attack and provide a means of defense. These gates typically had names that signified something about their purpose or their position.
As we read through this chapter, I will say a little about the locations described along the wall, and I will also point out some cases where the name of the gate is symbolic of something else in Scripture.
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 Zaccur son of Imri built next to them. – Neh. 3:1-2
The Sheep Gate was in the northern or eastern wall, and it is believed that it was through this gate that the offerings or sacrifices were brought to the Temple. For this reason, it seems, it was the first gate rebuilt, and also for this reason, it seems, it was the priests who rebuilt it.
The tower of the Hundred, or tower of Meah, may have been 100 cubits high or had 100 steps – little else is known of this tower. The tower of Hanenel is also mentioned in Jeremiah 31:38 and Zech. 14:10, and based on these descriptions, it sounds like it was at or near a “corner” of the walls of Jerusalem.
In the New Testament, the Sheep Gate is mentioned briefly in John 5 as a reference location for a nearby pool called Bethesda in Aramaic, the location where Jesus healed a man who had been an invalid for 38 years.
Sheep are highly symbolic in the New Testament of people. Jesus referred to the crowds as like “sheep without a shepherd,” and He described Himself symbolically as a shepherd to the sheep. Not only this, He actually referred to Himself as a Sheep Gate! This can be found in John 10:
Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. – John 10:7-10
Continuing on our journey around the walls of Jerusalem:
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. – Neh. 3:3-5
It is believed that the Fish Gate was in the northern wall, just a little to the east of the modern Damascus gate. It is believed that it was the gate closest to the fish market, and fishermen from the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River used this gate to bring fish to market.
The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors and 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. – Neh. 3:6-7
The Hebrew word for Jeshanah means old, literally, of years long ago, and it is translated as the Old Gate in some translations of the Bible. There are several theories as to why it was known as the Old Gate. One is that Bezetha, a suburb in front of (outside) the gate, was thought of as the “New Town,” and so to go through the gate was to go to the “Old Town.” Today in Jerusalem, the city is divided into sections, one of which is called the Old Quarter, or Old Section.
Another theory is that it belonged to the ancient city of Salem that was first built by Melchizedek, the enigmatic high priest of Abram described in Genesis 14, referred to in Psalm 110:4, when it says “You are a high priest forever, on the order of Melchizedek,” and then shown to be Jesus in Hebrews 5-7.
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. – Neh. 3:8-9
The Broad Wall was on the west side, south of the Old Gate.
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. – Neh. 3:10-12
Little is known today of the Tower of the Ovens. But I love the description of Shallum working with his daughters. It reminds me of Church Work Day!
The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five hundred yards of the wall as far as the Dung Gate. The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. – Neh. 3:13-14
The Valley Gate was in the west, opening out into the valley of Hinnon. It appears to have been first built or at least expanded by Uzziah King of Judah (2 Chron. 26:9).The Dung Gate was near the southwest corner of the wall. Dung, according to the Law, from animals used for sacrifices was to be burned “outside the camp.” But beyond this, the location outside this gate may have been used as a general dumping ground.
The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-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. – Neh. 3:15
The Pool of Siloam is mentioned in John 9; it is the location Jesus heals a man born blind. If you recall the story, Jesus mixed mud with saliva, put it on the man’s eyes, and told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. He did so, and then was able to see for the first time. This man was later extensively questioned by the Pharisees, and he is the man who said to them, “One thing I do know: I was blind but now I see!”
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. – Neh. 3:16-17
Next to him, the repairs were made by their countrymen 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. 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. – Neh. 3:18-20
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. – Neh. 3:21-23
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. – Neh. 3:24-26
The Water Gate, on the east, was probably roughly opposite the Valley Gate on the west side.
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 Shecaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. – Neh. 3:27-29
Ophel is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 27 and 33; Jotham and Manasseh, kings of Judah, did building here. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel (2 Chron 27:3). Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher (2 Chron. 33:14a).
The Horse Gate is mentioned in Jer. 31:40 and 2 Chron. 23:15. It seems to have been a gate by which horses approached and left the old palace of King David. The East Gate is not a terribly specific name, and there may have been multiple East Gates, some referring to the Temple and another referring to the wall around Jerusalem. Some think the Outer Temple wall was the Jersualem wall at this point, based on the fact that a guard of the gate is mentioned. Guards were assigned to the gates of the Outer Temple wall from the beginning of Solomon’s Temple. And in his visions from God, Ezekiel describes an East Gate in Ezek. 40-43. A figure that can only be the Messiah is described as coming in through the East Gate.
We can say more about this: The week before His crucifixion, Jesus spent each night in the Mount of Olives. To get back into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, you go through the East Gate. Jesus ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1), and we know that He will return the way He left (Acts 1). When Jesus returns, what will He do? Go in through the East Gate?
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. – Neh. 3:30-32
The final gate mentioned is the Inspection Gate, in Hebrew the Miphkad Gate. It doesn’t seem to be mentioned in any other passages. But then we are back to the Sheep Gate. I hope I haven’t bored you too much with this tour! I find it fascinating, and grounding. To see the connections, from the time of the First Temple, and even before, and then going forward up to the time of Jesus, just makes everything so much more real to me.
If you go to Israel hoping to find these gates, in most cases you will be disappointed. It is about 2500 years since the events of Nehemiah. And as in Nehemiah you can see this rebuilding process, adding to walls, maybe closing off some old gates and adding new ones, this process continued after Nehemiah and on through the time of Christ, and even more on into the Middle Ages and beyond. In Jerusalem, things are built on top of things built on top of things built on top of things. And many of the things on top are such that no one is allowed to dig underneath to see what is there. In some ways, Jerusalem is like a living creature, growing, changing, for thousands of years. And when Christ returns, we will see the final chapters of its incredible history.
By the way, the background picture is of what archaeologists say is almost certainly a portion of Nehemiah’s walls. The picture is from a Jerusalem Post article in 2007. From the article (http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=83627):
The remnants of a wall from the time of the prophet Nehemiah have been uncovered in an archeological excavation in Jerusalem’s ancient City of David, strengthening recent claims that King David's palace has been found at the site, an Israeli archeologist said Wednesday. The section of the 2,500-year-old Nehemiah wall, located just outside the Dung Gate and the Old City walls facing the Mount of Olives, was dated by pottery found during a recent dig at the site, said Hebrew University archeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar.
The archeologist, who rose to international prominence for her recent excavation that may have uncovered the biblical palace of King David, was able to date the wall to Nehemiah as a result of a dig carried out underneath a nearby tower, which has been previously dated to the Hasmonean period, (142-37 BCE) but which now emerges was built centuries earlier. As a result of the excavation, both the 30 meter section of the wall and a six-by-three-meter part of the previously uncovered tower have now been dated to the fifth century BCE based on the rich pottery found during the dig under the tower, she said. Scores of bullae, arrowheads and seals from that period were also discovered during the excavation. "This find opens a new chapter in the history of Jerusalem," Mazar said. "Until now, we have never had such an archeological wealth of finds from Nehemiah's period."
(A bulla was soft clay used to stamp and seal a document. They have been preserved in areas where a fire has baked the clay. The writing on such bullae is clearly preserved and can contain several lines of text.)
But now let’s yank ourselves back to the time of Nehemiah. All around the city, building is going on. You can hear the hammers and the other sounds of repair work. You can see, day by day, the improvements, the fortifications, the strengthening of the boundaries of Jerusalem. All of the Israelites are excited. But some others are not.
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?" – Neh. 4:1-2
Sanballat the Horonite along with Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab were mentioned in the end of Nehemiah 2. Once the work on the walls began, these officials from neighboring territories began to mock and ridicule the Israelites. We see an example of this behavior here.
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" – Neh. 4:3
And here we see Tobiah’s words.
Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. – Neh. 4:4-6
And then in verse 4 and 5 we see Nehemiah’s prayer in response to this taunting. It is a strong prayer. I like it! Do you mean we can pray like that? I don’t think we should exclusively pray like this, but it has its place. You can see many examples of David praying like this in the Psalms. Notice here that Nehemiah’s anger (and yes, I think we can safely say there is some anger here) is directed at the fact that the builders’ work has been ridiculed. Nehemiah is not himself a builder; he is the director of the work. His anger is not based on the fact that he has been insulted, but that his workers have been insulted. This is what I might call a Momma Bear prayer. You don’t want to get Momma Bear angry!
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. – Neh. 4:7-9
Now we are moving past sticks and stones and into something much more serious. And as I mentioned last week, we see here sworn enemies coming together to fight the Israelites. What was Nehemiah’s response as leader? Let’s pray. Let’s pray. We saw this last week as well – Nehemiah is a man who prays. Even though he is very much an engineer, a “we can fix anything” type guy, his first response is prayer. We would do well to follow his example.
We could have a whole teaching on this simple principle. Here is a pop test for you. Quickly, before you can think much, write down the most immediate problem facing you or bothering you right now. It can be major or minor – that doesn’t matter – I just want it to be the first thing that comes to your mind. Now for the pop quiz: have you been praying about it? If not, do so now. I can wait!
As for Nehemiah as the Israelites, note that they also posted a guard day and night to watch out for trouble. Did they do this because they didn’t trust that God would answer their prayer? No – it may have been an answer to prayer to do this. In the Book of James we are told to pray for wisdom – this is such a good prayer! It was wise to post a sentry. At the same time, their prayers are enabling them to trust God with the situation.
But as is often the case, this threat wasn’t their only problem.
Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall." Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work." Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us." – Neh. 4:10-12
It looks like everything is falling apart, doesn’t it? Problems from without, and problems from within. The people are saying, “We’re tired! There’s too much rubble!” Do you think they were listening to the taunts? You bet. Nobody likes to be told their work is substandard – it makes you doubt yourself, and that is what was happening with these builders. In some cases, they may indeed been having trouble finding enough large stones to make a secure wall. But I am sure there was plenty around if they looked a little further.
And they were discouraged about the new taunts, in effect saying that the guard wouldn’t be able to help them. And then other Jews were complaining about the situation as well. Notice that the Jews are saying almost the same thing as the enemies! And saying it a lot! “Ten times over”! These discouraged men were doing the enemies’ work for them! How often this happens in life. We can be our own worst enemies.
Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." – Neh. 4:13-14
Here, in these few sentences, is a tremendous example of wisdom in how to lead. These few lines provide better advice than countless books on the subject of leadership. Look at all that is going on here:
1.Nehemiah didn’t complain back at them in frustration.
2.He listened to their concerns and identified the parts that were valid.
3.He took immediate action to address these problems, and the actions were major. He didn’t just do a symbolic act so as to appear to be doing something; he really addressed the greatest problems. And yet he didn’t overreact.
4.After taking action, he talked, addressing their fears.
5.His solution to their fears was not to trust in self, but in God and who He is.
6.And yet he was realistic – he told them it may really come to fighting. He placed the people there with weapons not just to look good, but to actually fight if necessary, and he inspired the people to fight.
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work. – Neh. 4:15
Can’t you just imagine the enemies watching all this? Look! They have stopped building! We have won! And then later… Wait! They are coming back! And they are starting to build again! And what’s this? What are those people doing? Wait! They have weapons! And why are the people all laughing and smiling?
From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. – Neh. 4:16-18
Can you picture the situation? The people are reassured, because they are praying and because they are defending themselves. And the walls are being built; the gates are being set into place. Work is proceeding quickly.
Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" – Neh. 4:19-20
Nehemiah was out there explaining what would happen if they were attacked. Even though there were only a few soldiers at any particular location (and I use that term very loosely – these are just regular guys with weapons, mostly with no experience at all in how to use them), others will come running to help them if they are attacked. And even more importantly, God will be on their side, as Nehemiah says, fighting for them. I can imagine Nehemiah reminding them of all the times in the history of the Israelite people when God had caused the victory, despite being hopelessly outnumbered and ill-equipped.
So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. At that time I also said to the people, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day." Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water. – Neh. 4:21-23
I cannot help it, but the whole scene reminds me of the Battle of Helm’s Deep in the Lord of the Rings, the Two Towers. Do you remember the scene where they are getting ready for a battle hopelessly outnumbered, giving old men and little boys armor that is too small or too big, giving them swords that they can’t even lift. And Aragorn says, “Farmers and ferries and stable boys… these are no soldiers!” And Gimli says, “They’ve seen too many winters.” And Legolas says, “Or too few.”
It is so easy when reading this story of Nehemiah and rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem to think about how it ends, rather than living in the moment of the situation. How would you do, sword in hand? Where would your faith be? I want you to really picture this, because I want your faith to be challenged. I want you to be stretched. Our faith, like our muscles, only grows with use.
And in application – oh, I think there is a unique application for each of us. Is it prayer? Did you fail my pop test? If so, commit to searching your heart for anxiety every day this week, and praying to God over every single one of your concerns. Is it in leading? Are there areas you are not leading but should? Men, are you not leading your families as servants like Nehemiah? Is your wife and are your children running around without direction, with their fears unchecked? Or, men and women, are you not leading as you should at work?
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. – Neh. 3:8-9
The Broad Wall was on the west side, south of the Old Gate.
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. – Neh. 3:10-12
Little is known today of the Tower of the Ovens. But I love the description of Shallum working with his daughters. It reminds me of Church Work Day!
The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five hundred yards of the wall as far as the Dung Gate. The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. – Neh. 3:13-14
The Valley Gate was in the west, opening out into the valley of Hinnon. It appears to have been first built or at least expanded by Uzziah King of Judah (2 Chron. 26:9).The Dung Gate was near the southwest corner of the wall. Dung, according to the Law, from animals used for sacrifices was to be burned “outside the camp.” But beyond this, the location outside this gate may have been used as a general dumping ground.
The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-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. – Neh. 3:15
The Pool of Siloam is mentioned in John 9; it is the location Jesus heals a man born blind. If you recall the story, Jesus mixed mud with saliva, put it on the man’s eyes, and told him to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. He did so, and then was able to see for the first time. This man was later extensively questioned by the Pharisees, and he is the man who said to them, “One thing I do know: I was blind but now I see!”
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. – Neh. 3:16-17
Next to him, the repairs were made by their countrymen 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. 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. – Neh. 3:18-20
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. – Neh. 3:21-23
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. – Neh. 3:24-26
The Water Gate, on the east, was probably roughly opposite the Valley Gate on the west side.
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 Shecaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. – Neh. 3:27-29
Ophel is mentioned in 2 Chronicles 27 and 33; Jotham and Manasseh, kings of Judah, did building here. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD and did extensive work on the wall at the hill of Ophel (2 Chron 27:3). Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David, west of the Gihon spring in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate and encircling the hill of Ophel; he also made it much higher (2 Chron. 33:14a).
The Horse Gate is mentioned in Jer. 31:40 and 2 Chron. 23:15. It seems to have been a gate by which horses approached and left the old palace of King David. The East Gate is not a terribly specific name, and there may have been multiple East Gates, some referring to the Temple and another referring to the wall around Jerusalem. Some think the Outer Temple wall was the Jersualem wall at this point, based on the fact that a guard of the gate is mentioned. Guards were assigned to the gates of the Outer Temple wall from the beginning of Solomon’s Temple. And in his visions from God, Ezekiel describes an East Gate in Ezek. 40-43. A figure that can only be the Messiah is described as coming in through the East Gate.
We can say more about this: The week before His crucifixion, Jesus spent each night in the Mount of Olives. To get back into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, you go through the East Gate. Jesus ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1), and we know that He will return the way He left (Acts 1). When Jesus returns, what will He do? Go in through the East Gate?
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. – Neh. 3:30-32
The final gate mentioned is the Inspection Gate, in Hebrew the Miphkad Gate. It doesn’t seem to be mentioned in any other passages. But then we are back to the Sheep Gate. I hope I haven’t bored you too much with this tour! I find it fascinating, and grounding. To see the connections, from the time of the First Temple, and even before, and then going forward up to the time of Jesus, just makes everything so much more real to me.
If you go to Israel hoping to find these gates, in most cases you will be disappointed. It is about 2500 years since the events of Nehemiah. And as in Nehemiah you can see this rebuilding process, adding to walls, maybe closing off some old gates and adding new ones, this process continued after Nehemiah and on through the time of Christ, and even more on into the Middle Ages and beyond. In Jerusalem, things are built on top of things built on top of things built on top of things. And many of the things on top are such that no one is allowed to dig underneath to see what is there. In some ways, Jerusalem is like a living creature, growing, changing, for thousands of years. And when Christ returns, we will see the final chapters of its incredible history.
By the way, the background picture is of what archaeologists say is almost certainly a portion of Nehemiah’s walls. The picture is from a Jerusalem Post article in 2007. From the article (http://www.jpost.com/Home/Article.aspx?id=83627):
The remnants of a wall from the time of the prophet Nehemiah have been uncovered in an archeological excavation in Jerusalem’s ancient City of David, strengthening recent claims that King David's palace has been found at the site, an Israeli archeologist said Wednesday. The section of the 2,500-year-old Nehemiah wall, located just outside the Dung Gate and the Old City walls facing the Mount of Olives, was dated by pottery found during a recent dig at the site, said Hebrew University archeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar.
The archeologist, who rose to international prominence for her recent excavation that may have uncovered the biblical palace of King David, was able to date the wall to Nehemiah as a result of a dig carried out underneath a nearby tower, which has been previously dated to the Hasmonean period, (142-37 BCE) but which now emerges was built centuries earlier. As a result of the excavation, both the 30 meter section of the wall and a six-by-three-meter part of the previously uncovered tower have now been dated to the fifth century BCE based on the rich pottery found during the dig under the tower, she said. Scores of bullae, arrowheads and seals from that period were also discovered during the excavation. "This find opens a new chapter in the history of Jerusalem," Mazar said. "Until now, we have never had such an archeological wealth of finds from Nehemiah's period."
(A bulla was soft clay used to stamp and seal a document. They have been preserved in areas where a fire has baked the clay. The writing on such bullae is clearly preserved and can contain several lines of text.)
But now let’s yank ourselves back to the time of Nehemiah. All around the city, building is going on. You can hear the hammers and the other sounds of repair work. You can see, day by day, the improvements, the fortifications, the strengthening of the boundaries of Jerusalem. All of the Israelites are excited. But some others are not.
When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?" – Neh. 4:1-2
Sanballat the Horonite along with Tobiah the Ammonite and Geshem the Arab were mentioned in the end of Nehemiah 2. Once the work on the walls began, these officials from neighboring territories began to mock and ridicule the Israelites. We see an example of this behavior here.
Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!" – Neh. 4:3
And here we see Tobiah’s words.
Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. – Neh. 4:4-6
And then in verse 4 and 5 we see Nehemiah’s prayer in response to this taunting. It is a strong prayer. I like it! Do you mean we can pray like that? I don’t think we should exclusively pray like this, but it has its place. You can see many examples of David praying like this in the Psalms. Notice here that Nehemiah’s anger (and yes, I think we can safely say there is some anger here) is directed at the fact that the builders’ work has been ridiculed. Nehemiah is not himself a builder; he is the director of the work. His anger is not based on the fact that he has been insulted, but that his workers have been insulted. This is what I might call a Momma Bear prayer. You don’t want to get Momma Bear angry!
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. – Neh. 4:7-9
Now we are moving past sticks and stones and into something much more serious. And as I mentioned last week, we see here sworn enemies coming together to fight the Israelites. What was Nehemiah’s response as leader? Let’s pray. Let’s pray. We saw this last week as well – Nehemiah is a man who prays. Even though he is very much an engineer, a “we can fix anything” type guy, his first response is prayer. We would do well to follow his example.
We could have a whole teaching on this simple principle. Here is a pop test for you. Quickly, before you can think much, write down the most immediate problem facing you or bothering you right now. It can be major or minor – that doesn’t matter – I just want it to be the first thing that comes to your mind. Now for the pop quiz: have you been praying about it? If not, do so now. I can wait!
As for Nehemiah as the Israelites, note that they also posted a guard day and night to watch out for trouble. Did they do this because they didn’t trust that God would answer their prayer? No – it may have been an answer to prayer to do this. In the Book of James we are told to pray for wisdom – this is such a good prayer! It was wise to post a sentry. At the same time, their prayers are enabling them to trust God with the situation.
But as is often the case, this threat wasn’t their only problem.
Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall." Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work." Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us." – Neh. 4:10-12
It looks like everything is falling apart, doesn’t it? Problems from without, and problems from within. The people are saying, “We’re tired! There’s too much rubble!” Do you think they were listening to the taunts? You bet. Nobody likes to be told their work is substandard – it makes you doubt yourself, and that is what was happening with these builders. In some cases, they may indeed been having trouble finding enough large stones to make a secure wall. But I am sure there was plenty around if they looked a little further.
And they were discouraged about the new taunts, in effect saying that the guard wouldn’t be able to help them. And then other Jews were complaining about the situation as well. Notice that the Jews are saying almost the same thing as the enemies! And saying it a lot! “Ten times over”! These discouraged men were doing the enemies’ work for them! How often this happens in life. We can be our own worst enemies.
Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." – Neh. 4:13-14
Here, in these few sentences, is a tremendous example of wisdom in how to lead. These few lines provide better advice than countless books on the subject of leadership. Look at all that is going on here:
1.Nehemiah didn’t complain back at them in frustration.
2.He listened to their concerns and identified the parts that were valid.
3.He took immediate action to address these problems, and the actions were major. He didn’t just do a symbolic act so as to appear to be doing something; he really addressed the greatest problems. And yet he didn’t overreact.
4.After taking action, he talked, addressing their fears.
5.His solution to their fears was not to trust in self, but in God and who He is.
6.And yet he was realistic – he told them it may really come to fighting. He placed the people there with weapons not just to look good, but to actually fight if necessary, and he inspired the people to fight.
When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work. – Neh. 4:15
Can’t you just imagine the enemies watching all this? Look! They have stopped building! We have won! And then later… Wait! They are coming back! And they are starting to build again! And what’s this? What are those people doing? Wait! They have weapons! And why are the people all laughing and smiling?
From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me. – Neh. 4:16-18
Can you picture the situation? The people are reassured, because they are praying and because they are defending themselves. And the walls are being built; the gates are being set into place. Work is proceeding quickly.
Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!" – Neh. 4:19-20
Nehemiah was out there explaining what would happen if they were attacked. Even though there were only a few soldiers at any particular location (and I use that term very loosely – these are just regular guys with weapons, mostly with no experience at all in how to use them), others will come running to help them if they are attacked. And even more importantly, God will be on their side, as Nehemiah says, fighting for them. I can imagine Nehemiah reminding them of all the times in the history of the Israelite people when God had caused the victory, despite being hopelessly outnumbered and ill-equipped.
So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. At that time I also said to the people, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day." Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water. – Neh. 4:21-23
I cannot help it, but the whole scene reminds me of the Battle of Helm’s Deep in the Lord of the Rings, the Two Towers. Do you remember the scene where they are getting ready for a battle hopelessly outnumbered, giving old men and little boys armor that is too small or too big, giving them swords that they can’t even lift. And Aragorn says, “Farmers and ferries and stable boys… these are no soldiers!” And Gimli says, “They’ve seen too many winters.” And Legolas says, “Or too few.”
It is so easy when reading this story of Nehemiah and rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem to think about how it ends, rather than living in the moment of the situation. How would you do, sword in hand? Where would your faith be? I want you to really picture this, because I want your faith to be challenged. I want you to be stretched. Our faith, like our muscles, only grows with use.
And in application – oh, I think there is a unique application for each of us. Is it prayer? Did you fail my pop test? If so, commit to searching your heart for anxiety every day this week, and praying to God over every single one of your concerns. Is it in leading? Are there areas you are not leading but should? Men, are you not leading your families as servants like Nehemiah? Is your wife and are your children running around without direction, with their fears unchecked? Or, men and women, are you not leading as you should at work?
Mothers, are you not leading your children properly? Children, what about how you lead by example to your younger brothers and sisters? In each case, are you leading by faith? Are you demonstrating what it means to live by faith? Or is your application one of following, one of trusting? Like these men and children who can’t lift their swords, are you trusting in God or giving way to your fears? Are you doing what you are supposed to be doing or allowing your concerns to cause you to be doing something else?
As I said last week, I am available, and Fred is available, and John is available, if you want to talk about applying these things. My prayer is this week we would be profoundly moved by the example of Nehemiah and his ragtag men, moved to prayer, and moved to action.
As I said last week, I am available, and Fred is available, and John is available, if you want to talk about applying these things. My prayer is this week we would be profoundly moved by the example of Nehemiah and his ragtag men, moved to prayer, and moved to action.
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