THE WALL AND ITS GATES
Bill W Lovie
Nehemiah 2: 11-15; 3: 1-16, 26-32; 8: 1-3, 13-17;
12: 31(to “processions”), 40 (to “of God”), 42 (from “And the singers”)-43
I seek help, beloved, to say a little as to the wall and the gates of Jerusalem as described in this book. I have in mind that the wall speaks of fellowship, and that the gates would speak of administration. Israel had been taken into captivity because of their unfaithfulness but there came a point where the captivity had had its effect, the discipline had had its effect, and God allowed some of the people to go back to Jerusalem. A recovery began in Ezra’s day. At the beginning of the book of Ezra, we get the historical account of the return to Jerusalem.
When we come to Nehemiah, he gives us something which took place many years later; just as in the recovery of the truth things have been recovered to us, but not everything at once. What God placed in the hearts of exercised men in the beginning was not everything; the recovery to the truth has developed; there has been progression in recovery to the truth; and it comes down to our day. A wall has been built, as it were, but the important thing for each one of us in the day that we find ourselves in is that the wall is maintained. That simply means that each and every one of us need to be a builder; we need to have part in the building that has not only taken place but is going on. In the history of Christendom, things have broken down to a great extent; but think of how God moved in recovery. Look at how the truth of the gospel was almost lost sight of, and how God used Luther and others to bring forward justification through faith; that truth had largely been lost, and what a wonderful truth it is. In our day a wonderful recovery has taken place, but we need to be livingly in things; that means that we need to understand something of what the wall protects. When the children of Israel came back, they built the altar first, what was for God, Ezra 3: 2. Then there was the house (chap 3: 10): they were thinking first of what was for God; but there comes a point where, if what is for God is to be maintained and protected, the wall is needed. If there is no wall the enemies have plenty of scope to attack. The enemy is always looking to attack.
We began in chapter 2 where Nehemiah comes to Jerusalem. He had heard about its condition, and he had been exercised about it; witness had been borne to him about the state of the walls of Jerusalem, and he felt that. He felt that as God feels it, and God used him; God raised him up. So he comes back to Jerusalem and he does not begin straight away; he takes three days: “I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days”. Reference was made in the reading to the Lord being in death for three days, and what did the Father have? Think of the Father’s patience in waiting those three days! What a matter that the Father waited these three days! It shows that death was real for the Lord Jesus. The Father did not leave Him in death any longer than He needed to, but He was left these three days; the truth of death was real. So Nehemiah waits three days. Sometimes we are tested as to our patience, but Nehemiah waits. The Lord Jesus knew what it was to wait too: think of that in John 11; Lazarus was sick and the Lord waited two days. Maybe the Lord tests our patience and He is waiting on His own time.
Well, the first thing that Nehemiah does is to move out, “I went out by night by the valley-gate”. I felt encouraged when our brother read in Philippians 2 this morning because Philippians 2 really seems to correspond to the valley-gate. Think of the way that the Lord Jesus has come, the Lord Jesus being on an equality with God, taking up a condition of flesh and blood, the likeness of men! Think of the way that the Lord Jesus has moved, what lowliness, what down-stooping love; God Himself has become Man, taking a bondman’s form. It has been remarked that there are seven downward movements in those verses (Phil 2: 6-8); how wonderful to be occupied with the way that the Lord Jesus has moved; “becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of the cross”. These things are to affect our hearts; they are to soften our hearts. If ministry in relation to the cross of Christ does not soften our hearts, what will? Our hearts are to be soft and, as they are soft, they become impressionable; and that makes room for Christ. As these meetings proceed, may we make room for Christ! May the ministry have its effect on our hearts; we have to be impressionable.
So the first thing we began with today was the descent of the Lord Jesus, and the first thing we begin with now is the valley-gate; we are thinking about the cross of Christ and all that it was to Him, the way that He has gone.
The first gate when they started building was the sheep-gate. The sheep-gate is wide open - it is not spoken of as having locks and bars. Think of that; the Lord Jesus could say, “Come to me”, Matt 11: 28. That gate is wide open but you need to go through it. I trust everyone here knows the Lord Jesus as Saviour, but if you do not beloved, dear friend, the sheep-gate is open to you. You need to go through it; you need to put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus. I trust everyone here has their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus. It is not a question just of being here at the meeting; we are glad of everyone that is here! But are you a believer in the Lord Jesus, have you put your faith and trust in Him and in His finished work that He accomplished on the cross? We have been speaking about Him going to that cross and all that He suffered: has that touched your heart, or have you still got a cold heart that has not made room for Christ? You need to open your heart; you need to go through the sheep-gate. That is like Luke’s gospel, the Lord is seeking there and He is seeking now. While this is not the gospel meeting the Lord has never stopped seeking. In the beginning of Luke 15, He goes after the one sheep. Maybe there is one in this room; the Lord will go after you, dear friend: He is going after you now, and He wants to bring you back. You are here at the meeting, but He wants you in the full enjoyment of the blessedness of forgiveness of sins. The Lord Jesus wants you to know Him as Saviour; so the sheep-gate is open and the Lord is going after you. Let Him in; let Him find you where you are! So the sheep-gate is set up.
It is very interesting as you go through this chapter that there are all sorts of different persons that are building. There are the perfumers - we spoke today as to the fragrant incense, and we might say there are some who would appreciate the sufferings of Christ. But we are all to appreciate the sufferings of Christ; there are no specialists in Christianity; we are to appreciate all of these things that this chapter speaks to us of.
We could say that the goldsmiths would appreciate something as to the righteousness of God: what a wonderful matter that is, that God can come out in blessing towards all, and that He has a righteous basis to do so. The death of Christ on the cross has given God a righteous basis to come out in blessing to all. So the goldsmiths have to do with the building of the wall; we could say that they know that, if things are to be maintained, divine righteousness needs to be upheld by you and me.
There are all sorts of other persons doing the work here. You say that they are not builders, but they are doing the work. Are you doing the work, the things need to be built up in each one of us? We need to be built up in our localities. Jerusalem would speak of what is universal, and the wall relates to what is universal; things need to be built up and they need to be maintained. If things are not maintained, and there is a breach in the wall in Aberdeen, you can see, as we are using this chapter, that that affects not only those that are building there but it affects the fellowship in Glasgow, it affects the saints in The Hague, and in Indianapolis, it affects the saints on the other side of the world. Let us be exercised that there are no breaches so that the building is to go on; it has to be maintained.
Next to the sheep-gate was the tower of Meah. The word means ‘a hundred’ and that recalls Luke’s gospel as well because there you have seed bearing a hundred-fold. There is neither decline nor increase in Luke; he simply gives the result that there should be, one hundred-fold, Luke 8: 8! And that is what God is looking for in response to His outgoings in grace in the glad tidings. Are you responsive or am I responsive? The tower of Meah would suggest that there is a full response.
Then it is “to the tower of Hananeel”; that name means that God is gracious: we have proved that God is gracious, have we not? Think of God giving His very best, giving Christ, think of the cost to God Himself, “He who, yea, has not spared his own Son” (Rom 8: 32); think of God’s feelings involved in that; how grace has been displayed towards us! I think as we prove God’s grace in our pathway it leads us on to grace on the level of Ephesians. It speaks there of “the glory of His grace” (Eph 1: 6), and it speaks of displaying in the coming age “the surpassing riches of His grace”, Eph 2: 7. Think of all that has been extended by God Himself and the great return that there is as a result of God’s grace; how appreciative are we of it? We need to be fully appreciative of it. These are towers, how wonderful the towers are!
So we move on to the fish-gate, and I suppose as we appreciate something of the glory of His grace, and the riches of His grace in Ephesians, we see there that we have been brought in and God had us in mind before the world was, chap 1: 4. Fish did not belong to Jerusalem; Jerusalem was land-locked; the fish had to come some distance: what a distance we have come! God had us in His purpose before the world was; what a distance - it has all been covered, and the fish are brought in. It speaks of fish in Matthew 13, many fish, and they are counted and there are those that are worthless, v 48. I trust everyone here knows the Lord Jesus as Saviour - you are among the good fish. You become one of the good fish and you are put in a vessel. What does that mean? If a fish is put in a vessel it dies; and that means that my will is gone, but I am ready to be set up in a locality. We should appreciate the fish-gate, the sovereignty of God, God’s goodness. You need to come in your responsibility to know the Lord Jesus as Saviour, and to know God in His goodness, but then you realise that you have been chosen in Christ before the world’s foundation; you have some appreciation of what the fish-gate may suggest.
The building goes on, and I do not want to be negative, but there are those that do not build here. They are the only ones that I think that are mentioned: “the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord”. We need to be in things; it is little use other persons doing things for us, otherwise we will never truly appreciate what we are in the gain of. What do we value? These persons repaired another piece later on (v 27). Another opportunity is given, and the nobles are not even mentioned. Did they come into things? How are we influencing others? Are we influencing for good? The daughters of Zelophehad influenced in a right way. Think of that influence! There are sisters spoken of here; sisters have part in this building; there are the daughters involved. Most of the ones related are sons, which might speak of something of the dignity of sonship involved in these things; do we recognise the dignity of what we are as set up as in Christ, sons of God? What wonderful dignity belongs to the saints - may we appreciate that too. So we are all to have part in the building.
Then there is the gate of the old wall; that might speak of principles. The principles are always under attack. You have to keep your eye on the Lord; it is wonderful salvation to keep your eye on the Lord. What is the Lord doing, how does the Lord act, how does the Lord move? As you go through John’s gospel there is wonderful dignity seen in His movements, despite attacks. Think of the glory of the One that was there. Things are under attack. You may say that these things were needed in times past, and that we are in a different day now: do we need these things? Do these truths apply now? The gate of the old wall needs to be built up. The last time our brother David Robertson spoke to me he said, ‘If we do not have the principles, what do we have?’. The gate of the old wall is a vital gate. It is being attacked at the present time; and has always been under attack. Do we value the principles? We need to value them; if we do not have the principles, what do we have? It says, “they laid its beams, and set up its doors and its locks, and its bars”. Things are operating: you need the doors, yes, you need the gates, you need the bars, you need the locks. We need to be able to shut things out in ourselves; we need to be able to shut out what is not right.
Nehemiah was tested; the work was going on and the attacks come. Chapter 2 speaks of three persons, “Sanballat the Hornonite, and Tobijah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian”, v19. These might represent what is natural, what is national, and what is religious; these are elements that are in each one of us and they need to be shut out. Maybe they are outward as well. A few chapters later on, there comes a suggestion, “let us meet together in the villages in the plain”, chap 6: 2. What was Nehemiah’s answer? He said. ‘No’; they tried four times to get him to come down and he knew that it was for his harm. It may be that you receive an invitation: is it going to do you harm? Nehemiah perceived that it would have been for his harm, and he would have to leave off building the wall, he would have to leave the work. He knew and he understood how vital the work is. There was something in the city, at the altar and in the house of God, and it needed protection. Nehemiah understood that. As we proceed we find that the service of God is supported by the wall; the wall is needed, and these principles are needed; they are vital at the present time. So that the gate of the old wall was repaired. How wonderful these things are; they are current; the gate of the old wall was repaired. What part am I having in that? It says, “And next to them”; it is a wonderful matter that things are going on, persons are exercised, and they are going on.
“The tower of the furnaces” would speak possibly in relation to judgment, the need to have right judgment as to things. Think of what the Lord Jesus endured, what no one else could endure! That is suggested in the idea of brass. We find when the vessels taken back, that there were “two vessels of shining copper, precious as gold”, Ezra 8: 27. That is like the saints. It has been said that, in days of recovery and in days of breakdown, the moral side is upgraded; what a wonderful matter that is to consider, that these vessels of copper are as precious as gold. They will have come through the furnace. There is that in ourselves that needs to be burnt off. We are in the last hour and refinement should be taking place. I suppose the furnace might relate to that too; what refinement should be taking place in our souls at the present time. And as we are at these meetings, God would be refining His work in each and every one of us, and it may be that He needs to use the heat to burn off that which is extraneous.
Then we come back to the valley-gate; this is how we apply the valley-gate. We have seen how the valley-gate applies to Christ, but then it says, “let this mind be in you” (Phil 2: 5); that is how the valley-gate applies to us, so that we are moving in lowliness, as we have the mind that goes down. When matters come in perhaps we feel we have been right in relation to a thing and that we have been wronged; maybe we are looking for vindication. Well, the Lord Jesus never looked for vindication publicly. The Lord Jesus had the mind to go down; He waited for God to vindicate Him. God vindicated Him in raising Him from among the dead and exalting Him, giving Him “a name, that which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow”, Phil 2: 9,10. The Lord Jesus did not exalt Himself; He waited for God to exalt Him: what a wonderful matter that is! Do we have the mind to go down? Abigail was spoken of this morning; she knew what it was to go down, 1 Sam 25. When matters come up, situations may be saved by going down. Going down is not at the expense of the truth, or at the expense of principles, but when it comes to personal matters, dear brethren, we need to know what it is to go down, and to have that mind to go down, to be ready to go down. How wonderful it is that the valley-gate is there.
Then we come to the dung-gate and that recalls Philippians 3. Think of all that Paul counted to be loss. We have all these things that he added up, things were not the horrible things of the flesh, sinful or degrading; these things that he counted seem the best things of the flesh, but then they all have to go, do they not? In the death of Christ, they have all gone. How sobering it is to be able to use the dung-gate in relation to ourselves. I think a brother recently pointed out that Paul speaks of filth; he said dung might be useful in your gardens, but when it comes to filth there is no use for filth. And that is what we are in the flesh, the best of the flesh! So there is no place for it before God because Christ has suffered and died, and God has one Man before Him and that Man is Christ. If we are before God, we are before Him as in Christ; that is the only Man that God has before Him. The best of the flesh has to go. So the dung-gate speaks of what helps us in self-judgment.
We come on to the fountain-gate! We are coming to what may speak to us of the Spirit. Another of the gates that is referred to is the water-gate; later on, we find that the people gather at the water-gate. The water-gate is not spoken of as being repaired - that may speak of the glory of the Person of the Spirit, and how the Spirit came in at Pentecost. The Spirit came from an ascended Christ to indwell believers, to dwell in the assembly. There is no break-down in the Spirit’s service, and the water-gate is not rebuilt - there is no failure in a divine Person; there could be no failure in a divine Person; the Spirit is God. But when we come to the fountain-gate, we remember all that the Spirit speaks of; all that was shut up in the clerical system in which the Spirit was shut out. The fountain suggests a wonderful release: we need to make way for the Spirit. As a believer, it would be normal for you to receive the gift of the Spirit; and the Lord says that in John 4, “the water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life”, v 14. That is the enjoyment of the presence of the Spirit - “shall become in him”; it is progressive, “a fountain of water”. We know it individually, but we are to know this fountain of water collectively. So the fountain-gate was rebuilt: for us, room is made for the Spirit. I suppose it is like Numbers 21, “Rise up, well! sing unto it”, v 17. How wonderful it is to make way for the Spirit, to know His leading.
So we come to the “pool of Shelah by the king’s garden”; the king’s garden suggests there should be something there for God. God always had, even in the dark ages, that which was real; there is that cord that runs right through the dispensation in relation to the Spirit’s work, but how wonderful it is to consider in days of recovery that there is a current fresh ministry, the pool of Shelah, and that which is sent. It is the same as Siloam (John 9: 7); what we have enjoyed today under the Spirit’s power is fresh and current and living. We are to enjoy that, “the king’s garden”; there is what is for Christ’s own heart; there is what is for Christ’s own heart in the gathering of the saints; how wonderful that is! Then we come to “the pool that was made”. Perhaps that might be like the ministry that has gone before; we need to be in the gain of the Spirit to enjoy it, to enjoy the flow of it. We need the help of the Spirit in the reading of ministry. Think of what has been made available, “the pool that was made” is recovered; everything is now functioning again - may we know these things!
We have then the great tower that lies out, and then the water-gate - this gate that is not spoken of as repaired - which is “toward the east”. The Spirit would delight to bring the coming of the Lord Jesus before us. We find that there is a watchman, “the keeper of the east gate”. Are we looking out for the Lord’s coming? It is not just a matter of just saying that, but is there evidence in our walk that we are looking for the Lord’s coming?
There are those that repair over against their houses; that is a word to those of us who are householders. This is a word to the householders, to build over against your house. That means that you are concerned as to your house. We often hear that the households of the saints are the bulwark of the local assemblies and that is true, but the way that it is presented here is that the assembly is a great salvation for the house. The wall needs to be built and these persons are concerned as to the building of the wall because they are concerned as to their house; it would be like a baptised house. In all these things that we have been going over our households would cherish these wonderful truths. That is a responsibility, that you are building over against your house. If you are not building the wall, then you are leaving your house open. Let us be exercised that we are building over against our houses. That means that the younger ones in our houses are brought up under the discipline and admonition of the Lord; that would be one thing. How important the households of the saints are! These things are real. We have known of some going away, and how that brings in sorrow, and perhaps we may be able to say of them that they know what is right: they have been in a household where the building has been going on. We pray for them; we are looking for recovery; it is a day of recovery. On one of Mr James Taylor’s visits to the Moray coast, a sister spoke to him, she was concerned about her sons who were going off. He asked her if she had had them baptised, and she said she had; and he said, ‘Where is your faith?’. He put the responsibility back on her, and as householders the responsibility comes back on us.
Dear young one, you are in a wonderful sphere, a wonderful area where there is preservation, where there is salvation; it is a spiritual realm: may you appreciate it; you need to come into it yourself. Now you might say you have come into the wonderful blessings, most of us have been brought up in believing households, most of us have been ‘brought up in fellowship’ - if we can use that expression - knowing these things, but you need to come into it yourself, and it is your responsibility that you do that. I trust that each one here may find these things attractive because what underlies all this is love for Christ; what is due to Him.
Well the repairing goes on and there is the great tower; that is not a comparative idea. We mentioned that this morning too, the greatness of Christ; He stands out! It is not comparative: “He shall be great”, Luke 1: 32. He is great; the great tower! As things go on in our lives, and in any progress we may make spiritually, is Christ becoming greater and greater? Is He eclipsing everything? Do we have God’s appreciation of Christ, “the great tower”? Christ stands out alone! What a wonderful thing it is to have an appreciation of Him like that.
Well, we finish in the chapter with the sheep-gate again, and that suggests to me John’s view of the sheep-gate because the Lord speaks in John of being the good Shepherd; “I am the door of the sheep”, John 10: 7. The wonderful thing in John’s gospel is that there are no straying sheep. There is that which is real; the gold is there: the gold has been found. John’s sheep find the Lord attractive. Do you find the Lord attractive? Is He holding you, in all that He is to you, in attraction, as attracted to Him? Oh may we be more and more attracted to Christ and held by Him; “My sheep hear my voice”, v 27. Have you heard the voice of the Lord Jesus today? What has He said to you today? What has He said to me today? Have we heard His voice and found it attractive? Have we known what it is to go in and go out and to find pasture, v 9? These things are available and may we appreciate them.
There is progress in chapter 8. We have been together one day now; the first day of these meetings is coming to a close; what have we got? There are many here in this room that, as it were, “gathered together as one man to the open place that was before the water-gate”; have we made way for the Spirit? Has what has been said today affected our hearts; has there been that which has been formed in us? We do not have to wait until the second day literally. When we come to verse 13 we come to the second day literally, but we do not have to wait until we come together tomorrow if the Lord leaves us. Those that gather on the second day here are “the chief fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites”. There is to be spiritual formation as we have come under the word, as we have heard the Spirit’s current voice, as we have heard what has come before us; it should have had an effect so that those that come the second day are there as having features that speak of royalty, and priestliness, and spirituality; there is depth. Have we touched these things today? We do not literally need to wait until the second day. Have we touched these things today in our hearts?
Then we come on to what is spoken of in the feast of booths; “Go forth to the mount” involves spiritual exercise. There is that which has come before us - our brother has been exercised, the local brethren have been exercised - but have you been exercised to get something, to come away with something? That is a responsibility on each one of us. So that they had to “Go forth to the mount” - that involves spiritual exercise - “and fetch olive-branches, and wild olive-branches, and myrtle-branches, and palm-branches”. Victory is spoken of in a palm. Myrtle-branches are green; they speak of life: are you moving in victory and a sense of life? Wild olive-branches may represent what is in you and me, that is the Gentiles. I suppose the olive-branches would be like believing Jews. Then the wild olive-branches would bring us to Ephesians. Think of how great the need has been, “and you, being dead in your offences and sins - in which ye once walked according to the age of this world”, chap 2: 1. Have you been dead in them? In Romans we are living in our sins, but in Ephesians we are dead in them “and you, being dead in your offences and sins - in which ye once walked according to the age of this world”, that is the Gentile, that is you and me; but wild olive branches have been brought in. What a building is taking place here; it is the booths, it is a spiritual environment’. It really speaks of what Israel will come into in a day to come and it goes on to the eighth day which is a touch of eternity. Have we known something of that in our experience today as being amongst the saints?
The Lord knows the circumstances of the saints because He has ordered them and, in piety, we order our circumstances so that God can come into them; but what it is to get out of our circumstances; that is what the feast of booths speaks of. We can get out of our circumstances and get into God’s circumstances. Have we touched something of that today? Have you touched something of that? It is open to you. Beloved, may we know what it is to get into God’s circumstances: “And the people went forth and brought them, and made themselves booths”; what a time this is. It is the last days, these are days of recovery; and there had not been a time like it since Joshua the son of Nun. You read the Old Testament and you might think that Solomon’s day was the greatest day, but Nehemiah shows days of recovery; and we are in such a time at the end. You say you would have liked to have lived at the beginning of the dispensation when things were pristine, when there was no breakdown, but “The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former”, Hag 2: 9. What a matter it is to consider that it is the Spirit’s day, and the Spirit has not failed in His service. There is increase, there is at the end of the dispensation what was not there at the beginning! I believe there is to be what is represented by the Philadelphian overcomer
The horse-gate was another gate; the horse might speak of power, and the Lord says to that overcomer, “thou hast a little power”, Rev 3: 8. Why? Because “thou … hast not denied my name” (v 8), and “thou hast kept the word of my patience”, (v 10), and the footnote to verse 10 makes reference to endurance, that which was seen in Christ and is seen in the saints; “thou hast kept the word of my patience” and “thou … hast not denied my name”. The Lord says, “thou hast a little power”, and it is seen to the end of the dispensation. Are we enjoying it?
In chapter 12, we come to the service of God. The wall sustains the service of God. You can see how the wall is needed so that we come back, if the Lord will, to remember the Lord Jesus in the Supper on Lord’s day morning, if He does not come for us; we will come together to remember Him in the time of His absence. And all that flows out of that is the service of God. It has been said many times that we are left here for two reasons: one is the testimony and the other is the service of God. Now if I cherish in my heart what is involved in that, I will be sure to have part in the building of the wall. The truth has been unfolded in the dispensation, and refinement has been brought in in recovery, and that which was needed to protect. The greatest privilege that believers knew at the beginning of the dispensation was the presence of the Son of God. What is the greatest privilege we enjoy? It is the presence of the Son of God. We know it if we know it, and if we do know it we will have part in the building of the wall, because we will want to know it again!
May we be helped and exercised in relation to the building of the wall. Let us not be allowing things which would hinder the Lord from making Himself known to us. Nothing can stop Him; it is His prerogative to come in. I am not claiming anything, but if we have the light as to things, and we have the truth as to things, we need to be moving on these lines. May we be affected by the valley-gate, the way that Christ has gone; may our hearts be softened and affected; may we make room for His word; and may we be exercised to have part in the building so that we can enjoy His presence until He come.
May it be so for His Name’s sake.
Address at three day meetings – Glasgow
14th August 2015