And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.”
Nehemiah 7:3 ESV
Last time we saw how Nehemiah proceeded once the wall was finished: entrusting temple workers to guard the city wall and laying a charge upon two men of integrity to govern Jerusalem. Today we see the gatekeepers’ specific instructions.
Do not open (pathach – let go free, open wide) the gates until the sun (shemesh) is hot. Nehemiah and the rebuilders had a dangerous situation on their hands. While completely closing their doors to trade and other business was unreasonable, our governor had good reason to not open the city up to unnecessary safety concerns. Making sure the sun is up and the light of day would pierce any darkness lurking before opening wide the gates was a good strategy.
How about us? How wide open and free are our gates when darkness is seeking to destroy? The gates to our mind and heart, eyes and ears?
Carefully guard your thoughts
because they are the source
of true life. Proverbs 4:23 CEV
While closing the gates to the world is unreasonable and not our calling, making sure we are set apart is.
“I’m not asking that you take them out of the world
But that you guard them from the Evil One.
They are no more defined by the world
Than I am defined by the world.
Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;
Your word is consecrating truth.
In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world,
I give them a mission in the world.
I’m consecrating myself for their sakes
So they’ll be truth-consecrated in their mission.” John 17:15-19 MSG
Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life. TLB
“While the gatekeepers are still on guard (amad – take ones stand, abide, appoint, stood firm) let them shut (guph) the doors (deleth) and bar them (achaz – to grasp, seize, lay hold of).”
Not only were the gatekeepers instructed to wait until full daylight to open the gates, they were also to shut and lock them before their daytime duty was over. Any traveling vendors had better be hastening out of the gates quickly during this time in Jerusalem! Nehemiah meant business.
The part I appreciate about this section is its proactive angle. Not only are we as Believers to stand firm and abide in Him as we guard our hearts, but there are things we lay hold of. Active ways to work in our day for His kingdom, particularly in battle.
“…and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:17-18)
Take the helmet of salvation, and remind yourself over and over the work He accomplished for us. Put it on like a football helmet, protecting you from deceitful blows against your standing as beloved by the Father. Pray, be alert, keep on praying. Perseverance is needed and is promised to be rewarded. No need to stand back passively, or even defensively. We take, pray, keep on; ask, seek and knock. The battle is not without effort.
“Appoint (amad again) guards (mishmereth – guard, allegiance) from those abiding in Jerusalem (yashab – to sit, remain, dwell, live, abide), every man (ish) at his post (mishmar – watch) and every man (ish) in front of (neged ) his house (bayith).”
So not only do we have gatekeepers opening when the sun is fully up and closing when they’re still on duty, we have every man guarding something. Either his assigned post (perhaps from his time during the rebuilding duties?) or in front of his own home. All hands on deck, no one asleep on the job.
Shall we chat about that word for guard, mishmereth? One of its synonyms is “allegiance.” And the word for abiding in Jerusalem? It’s yashab – to remain, dwell, live. Those living in Jerusalem, remaining and abiding in it, were to give their whole allegiance to it. Their days and nights were concerned with this allegiance, their every move reflecting to all their guardianship.
Believers, where is our ultimate allegiance? If we pledge allegiance to a flag before we’ve bowed our entire lives down daily to a King and His Kingdom, I fear our allegiance may be misplaced. No one is arguing against being good citizens, but when push comes to shove, where does your ultimate loyalty lie? Whom will you serve?
Who will receive your highest allegiance? Will it be your citizenship to your country or your personal kingdom? Or your citizenship to heaven?
As His Kingdom becomes greater than our personal kingdoms, there will be certain things we can no longer abide. Things that mar the image of our Creator on earth: creation, fellow human beings, relationships. As we live in His Kingdom we become guards of its ways: servanthood, peace, joy, sacrifice, love.
And as He makes us more like the King of this Kingdom, the best news is how He is our Ultimate Guardian.
The One Who has never run away from being our Shepherd, the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls:
But the Lord is faithful;
he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
(2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT)
Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen. (Jude 1:24-25 ASV)
Yes, we stand guard. But we rest in His ultimate control. The One Who reopened Eden’s gates through His own initiative and sacrifice will surely guard us as we walk through our Not-Yet toward Home.