The walls and gates of Nehemiah's Jerusalem
In the book of Nehemiah we see a type or an analogy of the HOLY SPIRIT in the personage of Nehemiah. Just as Nehemiah was sent to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem so the HOLY SPIRIT was sent to rebuild the lives of those whose lives have been destroyed by the evil one.
Nehemiah was sent to do a specific job. Nothing that came along to distract him was going to stop that job from being completed. So it is with the HOLY SPIRIT, nothing is going to stop that job of rebuilding our lives from happening. However one thing that must be clearly seen from the book of Nehemiah is that it was not just Nehemiah that did the rebuilding, he had company; the people were involved in rebuilding as well. It is the same with our lives today.
The authority for the rebuild came in the form of a letter from the King giving Nehemiah authority to rebuild and procure all that was needed for the work to be completed. Neh 2:8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me. We too as the children of GOD have the authority given to us by our KING OF KINGS, our LORD JESUS. The Word of GOD is for us similar to the letter given by the King to Nehemiah when he was commissioned to rebuild the wall.
THE WALLS.
The walls represent the rebuilt lives of born again believers. Take note, it was the people that did the rebuilding. If the people had not allowed Nehemiah to do his appointed tasks, then the wall would never have been built. Also if we don't allow the HOLY SPIRIT to do His rebuilding in us, then we will not have a place to hang our gates. (More on the gates later). Walls are a thing designed for two distinct and different purposes. One is to keep trouble outside of the walls and the other is to keep things of God within the walls. Not only does the trouble have to stay outside of us but the blessings have to stay within the Kingdom of GOD that is us; we are the Kingdom of GOD.
Queen Elizabeth does not rule just over territory, she rules over people. She cannot give orders to a building, she gives orders to people of those territories she rules over. It is these people that are her Kingdom. So it is with the Kingdom of GOD, HE has the ability to speak to objects and things happen, but HE prefers to work in and through HIS Children, and those Children who are us are the Kingdom of GOD (Family).
Satan would love dearly to have the ability to do the things that the LORD does, but he is unable to do so. However, satan likes to try and duplicate the things of GOD, i.e. false healings, false prophecies etc. But we as the inheritors of the Kingdom have to deny satan and make sure that the true treasures stay within our walls.
The point is well made that a gate is not a gate unless it has somewhere to hang, so therefore, a gate needs a wall. The gates of Nehemiah were mainly to keep trouble out and are mainly representative of protection. Nehemiah was sent to rebuild the walls representing today the lives of people who need the protection within those walls. So, how do we as the modern day children of the walled city, rebuild our walls? The answer is of course, the same way that the people of so long ago did, with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other working hand in hand with GOD.
The people of the city were told that opposition was on hand, so they prepared for the task of not only rebuilding but kept up protection. They did not deny that there is an enemy out there like so many do today. Many churches refuse to mention the name of satan, let alone what he is doing. The reason that they put forward is, that it glorifies the enemy, rather than glorify GOD.
My disagreement against such understanding is the same as every military strategist has used since the beginning of time. "If you don't believe there is an enemy out there, then why have an army in the first place? Secondly, after an attack, what are those arrows and spears sticking out of all the people, and how did they get there if there wasn't an enemy to put them there?" If we don’t believe there is an enemy, then we can never plan to beat him.
As a sergeant in the Intelligence Corps of the Australian Military I learnt the importance of knowing all that one can about the enemy. If the enemy are coming against us with a battalion strength, then we need at least a brigade strength to overcome them. If we don't know how to recognise what the enemy's strengths and weaknesses are, then we will never beat him.
Nehemiah knew the importance of military strategy, he didn't disclose what he was doing until he had devised a way to complete his task. He recognised that there would be opposition against the rebuild, and he planned accordingly. GOD has given to the believer a multitude of weapons to use against all kinds of attacks, but it is up to us to use them. Just as the workers of Nehemiah's day had to allow the rebuilding, and still ward off the enemy, so too must we do the same today. We must stand on the words and promises of GOD, and then use the armour and weapons given to us by GOD, to cut down the enemy. Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
At the same time, we must not only allow the HOLY SPIRIT to do the allotted task, but we must also do our bit towards the rebuild also. This is done by recognising the rebuilding task given to us by GOD, being obedient to what we are shown, and allowing the changes to come. If GOD wants to remove some rubbish from our lives, then our rebuilding task is to allow HIM to do that.
Remember in our Nehemiah text, before the rebuilding of the city, it was surrounded by a heap of rubbish, and when the work was completed the city was surrounded by a hedge of protection. A change was made in the city, it went from being a rubbish heap to being a City of strength, (hedged in by a strong wall). By allowing the rebuilding work to be done in us, then a change is made from the old rubbish ways of our past to the ways of the new creation.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new (Creation): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
So in order for us to build a wall, we are to use the two edged sword of the Word of GOD in one hand, and the sanctifying work of the HOLY SPIRIT in the other, we are then to do the tasks that the HOLY SPIRIT shows us through GOD's Word, and the result is, GOD will have HIS way in our lives and the rebuilding of the new Creation begins. Obedience to GOD allows GOD's Love to hedge us in with the protection of HIS Word. Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep (obey) my commandments. THE GATES.
The gates represent the symbol of authority. Deu 22:15 Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity UNTO THE ELDERS OF THE CITY IN THE GATE: The elders and leaders of the city used to sit at the city gates, to settle matters for the people. Their authority was not in the gates, it was simply a place where the leaders sat.
The city gates were a place of authority, and it was there where the leadership sat. Their authority came from GOD, Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. The city leadership's badge of authority was their place at the city gates. In reality, their place of Authority was a small room within the wall, located inside of the arch of the main City gate. (Note the term "in the gate" in the verse seen above, Deut 22:15).
The leadership had a place of authority located within the protection of the walls, the same walls that their authority hung on. So it is with us, GOD has already given us a place of authority, seated In CHRIST JESUS in the Throne room of GOD, safe and secure. Just as the leadership's place of authority was located within the walls of the city which protected them, so with us, our place of Authority is in CHRIST JESUS, giving us the ultimate protection and a place to overcome the ways of the enemy from.
However, if the enemy is not seeing our authority then it is because we have no place to hang our gates, or to display our badges of authority. It is because we have NOT allowed GOD to do the rebuilding of our new Creation. It is because we have not taken up our sword and our trowel and worked hand in hand with the HOLY SPIRIT and rebuilt the walls the lives of others and ourselves.
When the walls are in place, (i.e. the newly created us,) then the ability to use the protective things of GOD are also in place, and they keep the enemy out of our lives. It is then that enemy will recognise that our gates are not only firmly established, but also that they are working. Or to put it simply, then our badges of authority are being displayed, right in the face of our enemy, and that makes them tremble.
GO IN POWER, REBUILT AND VICTORIOUS.
DON PHILLIPS – 23/12/18