Nehemiah 3 Part B – Which gate is important to you?

Summary: A verse by verse examination of what the Bible teaches about planning. Studying through Nehemiah this message focuses on Nehemiah 3, the sheep gate and the fish gate.

Bible References:

Nehemiah 3:1-2 ( KJV ) ¹Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.  ²And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri.

John 5:1-16 ( KJV ) ¹After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.  ²Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.  ³In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.  ⁴For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.  ⁵And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.  ⁶When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?  ⁷The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.  ⁸Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.  ⁹And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.  ¹⁰The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed.  ¹¹He answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk.  ¹²Then asked they him, What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk?  ¹³And he that was healed wist not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in that place.  ¹⁴Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.  ¹⁵The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.  ¹⁶And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

Isaiah 53:1-8 ( KJV ) ¹Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?  ²For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.  ³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  ⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.  ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  ⁷He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  ⁸He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Nehemiah 3:3-5 ( KJV ) ³But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.  ⁴And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.  ⁵And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.

Matthew 4:18-20 ( KJV ) ¹⁸And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.  ¹⁹And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  ²⁰And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.