Then Eliashib the high
priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate.
They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower
of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel.
THE STUDY:
Moving into Chapter 3 we
now are seeing the wall being divided up into sections. In this chapter we will
look at 10 gates that will be repaired and who will be assigned to repair them.
The first gate is the Sheep gate which Eliashib the high priest along with the
other priest were assigned to rebuild.
Some of the significant aspects
found in this verse is the fact that Eliashib
means “God restores.” He is the grandson of Jeshua, the high priest during the
time of Zerubbabel’s rebuilding projects (Ezra 3:2).
The Sheep Gate is located at the northeastern corner of the wall, near
the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2). The gate probably took its name from the sheep
that were brought through it to be offered on the altar at the nearby temple.
There may have been a market there where sacrificial sheep were sold. The Sheep
Gate may have been the same as the Benjamin Gate (Jer 20:2; 37:13).[1]
What is interesting about
this section of the wall is that when the people finished the “whole” wall, they had a dedication
ceremony. This is the only section where a separate dedication is mentioned. Some
scholars believe that this amounted to the high priest’s dedication of the
whole project and that it shows its religious significance.[2]
WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY
WITH ….
- We walk away this morning with the understanding that each section of the wall will be repaired by the group of people who lived, reside, or work in that area. The priest would be found near the Sheep Gate because this is where the animals that were to be used for sacrifices would be brought in for inspection by the priest.
- We also walk away this morning with the understanding that it is important to ask for God’s blessing on the project before hand and after the project is completed as well.
APPLICATION:
Today, we can get so discouraged by
the events in this “big world” but let us not focus so much on the “big world.”
Let us stay focused on our little section of the world and work there. We have
work to do and it starts there and then progresses outwardly. I am not saying
we should not dream big dreams. What I am saying is that we should look to
change the world we live in and the rest of the world will then be positively
affected.
We have great examples of this in
our world today. Billy Graham didn’t start by focusing on evangelizing the
world. He started evangelizing within his community first. Mother Theresa didn’t
want to end world hunger first. She wanted to end hunger in the community she lived
in. John Maxwell didn’t focus on training leaders all over the world. He
focused on the ones within his community first. All three of these examples
started within their own little section of the world but through their
dedication and God’s blessing they have reached beyond their little world and
into the bigger world. We can do the same! Today, focus on the little section
of the world God has blessed you with and go from there.
Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod
[1]
Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., &
Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study
Bible (Ne 3:1). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[2]
Breneman, M. (1993). Vol. 10: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (electronic ed.).
The New American Commentary (187). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
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