Once the wall and gates around the city of Jerusalem were rebuilt, Nehemiah gave very specific and detailed instructions to the gatekeepers. In the ancient world, the gates to a city were usually opened at sunrise and closed at sunset, but Nehemiah wanted the gates barred until the city was wide awake and able to defend itself if needed. And then at night the gates were shut and bolted before the guards went off duty. Some guards were stationed at guard posts and others in front of their own homes. Nehemiah was wise to put so much emphasis on the guards because gates and walls are only as good as the people who guard them. One historian tells us that China’s enemies penetrated the Great Wall of China at least 4 times, each time by bribing the guards.<\/p>\n
We have already found that many of the events recorded in Nehemiah can easily be viewed as symbolic or metaphorical for the believer’s spiritual life. All these specific directions for the guarding of the city can be applied to our own need to set a guard, to be spiritually aware of eminent attacks from the evil one. Nehemiah perceived that a small change in schedule, keeping the gates locked until they could be certain they were safe and then locking them at night while guards were still stationed, could protect and change the future of the whole city.<\/p>\n
Recent scientific studies on college students’ test performances suggest that early morning study yielded the highest test scores. This is interesting because David wrote 3000 years ago: “O God, You are my God; \/ Early will I seek You” (Psalm 63:1). What small change in what we watch, listen to, and do could we make today that would protect our spiritual life from attack?<\/p>\n
“LORD, we want to grow in You and be spiritually strong this day. Help us to set guards over our tongues, eyes, and ears today, in Jesus’ name.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nehemiah 7 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed,\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>a faithful man, and feared God above many.\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar\u00a0them:\u00a0<\/em>and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one\u00a0to be\u00a0<\/em>over against his house.\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0Now the city\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>large and great: but the people\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>few therein, and the houses\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>not builded.\u00a05<\/sup>\u00a0And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0These\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city;\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0Who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number,\u00a0I say\u00a0<\/em>, of the men of the people of Israel\u00a0was this;\u00a0<\/em>\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Parosh, two thousand an hundred seventy and two.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two.\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two.\u00a011<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>eighteen.\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five.\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore.\u00a015<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight.\u00a0\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight.\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two.\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven.\u00a019<\/sup>The children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five.\u00a021<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight.\u00a022<\/sup>The children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight.\u00a023<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four.\u00a024<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Hariph, an hundred and twelve.\u00a025<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Gibeon, ninety and five.\u00a0\u00a026<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Beth-lehem and Netophah, an hundred fourscore and eight.\u00a027<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Anathoth, an hundred twenty and eight.\u00a028<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Beth-azmaveth, forty and two.\u00a0\u00a029<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Kirjath-jearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three.\u00a0\u00a030<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one.\u00a031<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Michmas, an hundred and twenty and two.\u00a032<\/sup>\u00a0The men of Beth-el and Ai, an hundred twenty and three.\u00a033<\/sup>\u00a0The men of the other Nebo, fifty and two.\u00a034<\/sup>\u00a0The children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four.\u00a035<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Harim, three hundred and twenty.\u00a036<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five.\u00a037<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one.\u00a038<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty. 39<\/sup>\u00a0The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three.\u00a040<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two.\u00a041<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Pashur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven.\u00a042<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen. 43<\/sup>\u00a0The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel,\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.\u00a044<\/sup>\u00a0The singers: the children of Asaph, an hundred forty and eight. 45<\/sup> The porters: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, an hundred thirty and eight. 46<\/sup> The Nethinims: the children of Ziha, the children of Hashupha, the children of Tabbaoth,\u00a047<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,\u00a048<\/sup>The children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,\u00a049<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,\u00a050<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,\u00a051<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Phaseah,\u00a052<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,\u00a053<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,\u00a054<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,\u00a055<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamah,\u00a056<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha. 57<\/sup> The children of Solomon\u2019s servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,\u00a058<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,\u00a059<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon.\u00a0\u00a060<\/sup>\u00a0All the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon\u2019s servants,\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>three hundred ninety and two.\u00a061<\/sup>\u00a0And these\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>they which went up\u00a0also\u00a0<\/em>from Tel-melah, Tel-haresha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer: but they could not shew their father\u2019s house, nor their seed, whether they\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>of Israel.\u00a0\u00a062<\/sup>\u00a0The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two. 63<\/sup>\u00a0And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, which took\u00a0one\u00a0<\/em>of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite to wife, and was called after their name.\u00a064<\/sup>\u00a0These sought their register\u00a0among\u00a0<\/em>those that were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found: therefore were they, as polluted, put from the priesthood.\u00a065<\/sup>\u00a0And the Tirshatha said unto them, that they should not eat of the most holy things, till there stood\u00a0up\u00a0<\/em>a priest with Urim and Thummim.\u00a066<\/sup> The whole congregation together\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,\u00a067<\/sup>\u00a0Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom\u00a0there were\u00a0<\/em>seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.\u00a068<\/sup>\u00a0Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six: their mules, two hundred forty and five:\u00a069<\/sup>\u00a0Their\u00a0<\/em>camels, four hundred thirty and five: six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses. 70<\/sup>\u00a0And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The Tirshatha gave to the treasure a thousand drams of gold, fifty basons, five hundred and thirty priests\u2019 garments.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a071<\/sup>\u00a0And\u00a0some\u00a0<\/em>of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver.\u00a072<\/sup>\u00a0And\u00a0that\u00a0<\/em>which the rest of the people gave\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pound of silver, and threescore and seven priests\u2019 garments.\u00a073<\/sup>\u00a0So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and\u00a0some\u00a0<\/em>of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>in their cities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Once the wall and gates around the city of Jerusalem were rebuilt, Nehemiah gave very specific and detailed instructions to the gatekeepers. 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