There is no mention of repairs to the Water Gate. Did it need any? Perhaps the gate, in its “place toward the east”, had survived Nebuchadnezzar’s assault intact, so that there would be no need of any repairs. Or was the omission symbolical, as the Wall of the Dung/Fountain Gate? In fact this gate is only mentioned in passing, as it were, as being opposite the wall repaired by the servants liv­ing on the hill of Ophel (Temple servants) and toward the east, and the projecting tower. This is not the first time a tower has been mentioned in Nehemiah’s account; these towers were usually built for the purpose of defence watchtowers. This one seems to be very closely associated with the gate itself, and is the first time in this series, that atten­tion will be drawn to one of them.

The Gate of the Word of God⤒🔗

Before continuing with the account in Nehe­miah 3, turn to Nehemiah 8:1-3. Ezra the scribe gathered all the people who were able to understand, (which included children, except for the babies and toddlers not yet of the age of comprehension) into the square in front of the Water Gate, to listen to the reading of the Law of God. This being so, we may look at this gate from the point of view of God’s Word, for there is a close tie between water and the Word. Eph. 5: 25, 26 tells that Christ ... “cleansed the Church by the washing with water through the Word.” In the Psalms, too, cleansing is by the Word (Ps. 119:9). In our physical world, water is essen­tial for life, for refreshment and for cleansing, and in our society today, is used for leisure and pleasure. Before contemplating these, however, consider the symbolic implications of not needing repairs. The Word needs no repairs; it is uninjured by man’s assault. We may promote and defend the Word, but it is both “impious and impudent to seek to patch it up and improve it.” (Ironside) Strong is the warning against this. (Rev. 22:18, 19). Some have tried to repair the Word of God. Some have tried to break it down. But God said, “My word shall never fail.” The Word was the subject of attack from Satan right from the beginning. Perhaps never has there been a greater assault than in the present day. Yet it stands and abides forever. “My word shall not pass away.” – Your word, O Lord, is eternal, it stands firm in the heavens.

Our Watch Tower←⤒🔗

It is up to us to fortify ourselves in God’s ‘watchtower’ against attacks, by reading the Word of God, studying the Word of God, lis­tening to highly qualified, faithful Christians preaching, or reading their commentaries. We face three main attacks. You well know the approach of the media – the sneer­ing at Christian ‘fundamentalists’ and the denigration of the qualifications of Christian scientists; the claim that no real scientist believes in God’s hand in the creation of this world. Thank God for Christian scientists who defend the Word. Support them by reading their books, watching their videos. Fortify our children too, when they reach the age of comprehension, and before the world attacks them. This is most important for their sakes and for our own peace of mind.

The second attack comes from heretic cults. How disturbing it is to hear Christians say, “I know the Jehovah’s Witnesses who called at my door this week are wrong, but I don’t know why.” If we don’t know why, then how do we know they are wrong? It is essential for us from the protection of God’s Watchtower, to defend ourselves against their distortions and onslaught; to fortify ourselves against their own so-called ‘Watch­tower,’ (their organisation and magazine), to see the falsity of their interpretations and their so-called translations of the Bible, least they overcome us. It is the same for all heretical cults we may meet. We should know why they are wrong, especially those active in our midst; if we do not know, it is high time to find out.

The third attack is the most subtle, for it comes from within the visible Church. Liberal ‘Christian’ teaching accepts the compassion of Christ, some of His moral teachings, His ‘nice’ sayings. But it rejects His claims to deity, rejects the virgin birth, rejects the miracles, resurrection and ascension; it calls a large part of the New Testament a lie. It reduces God to what Philip Yancey calls a ‘whispy vapour’ and Jesus to a mere hon­oured teacher. How do we defend ourselves from this? Find out the historical truth about the New Testament manuscripts. Find out why we can have confidence in them. Learn how to understand apparent discrepancies in the different Gospel accounts, and why they are not really discrepancies at all. If you need to, ask your minister to recommend reading matter on this. And when they come to your door, don’t argue (unless you are well armed), but give a strong witness that Jesus is your Saviour-God. (John 20:28.) You may sow a seed that much later bears fruit!

Join the defenders in God’s Watch­tower.

A Gate with Purpose←⤒🔗

For Life←↰⤒🔗

The Gate has no repairs, for it needs none. We must not neglect to use this gate. Otherwise our lives will be in grave danger. For water is essential to life. We have heard much this year of drought and its devastat­ing effect, especially in countries of Africa. A recent letter from Tanzania spoke of the terrible heartbreak of seeing sprouted crops that wither and die. Without the regular read­ing of God’s word, our spiritual life will do just that. Don’t let us be like the fictional traveller in the desert who had water at his side, but died through neglecting to drink it. Drink deep of the Word of God. “The person who goes to the word of God ... must concentrate on what the Word is saying. A casual approach to Bible reading will never cut. Serious Bible study on a specific subject of concern, with prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit to implement the counsel of Christ’s word in a life situation, is what will produce results.” (Dan Hayden.) Not just listening at the family table, but regular personal study, for our­selves, by ourselves, alone with God. Then our life with God will flourish.

For Refreshment←↰⤒🔗

All of us have times when we need water, just to refresh ourselves. Jesus Himself, as a man, once sat by a well and asked a woman for refreshing water. In times when we grow weary with well-doing, Lord, refresh my soul by your Word. In times of weariness through sickness, Lord, refresh my soul by your Word. In times of feeling the weakness of age, Lord, refresh my soul by your word. At times of doubt, difficulty or despair, Lord, refresh my soul by your Word. And in times of weariness through busyness, Lord, refresh my soul by your Word.

Proverbs 25:13 compares the coolness of snow at harvest time with a trustworthy messenger refreshing the spirit. He is a mes­senger of encouragement. His message for us is in the Word.

For Pleasure and Leisure←↰⤒🔗

Without making too much of this, why do most of us go for a swim, or enjoy, as Rattie in The Wind in the Willows put it, “messing about in boats”? Some for exercise, some for contest, but most of us for the straight out pleasure it gives us. Have you noticed how often Psalm 119 speaks of the ‘delight’ in the law of God? Let’s read it sometimes for the pure pleasure of the Word of God.

Jesus and the Water for Cleansing←⤒🔗

This incident is so well-known, that it scarcely needs elaboration.

Jesus said to Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no part in me.”

Peter replied, “Then, Lord, “not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well.”

Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” (NIV)

The quotation above you will, of course, recognise as coming from the account of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, in the cus­tom of that time and place, when sandaled feet picked up the dust of the roads.

Jesus used the washing of the disciples’ feet with water, to remind his disciple Peter of the daily need of cleansing as we walk through this life. After the initial cleansing, when we accept the washing of sins and the forgiveness of God at our conversion (even if we are unaware of exactly when this took place,) then it is the cleansing of day by day sins and failures, that is a necessity for all his followers, and will be as long as this life continues. Day by day reading of the Word of God, and hearing the Word preached Sunday by Sunday, cleanses our soul.

I like the story of a devoted minister in Christchurch (the late Rev. William Or­ange), who once had a worried parishioner approach him and express her concern that often she could not remember a lot of his sermon. He gave her this answer: “It does not matter. If you have a dirty kitchen colandar, you wash it in water. The water runs out, but the colander is cleaned. My sermons are like that. If I preach the Bible faithfully, you may not afterwards recall much of what I say, but as you listen the Word of God makes you clean again.”

“And you are clean, but not every one of you.” The enigma of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer. Are we ourselves clean?

Come to Him for the initial cleansing, at the Fountain Gate. Come to the Water Gate for daily cleansing after walking through roads that soil. Pray to the Lord:

Whiter than snow, yes whiter than snow,
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.