Sermon Central
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The Inspection Gate Series
Contributed by Monte Brown on Sep 28, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: If you walked through the Inspection Gate, you would step right out into the court of the temple and be very close to the location of the threshing floor of Ornan that David purchased to stay the judgment against Israel when a sacrifice was offered.
“The Inspection Gate Message 12”
The Spiritual Application of the Gates
Nehemiah 3:31 Monte T. Brown
September 28, 2014 Sunday Evening
Stapp Zoe Baptist
Prelude
As mentioned this morning the Word of God is ever living and ever speaking to us through each word on these pages.
Each day that passes, we see more and more of the Word of God unveiling before us.
Jesus spoke to us through parables and object teaching, therefore every bit of the Word of God is ever speaking words of wisdom to us.
Looking at the events unfolding in the Middle East and the fact that we are living in end times I see it is important that we understand the importance of the Promise Land and that city called “The City of God.”
“The City of God” is Jerusalem and it has been in the headlines of history for thousands of years.
Part of the uniqueness of this city is the wall that surrounds the city.
Within the wall are the gates that outline the premature of the city.
Each one of these gate sends us a message that applies to us today.
The book of Nehemiah list ten of the twelve gates that needed repaired.
We have just looked at ten of the twelve gates and gleam insight from each of these gates.
Each one of the gates is unique and gives us a specific message about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Now we will take a look at one of the twelve gates that did not need repair, The Inspection Gate.
Scripture
After him repaired Malchiah the goldsmith's son unto the place of the Nethinims, and of the merchants, over against the Inspection Gate (Miphkad), and to the going up of the corner. Nehemiah 3:31 (KJV)
Prayer
The Inspection (Miphkad) Gate
The word “Miphkad” means “review, census, muster” and suggests the idea of judgment. It is also called the muster gate.
It carries with it the idea of troops showing up for review in front of their commander.
The idea of judgment here represented is that someday God is going to call all souls up for review in the judgment.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV)
This gate represents a call to holiness and righteousness as we realize that God is holy and calls those who serve Him to be holy.
The gate was in or near the North end of the east wall of Jerusalem.
If you walked through the Inspection Gate, you would step right out into the court of the temple and be very close to the location of the threshing floor of Ornan that David purchased to stay the judgment against Israel when a sacrifice was offered.
It is upon this same piece of ground that the temple was built so that sacrifices would continue to mark this spot.
Hence, the story of Ornan’s threshing floor is forever of importance to man.
The story of Ornan’s threshing floor and God’s judgment of David and Israel is found in I Chronicles 21.
David ordered a censes of Israel to number or count them.
It wasn’t that numbering Israel was wrong.
God had previously has Moses actually do this in Numbers 1:1-3; and in Numbers 26:1-4.
It was his motive of pride that made it wrong.
Satan provoked him to do this, not God.
The consequence was judgment upon Israel.
David was warned by Joab not to do this but preceded against this counsel and had Joab go take a census and number Israel.
In all, Israel and Judah had 1 million and 570 thousand men who could draw a sword.
The story goes on to say that this rebellious act displeased the Lord, therefore, he struck Israel.
The Lord spoke to Gad, David’s seer, and told David he and Israel would have to face judgment.
David could pick between three alternatives:
1) three years of famine.
2) three months to be defeated by his enemies
or
3) three days of plague upon the land with the angel of the Lord destroying throughout Israel.
David’s answer was that he would rather fall into the hands of the Lord then the hands of his enemies.
The result was that 70,000 men of Israel died.
God also sent the angel to Jerusalem to destroy it.
As he was destroying it, the Lord looked and relented.
He told the angel, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.
And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel standing between heaven and earth with his sword still drawn and stretched out over Jerusalem.
