Sermon Central
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The Valley Gate Series
Contributed by Monte Brown on Sep 28, 2014 (message contributor)
Summary: The Valley Gate calls us to see Mercy: It calls us to see Mercy triumphing over judgment. It calls us to cry out for Mercy!
“The Valley Gate Message 4”
The Spiritual Application of the Gates
Nehemiah 3:13 Monte T. Brown
August 17, 2014 Sunday Night
Stapp Zoe Baptist
Prelude
In light of 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.
I would like us to look at all 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.
These messages are vivid and clear in our day just as they were in 445 BC and prior.
God uses these gates to reveal the coming Messiah to the Jews of that day and today.
They reveal Him from His first coming sacrifice to His Second Coming and the final judgment.
It is fascinating how God finds many different ways to tell the message of Christ, the good news. This is one more.
Praise be to God the Father who desires salvation for all. 1 Timothy 2:4 MB
There is so much spiritual applications within these gates, their positions in the wall of the city, the order in which they were rebuilt and the purpose of each gate.
Each gate speaks to us of the different experiences in our Christian walk that each of us will face.
Their order and position is very specific and give us insight into the journey that God takes each of His children on.
The Valley Gate overlooked the Valley of Hinnom and the Valley of Kidron. Together they represent God’s judgment upon His enemies as well as his mercy. The Valley Gate overlooked the Kidron Valley. It is located along the eastern side of Jerusalem between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives. To the South of the city Kidron joins the Valley of Hinnom. The pool of Gihon is located in the Kidron Valley.
The Hinnom Valley is noted for judgment and destruction by fire.
The word translated “Hell” in the New Testament is from the word “Gehenna” which comes from the Hebrew word “Gehinnom” or Hinnom.
A garbage dump was located in part of this valley.
Fires were kept burning day and night to consume dead bodies, garbage, and rubbish.
The Gate was used by the people who would take their rubbish to the valley to have it burned away.
The Valley Gate calls us to see Mercy:
It calls us to see Mercy triumphing over judgment. It calls us to cry out for Mercy!
A Valley of Judgment:
The Valley was also a place where Judgment came or was announced. It was the scene of idolatrous practices in the days of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:3) and Manasseh, who made his children to pass through the fire in the valley to worship the god Molech (2 Kings 23:10). It became a dumping place for destroyed pagan items (2 Chronicales 29:16, 30:14).
This valley is said to be the gathering place for the last great judgment and is referred to as “The Valley of Jehoshaphat” in Joel 3:2.
The Judean King sacrificed his eldest son to the Canaanite god Molech. Today the valley is known as Sultans Pool, the popular summertime concert venue.
A Valley where Mercy is seen:
While this Gate, and the Valleys it overlooks, are associated with Judgment they are also associated with Mercy.
David first returned the Ark of the Covenant to this Valley to a tent next to the Gihon Spring in the valley.
The ark remained here in the valley during David’s time until Solomon built the Temple following King David.
Wherever the Ark rested there was the Mercy Seat.
Once a year the priest sprinkled blood over it to remove the sins of the people.
Jesus road his donkey from the Mount of Olives through the valley to His Triumphal Entry in Jerusalem.
On the night of Jesus’ betrayal He left the city of Jerusalem and crossed through the Kidron Valley to the Garden of Gethsemane. He crossed the valley to the Garden of Gethsemane to bear our sins and our judgment. Jesus became our Mercy Seat.
In I John 2:2 we are told, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for also for the whole world.” The word “propitiation” means Mercy Seat Covering.
