Put It In My Heart

Othniel ‘Lion of God’ sermon

PRAYER - "God Put It In My Heart"

Twice, Nehemiah said "God put it in my heart." First, it was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Second, it was to gather the nobles, rulers and others to verify their genealogy. Certainly, the future of Jerusalem ultimately depended much more on the integrity of the people than with the integrity of the walls. If Nehemiah had only prayed, and not listened to God, Jerusalem's fate might have been vastly different. God IS speaking. Are you hearing?

Nehemiah 7:5 - "My God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people."

PRINCIPALS - "The Dung Gate".         

Dung Gate

Each gate that Nehemiah repaired seemed to have a symbolic message for us. Such is true about the dung gate. The people of Jerusalem carried their trash, refuse, and dung out to the Tyropoeon Valley where there was a garbage dump. In every one of our lives, there are things that must be disposed. This is the message of repentance. Repentance not only renounces sin, it puts it away. "Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." DungGate relates to church.

Nehemiah 3:14 - "But the dung gate repaired Malchiah."

PRINCIPLES - "The FountainGate".       

Fountain Gate

Nehemiah repaired the fountain gate, near the pool of Siloam. A fountain is a spring. Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive.) Again, He said, "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." This doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Ghost is the New Testament fountain gate.

Nehemiah 3:15 - "The gate of the fountain repaired Shallun."


PROPHECIES - "The Water Gate"

The water gate required no repairs. That is keen typology for the Word of God. "All the people gathered

Water Gate

themselves together ...before the water gate; ...And Ezra the priest ...brought the law before the congregation ...And he read therein ...before the water gate from the morning until midday." Paul said that Jesus Christ sanctifies the church, in part, by the washing of water by the word. The Word of God NEVER needs repair. It is forever settled in heaven. Not one jot or tittle of it will fail. 

Nehemiah 3:26 - "..to the place over against the water gate."