Nehemiah 3:1, 3, 6 Then Eliashib, the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors; they consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel….And the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate….And Joiada….repaired the Old Gate. [Revised Standard translation]
John 10:9 Yes, I am The Gate. Those who come in by way of The Gate will be saved and will go in and out and find green pastures. [Living Bible translation]
Summary
The book of Nehemiah is the story of how a Jewish cupbearer to a Persian King was allowed to return to Jerusalem and restore the Temple, the city and the spiritual health of a people after years of exile. There is much discussion about the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, for the walls were considered necessary for the defense and safety of any city.
But, in addition to building the walls, the people also had to rebuild the various gates in the walls. The city of Jerusalem had a number of gates. The third chapter of Nehemiah names some of them: The Sheep Gate (3:1); The Fish Gate (3:3); The Old Gate (3:6); The Valley Gate (3:13); The Dung Gate (3:14); The Inspection Gate (3:31); The Water Gate (3:26); The East Gate (3:29); The Horse Gate (3:28); and The Fountain Gate (3:15). Each gate had a specific function. For example, The Dung Gate was at the far end of the city. Jerusalem’s waste, rubbish and refuse were taken out of the city through that gate. The Horse Gate was located near the king’s stables so that the soldiers of Jerusalem would be able to leave the city and ride out into battle. The Fish Gate was used by the fishermen to bring in their catch for the day and so on.
However, the most sacred gate of spiritual significance was The Sheep Gate. For it was through The Sheep Gate the sheep and lambs would be offered in sacrifice to GOD. So, it was fitting that the high priest and his fellow priests hung the doors to The Sheep Gate and dedicated it and consecrated it to GOD. The very lives of the people depended on The Sheep Gate.
In John10:9, JESUS says “I AM THE GATE.” Not only does this scripture hearken back to THE GOOD SHEPHERD scriptures concerning JESUS providing safety, refuge and peace for HIS sheep (HIS flock---HIS church), but this scripture also hearkens back to JESUS as HIGH PRIEST and our LAMB of GOD. Our very lives (here and hereafter) depend on HIM.
GAIT and BALANCE EXERCISES
Children have to practice walking in order to develop a mature gait. Initially their steps may be wide or they may be a little off balance. It is not uncommon for a pair of “safety hands” to follow a toddler as they practice trying to walk just to make sure they don’t tumble and fall during those early stages of walking
As people age and their bones thin or they develop joint or other physical problems, they may need to exercise in order to maintain balance or a steady gait.
In a study published in September, 2010 in JAMA Internal Medicine (formerly the Achieves of Internal Medicine) it was noted that women with thinning bones who exer-cised regularly demonstrated sustained improvements in their gait (e.g. their walking speed) and balance that may prevent hip fractures and may even extend their lives. Re-searchers found that 20 minutes of at home exercise daily interspersed with 6 months of weekly training increased gait stability and reduced the women’s risk of fractures by 32%. The improvement even persisted for two years after the women’s exercise program ended.
The study was conducted on 160 women with osteopenia, women who had some loss of bone density, but not enough for a diagnosis of osteoporosis. Researchers found that those women who exercised walked more quickly and had better strength and stability measurements than those women who did not exercise. None of the women in the exer-cise group had hip fractures during follow-up, while there were five hip fractures in the control group of women. The researcher also noted that fractures in the control group were much closer to the core of the body (e.g. the hip) rather than the knee, when they compared fractures between women who exercised versus those who did not, suggesting that the type of falls may be different for exercisers.
The researchers noted that lifelong physical activity was associated with reduced risk of fractures. See, Long-Term Outcomes of Exercise Follow-up of a Randomized Trial in Older Women With Ostepenia, Raija Korpelainen, PhD et al.; September 27, 2010, Vol. 170, No. 17 JAMA.
Exercise can be beneficial for not only women, but men too, of all ages. If you have a health condition or been diagnosed with a medical condition, contact your physician be-fore beginning an exercise program so that your doctor can provide you with an exercise program specifically tailored for you.
PRAYFULLY CONSIDER YOUR GAIT AND THE GATE
Like Nehemiah did for the City of Jerusalem, it pays to do an examination. Sometimes we need to examine our churches to see if there are any walls or gates preventing people from feeling the presence of GOD. Sometimes we need to inspect ourselves both physically and spiritually. Feeling off balanced? Are you stumbling along? Are you walking as fast as you used to walk? Are there any spiritual fractures that need mending?
This Wednesday examine your gait and your relationship to THE GATE? Pray about what you should do next. Pray one for another. Pray for your church and for other churches. Pray for ministries throughout the world. Read Nehemiah. Read and study the “I AM” sayings of JESUS.
Walk with GOD, be balanced and BE BLESSED!
