There are many GATES surrounding the Walls of the Old City in Jerusalem & all of them have different names & significances. Historically, gates were incorporated into the Walls as a means of providing ENTRANCE & EXIT from the city itself. Not only did it provide access but was the place were business transactions took place, civil matters were settled, judgments rendered, along with a host of other important activities ESSENTIAL to the well-being of those who lived inside the walls.
The Hebrew word for GATE is shah-ar which implies a place of entrance, market place, public meeting place. What is interesting is that it comes from the root word sha-ar implying to split open, reason out, calculate, reckon, estimate.
A few years ago some friends and I went into a little park on the way down to the Kotel that was being used for evil purposes. There were remnants of devil worship & trash all over the place. One of my friends was led to perform some prophetic acts of cleansing the place including blowing the Shofar. Upon my arrival the following year I was surprised to see the park had been restored and there was even a piece of metal artwork in the shape of the Tree of Life. One day while returning up the steps from the Kotel, I noticed that the GATE which had been locked was no longer so and as I looked, there were pieces of trash accumulating on the ground. Each day I went by it got worse to the point that it is returning to its former condition and will probably get worse than before. The locked GATE served as a type of “Watchman” and now that the “Watchman” is gone there is no one to protect the park.
I am reminded of the account found in the book of Matthew depicting this very issue. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth [it] empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first.
Everyday we are faced with making decisions at our EYE Gate, EAR Gate & MIND Gate. It is precisely here that we either permit thoughts that will pollute the city of our spirit or worse defeat it entirely. Keep in mind that we have been given “WATCHMEN” such as God’s Word and our Conscious itself to enable us to detect whether those thoughts that come before our GATES are FRIEND or FOE.
Remember the ROOT word for GATE… To reason out, calculate, estimate or reckon? Many when confronted with unhealthy, unholy thoughts often times REASON away the temptation to give into them or RECKON that they will not cause such a big problem. Some go so far as to CALCULATE that God will overlook the giving into these thoughts relying on some facet of “cheap” Grace to make good for it.
Now is the time to rebuild the WALLS & RESTORE the GATES for we are being attacked on all sides by the enemy of our soul. May God raise up a voice among His people who will speak on the Restoration of GATES of the SOUL thereby providing instructions on maintaining ones CITY.
~Rabbi Matt